Who's in Foreigner?

1976: Lou Gramm, Dennis Elliot, Ian McDonald, Al Greenwood, Mick Jones, Ed Gagliardi

2014: Chris Frazier, Tom Gimbel, Kelly Hansen, Mick Jones,  Jeff Pilson, Michael Bluestein, Bruce Watson (photo by Bill Bernstein)

CURRENT MEMBERS
Mick Jones– lead guitar, keyboards, vocals
Kelly Hansen– lead vocals (joined 2005)
Tom Gimbel– guitar, saxophone, flute, keyboards (joined 1992)
Jeff Pilson– bass guitar (joined 2004)
Michael Bluestein– keyboards (joined 2008)
Chris Frazier– drums (joined 2012)
Bruce Watson – lead guitar (joined 2011 to fill in for Jones, but is now part of the touring band)

ORIGINAL MEMBERS

Mick Jones– lead guitar, keyboards, vocals

Lou Gramm– lead vocals (1976–90, 1992–2003)

Ian McDonald – guitar, keyboards, saxophone, flute, backing vocals

Al Greenwood– keyboards

Ed Gagliardi– bass guitar

Dennis Elliot – drums

WHO'S IN THE BAND?

Sadly, from the original group, only Mick Jones is left. Lou Gramm, the lead vocalist on all of their hits, is no longer with the band. Jones has had some health problems over the past few years, and has missed several shows (replaced by Bruce Watson), meaning that, at many shows, there wasn't a single original member of the band on stage.

The original line-up seemed to be based around Jones (as lead guitarist and main songwriter), Gramm (as lead vocalist, and co-songwriter on many of the songs), and Ian McDonald, who provided the "color" with the flute and sax, as well as co-writing some of the tunes. McDonald left before the release of their 4th album, Foreigner 4. Gramm stuck around until 1990, when he went solo. Two years later, he and Jones settled their feud, and he came back on board, leaving again in 2003. 

WHAT WON'T YOU HEAR

They'll play all the hits and fan favorites - mainly sticking to the band's first four albums. They even play "Starrider" from the first album, which features Mick Jones on lead vocals.

WORTH SEEING?

If this touring group was billed as a tribute band (and on the nights that Jones isn't there, that is technically what they are), you'd be blown away at how good they sound. To be honest, I'm sure they sound better than the original members would. The lead vocalist, Kelly Hansen, sounds almost exactly like Lou Gramm in his younger days. So, for those of you who don't care who's original and who isn't, this line-up will more than satisfy. If you do care about such things, well, don't take any of your old vinyl albums and expect them to get autographed by all the guys on the covers.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I first saw Foreigner in August of 1977 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS. They played all the songs from the first album, (I believe) saving "Feels Like the First Time" for their encore. The Kansas City crowd loved them, and refused to leave without another encore. The band came back and said that they'd played everything they knew, but were willing to play a new, uncompleted, song. They proceeded to play "Double Vision" with lyrics that Lou Gramm was obviously throwing together on the spot.

In 1981 I saw them at the much larger Kemper Arena in Kansas City, as they were now a major concert act. I don't remember much about the show, but my ticket stub says that my lower level seat cost all of $10.25.

OFF SHOOTS

Lou Gramm is doing some solo shows, where he covers the Foreigner hits, as well as his solo ones. 

BAND LINKS

www.foreigneronline.com

www.lou-gramm.com

Who's in KISS?

KISS, Original Members: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley

KISS 2013: Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer

KISS

CURRENT MEMBERS

Gene Simmons - Bass, vocals

Paul Stanley - Guitar, vocals

Tommy Thayer - Lead Guitar, vocals (joined 2002)

Eric Singer - Drums, vocals (joined 1992)

ORIGINAL MEMBERS (1973-1980) - reunited from 1996-2001

Gene Simmons - Bass, vocals

Paul Stanley - Guitar, vocals

Ace Frehley - Lead Guitar, vocals

Peter Criss - Drums, vocals

WHO'S IN THE BAND?

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are the keepers of the flame (literally, in Gene's case) for the past 40+ years. Peter Criss and Ace Frehley both left the band (Criss in 1980, Frehley in 1982), but the original foursome reunited from 1996 to 2001. Frehley and Criss are no longer with the band.

Following the initial departure of Criss and Frehley, their replacements created new make-up designs and personas. In 1983, the band decided to drop the make-up altogether. In 1996 the original foursome reunited, with make-up and Love Gun era costumes. After almost five years of reunion tours, Criss was once again out of the band. This time, when Eric Singer (who had been the drummer before the reunion) came back to the band, a new persona wasn't created. He wore the same "Cat-man" make-up as Criss. Likewise, when Frehley left again, Tommy Thayer took over Ace's "Space-Man" look. Many longtime fans didn't like this idea, but it puts KISS in a unique position: they can replace members of the band, but still have them look almost exactly the same as the original members.

WHAT WON'T YOU HEAR

You won't be hearing "Beth," not just because Peter Criss sang it and co-wrote it, but because it doesn't really fit into the high-energy, bombastic rock & roll show that KISS is known for. They do sometimes pull this one out at acoustic Meet & Greet shows, with Eric Singer taking over on lead vocal. "Hard Luck Woman," another Criss lead vocal, is occasionally done at shows with Paul Stanley (the writer of the song) handling the vocal. One other hit that is rarely, if ever, played is "Forever," their power ballad from 1990, although Stanley sang that one. (Here's a fun fact: he co-wrote it with Michael Bolton.)

With over 40 years of songs to choose from, the band shakes up their setlist quite often, even from night to night. This is different from most big groups that stick with the same setlist throughout a whole tour - or even multiple tours. They'll play most of the major fan favorites each night, but the rest of the songs may switch around. You also may hear some early songs that were originally sung by Criss ("Black Diamond," "Kissin' Time"), or Ace Frehley ("Shock Me"), sung by their replacements.

"Shandi" is usually only performed when the band tours Australia and New Zealand, where it was a huge hit. Even then, it's stripped down to Stanley playing the song solo (maybe to avoid the "disco" treatment of the original recording). "I Was Made for Lovin' You" is occasionally played, but the original disco trappings are gone, as the band has rearranged it with a much rockier edge. 

WORTH SEEING?

KISS has always been about the show. The first time I saw them (on the tour supporting the Destoyer album), I'd never seen a show that big, that bombastic. I was blown away. When I saw them a couple of years later, I wasn't so awed by the show to notice that the music wasn't really up to par.

As of 2013, the band definitely has it together, music-wise and show-wise. The show is still the main focus - as it is with almost every arena band these days - but the music is there, also. Stanley's voice is no longer as strong as it once was, but the overall sound of the band is still good.

BAND LINKS

Official Website: www.kissonline.com

www.acefrehley.com

www.petercriss.net

www.paulstanley.com/

www.genesimmons.com

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS

 ORIGINAL LINE-UP: (L to R) Pat Simmons, John Hartman, Dave Shogren, Tom Johnston

CLASSIC LINE-UP #1 (circa 1972) (L to R) Tiran Porter, Pat Simmons, Tom Johnston, John Hartman, Michael Hossack

CLASSIC LINE-UP #2 (circa 1976) (L to R) Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, John Hartman, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons, Tiran Porter, Keith Knudsen

2014 Current Doobie Brothers (L to R): Mark Russo, John Cowan, Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons, John McFee, Ed Toth, Guy Allison, Tony Pia

ORIGINAL LINE-UP:

Tom Johnston - Vocals, Guitar

Pat Simmons - Vocals, Guitar

Dave Shogren - Bass, Backing Vocals (died 1999)

John Hartman - Drums, Backing Vocals

CLASSIC LINE-UP #1 (circa 1972, Toulouse Street LP)

Tom Johnston - Vocals, Guitar

Pat Simmons - Vocals, Guitar

Tiran Porter  - Bass, Guitar, vocals

Michael Hossack - Drums (replaced by Keith Knudsen [drums, vocals] in '73)

John Hartman - Drums, Backing Vocals

CLASSIC LINE-UP #2 (circa 1976)

Pat Simmons - Vocals, Guitar

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - guitars, backing vocals (joined 1974)

Tiran Porter - bass, guitar, vocals

Michael McDonald - keyboards, synthesizers, vocals

Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals

John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals

2014 TOURING BAND

Tom Johnston - Vocals, Guitar

Pat Simmons - Vocals, Guitar

John McFee - Guitar, Violin, Pedal Steel, Vocals (1979-1982, 1987, 1993-present)

John Cowan - Bass, Vocals (1992-1995, 2010-present)

Mark Russo - Saxophone

Ed Toth - Drums

Guy Allison - Keyboards, Vocals

Tony Pia - Drums

(Bold names are original members. Bold Italic are early members.)

For all intents and purposes, there were two different Doobie Brothers bands: the Tom Johnston fronted, guitar driven version, and the Michael McDonald fronted, blue-eyed soul version. If you're wanting to hear the "early" version of the band, with hits like "Listen to the Music," "Long Train Runnin'," and "Black Water," then you're in luck at the current band's concerts. If you only jumped on the Doobie Bandwagon with "Takin' It to the Streets," and "What a Fool Believes," then you're not so much in luck.

WHO'S IN THE BAND?

The 2014 Touring Band features original members Johnston and Pat Simmons (the only mainstay throughout the band's history). These two handled the lead vocals, and most of the songwriting, for all the hits and popular album cuts up through 1975. Longtime multi-instrumentalist John McFee, who joined in 1979, is also still with the group. The rest of the musicians are listed as the "Touring Band," but include a ringer in John Cowan on bass and vocals. Cowan was the lead singer/bassist in New Grass Revival.

Michael Hossack, long-time drummer with the band, died in 2012 from cancer. Keith Knudsen, another long-time drummer (they've almost always had two at a time), also died from cancer in 2005.

WHAT WON'T YOU HEAR?

If you own The Best of the Doobies - and apparently half of the United States does own at least one copy - then you'll likely hear all of those songs, with the original lead vocalists, with only a couple exceptions. When Michael McDonald filled in for an ailing Tom Johnston, he brought a totally different sound to the band. Keyboard based songs, with a more R&B sound (which allowed the then current lead guitarist, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, a chance to take things even jazzier) gradually took over - at least on the hit singles. So, while the current band will probably play "Takin' It to the Streets," (with Simmons and Cowan handling the vocals), you won't hear any of the latter day hits ("It Keeps You Runnin'," "What a Fool Believes," or "Minute by Minute.") The only song you might hear from the Minute by MInute album is "Dependin' On You," a Simmons-McDonald co-write that Simmons sang lead on.

OFF SHOOTS

If you're mainly a fan of the latter day Doobies, check out Michael McDonald in concert. He plays his hits from his Doobie days, along with his solo hits. Visit: http://michaelmcdonald.com

WORTH SEEING?

I last saw The Doobie Brothers in concert around the time that Tom Johnston had to leave the tour because of illness, and Michael McDonald had just joined (around 1975 or '76). But, based on their videos, these guys are putting on a great show these days. Plus, they're not resting on their laurels. They released a new CD in 2010 (World Gone Crazy). So you may hear a couple of new songs, but mainly you'll hear a show of hits and top-notch musicianship.

BAND LINKS

http://www.doobiebros.com/