PHOTOS: “Hot Blooded” Foreigner in Tinley Park

After 47 years of existence, Foreigner is proving that they’re the same juke box heroes they were back in 1976, despite a different lineup now in 2023.

Currently on their farewell tour, Foreigner came to the newly-renamed Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park over the weekend with Loverboy as their supporting act.

Foreigner does not have any original members in the band for this trek, although because of their immense talent on the stage and thanks to their loyal supporters in attendance at every show, you would never be able to tell (or hear) that you’re in front of a refreshed lineup.

One of the group’s founding members and lead guitarist, Mick Jones, is still considered an active member of the band but is sitting a majority of this tour out for health reasons.

Foreigner is currently made up of frontman Kelly Hansen, lead guitarist Bruce Watson, bassist Jeff Pilson, keyboardist Michael Bluestein, drummer Chris Frazier, and Luis Maldonado as their newest addition on rhythm guitar.

The band’s 13-song set (listed below) was comprised of their popular radio anthems mixed in with their slower love ballads, along with a 3-song acoustic set sandwiched between it all.

The entire group showed a lot of energy throughout the nearly two-hour show. While bassist Jeff Pilson was forced to perform the show seated due to a recent injury, lead singer Kelly Hansen shuffled around as if the stage was one big treadmill, still maintaining the same powerful vocals he’s been adding to Foreigner since his arrival in 2005.

It only took the opening song to notice how much the band seems to enjoy their time on stage together, and also how much they appreciate the very loyal and very vocal sea of fans that show up night after night.

Although this might be the end of touring for them, it’s rumored that Foreigner has been working on some new music before they hang things up for good.

Nonetheless, there’s still time to catch the band live before they reach the end of the road. Their summer farewell tour with Loverboy runs through September, and then solo shows resume through the end of the year after that.

The band currently has one more Illinois date on their schedule when they make a stop in Champaign, IL on October 22nd. For a full list of tour dates and ticket information, visit their website.

Photos by AJ Roccaforte.

Setlist:

1. Double Vision
2. Head Games
3. Cold as Ice
4. Waiting for a Girl Like You
5. Dirty White Boy
6. When It Comes to Love (acoustic)
7. Girl on the Moon (acoustic)
8. Say You Will (acoustic)
9. Feels Like the First Time
10. Urgent
11. Juke Box Hero
12. I Want to Know What Love Is (encore)
13. Hot Blooded (encore)