Longtime Steve Perry impersonator Hugo Valenti was invited on stage by Journey during a concert in Fukuoka, Japan, on 29 August to sing the band's 1982 hit "Faithfully". Valenti, who bears a striking resemblance to Perry both in looks and voice, has fronted Journey tribute acts for 21 years and was briefly considered as a replacement singer when Perry left the band in 1998, before Steve Augeri was chosen instead.

Keyboardist Jonathan Cain introduced Valenti to the crowd as a "dear friend" who had travelled from New Jersey to Japan, and both Cain and guitarist Neal Schon have previously spoken about Valenti's uncanny similarity to Perry. Valenti now leads the tribute act Hugo – The Ultimate Journey Tribute, which next performs on 11 September in Hoboken, New Jersey, while Journey continue the final leg of their Final Frontier farewell tour, running from 5 September in Honolulu to 28 September in San Francisco. Speculation about a possible Perry reunion has resurfaced amid the tour's conclusion, but Perry himself has firmly dismissed the rumours.