If you grew up listening to rock music, you know Foreigner.
“Cold as Ice.” “Hot Blooded.” “Urgent.” “Juke Box Hero.” “Waiting for a Girl Like You.” And, of course, the song responsible for countless slow dances and probably a few questionable romantic decisions, “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
This year, Foreigner is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and that celebration is making a stop right here in Lubbock.
Mike Coppola, Getty ImagesMike Coppola, Getty ImagesForeigner Is Coming to Buddy Holly Hall
Foreigner’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Tour comes to Buddy Holly Hall on Tuesday, October 6th.
That’s a pretty remarkable milestone for a band formed in 1976.
Over the past five decades, Foreigner has built one of classic rock’s most recognizable catalogs, with songs that have survived changing musical tastes, formats and generations. The band’s career was officially recognized in 2024 when Foreigner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
And apparently turning 50 isn’t slowing them down much.
Foreigner Has New Music—Sort Of
Foreigner isn’t celebrating the anniversary by simply dusting off the old records.
On July 24th, the band released a new live album, In the Eye of the Storm, recorded during performances at Ellis Island and Brooklyn’s DUMBO House on September 6th and 7th, 2025.
READ MORE: Texas Tech Hosts Joint-service Color Guard Performances At Home Games This Season
The project includes new live treatments of some familiar material, including “Feels Like the First Time,” “I Want to Know What Love Is” and a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
The new version of “Feels Like the First Time” is especially interesting for longtime fans because it brings together three generations of Foreigner singers: original vocalist Lou Gramm, former lead singer Kelly Hansen and current lead singer Luis Maldonado.
That’s essentially 50 years of Foreigner history packed into one song.
ForeignerForeignerLou Gramm Is Part of the Anniversary Celebration, Too
Foreigner has also released a new video for “I Want to Know What Love Is” featuring special performances from original members Lou Gramm and Al Greenwood.
For longtime fans, seeing Gramm involved in the band’s 50th-anniversary activities is a pretty big deal. His voice is permanently attached to many of those songs we still hear on classic-rock radio every day.
Five Decades of Foreigner
Think about what 50 years actually means in rock and roll.
Foreigner’s first album arrived when Jimmy Carter was preparing to enter the White House, Rocky was in theaters and nobody had an iPhone because they didn’t exist.
Yet here we are in 2026, and “Juke Box Hero” can still get an entire room singing along.
READ MORE: Heirlooms & Blooms Brings Vintage Treasures And Floral Arrangements To Lubbock Shoppers
That’s staying power.
Foreigner’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Tour hits Buddy Holly Hall in Lubbock on October 6th.
And after half a century, those songs still don’t feel very foreign at all.
Where is the best place to get coffee in Lubbock?
Gallery Credit: Landon King
If someone’s never been to Lubbock, what’s the first local food spot you take them to impress them?
Gallery Credit: Landon King