loverboy tour review

Foreigner Rocks Palm Beach in Epic Farewell Tour

Legends Unite: Foreigner and Loverboy Deliver an Unforgettable Night of Classic Rock Magic – Photos and Review of the Loverboy & Foreigner Concert at the iThink Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, FL

July 8th, 2023

The stage was ablaze with passion as Foreigner took the stage and unleashed an unforgettable experience. Fans of all ages belted their hearts out in a sea of reckless energy to some of the biggest classic rock anthems of all time. The atmosphere was charged with a unique kind of bittersweet, as we all gathered to pay homage to this iconic group for perhaps the last time. This was the start of a long, but final journey. In this farewell tour, the band plans to visit all the cities that they have ever played. It is projected to take around two years to complete this final hurrah, which may seem long, but these ‘Hot Blooded’ men seem more than up to the challenge. 

Since their formation in 1976, Foreigner has been responsible for some of the biggest rock hits such as “Cold as Ice,” “I Want to Know What Love Is” and “Juke Box Hero,” to name a few. As many rock bands of age, they have had different band members retire or pass away over the years. When the lead singer Lou Gram left the band in 2003, the band was put on hiatus for over a year. Many fans were devastated and thought that the band had broken up. Those rumors were put to rest when Mick Jones reformed the band in 2004 with Kelly Hanson as the frontman. The lineup of this tour also included Jeff Pilson, Michael Bluestein, Bruce Watson, Chris Frazier and Luis Carlos Maldonado.  

For those in the know, you probably  noticed that Mick Jones is the last remaining original member. Moreover, he does not always go on (I can only assume due to age and stamina?) as he did not perform at iThink Amphitheater. For all the naysayers and haters who have made claims that this is not the ‘real’ Foreigner, I have a few things to say. Firstly, Lou Gram performed with Foreigner for around 26 years before leaving the band due to health complications. By the end of this tour, Kelly Hanson (his replacement),  will have been with the band for around 22 years. Of course, no one can compare to Lou Gram, but Hanson has been playing his music almost as long as Gram himself. What was performed on Saturday was masterful artistry, and nothing short of pure Rock n’ Roll. No audience member seemed to care that the band had gotten older and took on newer faces. The electricity that each performer gave made this concert “Feel Like  The First Time.” When keyboardist Bluestein played that opening motif for “Cold as Ice” the audience absolutely lost their minds like it was 1977. 

The entire evening was made complete by the opening act- Loverboy . These boys are no stranger to the road, as they toured in 2022 with REO Speed wagon and Styx as well. With hits such as “Working for the Weekend” and “Turn Me Loose” this Canadian band is no opening act to be missed. They feel as much a part of the experience as Foreigner themselves. 

As the final notes of “Juke Box Hero” closed out the show, it was clear that Foreigner had once again solidified their status as legends of classic rock. This performance was a poignant celebration of their remarkable Journey, new members and all. It left fans in awe of their timeless hits and electrifying performance. As they left the stage, the audience clamored for an encore with deafening cheers. Shortly thereafter, the band returned to the stage for their final moments. They brought the house down with a stunning performance of “I Want To Know What Love Is” featuring thePark Vista highschool choir. It was inspiring to say the least.

With their farewell tour, Foreigner said goodbye to Palm Beach, but their legacy will forever remain in the hearts of fans. And if you missed this one, not to worry, they have several tour dates and will be performing all across the country. Be sure to catch them before it’s too late. Feel the energy, and remember the enduring power of classic rock. 

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Loverboy concert reviews and tour history

• rating: 95% (2)

Fans' concert reviews

St. joseph's health amphitheater at lakeview in syracuse, us on sat, 02 sep 2023.

Loverboy was amazing!! Mike Reno’s voice is as good as it ever was!!!!! Those songs being back the good old days. No worries in life, just good times

JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, US on Sat, 19 Jun 1982

They were on the bill with Joan Jett, Foreigner and the Kinks. They clearly played the best set out of the bunch and I am not a Loverboy fan. They really kicked ass this day against a good lineup.

Rated concerts

• St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse, US Sat, 02 Sep 2023 100% from 1 rating
• JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, US Sat, 19 Jun 1982 90% from 1 rating

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• fantastic: 1 50%
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• should've stayed at home: 0 0%

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Loverboy tour history, about loverboy.

Loverboy is a group founded 45 years ago in 1979.

Based on our research data, it appears, that the first Loverboy concert happened 45 years ago on Mon, 19 Nov 1979 in Pacific Coliseum - Vancouver, Canada and that the last Loverboy concert was 2 days ago on Sat, 27 Apr 2024 in Ho-Chunk Gaming - Wisconsin Dells - Baraboo, US.

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Last information data update: 3 days ago

Foreigner’s Farewell Tour Hits SPAC with Greatest Hits | 2023 Concert Review

As I often do, I wandered up Route 20 to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Tuesday evening. I was eager to get out and catch the Foreigner Farewell Tour, with Loverboy opening. After a busy, hot July not ideal for outdoor events, the comfortable 70-degree weather was a welcome change.

Upon arriving, I was met with a longer than usual line to enter due to SPAC implementing new scanning technology. This was the first concert using it, causing some confusion. Instead of emptying pockets into “the bowl,” you now simply walk between two towers – green to enter, red to move to the normal routine line.

Once inside, I headed to my usual overpriced food stand for a large Diet Pepsi – quite the party animal. Looking around I did notice the age of the crowd skewed quite a bit old than I, it resembled that of the orchestra or ballet. I mean I shouldn’t be surprised given that Foreigner has had a 46-year career, but I was nonetheless. At 56, I felt like the kid.

Opener: Loverboy

First up on the evening’s festivities was Loverboy. This was my fourth time seeing them overall, 3 of those four times have been in the last 5 years.

The first time was back in my youth at the green age of 15 back in May of 1982 at the Montreal Forum. My first ever concert. They were the opener then too for Bryan Adams. Only once have I seen them as the headliner, always the bridesmaid…

August 1, 2023

May 8, 1982

They have always been a guilty pleasure, Unfortunately, they seemed a bit flat this time around. A bit tired. Forty-plus years of touring will do that to you. They just went through the songs with little to no enthusiasm. ( Turn Me Loose Video ) Would have preferred some deeper cuts as it’s been the same setlist for the last several years. Still, it was enjoyable hearing and singing along to the songs nonetheless.

Having none of the original members (unless you count Kelly Hansen and Jeff Pilson who have been in the band since 2005 and 2004) they certainly had more energy and enthusiasm having more youth on their side. This was only my second time seeing them. The last time was a couple of years ago in 2017 with Cheap Trick. (Props again to Setlist . fm for refreshing my memory.)

Kelly ran around with the energy of a younger man despite being 61 himself. He had the crowd singing along from start to finish playing their iconic hits, transporting back to a time of an era of classic rock and unforgettable melodies. The melodies have been what they are known for.

(Video clips and Photos below)

Midway through the show they brought out chairs and performed a three-song acoustic set and a band introduction. Jeff Pilson, formerly of the 80’s band Dokken, was actually seated for the whole show due to some sort of foot injury being wheeled on and off the stage in a wheelchair between stage changes.

After the obligatory keyboard and drum solos Kelly appeared in the back of the amphitheater suspended on a somewhat unstable tower to begin Juke Box Hero ( Video ), many in the crowd unaware for much of the song on his whereabouts before finishing it up on stage to “end the show”.

They returned for the encore finishing up with “I Want to Know What Love Is” and “Hot Blooded”. It was certainly an enjoyable welcomed Tuesday evening out in the post-heatwavy era. And in the end, it was me who was the tired one.

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Loverboy, REO Speedwagon & Styx – Concert Review (August 6, 2022 – PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, NC)

Back before Christmas of 2021, it was announced that Loverboy, REO Speedwagon and Styx were coming to Charlotte. Loverboy was one of my wife’s favorites bands back in the day and she wanted to go see the show, so tickets were bought and months were spent waiting until the day finally came on August 6, 2022 at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, NC. It was a rainy afternoon and evening and this was an outdoor show. I wasn’t worried about the show itself because we had seats undercover, but the walk there was a little wet…but we didn’t care as it kept it cool and was a little fun to get wet.

The show kicked off on time and first up was Loverboy promptly at 7pm. The first thing I noticed was that they were old…I had forgotten that time had passed. I looked around and I noticed the crowd…well, I won’t say they were old too, but Depends did have a booth giving away free samples and Jonathan from Colonial Penn Life Insurance was there selling their $9.95 Plan (let’s see who gets that one). After remembering that people age, I got my mind back in to the show.

Since they were the opening act, they only played 8 songs, but they were a great 8 songs. I will admit my wife was a little underwhelmed at first and so was I as the vocals didn’t sound that great and the playing was a little sloppy at times, but it got better, much better. Mike Reno didn’t move around a ton and neither did Paul Dean. However, Matt Frenette, the drummer, looked exactly the same in that red ball cap and he was still killing it on the drums. He hadn’t aged a bit. When they played “Kid Is Hot Tonite” and “Lovin’ Every Minute of It”, it took me right back to high school and it sounded incredible. I got chills. And when the final two songs came on “Turn Me Loose” and “Working for the Weekend”, the crowd was totally in to it and on their feet. It was a helluva a way to end the show with every one truly loving every minute of it…pun intended. If the whole show would’ve had the energy of those last two songs…they would have blown everyone off the stage that came after.

Then after a very short break as the stage crew changed out sets really quickly, REO Speedwagon was up next. And let me tell you these guys sounded great and looked amazing. Note, these guys are all in their very late 60’s and early 70’s. Kevin Cronin looked and still has that killer voice. They still have one original member in Neil Doughty (the keyboardist) and he is the only member to be on every REO album and perform at every single REO live show that has ever been played…pretty awesome!

The band played 12 songs which meant the set was tight and full of hits. They opened with “Don’t Let Him Go” and went right in to “Take it on the Run” and the crowd was really feeling it as was the band. These guys were having so much fun. Kevin is all over the stage as was Bruce Hall on bass and Dave Amatto on guitar. There were so many highlights including “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Time for Me To Fly” which are two of my favorite REO songs, but the big thrill were those final three songs with “Ridin’ The Storm Out”, “Keep On Loving You” and “Roll With The Changes”. Everyone was on their feet and having a great time.

And here is how great Kevin looked and what a youthful energy and pure joy that was on his face all night. He seems like such a great guy and appreciates so much the fan reaction. He seemed genuine.

The headliner that night was Styx and they played an astounding 16 songs which was more than I thought we were going to get. And I will go ahead and say this right out of the gate, they were the best sounding act of the three and my favorites. My wife liked REO Speedwagon better which I can see why (She did know more REO songs than Styx). The biggest surprise for me with Styx was Lawrence Gowan. I hadn’t seen them play and haven’t been a huge fan of their more recent albums, but Gowan is FREAKING FANTASTIC!! What a showman. The flamboyancy, the theatrical style and all around craziness was infectious. He is in a world all his own on that stage. He also has a keyboard that spins and he seems to be spinning right around with it. I think he was an amazing choice to replace Dennis DeYoung as his voice might be as good or better than Dennis.

Okay, enough about Gowan though I don’t know if you can ever have enough of Gowan. The band was hitting on all cylinders all night. Tommy Shaw hasn’t aged a bit in both looks and vocals as he still can hit those high notes and just sounds awesome. What is great about a Styx live show is that so many people can sing. You have Tommy on some, Gowan on some and even JY gets a song. Share the love. Now James Young (JY) might be the only original guy left in the band, but they had a surprise for everyone as original member, bass player Chuck Panozzo, made an appearance and played bass on “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)”. Chuck is 73 and his health doesn’t allow him to keep up with the rigors of a full tour, but so cool to see him. He came out again later (but I had to miss that part).

I was so excited to finally here Styx live and get to hear “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)”, “The Grand Illusion” and “Lady” live and I admit, I got more chills when hearing them. The band played a couple really old songs and some really new songs off their most recent album “Crash of the Crown” and although I didn’t really know them, they still sounded fantastic. Fans would start to sit down on these songs, but would be right back on their feet when a classic was played.

Sadly, I was only able to stay for about 10 of their 16 songs as my wife and I had to get up early and drive all day to go on vacation. I stayed until I heard one of my favorite Styx songs “Too Much Time on My Hands” and I am glad I did. After that we left and we did hear “Khedive” and an Elton John Cover of “Rocket Man” as we walked out. But we missed “Lost at Sea”, “Come Sail Away” and the encores “Mr. Roboto (which I am thrilled is back in the setlist) and “Renegade”.

Even leaving early, it was still a fantastic, fun-filled, nostalgic evening as all three of these bands were influential on my music tastes back in Middle and High School. Three more bands I can now say I have seen. If you want an enjoyable evening of great memories, check them out if they go to town…it was well worth it!! Now, where did I put my red leather pants…I wonder if they still fit!!

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28 thoughts on “ Loverboy, REO Speedwagon & Styx – Concert Review (August 6, 2022 – PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, NC) ”

What a good night, I’m glad you had fun

Like Liked by 1 person

It was a great date night with the wife.

All three bands played all the right songs. Looks like you had an incredible evening, thanks for sharing.

You are welcome. Thanks for reading. It is nice to get out to a show with the wife.

Ohh you missed Renegade… I’m actually surprised that Reo is still playing and man Mike Reno is a lot heavier than I remember him. He’s probably on the same cocktails as Vince Neil.

I know, I hate I missed that song. REO was awesome, as I said, my wife liked them the most. And Reno and Neil are using the same nutritionist. That’s mean…but he still sounded great unlike Neil.

Sounds like a good time! I always liked rain at the amphitheater shows, so long as I was under the cover lol.

The rain kept the temperature down so I like it for that, plus it made things more interesting.

Did Larry Gowan play any of his originals? He’s written some great songs over the years – Criminal Mind, Strange Animal, Moonlight Desires, etc.

No, I don’t believe he did. Probably would’ve been better than doing a cover song.

Setlist was changed slightly for Toronto’s August 16 concert. Gowan was a surprise to me and he sang Criminal Mind, being a Canadian he almost had to! He is an zmazing and talented artist.

Glad to see they change the setlist up slightly. And you are right, in Canada, he needed to do one of his songs.

Damn you had to split early but still a great night of live music as this is a great tour. I could not stop laughing about the depends and life insurance booths! Wow 😯! Gowan is fantastic and it’s cool you tossed down some love there.

Sucks, but still enjoyed it immensely. I like Gowan now.

Styx and REO Speedwagon on the same bill? What a score!

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It was a lot of fun…plus time with the wife you can’t beat either.

Yeah, what a fun date night!

I wonder if they had a shared bill during their Paradise Theatre/Hi Infidelity era. That must have been beyond awesome!

aarrgghh. I missed them they were here a month ago but the venue is a pain during the week. hoping Styx and REO come back around. great job.

Quick, what year is it? Lol that sounds like a great night. Good on ya for getting out to the gig!

Based on what some people were wearing I would’ve said the 80’s. No one had Reno’s red leather pants on though.

That was probably a good thing lol

Hey, heard them all Tuesday night August 16 in Toronto at Ontario Place, Budweiser stage, outdoor venue. To find out three bands were going to be performing at the same concert was a ticket I couldn’t pass up! Genius idea.

Your review was great. I would say we have aged too 🙂 Average age of the concert goer was 50+. Kevin Cronin said “Music keeps us young” and I agree. My favorites are Loverboy and REO. Both were awesome ! Was fun to find I still remembered most of the lyrics to my favourite songs. Definitely reminded me of my teenage years. Styx was loud and I didn’t know Denis DeYoung was no longer with the band. Was disappointed but not for long. Gowan was absolutely terrific as a musician and entertainer. How could he not sing one of us his songs for his fellow Canadians. His voice sounded exactly the same, clear and powerful. Criminal Mind instantly invoked memories of the music video – I remember some of it was comic book style. Truly a concert not to be missed. 80’s music stands the test of time. Thanks for new memories Loverboy, REO, and Styx. Keep Rocking, eh! 80’s Forever!

Thanks. I am 53 so I’m in that average age of a concert goer. Kevin was fantastic, he’s still got it. And funny you didn’t realize no Dennis as he’s been out of the band for around 25 years or more I believe.

I haven’t been following Styx and the other bands that closely since the 90’s. You move on, start liking some of the new music, but you never forget the best music. My pre-teen years up until my early 20’s… when I listened to the radio every day for hours.

No, you never do forget which is why the 80’s is always my favorite time for music.

80’s – No argument there!

One incredible show by all 3 bands in Camden, NJ. JY wasn’t there so they did Light Up instead of Miss America. REO did Tough Guys and In Your Letter. Such a perfectly enjoyable show. Styx was my first concert ever in 1977 and they were almost as awesome as they were back then (not that I can actually remember) haha. Hey, the show was also complete with pot smoke wafting through the air most of the night just like the early days. Fans were standing at least half of each band’s sets. GO SEE THEM ! ! !

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• Live Reviews

LIVE REVIEW: Loverboy at Vibrant Arena in Moline, IL on September 6, 2022

I have been a music fan as long as I can remember. I bought my first album in 1975 and went to my first concert in 1978. I love all forms of music, but rock-n-roll has been and always will be my favorite. So, you can imagine how excited I was when I heard Loverboy was coming to Vibrant Arena as part of the Live & Unzoomed Tour!

Many bands go through a lot of member changes throughout the years, but Loverboy has stood the test of time with 4 of the original 5 band members still touring. Formed in 1979, Mike Reno is still belting out the vocals, with Paul Dean on guitar, Doug Johnson on keyboards, Matt Frenette on drums, and Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve on base since 2001.

Being the opener for the night, Loverboy was only able to perform 8 songs, but every song was over the top fantastic! All songs were top hits from their first 5 albums, including “Lucky Ones”, “The Kid is Hot Tonight”, and “Working for the Weekend”.

Like me, Loverboy is getting up there in years, but still have that passion for music! They sounded and great and did a superb job warming up the crowd for the night!

SETLIST: Notorious – Lucky Ones – Queen of the Broken Hearts – The Kid is Hot Tonight – Lovin’ Every Minute of It – Hot Girls in Love – Turn Me Loose – Working for the Weekend

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PHOTOS + REVIEW — Foreigner w/ Loverboy at MIDFL Amp Tampa 2023

Foreigner w/ Loverboy • July 09, 2023 • MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amp — Tampa, FL • Photos by Randy Cook — instagram.com/horns_raised

FOREIGNER LIVE REVIEW

Foreigner | July 9, 2023 |MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL Review by: Randy Cook

When rock n roll titans Foreigner announced a farewell tour late in 2022 to commence in the summer of 2023, I had circled the Tampa date as a must see. This is a band that I can say I literally grew up with. Before I ever hit my teenage years, my older siblings in the late 70s and early 80s had Foreigner’s records on near continual repeat I remember. Fast forward a few decades later and Foreigner brought their ‘The Historic Farewell Tour’ to Tampa as the third stop on this farewell endeavor to thank the fans for our continued support over the years.

Foreigner leader and founder Mick Jones said: “Many years ago, I wrote a song called ‘Feels Like The First Time’, and today we are launching one last worldwide tour. We will be presenting a show that I know will have the same enthusiasm as our very first appearances…while I’m sure our fans will have mixed feelings about the end of the road for the band, I know our shows are going to delight audiences everywhere.”

The day of the show arrives and I begin the adventure carpooling to the venue with my friend Lord Nikon and his wife. Spirited musical conversation ensues enroute regarding the show ahead. This always occurs with any road trip with his Lordship, as he has already forgotten more about rock history than I will ever know.

Foreigner continued their tradition of inviting local high school band choirs to enter a contest with a chance to open the show when the tour arrived in their town. Selected from our area “About 20 students from Frostproof Middle-Senior High School’s choir will open the concert at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre.” Sadly, traffic was a nightmare trying to get into the venue so we missed the local choir. As we were waiting to get into the parking lot, I had to hop out of the car and dash to get to the box office and get my credentials and ticket. I made it to the designated photographer meeting area with literally two minutes to go before we photographers were escorted to the photo pit for Loverboy.

Ten time platinum selling Loverboy opened the show. This was my second time seeing Loverboy. That number is surprisingly low considering they also were one of the bands I grew up listening to since I discovered them back in the MTV days. I did one time hear them play outside of a paid ticketed show, but I do not count that toward my show list. Opening their set with ‘Notorious’, ‘Lucky Ones’, and ‘Queen of the Broken Hearts’ my three songs from the photo pit felt very casual and not rushed. There was some daylight during my time behind the lens and that made for some great captures.

Formed in 1979, Loverboy has released nine studio albums and I can recall how their song ‘Turn Me Loose’ had “heavy guitars” in it when I was a kid. That song was the frequent subject of me being told by my step-dad to ‘turn that rock music down!’ By the time I made it to my seat (at this venue we have to stow our camera gear with the Security team after our three songs) the band was already into ‘The Kid is Hot Tonight’. Lead singer Mike Reno made mention of how the temperature was fitting for this song. Next up was the ballad ‘Heaven in Your Eyes’ from the soundtrack of the original Top Gun movie, and not only did couples start dancing in the aisles of their seats, Mike Reno himself pointed out to the crowd how singing this song still gives him goosebumps.

The love ballad segued right into the hits everyone had been waiting for. The crowd was on their feet and singing along for the remaining songs as the band saved their biggest hits for last and even had me singing along with ‘Lovin’ Every Minute of It’, ‘Hot Girls in Love’, and ‘Turn Me Loose’. I had to start heading toward the Security area to get my camera was the band closed out their set with ‘Working for the Weekend’ and the crowd rewarded the band with an extended, rousing applause once the final notes hit our ears. One thing I would like to note, Mike Reno can still hit those high notes, in no way did he rely on the crowd to carry the songs. It was a fantastic performance.

Then it was time for the reason we were all there this evening. The crowd roared as one as the members of Foreigner took the stage. Part of the discussion on the ride over to the show included whether or not we would see Mick Jones perform, knowing it was announced he would only play a handful of dates. He is the last remaining original member and one of the founders of Foreigner. Unfortunately Mick did not make an appearance this evening but every single person in that venue knew he was there in spirit. The band was founded in 1967 and their historical album sales are certified platinum twenty seven times over! With nine studio albums, and yet no new music released since 2009, the band continues to nearly sell out these twenty thousand person venues with their anthemic rock hits, which to this day continue to have massive radio airplay.

The opening notes to ‘Double Vision’ begin and the crowd’s roar gets three times as loud as when the band hit the stage. It is evident if the show is starting off with that monster hit, then for the rest of the night we were in for few deep cuts. Lead vocalist, Kelly Hansen, greeted the crowd with a smile and a wave and tore into one of the band’s biggest hits. A very simple and open set design gave plenty of room for guitarists Luis Maldonado and Bruce Watson to move around and interact with each other and the crowd as they traded off playing lead throughout the set. Bassist Jeff Pilson was seated off to the left of Chris Frazier’s drum kit. Reading after the show, Jeff is suffering from a back injury and that is the only way he is able to perform.

The opening song concludes and the band pivots into ‘Head Games’, another of their monster hits. The crowd stays on their feet and the band sounds absolutely spectacular even from that close up in the photo pit. Each instrument is clearly heard and the vocals are crisp and clean. My third and final song behind the lens up front in the photo pit, ‘Cold As Ice’, concludes and I am headed to go get my camera stowed so I can get back to my seat and see the show. As I was walking to the Security area I could hear the crowd sing along with ‘Waiting for a Girl Like You’. I get my gear stowed and return to my seat just in time to sing along with the opening lines of ‘Dirty White Boy’.

This was my third time seeing Foreigner and nearly as I expected, the age demographics of the show were skewed towards my generation and a little older but I noticed a strong showing of younger people in the crowd. I think I even witnessed what were three generations passing in the aisles in the distance at one point, as the family resemblance was that convincing to me between the three of them.

The next part of the show turned acoustic and all of the band members were seated facing us in a semi-circle. ‘When It Comes to Love’ and ‘Girl on the Moon’ were the only two songs that I did not recognize of the evening and before the band closed out the acoustic portion, Kelly made a comment to the tune of everything we were hearing tonight was played live, there was no backing tracks in use. The band closed out the acoustic portion with ‘Say You Will’ and I think the people in the area around me were singing louder than the band was. I call that that some great crowd reaction. Kelly then took the time to introduce the band and jokingly asked the crowd the order we wanted them in, by age or by band seniority?

To say that this show was a walk down memory lane is an understatement. I tried not to let myself get lost in the moment so I could actually enjoy what was being performed in front of me. We all knew that the rest of the night was nothing but every mega hit yet played. When the band launched into ‘Feels Like the First Time’ the crowd was instantly back on their feet singing along and stayed doing so for ‘Urgent’ which was next up. After both a keyboard and a drum solo, the opening notes of ‘Juke Box Hero’ start and we hear the vocals but no Kelly on stage. There was a small rising platform near the soundboard that had quietly been set up during the instrument solos and there was Kelly up there singing with half the crowd still not sure where he was. This song closed out the main set and the band took a bow at the front of the stage but we all knew that the show was not over.

When the opening notes of ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’ started the entire crowd was lit up under the glare of cell phones in hand, above people’s heads with flashlights on. I tried to get a cell phone photo of it but it did not turn out that well and I was instead more focused on the song and knowing the minutes of this show were nearing their end. The band finished off their set in spectacular fashion, unleashing a barrage of pyro and flames emitting from the stage as the band played ‘Hot Blooded’ to finish out the show. Because of the traffic nightmare that venue is to get in and out of, and seeing as how it was a work night, we did not stay for the final bow of the evening, opting for an exit as those last few notes were being played.

Although our seats were not next to each other during the show and I was absent for a couple of songs, banter on the ride home between Lord Nikon, his wife, and I was like we were all sitting right there together. We all had a fantastic time, agreed that the acoustics were spot on and with his Lordship being a concert photographer of greater skill than I, we talked about how great the lighting was for when I was up there behind the lens capturing the moments of my youth in the distance.

For current and still to be announced dates see: https://www.foreigneronline.com/tour

Foreigner is: Luis Maldonado – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Chris Frazier – drums and percussion Bruce Watson – rhythm and lead guitars, backing vocals Michael Bluestein – keyboards, backing vocals Kelly Hansen – lead vocals, percussion Jeff Pilson – bass, backing vocals

Foreigner set list: Double Vision Head Games Cold as Ice Waiting for a Girl Like You Dirty White Boy

Acoustic Set: When It Comes to Love Girl on the Moon Say You Will

Feels Like the First Time Urgent Keyboard Solo Drum Solo Juke Box Hero Encore: I Want to Know What Love Is Hot Blooded

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The Live and UnZoomed Tour: STYX, REO SPEEDWAGON and LOVERBOY Prove That Rockers May Grow Old, But Rock Never Does (June 19th, 2022)

With each passing year the list of icons of rock’s early days still manning the stage and bringing this now vintage sonic expression to the masses grows thinner. Even when considering the peak of the genre’s foray into experimental territory with the rise of 70s progressive rock and the subsequent arena craze that it unintentionally influenced, such noteworthy progenitors like Rush have scattered to the four winds, while American staples like Boston soldier on with maybe one or two original members of the fold still in congress. But the final word on the scene that stretched the definition of rock music to its absolute limit has yet to be uttered, especially considering that one of the style’s most successful and enduring act Styx is still making the rounds. Now with frequent touring mates REO Speedwagon and 80s hard/synth rock darlings Loverboy in tow for what has been dubbed the Live and UnZoomed Tour , the good old days of big melodies and big keyboards will reach the masses once more in this post-pandemic climate.

Paul Dean on stage with Loverboy – Photo by Joel Barrios

For their part, Calgary natives Loverboy turned in a solid series of familiar 80s radio rock staples effortlessly despite looking far different today than when their music videos were burning up everyone’s picture tubes on MTV. Vocalist Mike Reno , still donning his signature headband and all of the energy that one could expect a man in his late 60s to muster, retained the soaring tenor that made him a fixture of the days when video killed the radio star. In similar fashion, all the original members of the fold still in attendance recalled their past roles seamlessly while more recently recruited bassist Ken Sinnaeve continued to fill the shoes of the dearly departed Scott Smith on the bass as he has since 2001. The crowd response would prove consistently enthusiastic through their entire eight song cycle of rock radio hits, with the high points being the last two in “Turn Me Loose” and ubiquitous banger “Working For The Weekend” respectively.

Ken Sinnaeve on stage with Loverboy – Photo by Joel Barrios

Co-headliner and glorified fence-sitter between hard and soft rock REO Speedwagon would proceed to follow their comparatively younger opening act in like fashion and upped the ante considerably, inspiring throngs of attendees young and old to sing-along with their hook-driven brand of arena fanfare. Of particular note was the power and impact of the arrangement, with the soaring melodic expressions of lead guitarist Dave Amato ’s rousing solos complementing the dense choral passages at each refrain in a manner that all but stood in for the lead vocal.

Kevin Cronin leading REO Speedwagon – Photo by Joel Barrios

For his part, front man Kevin Cronin handled the generally high and flashy singing standard that he set for himself over 40 years ago on this outfit’s 1980 breakout album “Hi Infidelity” at the age of 70, somewhat struggling with some high notes during the early numbers of the set, but proving quick on the uptake and turning in a very solid performance with radio favorites “Keep On Loving You” , “Take It On The Run” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling” drawing the strongest crowd participation.

L/R: Bruce Hall , Dave Amato and Kevin Cronin – Photo by Joel Barrios

But if there is one band that could follow any impressive succession of classic rock staples, it would be Chicago-born progressive rock maestros Styx . With an explosive light show and elaborate stage set to match the auditory extravaganza that is par for the course for this outfit, the assortment of original members of the fold and newer additions would proceed to recreate material from their 70s heyday and two most recent LPs as if they were miming to a playback of the original studio tracks.

Tommy Shaw on stage with Styx – Photo by Joel Barrios

Though there were no slouches among the six (sometimes seven when accounting for original bassist Chuck Panozzo joining in during various numbers) who rocked the stage, two dueling front men in guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw and keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan emerged to lead the proverbial charge, the former commanding the greatest audience response on classic rocking bangers “Blue Collar Man” and set closer “Renegade” , while the latter proved a near perfect impersonator of original member Dennis DeYoung save the slightly gravely Scottish tinge on his rousing renditions of “Come Sail Away” and “Mr. Roboto”. But the collective whole would truly make this performance one for the ages between the dense vocal arrangements and intricate interplay between the instrumentation.

James “J.Y.” Young on stage with Styx – Photo by Joel Barrios

Only God and the members of each band that gave their all on the evening of June 19 th in West Palm Beach, Florida can truly testify to what was going through their minds as they gazed out into the sea of thousands of sonically starved rock music trustees who had not heard from them in a live setting in over 2 years. But one thing that goes without saying is that despite how many years have passed since these artists first struck a chord with the masses, the demand for more has not decreased to any measurable degree. Though only the headliner has proven prolific enough in the studio in recent years to feature a sizable share of newer material to complement the classics, the relevance of what these bands have accomplished has not been lost on the multitudes that continue to pour in for the only drug that has no quantifiable downside. Rockers may come and go, but rock is very much here to stay, and with the floodgates having been thrown open once more in 2022, who knows what greatness, from sources young or old, may lay down the road

Lawrence Gowan on stage with Styx – Photo by Joel Barrios

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Foreigner’s Farewell Tour w/Loverboy in Tampa: A classic rock dream

Live review.

By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa

Live Event: Foreigner’s Farewell Tour w/Loverboy – Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre-Sunday, July 9, 2023

Many of the classic rock bands have been doing farewell tours and then ‘never say never’ tours–but Foreigner’s Farewell Tour is for real. The last original performer Mick Jones, age 78,  has had health issues to the band decided to do one last tour before calling it quits. Unfortunately on July 9th in Tampa, Florida, Jones was not onstage. Foreigner consists of Kelly Hansen on vocals, Michael Bluestein on keyboards, Bruce Watson on guitar, Chris Frazier on Drums, Luis Maldonado on drums, and Jeff Pilson on bass and keys.  Pilson remained seated during the show due to a recent back injury.

Typically photographers shoot the first three songs but from what I saw, it was a top notch send-off. Hansen is a fiery singer with a superb voice and oodles of charisma. All of the musicians romped and vogued in true ‘rockstar’ fashion. And, of course the music, is true classic rock. Who could not love “Cold As Ice”?

Starting the evening was Canadian 80s band Loverboy, who dominated MTV during that decade.  Loverboy consists of Mike Reno on vocals, Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve on bass, Matt Frenette on drums, Paul Dean on guitar, and Doug Johnson on keys and harmonica. Reno’s voice was magnificent and sounded the same as in the mid-80s when I saw the band in Fort Myers.

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Foreigner w/ Loverboy – Woodlands Pavilion – The Woodlands, TX – Aug. 12, 2023 – Review

Written by Dave Clements

Tonight, when the house lights dimmed (you couldn’t tell as the harsh sun was still above the upper part of the lawn) the full house welcomed the Canadian rock band Loverboy enthusiastically. This four-piece band came out ready to show us that ‘cool weather people could hang tough with us warm weather people.’ Mike Reno, Loverboy’s lead vocalist with his legendary normally red but tonight black bandana came out ready to Rock n Roll and show Houston that he and his bandmates were ready to give them a strong dose of terrific upbeat music.

The guys started off with Notorious, then Lucky Ones & Queen of the Broken Hearts. It was during those three songs I was allowed to photograph the band and I’ll tell you it’s hard to listen to music and concentrate of taking quality pictures at the same time. I’m not complaining just saying the time my head is behind a camera body is generally a blur. You can go to the HMR Photo Gallery to see was I was able to capture on film!

And before starting to write about Foreigner one more comment about Reno. He just looks like he is delightful guy and really enjoys what he is doing on stage. The big smile on his face seemed to be there from beginning to end and time after time complimented the audience for being so active and supportive on this extremely hot and humid evening.

How humid was it? Mike pulled off his bandana at the end of their set and twisted it with his hand and perspiration followed in a steady stream for several moments. I was soaked just watching the show. Foreigner hit the stage at nine sharp and knowing they had to bring their ‘A’ Game given the job that Loverboy had just done. Absolutely no problem from this reviewer’s perspective and I would take on anyone who tried to argue with me.

It has to be very tough to be on the road week after week, then in the studio in between, then giving interviews, then this and that. Might sound glamorous to some but after a while I bet it becomes a real grind. My point is that the Foreigner of today is not the Foreigner of nearly fifty years ago but this CURRENT EDITION kicked some rock N roll ass this night for the near sold-out eleven thousand plus crowd. They were amazing and so far beyond my expectations that I am almost embarrassed to think earlier today that they may not have hit the target tonight.

Evidently the end is near given the band is calling this the ‘Farewell’ Tour (I’ll come back to that in a minute).’ Those that chose live music this night and further, chose Foreigner over Stevie Nicks, the best I could tell loved every minute of the show, had no regrets at being in The Woodlands vs Downtown and frequently expressed that sentiment during the course of Foreigner’s set.

How could they not. They absolutely got the best of Foreigner and each song was delivered just like you would hope…. Live, no Memorex! During the Acoustic portion of the show, that was so very special, lead singer Kelly Hanson made the comment, and I will need to paraphrase…we may not be perfect up here on stage tonight but we are real….no vocal tracks no AI, just us giving you our best.

Sorry for the rant. I almost had to put down my camera during Foreigner’s first three songs so I could enjoy the music coming from the stage. The guys started with Double Vision, Head Games and Cold As Ice, good grief, three of my favorites! You talk about hitting the ground running, these guys were at a full sprint from the moment the lights came up on stage! From there they did Waiting for a Girl Like You and Dirty White Boy (can we still say that today?) …no wonder their songs are some of the best ever recorded and listened to my millions over the past four plus decades.

After a brief acoustic set that was so entertaining as they all sat side by side on bar stools and the tempo obviously changed. During that section of the show Hanson introduced his bandmates in a loving sort of way and then was introduced by the bass player. It was declared by Jeff Pilson, who is suffering from an injury and sat the entire night while playing, that in his opinion Kelly had one of if not the very best voice in Rock n Roll today…and for the record, Pilson you are spot on.

Sorry for (another) rant. Before wrapping up I was also impressed and found it refreshing that they genuinely were humble and grateful of the fans that came this night to make the evening so special.

Please help keep live music alive and hope to see you down the road. dwc

1 Responses to Foreigner w/ Loverboy – Woodlands Pavilion – The Woodlands, TX – Aug. 12, 2023 – Review

Nice review but as a Loverboy fan for over 40 years I feel the need to correct this. They are a 5 piece band, not 4 and 4 of them are original, not 3. Doug Johnson on keyboards & Matt Frenette on drums have been there from the beginning along with Mike Reno & Paul Dean.

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Loverboy, Styx, REO Speedwagon Live and UnZoomed: Rockers Might Grow Old – But Rock N’ Roll Never Dies

BY JESS BECK | Go Venue Magazine

It was quite the impressive display of talent, hair, lights, and music on a blistering  Wednesday  evening on  07.20.2022  at the  Ak-Chin Pavilion  in  Phoenix, AZ  as  Loverboy ,  Styx , and  REO Speedwagon  let their powers combine to bring us everything that was amazing about the  70s  and  80s  in one show after a 4-year touring hiatus.

UnZoomed  of course, because now that the pandemic is all but a long-forgotten memory to most of the citizens of this great nation, the time has come for synth/keyboard/rock to emerge as unscathed as it was before the pandemic began. Only this time you get to experience it in person instead of a recording, which is arguably the better option in my opinion.

But more on that in a moment.

For now, enjoy this little back story that will be a portal for you to enjoy the rest of the article in a few moments.

But this one’s important this time, I promise. See…back in  1987 , my mother found out that she was pregnant with me. She also already had tickets to  REO Speedwagon  in  Omaha, NE . So naturally she went to the show to introduce me to good music early on. And while I don’t quite remember the show back then, I can tell you with certainty that 35 years later, REO  still puts on one hell of a show!

The first act of the night were the  Canadian  fellas in  Loverboy , which was the perfect act to open up a show of this caliber. Boasting almost all of the original lineup (with the exception being bassist  Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve , who replaced the original bass player  Scott Smith  after he tragically departed in a boating accident in  2001 ),  Loverboy took the stage to thunderous applause of the thousands who showed up for this event. And sure, they’re all in the “boomer” category now, so it made perfect sense when frontman  Mike Reno  (yes…still in his signature bandana) bitched about  MTV  not playing music videos anymore. And you know what? I completely agree with him on this one. The absolute dribble that  MTV  has devolved into is about as exciting as receiving a moist  FedEx package filled with gently sucked on chili dogs in  August  in  Phoenix .

But anyway, they really set the tone for the rest of the night, as there were several times the audience participated in singing back the lyrics to the band. They didn’t do it well, and sure, there’s probably some form of heat exhaustion combined with heavy drinking that contributed to the tone-deafness of the participants. However, the point is that they made it an interactive experience, playing hits such as “ Turn Me Loose ” and “ Working for the Weekend .” These video boys might have killed the radio star, but they sure do put on an entertaining live performance!

The sun had set a little further when the members of  Styx waltzed across the stage to a standing ovation right from the start. And let we forget that, according to  Adam Sandler  in his hit film “ Big Daddy ,” that, “ Styx  only got a bad rap because most critics are cynical assholes .” And after a performance like the one they delivered, I have to agree.

They delivered BIG TIME on that well-deserved standing ovation, too. But a band that’s been around for close to half a century and has a catalogue of over 17 albums  certainly knows what they’re doing. And although there’s been some new faces in the lineup over the years, everyone worked together to put on a memorable act for the rock-starved fans who rushed the barricade when they first set foot on stage.

Right out of the gate, they came out with more energy than bands who are half their age. They didn’t waste any time playing banger after banger for a hyped-up audience. After coming on stage and waving thankfully to the crowd, they launched right in with hits such as “ Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) ,” and “ Lady .”

It only took a matter of milliseconds for keyboardist, vocalist, and most of all, showman,  Lawrence Gowan  to openly flaunt his rotating keyboard platform, playing in a bedazzled suit jacket that I’m sure  Ru Paul  and  Elton John  would fist-fight each other for in a  KFC  parking lot. And in a moment of complete swagger, he turned that keyboard around and shook what his mama gave him to the delightful screams of the women in the front row.

Probably the best  Styx moment of the night though came midway through their 90-minute set (a feat most impressive in this Arizona heat) when original member  Chuck Panozzo  joined his bandmates for a rendition of “ Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) ,” which brought the crowd back to their feet in roaring cheers and clapping. While I wasn’t able to photograph this part of the show (thanks a lot  Bruce Springsteen  and your stupid 3 song rule), it was amazing to see, and the audience embraced  Panozzo  as family.  Styx  continued to play hit after hit, with the most notable ones for me being “ Come Sail Away ,” “ Mr. Roboto ,” “ Renegade ,” and “ Rockin’ the Paradise .”

While the audience didn’t want to see  Styx  leave the stage, they were also eager for  REO Speedwagon  to play next as the co-headliner on this tour. Another act with almost  50  years of material to draw upon, including  16 studio albums , we were in for something magical as the lines between hard rock (for the time, keep in mind) and soft rock became blended together under one band.

REO Speedwagon  is sort of the opposite of  Loverboy  in the sense that the ONLY remaining original member of the band is keyboardist  Neal Doughty (although with frontman  Kevin Cronin  having been a part of the lineup since 1972, it’s a tough argument to make, but we’ll roll with it), but you’d never know it after having seen the impressive performance they delivered on that hot  Wednesday  evening. They played several scores from their  10x platinum  selling  1980  mega-hit  Hi Infidelity , including “ Take It On The Run ,” and “ Keep On Loving You .”

Vocalist  Cronin  stated to the audience, “ You guys feel like the world just keeps getting crazier and crazier? Man…I’m 70 years old, and let me tell you this…rock will keep you young! ”

And I think that’s true. If you need proof besides the guys who were on stage prancing around like newborn deer, just look at the difference between  Bill Clinton  and  Sammy Hagar, and  you’ll see what  Cronin  was talking about. The guys in  REO Speedwagon  must have one hell of a yoga routine to keep them as sharp as mobile as they are!

Through the impressive explosion of lights, the right amount of smoke, and the delicious music coming from the stage,  REO  continued to rock the house late into the night, with memorable tracks including, “ Rolling With the Changes ,” “ Time For Me to Fly ,” and “ Ridin’ The Storm Out .”

And what this show should teach all of us, is that regardless of how many lineup changes there might be,  Rock N’ Roll  is here to stay in whatever capacity the audience is able to keep it alive. And while it would be awesome to see newer bands enjoy the longevity and commercial success of the greats like  Loverboy ,  Styx , and  REO Speedwagon , the point is that at least for the moment,  Rock N’ Roll  is alive and well…and that’s because it never died.

As always, a big thank you to the  Ak-Chin Pavilion staff, who worked tirelessly to ensure that the event was as enjoyable as possible for the thousands of fans who were in attendance. Every staff person I interacted with was kind, polite, and very helpful as this was my first, but hopefully not last time in this spectacular venue. Also, a special thanks to the paramedics  who were busy taking care of wary, heat-exhausted patrons, as well as the  roadies ,  stage crew , and everyone who worked tirelessly to bring this event together across the country so that we can get back to what brings us together!

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STYX, REO Speedwagon and Loverboy Review

“Live & Unzoomed” Tour to FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, California July 16 2022 By Andy J. Gordon

Southern California Baby Boomers got a nostalgic treat as rockers from MTV’s heyday STYX and REO Speedwagon, with support from Loverboy, brought their “Live & Unzoomed” Summer 2022 tour to the FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, California. Nearly 12,000 adoring fans enjoyed a beautiful summer evening at the outdoor venue as the three bands thrilled the audience with spot-on versions of their memorable hits.

Loverboy opened the show as the Southern California evening sun blazed down on the large stage. Lead vocalist Mike Reno said, “It’s great to be in front of a crowd again” as he led original members Paul Dean on guitar, Doug Johnson on keyboards and Matt Frenette on drums. Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve replaced the late Scott Smith on bass. The band played fine, tight versions of their songs and got enthusiastic support from the crowd.

Reno led the audience through a call and response during “Loving Every Minute of It.” Many fans could be seen dancing at their seats and in the aisles while the band played “Hot Girls in Love.” Matt Frenette played a short drum solo before the other band members joined in and got everyone on their feet for “Turn Me Loose.” Many in the audience sang along and Paul Dean ended it with a stunning guitar solo. They finished the set with “Working For The Weekend” as the crowd nearly drowned out Reno’s vocals.

STYX followed with a superb performance. The multi-Platinum rockers and longtime members – James “JY” Young and Tommy Shaw on lead vocals and guitars, Chuck Panozzo and Ricky Phillips on bass and vocals, Todd Sucherman on drums and Lawrence Gowan on lead vocals and keyboards were joined onstage by newest member, guitarist Will Evankovich. Gowan and Shaw both sounded amazing and the band’s harmonies were outstanding throughout the set.

The show included extravagant visual effects and all of the band’s hits. Gowan exceled early in the set on “The Grand Illusion” and “Lady.” He got quite a bit of dramatic use from his 360 degree, rotating keyboard setup – sometimes playing backwards, other times spinning it like a top. Gowan’s vocals and the other members harmonies were excellent on “Rocking The Paradise.” Shaw played an impressive guitar solo to end the song. Shaw then told the back story about the Panozzo brothers forming the band (drummer John died in 1996) and brought out Chuck Panozzo who had been in the wings up to that point.

Panozzo stayed for the rest of the set. Shaw played acoustic guitar and sang lead vocals for sweet sounding “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man).” He introduced “Too Much Time on My Hands” by saying “this song debuted in the first hour of MTV.” The crowd probably did not remember that historical moment, but definitely enjoyed the band’s performance of the song. 

The set ended with a dramatic version of “Come Sail Away” led by Gowan. The crowd sang along as the stage was filled with smoke, trippy lights and visual effects. Each of the musicians played beautifully during the instrumental portion of the song and Shaw capped it off with a scintillating solo. They did a two song encore that included the Gowan led “Mr. Robato” with Japanese themed visual effects and “Renegade” led by Shaw. The band showed off their great harmonies again with the slow opening as the song transitioned into a rousing climax. James Young provided an excellent solo before the band finished the song and their set.

Read the review of Styx in Boston from NOV 2019 here.

REO Speedwagon received the headliner slot at FivePoint (they alternate with STYX at each of the Summer 2022 tour stops) and thrilled the audience with their performance. The band has been fronted by vocalist Kevin Cronin since 1972. The other longtime band members at the show were Bruce Hall on bass, Neal Doughty on keyboards, Dave Amato on guitar and Bryan Hitt on drums. 

It did not take long for the band to get the audience singing along. Cronin was nearly drowned out when he began “Take It On The Run.” A bit later, he quipped, “I’m 70 years old and at this point in my life I thought I would know what’s going on in the world, but I don’t know shit!” He then played acoustic guitar and led the band through a still relevant version of “Live Every Moment.” 

Cronin introduced Neal Doughty as the only band member to play on every album and at every show throughout the band’s history. Doughty sat at a grand piano and played superbly as the band started “Can’t Fight This Feeling.” The late section of the show included more big hits. Doughty played a trippy organ intro for “Time For Me To Fly” as Cronin sang and played a twelve string guitar. The crowd was swaying and waving their arms as Amato played a blistering solo with his double necked Fender strat. 

The set ended with a spectacular version of “Riding The Storm Out.” Amato played another inspired solo and instead of leaving the stage before the encore, all of the band members stayed. Cronin moved to the piano and led them through a wonderful version of “Keep On Loving You” that segued fluidly into the show ending “Roll With The Changes.” Cronin was still playing piano and he traded sophisticated solos with Doughty on organ and Amato on his guitar as they finished the performance.

Three bands who produced many hits over the years formed a pleasing lineup at FivePoint Amphitheatre. The crowd enjoyed a long night of terrific music performed by talented artists who still love to play for the audience. That love went both ways. As long as STYX, REO Speedwagon and Loverboy continue to pump out quality live versions of their hits, crowds will keep coming to relive many fond memories. 

Photos courtesy of Andy J. Gordon ©2022 

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Foreigner Announces The Historic Farewell Tour With Special Guest Loverboy

KICKS OFF JULY 6TH IN ATLANTA, GA

Tickets go on sale november 18 th at livenation.com.

“I Want To Know What Love Is”, “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Juke Box Hero,” “Urgent,” and no less than five more Top 10 hits. Today, FOREIGNER, the band behind these iconic songs announced the launch of their Farewell Tour.

The tour is set to launch on July 6, 2023, at Atlanta’s Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, the area’s largest outdoor venue. For the first leg of the US Live Nation tour, FOREIGNER will be joined by LOVERBOY, one of the 80’s biggest hit-makers. The spectacular show will thrill audiences with stellar performances of more than 20 combined chart-topping songs. Tickets go on sale on November 18, 2022 at LiveNation.com . The full routing can be found below. 

FOREIGNER will continue its long-term initiative with the GRAMMY Museum Foundation to invite choirs to open the show with a live a cappella ‘Pitch Perfect’ performance of Classic Rock songs. FOREIGNER will join radio partners across the country to create a contest for local choirs to win donations to their music programs. One winning choir will be selected at each show, and that choir will receive a grand prize of new musical equipment.  For more details please go to  foreignerchoirs.com .

Leader and founder of FOREIGNER, Mick Jones said, “Many years ago, I wrote a song called ‘Feels Like The First Time’ and today we are launching one last worldwide tour.  We will be presenting a show that I know will have the same enthusiasm as our very first appearances.  The tour will start this summer in America and we hope to get to every place that we have played over the last several years.  While I’m sure our fans will have mixed feelings about the end of the road for the band, I know our shows are going to delight audiences everywhere.”

Says FOREIGNER lead singer Kelly Hansen, “The time has come. We have more or less lived our lives on the road for almost eighteen years.  We have always strived to give you our best and we intend to finish this the same way. Foreigner has a brilliant and increasingly demanding catalogue of songs to sing and I refuse to give them less than they deserve. So, we’re going to finish strong. I want to make it very clear how grateful and appreciative we are to our audiences all over the world who have supported this band.  I’m sure there may be occasions when we’ll do some special appearances, but I think the time is coming for us to live off the road. Thank you all so much!”

“I remember how cool the last time we toured with Foreigner was in 1982.  We played to massive stadiums – New Orleans, Kansas City, Day On the Green in Oakland, JFK in Philly – and we’re back together again, 41 years later.  It’s going to be the Tour of Summer ’23!” said Paul Dean of Loverboy.

“It’s not very often you get a chance to play on the same stage as one of your all-time favorite bands…and how many hit songs can you play on the same stage every night of a 2023 Summer tour?….. it’s going to be amazing…. I can’t wait.” Said Mike Reno of Loverboy.

Mick Jones continues to elevate FOREIGNER’s influence and guide the band to new horizons with his stylistic songwriting, indelible guitar hooks and multi-layered talents while lead singer Kelly Hansen, one of rock’s greatest showmen, has led FOREIGNER into the digital age inspiring a whole new generation of fans. Bassist Jeff Pilson; Michael Bluestein on keyboards; guitarist Bruce Watson; Chris Frazier on drums and guitarist Luis Maldonado provide an unprecedented level of energy that has resulted in the re-emergence of the astounding music that speaks to FOREIGNER‘s enduring popularity.  FOREIGNER has an extraordinary streaming and radio audience.  Click here for an overview of Classic Rock artists’ stats.

With more Top 10 hits than Journey and ten multi-platinum albums, FOREIGNER is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 80 million.  Responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems including “Juke Box Hero,” “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” “Feels Like The First Time,” “Urgent,” “Head Games,” “Say You Will,” “Dirty White Boy,” “Long, Long Way From Home” and the worldwide #1 hit, “I Want To Know What Love Is,” FOREIGNER still rocks the charts more than 40 years into the game with massive airplay and continued Billboard Top 200 album success.  Streams of FOREIGNER’s hits are approaching 15 million per week.

With their trademark red leather pants, bandanas, big rock sound and high-energy live shows, LOVERBOY has sold more than 10 million albums, earning four multi-platinum plaques, including the four-million-selling “Get Lucky,” and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983’s “Keep It Up” and 1985’s “Lovin’ Every Minute of It.” Their string of hits includes, in addition to the anthem “Working for the Weekend,” such arena rock staples as “Lovin’ Every Minute of It,” “This Could Be the Night,” “Hot Girls in Love,” “The Kid is Hot Tonite,” “Notorious”, “Turn Me Loose,” “When It’s Over,” “Heaven In Your Eyes” and “Queen of the Broken Hearts.”  The group still features the original line-up of vocalist Mike Reno, guitarist Paul Dean, drummer Matt Frenette and keyboardist Doug Johnson with bassist Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve replacing the late Scott Smith.

Check out the tour at any of the following stops. Fans can visit  livenation.com  for updates on tour dates and news. 

Thu July 6 th Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

Sat July 8 th West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

Sun July 9 th Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

Tue July 11 th Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheatre

Fri July 14 th Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP

Tue July 18 th Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre

Wed July 19 th St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

Fri July 21 st Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center

Sat July 22 nd Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

Mon July 24 th Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center

Tue July 25 th Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage

Fri July 28 th Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater

Sat July 29 th Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake

Tue August 1 st Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Wed August 2 nd Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach

Fri August 4 th Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion

Sat August 5 th Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

Tue August 8 th Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

Wed August 9 th Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

Fri August 11 th Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

Sat August 12 th Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Mon August 14 th Austin, TX – Moody Center

Wed August 16 th Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Fri August 18 th Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre

Sun August 20 th Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion

Mon August 21 st Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre

Wed August 23 rd Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre

Thu August 24 th Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

Weds August 30 th Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theater

Fri September 1 st Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena

Sat September 2 nd Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

Sun September 3 rd Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

For more information on FOREIGNER, please visit www.foreigneronline.com

For more information on LOVERBOY, please visit www.loverboyband.com . 

www.facebook.com/Foreigner  | www.twitter.com/ForeignerMusic

www.instagram.com/foreignerlive | www.youtube.com/user/FWebTeam

www.facebook.com/loverboyband | www.twitter.com/loverboyband

www.instagram.com/loverboyband | www.youtube.com/c/Loverboybandofficial  

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com .

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Styx, REO Speedwagon Kick-Off Live and UnZoomed 2022 Tour with Loverboy

by Tina Benitez-Eves June 2, 2022, 9:38 am

Styx and REO Speedwagon have kicked off their  Live and UnZoomed  summer tour, which will run through mid-September 2022 along with special guests Loverboy.

Videos by American Songwriter

The Live and Unzoomed tour kicked off in Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 31 at the Van Andel Arena and will include a performance at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, concluding on Sept. 18 in Bangor, Maine.

It’s been four years since Styx and REO Speedwagon partnered for a co-headlining tour, something the two bands have been doing since 2000. “It’s just a winning combination,” said REO singer Kevin Cronin in a recent interview. Both bands, which share Illinois roots, first decided to start touring together after they both performed at a charity show.

“Not only had we never toured together, we’d never done a show together, and we (REO) have played with everybody,” said Cronin. “We booked a show in Duluth (MN) back in 2000, and it was just a powerhouse concert. The crowd went nuts and we all were like, ‘This is frickin’ great.’”

Cronin added, “We are not phoning it in. We’re not resting on our laurels. We’re always trying to get better. We’re always upping our game musically, production-wise. It’s great to have those guys, ‘cause we kind of motivate one another. We love those guys. They’re an amazing group. So, it’s a friendly competition. We kind of bring out the best in one another.”

For REO Speedwagon, 2022 marks the 50th anniversary since Cronin joined the band, replacing original singer Terry Luttrel, and making his debut on the band’s second album R.E.O./T.W.O . Along with co-founder and keyboardist Neal Doughty and longtime bassist Bruce Hall, Cronin is one of the longest-running members of the band.

In 2022, Styx is also celebrating its 50th anniversary since the band signed their first recording contract with Wooden Nickel Records on Sept. 22, 1972, and released their self-titled debut. To date, the band has released 17 albums, including their most recent Crash of the Crown in 2021.

“I can’t think of a better way of touring the U.S.A. … than with good friends we’ve known for years and performed with on many a stage,” said Styx singer Tommy Shaw in a statement. “What a great night of music this will be.”

‘Live and UnZoomed’ Tour Dates:

5/31 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena 6/1 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center 6/3 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amp. 6/4 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amp. 6/7 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amp. 6/8 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre 6/10 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center Sat. 6/11 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center 6/13 – Rogers, AR – Walmart Amphitheatre 6/14 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre 6/17 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre 6/18 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amp. 6/19 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre 7/8 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena 7/9 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre 7/12 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre 7/13 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amp. 7/15 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre 7/16 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre 7/19 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amp. 7/20 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion 7/22 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amp. 7/23 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion 7/24 – Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 8/5 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amp. 8/6 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion 8/8 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater 8/10 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park 8/12 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live 8/13 – Camden, NJ – Waterfront Music Pavilion 8/16 – Toronto, ONT. – Budweiser Stage 8/17 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center 8/19 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center 8/20 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center 8/21 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater 9/3 – Duluth, MN – Amsoil Arena  9/4 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena  9/6 – Moline, IL – TaxSlayer Center  9/9 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amp  9/10 – Burgettstown, PA – Pavilion at Star Lake  9/13 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater  9/14 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours  9/16 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford Healthcare Amp  9/17 – Gilford, NH – Bank of NH Pavilion  9/18 – Bangor, ME – Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion 

Main Photo of Styx: Jason Powell

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Foreigner Are Finally Ready to Feel It for the Last Time, Announce Farewell Tour

By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

Foreigner will try to find out what love is one last time, with the veteran arena rock heroes announcing a farewell tour for 2023.

The run is set to kick off July 6 at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Atlanta, with dates scheduled through the summer, wrapping Sept. 3 at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. Eighties favorites and perennial weekend warriors Loverboy will provide support throughout the trek.

Tickets for all shows are set to go on sale Nov. 18. Complete information is available on Foreigner ’s website . 

As Billboard reports, next summer’s tour will just be the first part of Foreigner’s long goodbye. The group will announce additional North American and overseas dates soon, with plans to tour through the end of 2024. 

Foreigner formed in New York City back in 1976 when Jones linked up with former King Crimson multi-instrumentalist, Ian McDonald, and vocalist Lou Gramm. The group released their self-titled debut in 1977, scoring a pair of career-defining singles from the start: “Feels Like the First Time” and “Cold as Ice.” 

The group’s success continued through the late Seventies and into the Eighties with hits like “Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” “Urgent,” and “Juke Box Hero.” In 1984 they finally notched their first and only Number One in the United States with the iconic power ballad, “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

Meet the MVP of 'Shōgun' — Ex-Punk Rocker and Japanese Movie Star Tadanobu Asano

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Loverboy tour dates 2024

Loverboy is currently touring across 2 countries and has 13 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at Pigeon Lake Music Festival in Edmonton, after that they'll be at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel.

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Upcoming concerts (13) See nearest concert

Pigeon Lake Music Festival Summer Showcase

PNC Bank Arts Center

Blossom Music Center

Ruoff Music Center

Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

Barnside Harvest Fest

Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center

Peoria Civic Center

Ford Wyoming Center

Sunset Amphitheater

Ozarks Amphitheater

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Rio Rancho Events Center

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Vine Theater, Del Lago Resort & Casino

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I saw Loverboy back in the '90s when they played as part of an ensemble at The Freedom Colosseum in San Antonio, TX. They ROCKED back Then; and They STILL Rock NOW!! FANTASTIC TIME!!

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Concert was great but very short.

Show started late and ended early ;(

No intermission a warm up bad would be a great idea. Liquor prices at venue extremely high. $12 For A Large Beer Can !

Show was Too Short but a sweet 60 Minutes Of music Is a Short Concert. The Beers And Mixed Drinks At The Venue are Way Way over-Priced At $12 To $15 Each. Talk about Greedy ! Maybe Disney owns This Place As well. An Intermission Is Needed as Well as a warm up band !

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FOREIGNER's Farewell Tour Continues In Fall 2024 With Special Guests LOVERBOY And LITA FORD

"I Want To Know What Love Is" , "Cold As Ice" , "Hot Blooded" , "Juke Box Hero" , "Urgent" and more Top 10 hits than JOURNEY . Today, FOREIGNER , the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame -nominated band behind these iconic songs, announced the next leg of their farewell tour this fall, with special guests LOVERBOY and Lita Ford on select dates.

After one last show with STYX and John Waite in Memphis on September 20, the tour is set to continue on September 23, 2024, at West Virginia's Charleston Civic Center. FOREIGNER will be joined by LOVERBOY , one of the 1980s' biggest hitmakers, and Lita Ford , the queen of rock and heavy metal. The spectacular shows will thrill audiences with stellar performances of more than 20 combined chart-topping songs. Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 5 at 10 a.m. CT at Ticketmaster.com or Foreigneronline.com, and FOREIGNER will be offering their own exclusive pre-sales beginning Wednesday, April 3 at 10 a.m. CT at Foreigneronline.com. The full routing can be found below.

Mick Jones , leader and founder of FOREIGNER , said: "Many years ago, I wrote a song called 'Feels Like The First Time' , and today we are launching the next leg of our last worldwide tour. We will be presenting a show that I know will have the same enthusiasm as our very first appearances. The tour started last summer in America and we hope to get to every place that we have played over the last several years. While I'm sure our fans will have mixed feelings about the end of the road for the band, I know our shows are going to delight audiences everywhere."

Says FOREIGNER lead singer Kelly Hansen : "The time has come. We have more or less lived our lives on the road for almost twenty years. We have always strived to give you our best and we intend to finish this the same way. FOREIGNER has a brilliant and increasingly demanding catalog of songs to sing and I refuse to give them less than they deserve. So, we're going to finish strong. I want to make it very clear how grateful and appreciative we are to our audiences all over the world who have supported this band. I'm sure there may be occasions when we'll do some special appearances, but I think the time is coming for us to live off the road. Thank you all so much!"

Paul Dean of LOVERBOY says: "I remember how cool the last time we toured with FOREIGNER was in 1982. We played to massive stadiums — New Orleans, Kansas City, Day On the Green in Oakland, JFK in Philly — and we're back together again, 41 years later. It's going to be the tour of fall '24!"

Mike Reno of LOVERBOY added: "It's not very often you get a chance to play on the same stage as one of your all-time favorite bands...and how many hit songs can you play on the same stage every night of a tour?….. it's going to be amazing…. I can't wait."

Lita Ford said: "As a young guitarist in THE RUNAWAYS days, who could forget how FOREIGNER ruled the airwaves, you just couldn't hear them enough. Such badass songs that really hit home with everyone! I will be getting my inspiration from FOREIGNER to set the mood and the energy for each show. Great rock n roll NEVER dies!".

FOREIGNER will continue its long-term initiative with the Grammy Museum Foundation to invite choirs to open the show with a live a cappella "Pitch Perfect" performance of classic rock songs. FOREIGNER will join radio partners across the country to create a contest for local choirs to win donations to their music programs. One winning choir will be selected at each show, and that choir will receive a grand prize of new musical equipment. For more details please go to foreignerchoirs.com.

Mick Jones continues to elevate FOREIGNER 's influence and guide the band to new horizons with his stylistic songwriting, indelible guitar hooks and multi-layered talents while lead singer Kelly Hansen , one of rock's greatest showmen, has led FOREIGNER into the digital age inspiring a whole new generation of fans. Bassist Jeff Pilson ; Michael Bluestein on keyboards; guitarist Bruce Watson ; Chris Frazier on drums and guitarist Luis Maldonado provide an unprecedented level of energy that has resulted in the re-emergence of the astounding music that speaks to FOREIGNER 's enduring popularity.

With more Top 10 hits than JOURNEY and as many as FLEETWOOD MAC , ten multi-platinum albums, FOREIGNER is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 80 million. Responsible for some of rock and roll's most enduring anthems, including "Juke Box Hero" , "Cold As Ice" , "Hot Blooded" , "Waiting For A Girl Like You" , "Feels Like The First Time" , "Urgent" , "Head Games" , "Say You Will" , "Dirty White Boy" , "Long, Long Way From Home" and the worldwide No. 1 hit "I Want To Know What Love Is" , FOREIGNER still rocks the charts more than 40 years into the game with massive airplay and continued Billboard Top 200 album success. Streams of FOREIGNER 's hits are approaching 15 million per week.

With their trademark red leather pants, bandanas, big rock sound and high-energy live shows, LOVERBOY has sold more than 10 million albums, earning four multi-platinum plaques, including the four-million-selling "Get Lucky" , and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983's "Keep It Up" and 1985's "Lovin' Every Minute Of It" . Their string of hits includes, in addition to the anthem "Working For The Weekend" , such arena rock staples as "Lovin' Every Minute of It" , "This Could Be The Night" , "Hot Girls In Love" , "The Kid Is Hot Tonite" , "Notorious" , "Turn Me Loose" , "When It's Over" , "Heaven In Your Eyes" and "Queen Of The Broken Hearts" .

Lita Ford 's career began in 1975 as a founding member and guitarist of the groundbreaking all female group THE RUNAWAYS . The group's hard rock / punk edge spawned hits like "Cherry Bomb" and "Queens Of Noise" . In 1983, Lita launched her career as a solo artist with her debut album "Out For Blood" , establishing her as the premier female performer in rock and heavy metal. Lita quickly followed up in 1984 with the release of "Dancin' On The Edge" which earned her a Grammy nomination in the "Best Female Rock Vocal Performance" category. The album produced the world charting single "Fire In My Heart" and the U.S. Billboard top 50-charting hit "Gotta Let Go" . The song, along with the video being in MTV 's top rotation, began to make Ford a household name and face.

Check out the tour at any of the following stops:

Sep. 23 - Charleston, WV - Charleston Civic Center (special guest LOVERBOY) Sep. 25 - Peoria, IL - Peoria Civic Center Arena (special guest LOVERBOY) Sep. 27 - Duluth, MN - Amsoil Arena (special guest Lita Ford) Sep. 28 - Mankato, MN - Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center (special guest Lita Ford) Oct. 01 - Casper, WY - Ford Wyoming Center (special guest LOVERBOY) Oct. 02 - Colorado Springs, CO - Sunset Amphitheater (special guest LOVERBOY) Oct. 04 - Camdenton, MO - Ozarks Amphitheater (special guest LOVERBOY) Oct. 05 - Bonner Springs, KS - Azura Amphitheater (special guest LOVERBOY) Oct. 08 - Rio Rancho, NM - Rio Rancho Event Center (special guest LOVERBOY) Oct. 09 - Las Cruces, NM – Pan American Center (special guest LOVERBOY)

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Review: Neil Young & Crazy Horse strike heart of gold at tour-opening San Diego concert

The concert began with an epic, 15-minute version of ‘Cortez The Killer’ that featured extra lyrics recently unearthed by Young. Guitarist-singer Micah Nelson, Willie’s son, very ably assumed the role in Crazy Horse of Nils Lofgren, now on tour with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band.

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When Neil Young sang “rock and roll will never die” near the conclusion of his tour-opening LOVE EARTH concert with Crazy Horse Wednesday in San Diego, you believed him.

Those words, from his 1978 song, “Hey Hey My My (Into the Black),” sounded like a defiant vow in the face of possible obsolescence 46 years ago. Now, they are a statement of fact from a proud maverick who sounds more committed than ever, even — or, rather, especially — at a time when rock is increasingly becoming a niche genre pushed aside by formulaic pop, hip-hop and dance-music.

At 78, Young remains a staunch keeper of the flame whose passion for music burns as bright as ever. If anyone thinks this veteran singer, songwriter and guitarist is ready to kick back in his old age, he and his band immediately and convincingly refuted such notions with their powerful, nearly two-hour performance at SDSU’s Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. (They are set to perform a second sold-out show at the same venue Thursday night.)

Young and his three-man band opened with “Cortez the Killer,” an epic number from their 1975 album, “Zuma.” But this was no sentimental journey down nostalgia lane, nor was it a tentative, shake-off-the-dust run through.

Their carefully calibrated version of “Cortez” built to a series of powerful climaxes Monday and lasted 15 minutes — nearly twice as long as the original on “Zuma.” The song began with an opening guitar jam that lasted 7 minutes before Young’s reedy vocals commenced. For good measure, near the conclusion of “Cortez,” he sang — for the first time anywhere in concert — a missing verse he recently came upon that had been cut from the 1975 recording.

The unearthed lyrics provided additional depth and a palpable sense of despair to Young’s tour de force song about Hernán Cortez, the bloody Spanish conqueror of Mexico’s Aztec Empire: I floated on the water / I ate that ocean wave / Two weeks after the slaughter / I was living in a cave / They came too late to get me / But there’s no one here to set me free / From this rocky grave / To that snowed-out ocean wave.

The next selection was the buoyant “Cinnamon Girl,” a choice cut from 1969’s “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,” the first album Young and Crazy Horse made together. It clocked in at a crisp three minutes.

The rest of the concert included several other extended jams, with “Down by the River” and “Love and Only Love” both clocking in at a glorious 16 minutes (but not lasting one second too long). Conversely, Young’s tender solo acoustic versions of “Comes a Time,” “Heart of Gold” and “Human Highway” were each delivered with admirable concision.

The manner in which he alternated between longer and shorter selections served as a master class on how to pace a concert to build momentum and achieve maximum dynamic tension and release.

The final encore was an eight-minute rendition of “My My Hey Hey (Into the Black),” whose line There’s more to the picture than meets the eye could be a synopsis of Young’s career and his dogged determination to do things his way, every time, no matter what the trends of the day may be.

At SDSU, Young and his longtime Crazy Horse compadres — bassist/singer Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina, both 80 — were focused and in sync from start to finish. They were joined by guitarist/singer Micah Nelson, 33, who on Monday had played a key role accompanying his father, Willie Nelson, at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.

Review: Willie Nelson’s San Diego concert defined, not defied, the passing of time. He turns 91 on April 29.

The American music-master and his band warmed up a damp, cool evening at The Shell. David Sanger, the drummer in opening act Asleep At The Wheel, took the ferry back to his family’s home in Coronado after the show.

April 23, 2024

Micah Nelson was performing in place of Crazy Horse charter member Nils Lofgren, who is now on tour in The E Street Band with his other longtime employer, Bruce Springsteen. Those are big shoes to fill, but Nelson was so in sync with Young you’d think they had been musical partners for decades.

The stage was bedecked with the giant, faux Fender guitar amplifiers, speaker cabinets and road cases Young and Crazy Horse used on their 1978 Rust Never Sleeps tour. There were no video screens on the stage, the better for the audience — which included basketball great Bill Walton and Las Vegas Raiders NFL team owner Mark Davis — to focus completely on the music at hand.

The SDSU concert — the start of Young and Crazy Horse’s first major tour together in a decade — came a year after Young’s mesmerizing solo concert here at The Shell. Wednesday’s performance was even more mesmerizing, in large part because of the musical empathy between the four musicians.

Review: Neil Young delivered singular San Diego solo concert by digging deep for new/old musical gold

The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee performed his first San Diego solo concert in 31 years, mixing classics with deep, deep album cuts

July 12, 2023

When they locked into a groove, which was often, they seemed to be of one mind. And it’s difficult to think of any other rock band of any vintage that can gain as much traction from so many slow-paced songs.

With few exceptions, Young’s biting guitar solos contained a minimum of notes, but he made each one count, repeatedly going into a zone where feeling and intensity trump quantity. Or, to invoke the title of Young’s 1988 album: “This Note’s For You.”

Apart from a heartfelt spoken tribute to the late David Briggs — the producer of many of Young’s albums with (and without) Crazy Horse — Young’s comments to the audience were along the lines of: “Thank you” and “How ya doin’?”

Otherwise, he let his music speak for him, and it spoke volumes.

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Review: hip-hop star nicki minaj turns target center pink in overdue return to minnesota.

Good context for how overdue Nicki Minaj's concert was Saturday night at Target Center: The last time the hip-hop queen performed in the Twin Cities was 13 years ago as the opening act for Britney Spears.

While Spears has endured well-publicized ups and downs since that poorly attended Xcel Energy Center show in 2011, Minaj has mostly had only ups in her career.

She has been one of the top-selling artists in pop music of the past decade, racking up three No. 1 albums (the most ever by a female rapper) and 23 top-10 singles (same). Her success — and her feminine and LGBTQ icon status, too — rocketed further last year via her smash-hit "Barbie World" single with Ice Spice from the "Barbie" movie soundtrack.

Saturday's nearly sold-out crowd of about 16,000 fans came dressed for the occasion in a sea of pink outfits, including many men. It wasn't because of Barbie, though. Minaj has been pinkifying the world since her 2010 breakout album, "Pink Friday," a success she flashed back to in the title of her tour and latest album "Pink Friday 2."

Some of those fans — especially the ones who hired babysitters — may have been seeing red by the time Minaj finally took the stage. She didn't go on until 10:10 p.m., more than two hours after the advertised start time with only a DJ filling the gap.

Her scheduled opener, "The Boy Is Mine" co-vocalist Monica actually performed in a 15-minute break that abruptly came three-quarters of the way through Minaj's set. Along with a couple of long video interludes, Monica's montage made the concert feel unusually disjointed. Her songs, including "Before You Walk Out of My Life," also felt mellow and a tad outdated amid Minaj's recent, fiery hits.

In between those preshow and midshow lulls, though, Minaj was fully and fiercely present. The Trinidad-born rapper, 41, took the stage in a silvery space-queen outfit to the tune of "I'm the Best," and she seemed intent on living up to that title.

The second in an unprecedented run of three Target Center concerts in six months headlined by female hip-hop stars — after Doja Cat's and Ice Spice's December date , and before Megan Thee Stallion's May 14 booking — Minaj's performance boasted a big, bright visual production on par with Doja's show.

Neon lights were decked out all over the stage (yes, often tinted pink). Dancers and pyro were constantly blowing across the stage. Minaj's numerous outfits were quite a spectacle, too, from a bejeweled purple bodysuit with matching thigh-high boots near the start to an elegant, flowing red dress donned later for the mellower love songs "Save Me" and the new one "Fallin' 4 U."

Minaj wasn't as tied in with the choreography or as physically hyperactive as Doja was. Her most-cheered dance move may have been a stage-hump in "Pink Birthday," which rivaled the one Prince offered across the street at First Avenue for movie cameras in 1983. She genuinely seemed to be pouring most of her energy into her vocals instead, and her talent as a rapper and bawdy, tongue-tying lyricist never got lost in the grand visual scheme.

She came on fast and furious on the microphone right away during "Barbie Dangerous" and "Beep Beep." Kudos to the crowd for keeping up with her rapid delivery and making the latter tune a big sing-along. A lot of today's hot young male rappers, including Travis Scott and Lil Uzi Vert, should take note on how Minaj spit forcefully into her mic all night and did not let her backing tracks do any heavy-lifting for her.

Other impressive runs came later when she ripped through "Red Ruby Da Sleeze" and "Chun-Li" back-to-back under a backdrop of Chinese imagery, and again near show's end in abbreviated versions of "Super Freaky Girl" and "Anaconda."

After all the glitz and glamor displayed throughout her show, Minaj made a simpler choice of ripped jeans, white cotton tank top and a (pink) do-rag on her head when she returned after Monica's mini-set for a run of hits, including "Starships" and "Everybody." She came off more down-to-earth, but her finale look also seemed to emphasize there's a lot more to her stardom than the glitz and glamor.

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Neil Young and Crazy Horse 2024 tour setlist: Every song they played at Phoenix concert

Neil Young brought Crazy Horse to Phoenix for the first since 2003, when the Greendale Tour played what we now call Arizona Financial Theatre.

Saturday’s show at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre was in support of "FU##IN’ UP," a new release that captures Young and Crazy Horse in all their ragged glory, playing songs that span their long relationship.

That meant a night that put the spotlight on the staples that have made Young one of rock ‘n’ roll most celebrated elder statesmen, setting the tone with an epic performance of “Cortez the Killer” that lasted roughly 15 minutes.

By the time they brought the concert to a cacophonous conclusion with the glorious racket of “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" and a one-song encore of "Danger Bird," Young and Crazy Horse had powered their way through such classics as “Cinnamon Girl,” “Don’t Cry No Tears” and “Powderfinger.”

Young also took a break from the distortion and his bandmates for a three-song unplugged mini-set, including “Comes a Time” and “Heart of Gold,” before the night was through.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse 2024 setlist: Every song they played in Phoenix

Here’s every song Neil Young and Crazy Horse played at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre in Phoenix:

"Cortez the Killer""Cinnamon Girl""Don't Cry No Tears""Down by the River""The Losing End (When You're On)""Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere""Scattered (Let's Think About Livin')""Powderfinger""Love and Only Love""Comes a Time" (Neil Young solo acoustic)"Heart of Gold" (Neil Young solo acoustic)"Human Highway" (Neil Young solo acoustic)"Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)"

Encore:"Danger Bird"

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Bon Jovi docuseries 'Thank You, Goodnight' is an argument for respect

Eric Deggans

Jon Bon Jovi at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., in 2013. David Bergman/Hulu hide caption

Jon Bon Jovi at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., in 2013.

Hulu's docuseries Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story , spends a lot of time building up the Bon Jovi legend — exploring the band's almost unbelievable 40-plus-year run from playing hardscrabble rock clubs in New Jersey to earning platinum albums and entry into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

But what moved me most in the four-part series was something more revealing: its close look at the struggle by lead singer Jon Bon Jovi to overcome vocal problems which nearly led him to quit the band.

Footage of the singer croaking through vocal exercises, undergoing laser treatments, enduring acupuncture and finally turning to surgery is sprinkled throughout the series, which toggles back and forth between his problems in 2022 and a chronological story of the band's triumphs and tragedies from its earliest days.

Refusing to be Fat Elvis

Jon Bon Jovi was interviewed for Thank You, Goodnight . Disney/Hulu hide caption

Jon Bon Jovi was interviewed for Thank You, Goodnight .

Through it all, a question hangs: Will Bon Jovi ever recover enough vocal strength to lead a 40th anniversary tour?

"If I can't be the very best I can be, I'm out," he tells the cameras, still looking a bit boyish despite his voluminous gray hair at age 62. "I'm not here to drag down the legacy, I'm not here for the 'Where are they now?' tour ... I'm not ever gonna be the Fat Elvis ... That ain't happening."

Filmmaker Gotham Chopra — who has also directed docuseries about his father, spiritualist Deepak Chopra, and star quarterback Tom Brady — digs deeply into the band's history, aided by boatloads of pictures, video footage and early recordings provided by the group.

Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora in Thank You, Goodnight Disney/Hulu hide caption

Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora in Thank You, Goodnight

Chopra gets folks from the group's tight inner circle to speak up, including former manager Doc McGhee and guitarist Richie Sambora, who quit the band in 2013. ("Are we telling the truth, or are we going to lie, what are we going to do?" Sambora cracks to his offscreen interviewer. "Let's figure it out.")

But anyone expecting gossipy dish will walk away disappointed. Even major scandals in the band's history are handled with care, including the firing of founding bassist Alec John Such in 1994 (and the admission that his replacement, Hugh McDonald, already had been secretly playing bass parts on their albums for years), drummer Tico Torres' stint in addiction treatment and Sambora's decision to quit midway through a tour in 2013, with no notice to bandmates he had performed alongside for 30 years.

Alec John Such, a founding member of Bon Jovi, dies at 70

Sambora's explanation: When issues with substance use and family problems led him to miss recording sessions, Bon Jovi got producer John Shanks to play more guitar on their 2013 record What About Now . And Sambora was hurt.

"[Bon Jovi] had the whole thing kinda planned out," Sambora says, "which basically was telling me, um, 'I can do it without you.'"

Building a band on rock anthems

Jon Bon Jovi with guitarist Phil X. Disney/Hulu hide caption

Jon Bon Jovi with guitarist Phil X.

The docuseries shows how young New Jersey native John Bongiovi turned a job as a gofer at legendary recording studio The Power Station – owned by a cousin — into a recording of his first hit in the early 1980s, Runaway . His song eventually caught the ear of another little-known artist from New Jersey called Bruce Springsteen.

"The first demo I got of Jon's was a good song," says Springsteen, a longtime friend of Bon Jovi. "I mean, Jon's great talent is these big, powerful pop rock choruses that just demand to be sung by, you know, 20,000 people in an arena."

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Rock star jon bon jovi comes full 'circle'.

Thank You, Goodnight shows the band really took off by honing those rock anthems with songwriter Desmond Child, while simultaneously developing videos that showcased their status as a fun, rollicking live band. Hits like You Give Love a Bad Name, Livin' on a Prayer and Wanted: Dead or Alive made them MTV darlings and rock superstars.

Through it all, the singer and bandleader is shown as the group's visionary and spark plug, open about how strategically he pushed the band to write hit songs and positioned them for commercial success.

"It wasn't as though I woke up one morning and was the best singer in the school, or on the block, or in my house," he tells the camera, laughing. "I just had a desire and a work ethic that was always the driving force."

I saw that dynamic up close in the mid-1990s when I worked as a music critic in New Jersey, spending time with Jon Bon Jovi and the band. Back then, his mother ran the group's fan club and was always trying to convince the local rock critic to write about her superstar son – I was fascinated by how the band shrugged off criticisms of being uncool and survived changing musical trends, led by a frontman who worked hard to stay grounded.

Bon Jovi was always gracious and willing to talk; he even introduced me to then-New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman at one of his legendary Christmas charity concerts. (And in a crazy coincidence, the band's backup singer Everett Bradley is an old friend from college.)

I think the docuseries captures Bon Jovi's skill at leading the group through challenges musical and otherwise — from metal's slow fade off the pop charts to the rise of grunge rock — something the singer rarely gets credit for achieving.

Still, much of Thank You, Goodnight feels like an extended celebration of the band and its charismatic frontman, leavened by his earnest effort to regain control of his voice. If you're not a Bon Jovi fan, four episodes of this story may feel like a bit much (I'd recommend at least watching the first and last episodes.)

More than anything, the docuseries feels like an extended argument for something Bon Jovi has struggled to achieve, even amid million selling records and top-grossing concert tours – respect as a legendary rock band.

The audio and digital versions of this story were edited by Jennifer Vanasco .