After 15 months mostly in drydock, Foreigner is ready to hit the road again — and stay a long, long way from home for quite some time.
The veteran band, which played a couple of socially distanced concerts last month in Florida, launches a 121-date world tour on June 24 in Ottumwa, Iowa. The trek will take Foreigner to 72 U.S. cities this year — including a short run of shows with orchestras during October — with concerts in 15 more countries during 2022. Dates for the latter will be announced during November.
“We are full-on back on the road,” frontman Kelly Hansen tells Billboard. “There’s been so many conversations over the last year with promoters and with our agents and with management, trying to figure out what’s the safe thing to do, when can we do this, how can we do that? We’re finally able to say we’re getting out there, we’re getting on the road. That’s a great thing.” He also says the extensive U.S. itinerary is taking the septet “to all kinds of great places we don’t always get to go to.”
Foreigner plans to be cautious in its return, however.
Noting that “protocols are a moving target, changing constantly,” Hansen says Foreigner will have a “backstage bubble” that will include mask requirements and other measures to keep band and crew members safe. “We want to make sure we do the most safe and protective things we can to make sure all these shows go off and happen the way they should,” says Hansen, who got married during the lockdown. He plans to eschew his usual romps into the audience during the shows for now, and the band plans to alter its usual meet and greets with fans before the concerts.
“Depending on the venue, they’re either not happening, or modified,” Hansen says. “We can’t make it the handshaking, one-on-one meet and greet like we’ve been doing — at least not for now. There is an experience still to be had, we just have to modify. We’re putting a lot of thought into it to make sure it’s a presentation we’re proud of.”
Foreigner’s shows will, as usual, rest on the best-known material from the band’s catalog, which covers 22 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including nine top 10s. They’ll also introduce fans to a new member, multi-instrumentalist Luis Maldonado, after the amicable departure of Thom Gimbel earlier this year. “We all love Thom Gimbel and respect him, and there’s not an iota of any kind of bad feelings. Thom is at a point he felt like he needed to not be on the road, and I get it,” Hansen says. “Luis is an amazing musician and a really great singer. It’s a really powerful, strong sound with Luis in the band now.”
Tickets and other information are available via foreigneronline.com.
Foreigner’s 2021 U.S. tour dates currently include:
Thursday, June 24 Ottumwa, IA – Bridge View Center
Friday, June 25 Sioux Falls, SD – Washington Pavilion
Saturday, June 26 Bismarck, ND – Bismarck Civic Center
Tuesday, June 29 Casper, WY – Casper Events Center
Wednesday, June 30 Billings, MT – MetraPark Arena
Friday, July 2 Welch, MN – Treasure Island Great Lawn
Sunday, July 4 Fort Bragg, NC – Pope Army Airfield
Tuesday, July 27 Fresno, CA – Saroyan Theatre
Wednesday, July 28 Prescott Valley, AZ – Findlay Toyota Center
Friday, July 30 West Valley, UT – Maverick Center
Saturday, July 31 Grand Junction, CO – Los Colonias Park Amphitheater
Sunday, August 1 Rio Rancho, NM – Rio Rancho Events Center
Wednesday, August 4 Lubbock, TX – Buddy Holly Hall
Thursday, August 5 Enid, OK – Stride Bank Center
Saturday, August 7 Park City, KS – Hartman Arena
Sunday, August 8 North Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena
Tuesday, August 10 West Allis, WI – Wisconsin State Fair
Wednesday, August 11 Cedar Rapids, IA – McGrath Amphitheatre
Friday, August 13 Arcadia, WI – Ashley For The Arts
Saturday, August 14 Interlochen, MI – Kresge Auditorium
Sunday, August 15 Peoria, IL – Civic Center Arena
Tuesday, August 17 Kettering, OH – Fraze Pavilion
Wednesday, August 18 Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Friday, August 20 Doswell, VA – AfterHours at Meadow Event Park
Saturday, August 21 Selbyville, DE – The Freeman Stage at Bayside
Monday, August 23 Syracuse, NY – New York State Fair
Wednesday, August 25 Bridgeport, CT – Hartford Healthcare Amphitheatre
Thursday, August 26 Webster, MA – Indian Ranch
Friday, August 27 Cohasset, MA – South Shore Music Circus
Saturday, August 28 Hyannis, MA – Cape Cod Melody Tent
Thursday, September 9 Grand Forks, ND – Alerus Center
Friday, September 10 Rapid City, SD – Rushmore Plaza Civic Center
Saturday, September 11 Butte, MT – Civic Center
Tuesday, September 14 Everett, WA – Angel of the Winds Arena
Wednesday, September 15 Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Event Center
Thursday, September 16 Airway Heights, WA – Northern Quest Resort & Casino
Saturday, September 18 Fort Hall, ID – Fort Hall Casino
Tuesday, September 21 Bend, OR – Les Schwab Amphitheater
Wednesday, September 22 Kennewick, WA – Toyota Center
Sunday, September 26 Reno, NV – Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort
Wednesday, September 29 Saratoga, CA – Mountain Winery (orchestral)
Friday, October 1 Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre (orchestral)
Saturday, October 2 Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl (orchestral)
Monday, October 11 Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre (orchestral)
Tuesday, October 12 Youngstown, OH – Foundation Amphitheater (orchestral)
Wednesday, October 13 Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena (orchestral)
Friday, October 15 Johnson City, TN – Freedom Hall Civic Center
Sunday, October 17 Knoxville, TN – Civic Auditorium
Monday, October 18 Columbus, OH – Palace Theatre
Tuesday, October 19 Charleston, WV – Municipal Auditorium
Thursday, October 21 Reading, PA – Santander Performing Arts Center
Friday, October 22 Wilkes Barre, PA – F.M. Kirby Center
Saturday, October 23 Baltimore, MD – MECU Pavilion
Monday, October 25 Providence, RI – Performing Arts Center
Wednesday, October 27 Port Chester, NY – Capitol Theatre
Thursday, October 28 Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Friday, October 29 New Brunswick, NJ – State Theatre
Saturday, October 30 Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
Thursday, November 4 Corbin, KY – Corbin Arena
Friday, November 5 Springfield, IL – UIS Sangamon Auditorium
Saturday, November 6 Southaven, MS – Landers Center
Monday, November 8 Savannah, GA – John Mercer Theatre
Tuesday, November 9 Augusta, GA – Bell Auditorium
Wednesday, November 10 Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Friday, November 12 Macon, GA – Macon City Auditorium
Saturday, November 13 Tupelo, MS – Bancorp South Arena
Sunday, November 14 Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
Tuesday, November 16 Huntsville, AL – Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
Wednesday, November 17 Birmingham, AL – BJCC Concert Hall
Friday, November 19 Biloxi, MS – IP Casino Resort & Spa
Saturday, November 20 Pensacola, FL – Saenger Theater
