Foreigner will bring farewell tour to Tuscaloosa Amphitheater with Loverboy opening

Foreigner's concert poster warns "Last Time Forever in Tuscaloosa!" for its upcoming show, 7 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. Fellow '70s-'80s radio-rockers Loverboy will open the evening.

When the half-British, half-American band announced in 2022 an extended farewell tour, somehow they resisted using "Feels Like the Last Time," or "My Feet are Cold as Ice," or "I Want to Know What Retirement Is."

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Founded in New York, 1976, the original lineup included three Brits ― guitarist and leader Mick Jones (not the one from the Clash, but formerly of Spooky Tooth and the Leslie West Band), multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald (King Crimson) and drummer Dennis Elliot (who'd played with Mott the Hoople lead singer Ian Hunter's solo projects) ― with three Americans in Lou Gramm, vocals, Al Greenwood, keyboards, and Ed Gagliardi, bass.

They recorded a demo under the name of Trigger, but another band already had that moniker, so Jones came up with Foreigner, playing off the idea that at least half the band would be foreigners no matter where they played.

The self-titled debut disc featured Top 10 hits "Feels Like the First Time," "Cold as Ice," and "Long Long Way from Home." Foreigner's second, "Double Vision," doubled down on that success, selling several million worldwide, on the back of hits including the title track, "Hot Blooded," and "Blue Morning, Blue Day." The third, "Head Games" didn't soar as high, but still had hits in "Dirty White Boy" and the title track.

But the 1981 album "4," featuring prominent synth throughout by Thomas "She Blinded Me With Science" Dolby, reached new peaks with "Juke Box Hero," "Urgent" (including a striking Junior Walker sax solo), "Waiting for a Girl Like You," and "Break It Up." The 1984 "Agent Provocateur" contained their only No. 1 hit single, the power ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is." The band's other hits include "That Was Yesterday," "Say You Will," "I Don't Want to Live Without You" and "Lowdown and Dirty."

Jones and Gramm both pursued solo projects, and the original singer left in 1990, but returned a few years later, then left again in 2003, replaced by Kelly Hansen, formerly of Hurricane, in 2005. The band never hit the same heights as with its five-album start, though Foreigner has continued to record and tour. The lineup has shuffled numerous times, though its original members have reunited on occasions.

Jones remains the solo original playing in Foreigner. Gramm tours with his own band, though singing a lot of Foreigner material live. The Foreigner farewell tour was announced in 2022, intended to extend through 2023 and into 2024. Foreigner last played the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater in 2014, on the Soundtrack of Summer tour, with Styx and Don Felder.

Canadian rock band Loverboy formed in 1979, and scored Top 10 hits in "Turn Me Loose," "Working for the Weekend," "Hot Girls in Love," "Lovin' Every Minute of It," "This Could Be the Night" and "Notorious" throughout the '80s. Four of its five original members still play with the band.

How to get tickets

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, for $119.50, $99.50, $79.50, $59.50, and $39.50, plus fees and taxes. They'll be on sale through www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Amp box office, 2710 Jack Warner Parkway, in downtown Tuscaloosa. For more, see www.tuscaloosaamphitheater.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Foreigner and Loverboy team up for Tuscaloosa Amphitheater concert