Foreigner's Farewell & Loverboy's Timeless Rock at Pine Knob

Foreigner - Detroit The 2023 version of Foreigner descended on Clarkston Michigan’s Pine Knob Music Theatre Wednesday August 30 for their last Detroit area show ever. Foreigner is in the midst of their Farewell Tour which will continue through 2024. The band which was formed by British guitarist Mick Jones in New York in 1976 retains not a single regular performing band member from that original lineup, but they have managed to play to sold out audiences for almost 50 years now.

Band founder Mick Jones has appeared with the band sporadically over the last several years due to health issues which have limited his participation, but hasn’t performed recently. The current lineup features singer Kelly Hansen who has been with the band since 2005 and former Dokken and Dio bassist Jeff Pilson who has performed since 2004.

Wednesday’s show kicked off with the song Double Vision as Hansen leapt from a platform at the rear of the stage. At 62 years of age he still has the energy and stage presence of a man half his age. Lou Gramm’s shoes were big shoes to fill, but Hansen has done a remarkable job for the last 20 years. I’m pretty sure he has been a big reason for the band’s continued success as a touring band and the band itself sounds outstanding.
The show continued with the hits, Head Games, Cold as Ice, Waiting For a Girl Like You, Dirty White Boy, before settling into a 3 song acoustic set where all the band members sat in a semi-circle at the front of the stage. When the band went electric again, Hansen announced, “This is the song that started it all way back in 1976” as they launched into Feels Like the First Time.

After performing Urgent from the band’s album 4, there were some keyboard and drum solos before Hansen appeared on his platform rising from the soundboard area to sing Jukebox Hero. This is a gimmick he’s been doing for years and you kind of expect it if you’ve seen the band perform before. He obviously doesn’t have a fear of heights.
The night finished with I Want to Know What Love Is and Hot Blooded for the encore. I like to call them the world’s greatest tribute band, but really, they put on a great show and have earned the right to carry the band name long after the last original member (besides Mick Jones) left. I will miss seeing them play and wish them all the best.

Opening the evening was legendary Canadian rockers Loverboy. If Foreigner is the worlds greatest tribute band, then Loverboy is the world’s greatest original member band. Nearly 45 years after forming in 1979, the band has stayed together except for a very brief breakup in 1988. Aside from the tragic loss of bassist Scott Smith in 2000, who was replaced with current bassist Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve, the band is all original.

Playing a ten song set of their greatest hits, the band hasn’t lost their sound or their appeal all these years. Despite being the opening band on this tour, many in the packed amphitheater were here to see Loverboy and showed the love for their heroes. Songs like Queen of the Broken Hearts, Lovin’ Every Minute of It and Hot Girls in Love got great reactions from the crowd of mostly older classic rock fans.

The best was saved for last with platinum selling hits Turn Me Loose and Working For the Weekend finishing the set of classic rock fan favorites. With heavy rotation on classic rock radio, these songs still hold up well today and still excite the fans old and new.

Setlists