Foreigner
First Council Casino
Newkirk, Oklahoma
February 26, 2011

By Jeb Wright
Photo by Jake Willoughby

Set List:
Double Vision | Head Games | Cold As Ice |Can't Slow Down | Waiting For a Girl Like You | When It Comes to Love | Dirty White Boy | Starrider | Feels Like the First Time | Urgent | I Want to Know What Love Is | Hot Blooded

Encore:
Juke Box Hero

Founding member, and only original member, Mick Jones, hired the right men for the job as this version of Foreigner prides itself on note perfect renditions of the band’s classic songs. While it must be mentioned that a Lou Gramm-less Foreigner is hard to take, and sad to see, when Lou’s health failed, and his voice faltered, Jones knew he had to take action if his band was going to salvage their live act and reputation.

Gramm, an iconic front man, was simply unable to hit the notes he could before his brain tumor and the laborious recovery in the aftermath of the tragedy. The two men were also unable to come to a compromise, leaving Gramm out in the cold and Jones looking for a needle in a haystack, as Gramm was not going to be easy to replace.

Jones found vocalist Kelly Hanson, most renowned for hard rock and heavy metal bands Heaven & Earth and Hurricane. While Kelly lacked the blonde locks and 70’s rock star looks that Gramm possessed, he still had rock star swagger and a golden voice. He, like Gramm, is fun to watch on stage and is full of energy. Jones and Hanson make a good team on the classics, as well as the tunes performed from Foreigner’s latest release Can’t Slow Down.

A quick glance at the set list proves Foreigner deserve a Hall of Fame nomination as every song written in the ‘80’s and backwards is a FM radio staple. When you open with “Double Vision,” “Head Games,” and “Cold As Ice” then you get the audience’s attention. Throw in “Dirty White Boy,” “Feels Like the First Time,” “Urgent,” “Hot Blooded” and “Jukebox Hero” and you have a hell of a good show.

Unfortunately, for the old school Foreigner fans, one has to put up with “Waiting For a Girl Like You” and “I Want to Know What Love Is.” These songs sold millions and are loved by the female portion of the fan base but in a live setting they simply kill the raw energy of the rock songs. If anything, placing them back to back very early in the set list would get them out of the way and allow the rockers to keep their blood pumping strong all night long. .

The highlight of the evening was a song that was never a hit single. “Starrider” took the crowd by storm as Jones delivered both a smooth vocal and a frenzied guitar solo. When the ballads are compared this epic composition, they simply pale in comparison.

The only complaint, other than the sugarcoated ballads, is that Foreigner has not changed the set list in years. The band seems to be able to hit the on switch and go into Foreigner mode with ease. That said, they perform flawlessly, sound amazing, and, as said earlier, most of the set list is stellar. It would, however, be nice to see them revisit some other fan favorites like “Long, Long Way From Home,” “Head Knocker,” “Blue Morning Blue Day” and “Woman.”