Foreigner has announced the first leg of its 2023 farewell tour with special guest, Loverboy. As it stands now, the trek will begin on July 6th in Alpharetta, Georgia at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre with dates currently on the books through September 3rd at Holmdel, New Jersey's PNC Bank Arts Center.
Mick Jones, Foreigner's co-founding guitarist, leader and primary songwriter, said in a statement:
Many years ago, I wrote a song called 'Feels Like The First Time' and today we are launching one last worldwide tour. We will be presenting a show that I know will have the same enthusiasm as our very first appearances.
The tour will start this summer in America and we hope to get to every place that we have played over the last several years. While I’m sure our fans will have mixed feelings about the end of the road for the band, I know our shows are going to delight audiences everywhere.
Loverboy guitarist Paul Dean added:
I remember how cool the last time we toured with Foreigner was in 1982. We played to massive stadiums — New Orleans, Kansas City, “Day On The Green” in Oakland, JFK (Stadium) in Philly — and we’re back together again, 41 years later. It's going to be the Tour Of Summer '23!
Foreigner frontman Kelly Hanson spoke about how he and leader Mick Jones decided to finally pack it in after decades of tearing it up on the road: “We have been hitting it hard — with me in the band — for just about 18 years; eight, nine months out of the year every single year. And that has an effect and it doesn't get any easier — especially doing this catalog of songs. It's extremely challenging for a rock tenor vocalist like myself to sing. So, um, y'know, Mick and I talked about it and with management made a decision. I don't want to give these songs less that they deserve and that, that's what is for me, personally.”
When we last caught up with Loverboy frontman Mike Reno, he told us that unbelievably, his band's live show continues to go from strength to strength: “We just did a show here close to Vancouver, and the promoter guy said, 'We're expecting between 500 and 1,000' — and 6,000 people showed up. People as far as you can see. And I just went, 'Isn't that interesting after all these years?' Y'know, we haven't had an un-sold out show for the last four years, and I got so many good reports from people that have seen us many times, y'know, close friends and stuff. And they said, 'I don't know what you guys are doing, but you guys are tight.' And I think it's just 'cause we work so much. I mean, how can you not get good at it, y'know?”
Foreigner performs tonight (November 15th) at Tampa's Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
Loverboy next performs on November 26th in Larchwood, Iowa at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort.
JUST ANNOUNCED: Foreigner / Loverboy 2023 tour dates (subject to change):
July 6 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
July 8 – West Palm Beach, FL – iThink Financial Amphitheatre
July 9 – Tampa, FL – MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 11 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheatre
July 14 – Rogers, AR – Walmart Amphitheatre
July 18 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre
July 19 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
July 21 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
July 22 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
July 24 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
July 25 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
July 28 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
July 29 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
August 1 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
August 2 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach
August 4 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
August 5 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
August 8 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
August 9 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
August 11 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
August 12 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
August 14 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
August 16 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
August 18 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater
August 20 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
August 21 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheater
August 23 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheater
August 24 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
August 30 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theater
September 1 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
September 2 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
September 3 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center