Take it from me: Foreigner’s concert at the New York State Fair was hot blooded.
The juke box heroes performed in front of more than 21,000 fans at the NYS Fair’s Chevy Park stage on Monday night. It was the largest crowd at any concert so far this year, and the estimated 21,333 attendees comprised the bulk of the day’s total attendees (a possible record low of 33,541).
Foreigner, naturally, sounded great. Led by singer Kelly Hansen, the band was nearly flawless on 1970s and ‘80s rock hits like “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and “Cold as Ice.” Add a 10-minute amped up version of “Juke Box Hero,” a killer keytar solo on “Urgent,” and a cool drum solo where the drummer poured water on his snares to create a fun Blue Man Group-like splash effect with well-timed lighting.
Then the band brought out founding member Mick Jones for an encore performance of their biggest hits, including “Feels Like the First Time,” “I Want to Know What Love Is” and “Hot Blooded.” At 76 years old, the guitarist is not quite as sharp as he once was, but he’s still a bona fide legend — he and co-founder Lou Gramm of Rochester are both members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame — and the fans were loving every minute of it all the same.
(Jones was not part of the first set, which means the majority of the 90-minute concert did not feature any original Foreigner members.)
Gramm did not make any appearances, despite hopes he’d at least make a cameo. The original voice of Foreigner was scheduled to reunite with the band last time they performed in Syracuse at the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview in 2018, but Gramm canceled at the last minute due to a “medical issue.”
Hansen is still a great vocalist himself, and makes up for Gramm’s absence with energy, presence and Steven Tyler-like dance moves on stage. Hansen also knows how to engage the crowd, autographing a fan’s guitar during “Head Games” and dedicating “Dirty White Boy” to the ladies in the audience.
But a large amount of credit for the great show also has to go to Chevy Park itself.
Chevy Park, the Great New York State Fair’s new-ish stage on the west end of the fairgrounds past the Expo Center and the Midway, sounds amazing no matter where you sit or stand. I’ve been hard-of-hearing my whole life, but I could still hear the show perfectly from a football field’s length away, behind the picnic tables and Adirondack chairs.
If you want to get a seat, you need to get there early, but it’s nice to have options besides the benches near the front of the stage — especially for those concerned about Covid-19 who may want to avoid being packed into a big crowd without social distancing. The only bad spot, honestly, is behind the sound tower, but that’s only because it’s a completely obstructed view unlike the setup at Chevy Court.
It’s easy to see why the Fair is putting the bigger concerts at Chevy Park instead of Chevy Court. Chevy Park, previously known as the “New York Experience Stage,” also allows artists to incorporate video screens on stage and more elaborate instrument and lighting setups.
None of 2021′s concerts will likely break past Chevy Court attendance records, but Foreigner just set a benchmark for Chevy Park shows that may be tough to top for some time.
Foreigner set list (Aug. 23, 2021 at New York State Fair in Syracuse, N.Y.)
Double Vision
Head Games
Cold as Ice
Waiting for a Girl Like You
Blue Morning, Blue Day
Dirty White Boy
Urgent
Drum & keyboard solo
Juke Box Hero
ENCORE WITH MICK JONES:
Long, Long Way From Home
Feels Like the First Time
I Want to Know What Love Is
Hot Blooded
MORE:
- NYS Fair concert guide: 11 must-see shows for every type of music fan
- Bishop Briggs delivers lively, magnetic alt-rock hour at NYS Fair (Chevy Court review)
- What’s new and different at the NYS Fair? We went everywhere to find out