URGENT: Foreigner to Play Kennewick’s Toyota Center in September
The last time Foreigner played in our neck of the woods, the show was at Legends Casino Hotel in Toppenish on September 15, 2019, and when it was time for the band to belt out one of their biggest hits, "I Want to Know What Love Is", it was the 11th song of a 12 song set and for the choral part of this song, a group of Tri-Citians from the Mid-Columbia Master Singers slowly made a procession from stage left as the song began, to their marks on the risers to join in accompaniment at their cue. It was a real thrill for them all.
You forget how many amazing hits Foreigner has charted, one smash after another, no time for deep tracks in concert unfortunately, which are worthy in their own right, just play the big ones. Go here for the setlist from that Legends evening.
The night of that performance founding member and lead guitarist Mick Jones was unavailable to play so there were no original members on stage, but the band was still quite tight. Jones is expected to play his one guitar, slung way down low, in the role of a Juke Box Hero in September.
So it'll be just over 2 years since we've had a chance to catch Foreigner when they come back to the area to rock the Toyota Center on Wednesday, September 22nd. The tickets for that show go on sale this upcoming Friday, April 23rd, and here's the link to purchase when the time is a-go.
A special ticket pre-sale is coming up on Thursday, April 22nd from 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Use the promo code GREATESTHITS at the above link to purchase yours a day before they go on sale to the general public. Public on-sale is Friday, April 23rd at 10:00 a.m.
Since March 11, 2005 the lead singer of Foreigner has been Kelly Hansen who replaced Lou Gramm after Gramm and Mick Jones started to have creative differences and took a break from each other in late 2002, plus due to the brain tumor Gramm had suffered in April 1997, his voice and stamina was never quite the same after that setback. Gramm and Jones would not play again until 2013.
Jones looked to start a Foreigner re-boot in 2004 and after a number of singer auditions, he found his man in Hansen in early 2005, the former lead singer of Hurricane, who had sent Jones an audition tape when he heard Jones was hiring.
Foreigner named the band as such because of the equal split of American and English members at time of the group's inception -- three brits and three yanks. So, no matter where they toured, anywhere in the world, at least half the band would be foreigners.
Enjoy a terrific photo gallery from the Legends Casino Hotel show in September of 2019 at the end of an article here.