The Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS was the perfect setting to kick off the Soundtrack of Summer tour on Wednesday, May 14th, 2014. The middle-of-the-week busy schedules did not keep these true fans from lining up early to get inside as soon as the arena doors opened at 6pm to be ready for what was sure to be an incredible trip down memory lane with Styx, Foreigner and very special guest Don Felder, former Eagles guitarist/songwriter. Labeled as one of the Top Ten three-act concert tours to hit the road this summer, The Soundtrack of Summer had one mission in mind…to start off your soon-to-be summer season with a slamming show that is rockin’ hot!
Styx and Foreigner toured together most recently on the 2010 Union Tour, and Mick Jones of Foreigner stated shortly after that tour, “They’re (Styx) a great band and really professional and great people, so we thought, ‘Well, this might be worth picking up again.’“ Jones recently said of the current bill, “The two bands, although different, seem to complement each other. The audience enjoys both, I think, and with the addition of Don Felder, that’s kind on an interesting evening’s worth of music.”
Mick Jones’ words could not be more accurate as this very special first performance of The Soundtrack of Summer tour was filled with very powerful performances of classic hits that fans have eagerly awaited to hear live. The plan for the tour is to have Don Felder open each show, while Styx and Foreigner interchange closing slots.
To start the evening off properly, local Wichita musician Llew Brown took the stage at 6:40 pm to play a solo acoustic set filled with popular cover songs. Brown won a contest that the Intrust Bank Arena and Styx/Foreigner/Don Felder had presented to the city of Wichita calling on local musicians interested in performing a 15-minute acoustic set as the evening’s opening act. Interested musicians had to upload an original YouTube video of a recent performance. Brown made it clearly evident that he was the perfect choice as the opening act for the evening as he started out his all acoustic and unplugged set with Aaron Lewis’ song “Country Boy.” The audience sung along to this track as well as every cover song Llew performed after that, including Lynyrd Skynryd’s “Simple Man,” Poison’s “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” and “Let Her Cry” by Hootie and the Blowfish. Brown obviously knew his hometown audience well by choosing to performing these classic tracks.
Next up was Don Felder who walked onstage with his band to a very energetic and lively audience that greeted him with applause and much enthusiasm. Most rock fans know Don Felder from his tenure in the Eagles as a 
guitarist/vocalist (1974 – 2001). Felder kicked off the Soundtrack of Summer tour with style, wowing the audience with a 10-song setlist that included some Eagles’ classics beginning with “Already Gone,” and “One of These Nights” before playing “You Don’t Have Me,” an original track from his most recent album, Road To Forever. The digitized vocal sound effects of “Those Shoes” which was performed next sounded absolutely on point with the studio recorded version. Don and the band then performed a Steve Young cover, “Seven Bridges Road,” before finishing out the rest of the set with some heavy-hitting Eagles’ classics including, “Witchy Woman,” “The Long Run,” “Heartache Tonight” and “Life in the Fast Lane.” Don brought out special guest Tommy Shaw of Styx to perform the set ending track, “Hotel California.” Most of the audience stood up out of their seats during the majority of Don Felder’s 45 minute set and welcomed the 15 minute break to recoup before Foreigner was to take to the stage.
Taking the stage at 8pm was Foreigner, with its formidable arsenal of rock spanning five decades with 10 multi-platinum albums of which included 16 Top 30 hits. Heralded as one of the most popular rock bands in the world, Foreigner was moments from unleashing unto the audience an onslaught of hit after hit after hit after…you get the idea. The amazing stage setup had “Foreigner” in metallic letters in the backdrop as well as keyboards and the drum kit on low risers towards the rear of the stage.
The crowd roared as Chris Frazier came out and took his prominent position behind the drum kit first followed by Bruce Watson on guitar, Michael Bluestein on keyboards/piano and Jeff Pilson on the bass guitar walked onto the stage soon after him. Tom Gimbel, rhythm guitar/keyboards/saxophone, walked on the stage next just moments before frontman and vocalist Kelly Hansen walked up to the center microphone stand. The crowd was worked into a frenzy by the time everyone was in place…and it was time to blow the roof off!
Kelly and company launched out a trio of hits to an audience which was completely out of their seats. Nothing could be more perfect for a first song on an already impressive setlist than the band opening up their soundtrack of 
summer with the band’s title track off of their second album, Double Vision. Leaving no time for anyone in the audience to turn to their friend seated next to them and state, “Can you believe they just played “Double Vision?” when the next chart-topping hit was already reaching their eardrums with the first opening beats of “Head Games.”
The ever-classic and radio favorite, “Cold As Ice” was performed next. Towards the end of “Cold As Ice,” Kelly Hansen jumped down to the floor to sing with the audience as he walked around several sections before returning to the stage to finish the song.
Hansen took a few minutes at this point to talk to the audience and thank them for their hospitality on this very first night of the Soundtrack of Summer tour. Lighters, cell phones, or cell phones with a lighter app were up in the air next when Foreigner slowed things down a bit on the eternal ballad of “Waiting for a Girl Like You.” Hansen then took a moment to introduce the founding member of Foreigner, Mick Jones, who walked on the stage with his guitar to perform the remaining songs with the rest of the band.
The hits continued non-stop as “Feels Like the First Time” and “Urgent” were performed. Tom Gimbel’s saxophone skills during “Urgent” were unmatched as he strutted on the stage. Foreigner performed “Starrider” and “Juke Box Hero” to finish out the first part of their set before taking a short break prior to the encore which included the power ballad, “I Want to Know What Love Is.” During this track, local Wichita students from Valley Center High School joined the band on stage to sing the main chorus. Foreigner closed out their 50-minute set with the perpetual radio classic, “Hot Blooded.” Kelly Hansen and the band thanked the audience many times for their hospitality during the lengthy standing ovation and ear-splitting applause before departing the stage.
Styx was headliner for this very first show of the “Soundtrack of Summer” tour (as noted, Foreigner and Styx will alternate closing sets on each night). The lights inside the arena dimmed at approximately 9:30pm, indicating that Styx was soon set to unleash their potent set upon the ears of dedicated classic rock fans.
Todd Sucherman walked out first to take his position at the drums, followed by James Young and Tommy Shaw, both on rhythm guitars. Ricky Phillips, bass guitar, walked on moments before lead vocalist and keyboardist, Lawrence Gowan took his position behind the keyboard.
Styx opened up their set with “The Grand Illusion,” a track from their seventh studio album that contained multiple hit singles. James Young, Tommy Shaw and Ricky Phillips showcased their classic triple guitar walk on stage during “Too Much Time on My Hands” and “Fooling Yourself.” Styx slowed the tempo a bit next with the ever classic, “Lady,” which had everyone in the audience singing along. James Young asked the crowd to hold up their lighters, phones or any electronic device to simulate lighters in the air as “Light Up” was performed next. During the performance of this track, the inside of the Intrust Bank Arena was aglow with the modern-day version of Bics in the air as the bright displays of cell phones dotted the interior from the floor section to all the way to the rafters!
Shortly after the track was performed, Tommy Shaw spoke to the crowd and thanked them for being supportive of the band over the years. He also stated that it was very nice to be in Wichita and that the band should just stay there and have “everyone come to us“ for the remainder of the tour.
“Crystal Ball” was next up on the setlist followed by a very special treat for the audience. The band had never 
previously performed “Superstars” live in Wichita, KS until tonight’s performance, so this was yet another first to add to the list that the evening brought. Tommy Shaw took to the floor of the arena with his rhythm guitar during the outro of “Superstars” to the delight of everyone graced to have him in their midst.
“Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” was performed next with a treat of snippets of covers of the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” Paul McCartney/Wings’ “Live and Let Die” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Lawrence Gowan and company nailed the next track perfectly, one that is very huge in the Styx fan world, “Come Sail Away,” before taking a short break prior to the encore. Styx closed out the evening with “Rockin’ the Paradise” and the ever classic “Renegade.” Styx thanked the audience once again prior to departing the stage.
With dozens of classic songs performed throughout the course of the evening, the Soundtrack of Summer tour completely lived up to it’s name and intent. If you’re out there debating whether or not you want to see this tour, that debate will quickly become irrelevant the minute you see and hear these iconic classic rock bands with your own eyes and ears. So hurry up and put on that old rock t-shirt, gas up the Camaro and throw that Foreigner, Styx or Eagles cassette…err, CD into the stereo and head to the nearest venue playing this tour!
