Unforgettable Night: Styx, Foreigner, And John Waite Rock Sioux Falls Concert

Rock fans love it when the 70s and 80s make a stop in Sioux Falls. Styx, Foreigner, and John Waite thrilled the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center concert geeks with all the timeless classics that made them great.

John Waite opened the show around 7PM belting out a few of his solo hits including, 'Change', and 'Missing You.'  Waite's voice is still balanced and strong even after decades of touring. He got the crowd singing along with 'When I See You Smile' from his time in Bad English and rocked a few hits from the Baby's. To top off an already perfect way to start the night, he launched into 'Whole Lotta Love' by Led Zeppelin. And why not just nail it when you've got the late David Bowie's drummer. Waite was sensational.

Note: the couple in front of me has not applauded nor moved during the entire opening act.

Foreigner was next in the lineup on the Renegades and Jukebox Heroes Tour. Let's get this addressed first: No, Lou Gramm, Mick Jones, Ian McDonald - died in 2022, or Dennis Elliott are no longer with the band. They've more than earned a nice retirement. But the talent that was selected to carry the name Foreigner forward is exceptional. The current lineup includes Kelly Hansen as lead vocals, Jeff Pilson on bass, Michael Bluestein on keyboards, Bruce Watson and Luis Maldonado on rhythm and lead guitars, and Chris Frazier on drums.

They do not deviate from how the songs were recorded decades ago. All instrumentation mirrors the original members visions for each song. They have Foreigner rock n' roll in their DNA and have done what they needed to do to keep the Foreigner brand touring to sold-out shows around the globe. Why? Because they are entertaining as hell and they play the hits.

While launching into 'Dirty White Boy,' the crowd was shocked to see four people in cow suits enter the stage near drummer Chris Frazier. Before we had a chance to wonder what this could be about they quickly zipped out of their cow suits and the three dudes triumphantly rose their fists in the air and stood in front of over 10,000 people wearing only their whitey tighties! Aaaannndddd...we just got mooned! Kudos to the band for never missing a beat. After the song, Hansen revealed that it's a tradition to prank the band on the final night of the tour.

If you're going to have an authentic 70s and 80s concert experience, ye must have a drum solo. And so it was. Nice job, Frazier.

Note: Couple in front of me must be waiting for a Stampede game. Still haven't moved an inch.

Playing almost their entire mega-hit catalog, singer Kelly Hansen appeared in the rear portion of the PREMIER Center on a rising pedestal giving the back row fans a thrill while singing 'Juke Box Hero.' The band bid farewell and was brought back out, as expected to a few more hits, including, 'I Want To Know What Love Is.' What made this encore performance special was the Sioux Falls Children's Choir accompanied the legends for a beautiful song with thousands of cellphone lights on making it quite magical.

Styx was up next and, just like Foreigner, stayed with a hits package for the night. Only playing a couple from their latest album, 2021's Crash of the Crown. Singer Lawrence Gowan knows his audience referring to classic rock several times throughout the night to much applause. (He also wondered aloud if this was the first time whitey-tighties and classic rock ever met on the same stage.)

It was great to see the legends Tommy Shaw and James 'JT' Young with such a love for the music. If this band was tired of touring, you'd never know it. They poured ever ounce of energy to the stage through all of the classics such as, 'Come Sail Away,' Renegade,' 'Rockin' the Paradise,' 'Lorelei,' and 'Too Much Time on My Hands.'

Note: Seriously, should someone check the pulse of the couple in front of me? 3 hours in a still sitting in same position.

After nearly 4 hours of total concert time, Styx closed out their set which included an encore to 'Mr. Roboto.'

It was easy to see why they had back-to-back multi-Platinum albums in the 70s and 80s.

Overall, the night was amazing and more than made up for the $11 beers.

Note: The couple in front of me actually moving to the exit as house lights come on. I think they had fun.