August 22, 2023. Foreigner played their last show in California on their Farewell tour as it came to the FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA. It was a special show for so many people and Foreigner picked the perfect setlist that honored their five decade long career. It was also the last time I would get to see the band live. Or so I thought, as Foreigner didn’t truly want to call it quits just yet. They needed to do one more leg of the tour teamed up with a band that brings just as much notoriety to the stage as themselves. Producing a co-headlining tour with classic rock staple Styx, the Renegades & Jukebox Heroes Tour was announced with a stop at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. The area is currently under construction, but that didn’t stop the fans from getting there early to not miss a second of another last chance to see this band.
Opening this legendary final hurrah of a tour, was another famous classic rock musician, John Waite. Now I personally wasn’t familiar with this artist by name, but my friends and mom assured me that I have heard his music plenty of times over the years. John Waite performs with so much charm and a gleam in his eye, that makes the ladies in the audience weak at the knees. Not only providing the charm and voice of the band, but would often play rhythm guitar for many songs, adding swagger to his already eye candy filled performance. John Waite has been the lead singer of two famous bands, that being The Babys and Bad English, both of who I have heard of, and his setlist consisted of mostly playing songs from these two bands like “Midnight Rendezvous,” “Change,” “When I See You Smile,” “Best of What I Got,” “Missing You,” “Head First,” “Every Time I Think of You,” and ending with a mashup of “Whole Lotta Love/Let Me Love You Baby.” As this was the only artist I had not seen before tonight, I thoroughly enjoyed what John Waite brought to stage, and must give his music more of my time going forward.
Up next is my personal favorite classic rock band, Styx. My mom introduced me to them when I was a kid, and they have been a band that both she and I have shared a love for ever since. We have seen them together over 10 times now, and we aren’t stopping anytime soon. Styx is one of the most consistently solid rock bands still performing today. Vocal duty is shared between keyboardist Lawrence Gowan, guitarist James “JY” Young, and fellow guitarist Tommy Shaw, and all three men still sound just light they did on album. The men have taken care of their voices after all of these years, and it heightens the live experience. During the song “Lady” founding member and original bassist Chuck Panozzo graced our presence by coming out to help perform on the song. His health prevents him from touring and performing at every show, and this was such a rewarding experience to have. Buried behind the drum kit Todd Sucherman keeps the band in time with precise execution. New members Will Evankovich (guitar) and Terry Gowan (bass) round off the band. A Styx show is nothing but a good time, as all the members perform with such infectious smiles and joy, along with their upbeat songs, the crowd can’t help but sing along to everything played like “The Grand Illusion,” “Too Much Time on My Hands,” “Lorelei,” “Crash of the Crown,” “Miss America,” “Rockin’ the Paradise,” “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” “The Best of Times,” “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man),” “Come Sail Away,” and ending with a double song encore of fan favorite “Mr. Roboto” and “Renegade.” For over 50 years Styx have brought some of the best live music to fans, and they don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. My mom and myself also do not plan to stop seeing them live for as long as they continue to perform.
Finally, it was the last time I was going to see Foreigner, again. Though, in last year’s Farewell tour, the band elected to put together the ultimate setlist the band could ever perform. With this tour being a double headliner, they instead put more focus on the performance and entertainment they were bringing to the fans. Foreigner combined and amazing laser light show, the best songs they’ve ever written, vibrant and bright lights to spotlight each member of the band, and even pyro techniques to set the place a blaze! Along with all this spectacle, the band was also interactive with each other non-stop throughout the show. Constantly sharing microphones, getting into each other’s faces, and at one point rhythm guitarist Luis Maldonado stole vocalist Kelly Hansen’s microphone, and ran around the back of the stage so Hansen couldn’t find it, causing him to miss the opening of the song. They both shared a good chuckle and laughed about it. The camaraderie the band shares was on full display, and brightened the show beyond belief.
During “Jukebox Hero” Hansen was smuggled onto a small platform in the middle of the arena, that elevated him 3 stories into the air. This daredevil stunt brought shock and awe to the crowd. Foreigner is also a big advocate for the arts in school, and invites a local high school choir to come out and sing the backing vocals for “I Want to Know What Love Is.” Even with all these antics on stage, we still got an amazing abridged artist featuring other classics like “Double Vision,” “Head Games,” “Cold as Ice,” “Waiting For a Girl Like You,” “Dirty White Boy,” “Feels Like the First Time,” “Urgent,” and “Hot Blooded.” After all the pyro burned out, and the light show ended as the house lights came up, we were left with Foreigner still standing on stage basking in the applause and appreciation. The band gave the fans of Southern California one last bow as this is the last time they will play in our city. Allegedly.
The Honda Center was sold out with fans of all ages to hear and support bands that have created some of the more inspirational and beloved songs of their formative years. Like the love my mom and I share for Styx, you could look out into the crowd and see thousands of other family lineages in the crowd. Grandparents, parents, and their children, some infants even experiencing their first concert they’ll never remember. But Foreigner, Styx, and John Waite have created a music archival legacy of songs that with withstand the test of time. They will be passed down from generation to generation and help cement the bond of love between people forever. Though Foreigner is set to retire, I’m honored over gotten to see them a couple times now with my mom.
JOHN WAITE – JUNE 28, 2024 – HONDA CENTER (ANAHEIM)
STYX – JUNE 28, 2024 – HONDA CENTER (ANAHEIM)
FOREIGNER – JUNE 28, 2024 – HONDA CENTER (ANAHEIM)
