Tune In, Turn On
By Doug Deutsch
Halloween weekend is always a blast here at the Jersey Shore with plenty to do, especially in the way of parties and live music.
This year also happens to be the weekend that classic rock greats Foreigner returns to Atlantic City for a two-night engagement at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Mark Etess Arena on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27 and 28.
In a recent interview with Foreigner’s current bassist, Jeff Pilson, we asked about reading that this year’s tour could be the longtime band’s musical swan song.
“Well it’s not that we’ll no longer perform, it’s that we’ll no longer do those long nine-month-a-year tours,” explained Pilson. “It’s a farewell ‘tour,’ not goodbye forever! But to answer the question, the idea is to go out while we’re still on top.
“The band is firing on all cylinders right now and we don’t want to be one of those bands you go to see and say to yourself, ‘Hmmm, they should call it a day!’ The fans deserve better; the legacy of the band deserves better.
“A lot of it comes down to (Foreigner vocalist) Kelly (Hansen), who wants to stop before he feels he’s deteriorating. These are difficult songs to sing and the older he gets the trickier it is to deliver at the level he expects of himself. You have to respect that a lot.”
Asked what songs fans clamor the most for in concert, Pilson replied, “There really are no favorites as there are too many popular songs to choose from! I will say that I still get goosebumps when we get to the chorus of ‘I Wanna Know What Love Is.’ You feel the audience come together every night at that point in a very special way. There are multiple times in the set where we’re really able to connect with the audience in a very deep way. That’s the power of these songs and the connection to the audience is palpable.”
Asked about the ever-changing carousel of band members (the only original member, 78-year-old guitarist Mick Jones, who doesn’t tour with the band too often), Pilson answered, “When and if personnel need to change, we use our gut instincts to give the best advice possible and the final decision goes to Mick. He has brilliant instincts and a great sense of how musicians interact.”
The current Foreigner touring lineup consists of Kelly Hansen, vocals; Jeff Pilson, bass/keyboards; Michael Bluestein, keyboards; Bruce Watson, guitar; Luis Maldonado, guitar/bass; and Chris Frazier, drums.
On an interesting local note, the Holy Spirit High School Choir will perform the group’s, “I Want To Know What Love Is” onstage with Foreigner this weekend. We asked Pilson how that came to be.
“Our publicist spoke with the venue (Hard Rock Hotel & Casino), and they suggested using (the HSHS Choir), who then agreed to perform both nights with us. We’ve been using high school choirs to sing with us for years. We donate $500 to each choir program that sings with us. It’s something we all really enjoy doing.”
(Tickets/Info: www.hard rock hotel atlantic city.com); www.foreigneronline.com)/
Molly Ringworm Halloween: Haven’t heard too much from MR lately; they’re one of our fave South Jersey groups, fronted by guitarist-vocalist/WLFR DJ, Sarah Holt.
Their latest video, “Down Out” (Kidokoro Records) is more of what MR is known for: catchy pop with jangly guitars. They’ll host a Halloween concert/party at Anchor Rock Club this Friday, Oct. 27 at 7:45 p.m. with Sleeper Creek and Lightheaded also performing. Dance party to follow. Costumes encouraged! www.anchorrockclub.com; www.mollyringwormnj.com).
Doug is the owner/operator of Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, which since 1995 has been servicing nationally touring acts, and working record release campaigns for clients. Doug also hàs experience writing for the one time shore-based weekly publication, Whoot! He also was a team member with Chip Braymes Advertising. Doug loves bicycling and aspires to bring the Blues to Atlantic City. He can be reached at ShoreLocalDoug@gmail.com and www.facebook.com/dougdeutschpublicity.
