The smoky atmosphere of Riverwind Casino was a little different Friday night as I weaved in and out of slot machine rows. Off in the corner, a hub of people who looked to be in their mid-40s and 50s waited anxiously in line, beers in hand. I got on an elevator to make my way up to my seat with another couple. The woman had ultra violet hair and hot pink lipstick, and tattoos covered her arms.
"Who is Foreigner anyway?" the man accompanying her asked.
"Oh shut up," the woman said, with a roll of her eyes.
I got off the elevator, found my seat and the auditorium went silent. Purple lights and smoke filled the stage, the crowd began to cheer and a loud voice announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Foreigner." With a flash of light, the stage was illuminated, and the six-man band began to play. A jolt of energy went through me and in that moment I was certain that though the '70s may be gone, rock 'n' roll is still very much alive and kicking.
Lead singer Kelly Hansen started the night off strong with "Double Vision." The crowd members pumped their hands in the air on beat as if directed to. Hansen's American flag scarf and microphone stand twirls gave off a Stephen Tyler-esque vibe. While other entertainers today rely on backup dancers and choreography, Foreigner simply has its music. Don't let that fool you — for a classic rock band, Foreigner wasn't going to let stereotypes stick.
Hansen did a phenomenal job of interacting with his other band members by tapping cymbals on the drum set or bending backward next to guitarist Bruce Watson. Foreigner was truly a class act, not running through the set list, but involving the audience in a song whenever possible.
During "Cold as Ice," Hansen threw pics off Tom Gimbel's mic stand into the crowd. Gimbel played keyboard, guitar, flute and saxophone throughout the night. Hansen then jumped off stage and walked through the crowd confidently; unlike other performers, he indulged the crowd instead of shying away.
One of the easiest pitfalls rock singers fall into is overworking their voice or veering off the road of singing and onto full-out screaming without any diaphragm support. While Hansen struggled to reach the falsetto in "Waiting for a Girl Like You," he maintained a strong vocal delivery throughout the majority of the concert.
The show contained mind-boggling guitar solos throughout the night, usually headed up by Watson. A self-taught guitarist, Watson's solos were clean and precise while wailing just enough to entice the crowd — an incredibly talented musician to say the least. Gimbel also performed what I confidently say was the first-ever rock genre saxophone solo I have witnessed. Gimbel played the sax with all the eloquence of Watson's guitar skills but with the added soulful pop.
The band put away the electric gadgets for an acoustic version of "Say You Will," during which it kept a thoughtful harmony. Hansen took pride in the band's musicality following the performance by stating, "No synthesizers, no auto correction, just real people, playing real music — the way it should be." The audience let out a stream of yells and whistles to this.
Hansen's statement was continuously validated throughout the night. Foreigner no longer contains any of the original band members, but the crowd seemed oblivious. While the venue permitted the audience to sit, most stood the entire night shouting, fists pumping, and it seemed not a soul in the room didn't know every lyric by heart.
That is the magic and staying power of Foreigner. While many of the bands in the sold-out stadium era of rock have broken up or dissolved, Foreigner has perfected one thing incredibly well: its music. The fans connect with Foreigner's lyrics and sound, not necessarily its band members, which it is no doubt what has permitted them to celebrate 40 years of creating music.
