Foreigner coming to Aurora
Foreigner, a super group that emerged in the late '70s and early '80s, will bring its classic rock act to Aurora on Aug. 24 for a performance at the Paramount Theatre.
Fresh from a live performance on the "Today" show, lead singer Kelly Hansen recently talked about the upcoming show and the band's new double CD.
"We played the acoustic version of 'Say You Will,'" Hansen said of the band's televised performance in Rockefeller Plaza. "We've been doing a lot of TV."
With a new double CD, "No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner," and a tour that began with the group teaming with Bryan Adams for a series of dates, the band is in the midst of a busy summer.
Along with new material, including the new single, "Too Late," Paramount audiences will hear the familiar and cherished hits the band is best known for, such as "Hot Blooded," "Cold As Ice," "Feels Like the First Time" and "Waiting for a Girl Like You," Hansen said.
"We'll be doing all those classic songs that you remember. There'll be a few other surprises. It's definitely going to be what you remembered," he said.
The band, originally formed in 1976, currently includes Hansen, a former frontman for the '80s band Hurricane, and band founder Mick Jones. The lineup also includes drummer Jason Bonham and bass player Jeff Pilson.
"Foreigner has been changing members since after the second record," Hansen said. "This is the current evolution of the band. Foreigner's always had people coming and going - there's always been the staple of Mick."
Hansen joined Foreigner in 2005. The band's original lead singer, Lou Gramm, left in 2003 and continues to perform as a solo artist and with his new band.
Hansen, who lives in Los Angeles, is a music business veteran.
"I've done every job there is to do in the music business," he said. "Before I joined Foreigner, I hadn't been on the road for 14 years."
Though band members rarely get to truly experience the culture and amenities offered by the cities they visit because of the heavy performance schedule, Hansen said it feels to good to be back on the road.
"It's been good to do it again. We're having a great time. We encourage everyone to come down and have a great time," he said. "That's what it's all about."
The show in Aurora will be preceded by a party that will give fans a chance to mingle with Hansen and his bandmates.
Paramount Executive Director Diana Martinez said 100 tickets, available for $150 each, will include admission to both the concert and the pre-party.
"It's really exciting that they're going to do it," she said, adding that partygoers will get prime, close-up seats for the concert.
"They're also doing a neat thing," said Martinez, explaining that the band is donating a portion of CD sales at the concert to Mooseheart, a residential child care facility in the Western suburbs.
If you go
What: Foreigner in concert
Where: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Boulevard, Aurora
When: 8 p.m. Aug. 24
Tickets: $55.50 and $65.50; available through the box office and TicketMaster
Info: (630) 896-6666 or theparamounttheatre.com