Live: Foreigner in Greensburg

Have you ever gone to a show of a band when there are no original members left in it? Well that’s exactly what I did at the latest Foreigner show. The last remaining original member was guitarist Mick Jones and he recently stepped down as last full time touring original member, although he says he will still play select shows. Much to my surprise, the show actually kicked major ass. The reason that the show kicked so much ass was the players. They put on a show that was so good that believe it or not you didn’t miss anyone. A big key to that was the band’s vocalist Kelly Hansen (Formerly of Hurricane). In the 14 years since he has become the vocalist, his raw passion in the music has come to redefine it, making them still incredibly relevant today. The band had another secret weapon in the form of former Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson. His remarkable energy level made him extremely enjoyable to watch the entire night. The rest of the band which included guitarist Tom Gimbel, guitarist Bruce Watson, keyboardist Michael Bluestein and drummer Chris Frazier was in top form as well which gave the show that special magic it had. The band sounded absolutely flawless as the ripped through Foreigner classics like “Double Vision,” “Head Games,” “Cold As Ice,” “Dirty White Boy” and “Feels Like the First Time.” What really stuck with you was just how funny singer Kelly Hansen was. He told stories all night that got giant belly laughs and his crowd interaction was perfect. They played long and hard through hit after hit. The band played through many solos as well, such as bass, guitar and a drum solo that was second to none, but I have to say that it was hard to keep your eyes off of Jeff Pilson. The guy is an absolute beast who knows how to work a crowd and work it he did. The band had a surprise in the fact that they had to local high school choir come in to sing “I Want to Know What Love Is.” The band still had one more chambered and ready to go and they let the shot ring out, “Hot Blooded” blasted from the speakers complete with a long drawn out ending so the band could strut their stuff one final time. It was all over except to ask…I wonder how long this version of Foreigner can go on? -Eric Hunker