FOREIGNER MAY BE A JUKE BOX HERO BUT 40years IN THE GAME THEY STILL KILL IT

FOREIGNER came into Bristow VA on their Juke Box Heroes Tour with WhiteSnake and Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience.

A few days before the show, Empire Extreme got to talk on the phone with Guitarist Bruce Watson about the tour and many other things.

Empire: How’s the Tour going so far?

Bruce: It’s been excellent, really. The 3 bands together is pretty powerful. It’s just a great line up and WhiteSnake and Zepplin are two tough acts to follow but it works out.

EE: How’s it like joining Foreigner, I know you’re one of the newer guys to the band?

BW: From day one it’s been a joy, we all get along so well, not only just great musicians but Mick is looking for chemistry. You can tell we are all having fun on stage together, and being a fan of the band and now I’m in it, it’s magical.

EE: Were you a big fan of the band before you joined?

BW: Of course, the first time I heard Mick play that note G note on Hot Blooded I was hooked. He gets such an amazing sound, I’ve played his rig before and still don’t sound like him, he’s a master.

EE: What’s your favorite song to play?

BW: Long Long Way From Home, that one is such an amazing rock song. It’s just so much fun to play.

EE: Yeah, I was talking to someone about the setlist and it’s just all hit songs, which is amazing to play for 1 ½ hours and play all songs that are hits.

BW: Yeah that’s amazing, a lot of people don’t get to experience that, I feel fortunate, and to be honest we could play another 15 minutes and still play more hits. They all held up for as long as they have.

EE: How was it like working with B.B. King?

BW: One of the highlights of my life for sure, it was in the studio and he was incredible. Such a gentleman and they way he handled the people around him.

EE: How did you get hooked up with him?

BW: He was diabetic and did some commercials, a production company called me to put together a package of blues tracks that he would that he would sing and play over. I got to sit 5 feet from him and cue him in, he would lock eyes on me and then play.

EE: You also worked with Rod Stewart, how was that?

BW: Another classy guy, his catalog is jaw dropping. I got to play the mandarin part of Maggie May, that’s one of those things were you could die and feel fulfilled.

EE: I heard you’re into Crafts Beer?

BW: This is True, This is true (Laughs) I recently learned I’m qualified that more into really good beer, because just that it says it’s a craft beer doesn’t mean that it’s always good. I’m certainly like into Bud Light or something like that. I love beer. I’ve been into beer my whole life. Me and keyboardist Michael Bluestein got inspired by our this vision that our managers son, our manager is Phil Carson, his son Jack Carson he works for jagermeister. He said to us that we should get certified, there’s a test you can take to be a certified beer server. So we did that, we took the test and passed. We will do a few beer events, hang out at brewery and chat with people. Music and beer go very well together.

EE: What kind of beer would you recommend for a non beer drinker like myself?

BW: Anything that’s a Pilsner or a Lager, would be the easiest first step to take.

EE: I’m more of a Whiskey and Bourbon Guy, although I love my Ciders.

BW: That’s big leagues, those are good.

EE: What band would you like to see reunite?

BW: I’m amusing it’s a band that can reunite. (Both laugh) I would say Pink Floyd, Roger Waters and David Gilmour, not likely to happen but that would be great.

EE: What dead musician would you like to bring back?

BW: If I was smart I would go back 300-400 years and bring back a classic music guy, but as a beer drinking guitar player I would have to bring back Stevie Ray Vaughan. That’s a big hole left and love to hear him play again.

Foreigner came out on the stage and just kept rolling from one hit to the next all night long, so bands may play some hits and then other great songs but Foreigner plays for almost 2 hours and every song is a hit song. I’ve seen Foreigner a bunch of times in my life, I would consider myself a huge fan of their music. This time I got to meet the band before they hit the stage and photograph the band also, which was such a huge honor to me. Mick Jones still shreds on the guitar and his vocals are amazing. Singer Kelly Hansen is a great front man, very energetic and sings the songs to the original in perfection. Thom Gimbel and that sax, oh man it’s like pure heaven in your ears, Bruce Watson adds so much fun and energy to a band that’s so full of energy to begin with, was great to meet up with him and say hello. This band has it all, and with the tunes they have it’s not unbelievable how 40 years later they can still bring out that force.

The setlist like I said was hit after hit, so just imagine the greatest hits album live and that’s the show. My favorites had to be Dirty White Boy, Urgent, Hot Blooded and my one of my favorite songs in the world, which I was so excited to hear was Starrider. During I Want To Know What Love Is, they brought out a school choir from a local school around Virgina to come out and sing the song with them.

Was such an epic night of great music, great friends and just being able to still see bands that not only have Pass the test of time, but are still riding that train and don’t plan on ever slowing down.

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Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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