Foreigner

There are some concerts you go to because you love the band,  others you go to because you grew up with the songs and then there are the concerts where you walk out thinking, Wow, I’m really glad we were there for that.   

For us, Foreigner at the Ryman Auditorium was definitely all of the above. 

Foreigner has been around since 1976. Over the course of nearly five decades, members have changed, musicians have come and gone, and the band continues to perform.  

We went into last night’s show knowing that Foreigner’s lineup looks very different today than it did when many of these songs first became hits. Unfortunately Lou Gramm, Mick Jones, Dennis Elliot, Al Greenwood, Ian McDonald, and Ed Gagliardi are no longer touring with the band , although Lou Gramm has occasionally hit the stage with the current line up over the last few months.  

Did we miss seeing the original members? Of course. There’s something special about seeing the musicians who originally created the music. But that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate what the current lineup is. 

The current Foreigner lineup features Luis Maldonado on vocals, Bruce Watson on guitar, John Roth on guitar, Jeff Pilson on bass, Micheal Bluestein on keys, and Chris Frazier on drums. 

The current members aren’t pretending to be the original lineup. They’re not trying to erase the band’s history or pretend they were there in 1977. They’re simply musicians who have been chosen to keep these songs alive. And after seeing them perform, we think they are the right people for the job.   

We also had the opportunity to do a meet and greet before the show. Getting to actually meet the guys gave us a completely different perspective once they took the stage. And let us just say these guys are hilarious. 

They were incredibly personable and fun to talk to, and it was obvious that the personalities we saw during the meet and greet weren’t something they switched off once they walked onto the stage. If anything, we saw even more of it during the show.  

They performed classics we all know and love such as “Juke Box Hero,” “Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” “Feels Like the First Time,” and “Head Games.” But our personal favorite was “I Want to Know What Love Is.” During the song, they sang with the Warren County High School Tree City Choir. Not only did the song sound beautiful with a choir behind it, but it was inspiring seeing how Foreigner has made it a point to include these local choirs as part of their tour. The band’s goal is to help bring funding back to arts departments while supporting music education and giving young musicians the opportunity to perform alongside them. Seeing a band whose music has been passed down for generations share the stage with the next generation of musicians was truly impactful. 

After spending a night with Foreigner at the Ryman, we’re convinced that the torch is in good hands. After we walked out of the Ryman, we weren’t thinking about who was missing from the stage. We were thinking about the music, memories, and the incredible time we had just had. Foreigner may look different than it did five decades ago, but we’re convinced that the music and the legacy is in good hands.