Foreigner, Styx, John Waite
The Renegades and Juke Box Heroes Tour 2024
The Honda, Center – Anaheim, CA
Friday, June 28th, 2024
Review/Pictures: Diane Lynn
Two iconic bands making the rounds together, co-headlining during the tour and their So Cal stop was one that I did not want to miss, and a special guest that I‘ve Waite-d too long to see playing live again.
Friday night was a warm one, the temps have been climbing in Southern California and for music lovers that means that the summer concerts have officially begun. As I watched concertgoers arriving, I realized that most of those filing in were seasoned fans, they/I – have seen some great bands in our days. We’ve followed along with our favorites as they grew bigger, some fading out too soon and some are still continuing on in some form or another. Whatever the case, we are all music lovers, and we were eager to see one of our favorites for what will be the last time. (Editors Note: I’ll believe it’s the last time when I don’t see it)
After nearly 48 years Foreigner is on their final tour. Sure, they’ve had some lineup changes over the years, but boy have we been fortunate to have this band continuing on even after the original members took different paths. And continuing on they have, with some pretty amazing talent to keep the legacy that Lou Gramm, Mick Jones and company created so many years ago.
I’ve seen Foreigner many times over the years, the first being way back in 1978 at the historic Cal Jam II and my last time was the thrilling Then and Now mini tour back in 2018. What a full circle moment that was seeing all of the original “Then” members on stage with the “Now” members, jamming the classics together. Unfortunately, Friday’s performance didn’t see Mick Jones joining them for a few songs as he had in the past but nevertheless it was a fantastic show!
Foreigner wowed the fans of the sold-out Honda Center with a ten-song set that included two encore songs and a drum solo.
The band came out on stage to the high energy “Double Vison” and kept our pulses pounding throughout the night with one hit after another. “Head Games”, “Cold as Ice” and “Dirty White Boy” were among my favorites. The band made full use of the entire stage, with Keyboardist Michael Bluestein and Drummer Chris Fraizer stationed on the top of two levels while Guitarist Bruce Watson, Bassist/Keys Jeff Pilson, Guitarist Luis Maldonado and Vocalist Kelly Hansen were using every bit of the stage as their musical playground to entertain us. The lighting and sound were the toppers to this big production show. Everything played out to perfection.
We saw a bit of showcasing for each member throughout the set. During “Urgent” we got to see Michael Bluestein up close as he brought out his Keytar to the front of the stage to jam out the last part of the song which then led into a killer drum solo from heavy hitter Chris Fraizer. As the venue went dark, Chris continued into the familiar drum intro for “Juke Box Hero” and out in the middle of the floor section up pops Kelly Hansen on a platform rising up well above the crowd. This tune showcased the strings of the band, with Bruce giving us a killer solo as Luis kept the rhythm and Jeff delivered the heavy bass that brings this song together.
With that, the band left the stage, but they weren’t quite done yet. As the loud cheers yelling for more continued Jeff Pilson jumped on the keys and the smooth sound of “I Want to Know What Love Is” started to fill the arena. The sold-out crowd was singing the chorus while holding their lights/lighters up high as they swayed from side to side. This also brought out the Los Alamitos High School Sound FX to join in on the chorus. At the end of the song Kelly told the crowd, “One of the big reasons we have these beautiful, talented, young choirs on stage with us to sing this song is to make everyone aware of the lack of funding for school music programs.” Kelly and the rest of the group participated in music programs in their school days, so this is an important cause that is close to the heart for the band.
Foreigner ended the set with the still popular “Hot Blooded” bringing the incredible set to a close. Kelly thanked the fans for coming and for their support over the years and with a group bow they exited the stage.
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As I mentioned STYX is co-headlining the tour and this night had them in the second slot, but they definitely owned their time on the stage. Starting off with the hugely popular “Grand Illusion” the house was on their feet and rockin’!
STYX always ensures that you are entertained, their shows are always visually pleasing and one thing they are always consistent with is energy levels, great sound and electrifying performances. They have to be the hardest working rock band around!
They pulled out all of the hits during their 13-song set, “Too Much Time on My Hands”, “Miss America” and “Blue Collar Man” to name a few. They slowed it down a bit and played their mega hit “love ballad” “Lady” with the assistance of Mr. Chuck Panozzo. He and his brother John Panozzo were part of the founding members of STYX, John being the drummer until his passing in the mid-1990’s.
STYX currently still has only one original member touring full time. James “J.Y” Young who was dressed to the nines including his beautiful fedora. We’ll call him the “Original”, as he has graced the stage with STYX since the very beginning! There’s also Mr. Tommy Shaw, who although hasn’t been there since it’s inception, is definitely one of the classic members from the EARLY days. He can’t be missed with his megawatt smile as he rocks the stage playing all those classic guitar riffs while belting out songs with a voice that is still smooth and strong to this day.
I always get a bit nostalgic when they play “Rockin’ the Paradise” as it takes me back to February of 1981 when I saw the Paradise Theatre tour, and I’m proud to say I still have that concert tee safely tucked in my drawer.
Lawrence Gowen, the man behind, in front and on top of the Keyboard simply amazes you with his energy, strong vocals and charisma. With the talents of Will Evankovich on guitar and the newest member Terry Gowen (yes, the brother of Lawrence Gowen) on bass, who stayed close by at stage right, made it entertaining to watch these three interact. Drummer, Todd Sucherman with his sticks flying high as he keeps the beat going sits high center stage.
All of these amazing musicians together is what gives us one of the Great American Rock groups that is still gracing stages today.
STYX had the fans singing along and clapping to the beat of each song, it was like a DJ playing all of our favorite hits! The night ended with “Mr. Roboto” and their power hit “Renegade”!
It’s a theatrical performance at times, a well-rehearsed and put together show, it’s much more than your average rock concert, it’s a rock SHOW!
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Opening the night!
While we normally see openers as up-and-coming bands, it was a veteran rocker, a very talented vocalist and musician that was added to the bill and his loyal fans couldn’t be happier with the choice!
I was so excited to hear that John Waite was added to the lineup for this tour. Getting a chance to see him AND cover the show was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up!
November 23rd, 1980, that was the last time I saw him live on stage. It was my first and only time seeing The Baby’s and John. It was a last-minute thing with a friend and I had never heard of The Baby’s but oh man, John absolutely took my breath away that night. It was something about his voice and those songs that hit me hard and I’ve been a fan ever since.
John opened up his set on Friday with “Midnight Rendezvous“, the first of 8 tunes that were a mix of The Baby’s, John’s solo work, Bad English and a couple of mean covers that were a fun surprise.
Hearing John perform these amazing songs instantly took me back to that night in 1980, his voice and his music still resonate with me today. Opening with “When I See You Smile” acapella was magical to hear. There’s a reason he’s regarded as one of the best voices in rock music.
Joining John on stage were Guitarist, Brent Woods, Drummer, Alan Childs and Bassist, Tim Hogan a solid lineup of talented musicians for the tour.
The band ended the set with the crowd on their feet giving them the applause they deserved!
I promise it won’t be as long until the next time, John Waite!
Related Links:
Foreigner
Styx
John Waite
