Jeff Pilson returns to The Double Stop Podcast to offer an update on the last decade of his career. He discusses his recent projects, including Last In Line, Lynch Mob, The End Machine, Black Swan, Revolution Saints and Foreigner. He explains the differences in writing records with George Lynch and Reb Beach, why The End Machine made a singer switch, work progressing on a new Black Swan record, and gives an update on Foreigner, including the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, and a new live album in the works.
On work commencing on a new Foreigner live album, Pilson reveals, "We're not disappearing off the face of the earth just yet. We're gonna be doing some shows in 2025. It's just, this is the end of the nine months of the year on the road kind of thing. And that's a welcome change, I think on everybody's part to a certain degree. And I'm looking forward to a lighter schedule. But we even have some music that we haven't finished and I'd love to finish that too. Plus, I'm working on a live record right now. We just recorded last week. And when I get off the phone with you, I'm gonna start editing a live record that we're gonna be doing. That is gonna be incredible. It's just gonna be an amazing live record. I've been listening to the tracks and it's just amazing."
“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 & 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 at West Virginia’s Charleston Civic Center. Foreigner will be joined by Loverboy, one of the 80’s biggest hit-makers, 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 are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and Foreigneronline.com. The full routing can be found below.
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 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!”
"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!," 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 tour?….. it’s going to be amazing…. I can’t wait," said Mike Reno of Loverboy.
Says Lita Ford, “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. Foreigner has an extraordinary streaming and radio audience.
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 #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 début 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 US 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 stops listed below.
September
23 - Charleston, WV - Charleston Civic Center (Special Guest Loverboy)
25 - Peoria, IL - Peoria Civic Center Arena (Special Guest Loverboy)
27 - Duluth, MN - Amsoil Arena (Special Guest Lita Ford)
28 - Mankato, MN - Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center (Special Guest Lita Ford)
October
1 - Casper, WY - Ford Wyoming Center (Special Guest Loverboy)
2 - Colorado Springs, CO - Sunset Amphitheater (Special Guest Loverboy)
4 - Camdenton, MO - Ozarks Amphitheater (Special Guest Loverboy)
5 - Bonner Springs, KS - Azura Amphitheater (Special Guest Loverboy)
8 - Rio Rancho, NM - Rio Rancho Event Center (Special Guest Loverboy)
9 - Las Cruces, NM – Pan American Center (Special Guest Loverboy)
(Top photo - Karsten Staiger)
