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2024 and great to see John Waite, Styx, and Foreigner are still packing in huge crowds. August 23rd saw the package take over Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, playing to a near capacity crowd. Fortunately, the heat stayed away making for a very pleasant evening. 

John Waite opened the show. I saw him as a member of The Baby’s when they opened for Bob Seger in 1977 or 1978. I was all of about ten or eleven. He’s managed to hide the years, particularly in his voice. His set included four Baby’s songs, and I’d be lying if I said I could remember his performance in the late ‘70s with which to compare, but I can say that the early 2020’s versions sounded classic. While the face may have some wrinkles, the voice does not. Although an opening act, Waite’s band got about an hour on stage. In addition to the Baby’s tunes, he also included “When I See You Smile,” the Bad English tune, and the MTV staple “Missing You.” He finished off with a kickin’ version of Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”

John Waite setlist:
Midnight Rendezvous
Change
When I See You Smile
Every Time I Think of You
Missing You
Head First
Back On My Feet Again
Whole Lotta Love/Let Me Love You Baby

Changeovers were quick on this evening. 15 minutes or so later Styx took the stage. Whereas John Waite’s stage was empty but for the band, Styx had the risers, levels, full lights, and backing screen. I saw them a couple of years ago at the Hard Rock Casino as the headliner without an opener, and the crowd seemed more involved this time, particularly when they played “The Best Of Times,” the crowd singing every word, a trend which continued the rest of the evening. When I saw Styx two years ago, Chuck Panozzo made a late appearance for a song. This time, he appeared for “Lady,” their third song of the evening, and came back out for “Foolin’ Yourself,” “Come Sail Away,” and “Renegade.” 

Playing a bit of an abbreviated set which lasted about 75 minutes, with the exception of “Crash Of The Crown,” they stuck to the classic material. James Young and Tommy Shaw are obviously the foundation of the band, which continues to shoot on all cylinders, but live they are very democratic, making for a better experience since all are active and have fun on stage. Sure, I would have liked a longer set, but the guys were having a great time on stage, sounded great, and the show was paced well so that the eleven thousand plus in attendance was more vocal and loud at the end of the set. I can safely say they wanted more.

Styx setlist:
The Grand Illusion
Too Much Time On My Hands
Lady
Lorelei
Crash Of The Crown
Miss America
Rockin’ The Paradise
Blue Collar Man
The Best Of Times
Foolin’ Yourself
Come Sail Away
Mr. Roboto
Renegade

During the break, the photographers talked about how old we thought the average age of the crowd. The crowd skewed younger than I would have thought, I presume because of how much airplay Styx and the headliner on this evening, Foreigner, still receive today. Another quick change and Foreigner takes the stage. I’ll admit I really did not know what to expect from Foreigner, but to say I was pleasantly surprised would be a big understatement. With the exception of Luis Maldonado, the various current members have been in the band from 12 to 20 years. They’ve earned the right. 

If there isn’t a more prototypical lead vocalist than Kelly Hansen , I’ve not seen ‘em. Darting to the very front of the stage, to stage left, stage right, and everywhere in between, he’s like the kid at Christmas who just got the shiny new bike. He disappeared from the stage during the drum solo, only to have snaked his way from the stage to the middle of the covered pavilion, next being seen on a platform overlooking the crowd singing, appropriately, “Juke Box Hero.“

The set list was mostly from the first four Foreigner albums, the only exception being “I Want to Know What Love Is,” for which they brought the Sycamore High School choir on stage to sing the chorus in an effort to highlight funding cuts for school music programs. BraveWords’ readers are familiar with the great Jeff Pilson, who has pretty much recovered from a foot injury, and spent some time on keyboards during “Cold As Ice.”  Hard to believe he is the senior member of the group, now that Mick Jones is not touring. 

My first time seeing Foreigner, and hearing the songs live which I’ve heard so many times on the radio growing up was…a blast, from a group that has a great time and energy on stage. The 11,000 plus audience sang every song and were having a great time as well. Hansen had everyone in the audience hug the person next to them, and if the sweaty shirt on the guy next to me was any indication, he had a blast too. 

Foreigner setlist:
Double Vision
Head Games
Cold As Ice
Waiting For A Girl Like You
Dirty White Boy
Feels Like The First Time
Urgent
Juke Box Hero
I Want to Know What Love Is
Hot Blooded