No one in the audience seemed to notice nor care that not a single original member of Foreigner graced the GFL Memorial Gardens stage Tuesday evening. That’s right – Mick Jones was not present when the band rolled through the Sault during its Cold As Ice Canadian tour.
But none of that mattered. Kelly Hansen (vocals), Thom Gimbel (saxophone, guitar, keyboards), Jeff Pilson (bass), Chris Frazier (drums), Bruce Watson (guitar), and Michael Bluestein (keyboards) had the audience hooked from the moment the music started. And the crowd happily sang along with every word during the 90-minute hit-laden set, which included Feels Like The First Time, Cold As Ice, Head Games, Dirty White Boy, Blue Morning Blue Day, Urgent, Jukebox Hero, Double Vision, and Waiting For A Girl Like You.
The evening closed with a special encore presentation of I Want To Know What Love Is featuring the St. Mary’s College Singers. The choir won the opportunity thanks a contest hosted by Rock 101.
“We do this to highlight the importance of high school music programs,” Hansen told the audience as he encouraged another round of applause for the young vocalists.
Foreigner continues its Cold As Ice tour Thursday night with a stop in Sudbury before heading down to southern Ontario.