Foreigner to bring farewell tour to Ruoff Music Center on July 26

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Keyboardist Michael Bluestein, who joined the iconic band in 2008, said he hopes fans “lose themselves in the music” during the July 26 concert.

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When Foreigner takes the stage at the Ruoff Music Center on July 26, it will feel like… last time.

Get it? Because the icons of the ’70s and ’80s are on an extensive farewell tour, capping a decades-long career that yielded hits like “Hot Blooded,” “I Want to Know What Love Is,” “Cold as Ice” and “Feels Like the First Time.”

You get it.

IndyStar spoke with Michael Bluestein, who joined the classic band on keys in 2008 and has been a part of the band’s career-making successes, including its farewell tour and upcoming induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They’re co-headlining the tour with another nostalgic favorite, Styx, joined by opening act John Waite.

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“It was really great,” he said of the tour. “Great crowds — loud, exuberant, fun.”

Bluestein said the group is a well-oiled musical machine and that fans can expect a set from artists who have continually improved their performances.

“We’re just happy that everyone can be there and hear all these classic songs and sing along and be a part of that experience,” he said, “because it won’t last forever.”

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The British-American rock band was founded in the late 1970s by guitarist Mick Jones, the band’s only remaining founding member in the touring line-up.

Foreigners are no strangers to the Indianapolis area. They played the Noblesville Amphitheater in 2017, 2018, and 2023, and headlined Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2019. (They also recorded a 70-minute concert video, “Live at Deer Creek,” in 1993, which you can watch on YouTube.)

They’re known for those aforementioned hits, plus many more — enough to earn them a spot on this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballot, the first time they’ve been inducted. Other members of this year’s class include Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Frampton, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osborne, and A Tribe Called Quest.

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“It feels like it’s been a long time coming,” Bluestein told IndyStar. “It’s definitely a feather in the cap to be in the crowd now with all these classic bands.”

They will be inducted on October 19 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, and the ceremony will be streamed live on Disney+. Viewers can watch it the next day on Hulu or later on ABC.

Watch Michael Bluestein’s acoustic set at the Rathskeller on July 25

In addition to the main event, Bluestein will perform with bandmates Bruce Watson and Luis Maldonado for an acoustic set, called Very Important Beer, at the Rathskeller (401 E. Michigan St.) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. (general admission tickets are $20 and can be purchased at bit.ly/3zTucaI).

The trio often performs these smaller shows at venues while on tour, giving them the opportunity to explore the music and connect with audiences in a more intimate setting.

“It’s just a whole different flavor when you’re playing acoustically like that and for a smaller audience,” he said. “When you’re playing in a big arena or an amphitheater … it’s really exciting and energetic and fun and everything, but the musical experience is different. It’s a little more powerful, (and) you might not hear some of the nuances and smaller, subtle things that you can tune in when you’re doing an acoustic show.”

Acoustic sets also give him the chance to delve into an aspect of the music he doesn’t often get to explore on stage: he’s spent a lot of time in the jazz world, inspired by Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett, and sometimes prefers improvisation to the precision of an arena show.

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“There’s just so much freedom in it,” he said.

Bluestein has been playing since he was 9, starting with classical music before moving into pop and rock, exploring the music of artists like Billy Joel and Elton John. As for what’s next in his career, he hopes to collaborate more with artists from different genres, both as a producer and performer.

“I didn’t really know where I was going to end up professionally,” he said, “but I just took the opportunities that came my way and to end up in a classic band like this with songs that I grew up with and loved is pretty awesome.”

But before this chapter closes, Bluestein wants Foreigner fans to celebrate decades of success with them.

“(We hope) they have a great time,” he said, “that they get completely lost in the music and have a fun, festive evening, singing along and getting completely lost in classical music again.”

Styx & Foreigner with John Waite at Ruoff Music Center: If You Go

When: 6:45 PM July 26

Where: Ruoff Music Center, 12880 E. 146th St. in Noblesville

Cards: livemu.sc/4cKl6f9

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Contact IndyStar pop culture reporter Holly Hays at [email protected]. Follow her on X/Twitter: @hollyvhays.

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