Foreigner bids farewell to rockin’ the road

It was a packed house Saturday night at St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview for Foreigner’s Final Farewell Tour. 

The show opened with two local Syracuse choirs’ a cappella performances, a long-standing Foreigner initiative to provide money and equipment to local choral groups at stops along their tour.

The choirs were followed by another classic rock act, Loverboy, that delivered their top hits “Turn Me Loose,” “Working for the Weekend,” and “Heaven in Your Eyes.”

Foreigner started hot, playing hits “Double Vision,” and “Cold as Ice.” The band went on to later play “Juke Box Hero,” where lead vocalist Kelly Hansen arose from the middle of the crowd on a podium before working his way through an ecstatic crowd for the remainder of the song.

The band has announced this will be its final tour, saying they do not wish to continue playing if they can’t bring the same level of energy to all their songs. Mick Jones, the last remaining member and founder of Foreigner in 1977, did not join the band for the Syracuse show.