Carmel choir to join Foreigner at Waukegan's Genesee
The classic rock band Foreigner has played countless shows across the suburbs over the decades, but its March 20 show at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan will have something special - and suburban.
Twenty-four members of Cadence, the student show choir from Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, will sing backup vocals on stage with Foreigner when they play their hit, "I Want to Know What Love Is."
The choir was chosen from a group of local applicants, based on a sample video. Cadence will receive a $500 grant from the Save the Music Foundation and earn a few extra bucks from staffing the CD sales tables before and after the concert.
While Cadence has previously performed at Walt Disney World and for newly installed Cardinal Cupich, the students were jumping up and down with excitement when they heard they'd be performing with Foreigner, said Kent Parry, Carmel's director of choral activities.
"I can only imagine what their faces are going to be like when they're up there singing with the group. It's going to be so awesome," said Parry, a Foreigner fan. "With teenagers nowadays, a lot of them are listening to the older groups. I'm not sure if it's because of their parents' influence, or because the music's better."
Foreigner shot to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s, selling more than 50 million albums with hits like "Cold as Ice," "Juke Box Hero," "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "Feels Like the First Time."
The original band split up decades ago, but founder Mick Jones continues to tour with replacement members, including Kelly Hanson, a sound-alike for former lead singer Lou Gramm.
"Kelly's like a freak of nature to be able to sing that good," said Thom Gimbel, Foreigner's guitarist and saxophone player.
Foreigner will play more than 110 shows around the world this year, including a summer concert tour with Kid Rock. They did 135 shows last year, Gimbel said.
While Jones, 70, has battled health issues, he still does energy-filled performances most nights of the tour.
The fact that the band only has one original member shouldn't make a difference to those who love Foreigner's music, Gimbel said.
"I'm not sure (fans) would recognize the original members if they saw them now," said Gimbel, who's been with Foreigner for more than 20 years, and played with Aerosmith before that. "Besides, Mick (Jones) is Foreigner."
The Waukegan show will feature all of the band's beloved hits, including Gimbel doing the famous saxophone solo on the song "Urgent," a job he says never gets old.
"(We play) all the hits, plus more," he said. "We have all kinds of little strange bits and jam sessions. And some you-never-know-what's-going-to-happen sessions."
Foreigner's invited local choirs to join them on stage for years. They do it through the Save the Music Foundation to help support local music programs. Plus, Gimbel said the young choirs bring a great, uplifting energy to the show.
"Hopefully, we're helping in some way, these schools and music departments," he said. "It's just a good time. This music has held up really well."
Foreigner
When: 8 p.m. Friday, March 20
Where: Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan,
Tickets: $56.65-$91.10