Legendary rock group Foreigner is in a New York state of mind, celebrating their first ever Carnegie Hall performance on October 25, 2016 by inviting area school choirs to compete for a chance to open for the band on stage at the iconic venue and to win a $5000 grant from The GRAMMY Foundation for their school’s music program.
As the kick off to their 40 Year Anniversary year, playing this legendary venue is a milestone for the band that has widespread success with more than 16 Top 10 hits like “Hot Blooded,” “Cold as Ice,” and “I Want To Know What Love Is.” This Carnegie Hall performance is a validation of sorts for the wildly successful group that continues to outsell music and tours of its contemporaries, yet for which traditional benchmarks like a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Rolling Stone cover or a GRAMMY remain elusive. Foreigner’s music – recently featured in a slew of modern day usages in film and TV such as “Orange Is The New Black,” “Stranger Things,” “Bad Moms,” "Angry Birds etc – has stood the test of time, and now being performed in an acoustic presentation is wowing a new legion of fans.
New York area schools can submit an a capella arrangement of any classic rock song heard on the Q104 website. Four choir finalists will be posted on the Q104 website, and listeners’ and audience votes will determine the winner. Their prize will be presented at the show.
This is part of Foreigner’s long-standing partnership with The GRAMMY Foundation, by which local school choirs are invited to join the band on stage in almost every market they play. Through this program, the band has raised well into the six figures for music in school programs, and given thousands of students the once-in-a-lifetime experience to rock on stage with one of the most well known bands of all time.
Foreigner’s much anticipated acoustic performance at Carnegie Hall will also mark the release of their live acoustic album, IN CONCERT: UNPLUGGED. Audiences will have an intimate experience witnessing masterful performances of such fan favorites as “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Juke Box Hero,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” and many more. This album was recorded at a concert hosted by Edsel B. Ford at the Ford Motor Company Conference & Event Center in Detroit, MI and the band’s royalties from this album will be donated to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).
Foreigner is Mick Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Kelly Hansen (lead vocals), Jeff Pilson (bass, vocals), Tom Gimbel (rhythm guitar, sax, flute, vocals), Michael Bluestein (keyboards,vocals), Bruce Watson (guitar, vocals) and Chris Frazier (drums).
