Iconic 80s hit-makers Foreigner to play SOEC in May, backed by Headpins

They were one of the biggest rock bands and certainly one of the most prolific top-ten single-makers on the planet in an era where rock and roll dominated the charts.

The competition was fierce, but Foreigner, out of New York City, burst onto the scene in 1977 with the 5x Platinum self-titled debut album "Foreigner" and kept pumping out the hits for nearly a decade.

Their first five LPs were all monsters, producing memorable tunes like "Feels Like The First Time," "Hot Blooded," "Cold As Ice," and at least a half-dozen more that virtually anyone over the age of 40 will remember.

But their pinnacle wouldn’t come 'til 1984 with the release of the soaring "I Want to Know What Love Is," a straight-up masterpiece that's gone on to anthem status around the world.

And now, 40 years after they reached that pinnacle, Foreigner is coming to the Okanagan. On Saturday, May 4, 2024, they'll play Penticton's South Okanagan Events Centre in a show that's part of their "Farewell Tour of Canada."

It's bound to attract music fans from all over the valley.

The night's opening act is no slouch either. In the late 70s, a bunch of guys involved heavily in the lower mainland music scene and with close ties to bands like Chilliwack and Loverboy put together a side project.

They called it Headpins. They worked the local club scene for months and soon enough settled on the singer that would take them to the top. Hailing from Vernon, Darby Mills had a gravelly, high-decibel voice and a no-BS attitude that fit the Headpins raucous style to a T.

Their debut album, the accurately named "Turn It Loud," propelled Headpins to international notoriety. And over the next few years with songs like "Don't It Make Ya Feel," and "Just One More Time," they stayed there.

The Penticton stop of the Farewell Tour of Canada has the makings of a solid evening. And certainly the reviews of Foreigner's most recent shows have been quite glowing.

But it's only fair to note that the personnel of both bands has morphed rather substantially from their glory years.

Lou Gramm, the Foreigner vocalist during its celebrated 70s/80s run and perhaps one of the most beloved singers of that era, left the band years ago. His replacement, Kelly Hansen, joined in 2005. Nowadays, the only remaining member from those early years is guitarist Mick Jones.

As for Headpins, co-founder Brian MacLeod, the guy whose guitar is cranked to 11 on all their early records, passed away in 1992. Singer Darby Mills left the band in 2016. Two originals (Ab Bryant and Bernie Aubin) remain and the band's latest singer, Rosa Laricchiuta, does an admirable job filling Mills shoes.

Tickets to the show will go on sale this Friday, November 17, 2023, at 10:00 AM PT. Tickets can be purchased online at ValleyFirstTix or in person at the Valley First Box Office at the SOEC.