Foreigner Singer Talks Upcoming Parx Casino Show, Life In The Band

BENSALEM, PA — Legendary rock band Foreigner will be performing at Parx Casino's Xcite Center on July 22.

One of many stops on their 2022 tour, the band will have the Bucks County Women's Chorus opening for them, who will be performing a ten-minute a cappella set of various songs. For their performance, the band will donate $500 to the chorus.

In a phone interview, Foreigner singer Kelly Hansen spoke to Patch about how the band has used choruses as opening acts in the past.

"For more than 10 years, we’ve had local chorus perform for us," Hansen told Patch. He said that the band has been donating money to various choruses that open for them.

"It's kind of a way for us to give back," Hansen said. He mentioned that the band has received letters from chorus directors about the impact the performances have on singers, who were honored to open for such a famous band.

Hansen has been the group's lead singer since joining in 2005; before this, he was the frontman of the rock group Hurricane. Hansen spoke about his experience singing in the band that wrote the top hit songs "Hot Blooded", "Double Vision", "Cold As Ice", "Juke Box Hero", and much more.

"You know, it's one of those things that's hard to describe," Hansen told Patch. "It’s like those new space photos; you cannot fathom what it's like."

Hansen said that people who sing rock music can understand the feeling, but the fact that he is in a band that has been writing hits since 1976 makes it a little different.

"This band is so fortunate to have the catalog that we do," Hansen said. "It is all really overwhelming sometimes."

This tour has also allowed Hansen to utilize one of his other talents: cooking. The rock singer competed on Food Network's 'Chopped' a few years back, and his culinary skills have made their way onto Foreigner's tour bus. Tired of restaurant restrictions due to COVID and not wanting to eat out all tour, the singer has acted as the band's chef.

"We got a single induction burner for the tour," he said. "I don’t have to worry about that styrofoam box thing."

Like many of his bandmates, Hansen came into the group later in the band's career. Guitarist Mick Jones is the only original member of the band left, but health issues have caused him to miss various shows in the last few years. Jones missed a few shows with the band last year, when Foreigner performed 75 live shows.

"He’s here at many shows, but he has to listen to his doctor," Hansen said. When asked about Jones' presence at the upcoming Bensalem show, he said he did not know.

“I’m not sure about Bensalem."

Whether Jones will be at the show or not, Hansen knows the show will still be a night for people to escape and listen to back-to-back classics, which have been a mainstay of rock music stations for decades.

"I’m just happy to be back out again," Hansen said. "I think we’re going to be really full of energy."

The show will take place at the Xcite Center in Parx Casino, located at 2999 Street Road, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.