Foreigner Concert
September 9, 2005
Marion Popcorn Festival Marion, OH
(L to R) Jeff Jacobs, Mick Jones, Kelly Hansen, Jason Bonham, Jeff Pilson, Thom Gimbel
Kelly Steed, Speculative Fiction Author Newsletter
Winning the Tickets
Winning the tickets was a total fluke!
I walk about 6 miles a day unless I'm sick. The three days prior to September 7th I was in bed with major allergy problems but I felt better that day so I went for a walk. I was listening to the Time Warp Lunch (Very cool all 80's music!) on The Mix and heard Brandi say that she was taking drawing registrations for Foreigner tickets outside the OK Cafe and that she'd be there another 20 minutes. The OK is about two blocks from my house and I was about ten minutes away so I decided to sign-up.
Brandi asked me if I knew the answer to the trivia question, which I totally flubbed. It was, "Who was Harry's idol on Night Court?" I didn't remember it was Mel Torme until I got home. My answer was "Tony Bennet." My husband wanted to smack me!
When I was listening to the Time Warp Lunch broadcast on the 8th, Brandi announced they were giving away two tickets to one lucky person. I looked at our guinea pig Pippin and said, "Well, I guess Mommy and Daddy aren't going to get to see Foreigner up close because Mommy's luck isn't that good."
Wrong!
Brandi called MY NAME! I was screaming so loud over the radio I'm surprised that my neighbors didn't think I was being murdered and call the police! Brandi called me right after that and I was crying. When I was a teenager, my parents wouldn't allow me to attend concerts or really to be a typical teenager. My father told me numerous times, "You can have a social life once you get out of college." Needless to say these tickets meant a great deal to me and I thanked her profusely for them.
25th Anniversary Marion Popcorn Festival
I listened to the Time Warp lunch that afternoon and knew that The Mix would be broadcasting from the festival and that Brandi was going to be introducing Foreigner. I was stoked! I told Richard that I wanted to find her and thank her personally for the tickets. Richard and I were walking around when I saw a large W out of the corner of my eye. I spun and stopped looking right at her. "Brandi?"
Brandi Foxx, DJ Most Awesome-ist!
The Mix 94.3 WDIF- FM
"Yeah."
I held out my hand and smiled. She took it and I could tell she had no clue as to who I was until I said, "Thank you so much for the tickets."
"Kelly?"
"Yeah."
I proceeded to tell her about calling Richard at work. With all the industrial noise and me screaming into the phone, he thought I said something about a "thief" and started freaking out. Calming down for me when I'm excited doesn't work too well (I'm too hyperactive!) but somehow I finally got through to him that we were going to see Foreigner up close and personal. Brandi laughed big time!
The tickets said C on them so I assumed we were in the third row; but Brandi told us to get there early (around 7:30) because other than the reserved seats the rest were General Admission. Foreigner was scheduled to play at 8:30.
Third Row Center Stage
September 9th Concert Day
Before we claimed our seats, Richard bought me a set of autographed Jason Bonham drumsticks so I'd have a souvenir, little did I know that wasn't the only souvenir I'd take home that night! We went over at 6:30 and sat third row center stage.
Paul James, another Mix DJ came on stage first, followed by Brandi to introduce Foreigner. (Brandi was getting her picture taken with Foreigner at the time.) Brandi said, "I want to shout out a hello to a special listener. She's just as pumped as I am. She's sitting in the kernal seats."
As soon as I heard this I looked at Richard and said, "Oh my God!"
Brandi continued, "She won the Mix tickets. Kelly Steed! Where are you Kelly?"
Richard punched me in the arm. "Stand up."
I stood and waved at her.
"There she is right down front!" Brandi pointed at me from the stage.
All I could think at this point was, "Oh my God she said my name and Foreigner's backstage!"
Bob Nunnally, a Marion Native and the weatherman from NBC Columbus, was also on stage at the time.
Jeff Pilson (Sorry this picture isn't better! The closest one Richard
got of him his microphone covers his face so we had to go with this one.)
They were a few songs into their performance when Richard said, "The base player (Jeff Pilson) is throwing pics at you."
"You're
crazy. Why would he throw pics at me? He doesn't know
me." About five minutes after that, one hit me in the head and
Richard found it down on the ground. I think Brandi had something to do
with that. I was wearing a hot pink muscle shirt and was in the third row
and she pointed me out just before Foreigner was introduced.
Jeff Pilson's Pic Front and Back shots.
The next time the stage lights came up I held the pic up in my hand and waved it in the air. After that, Jeff started throwing them in other directions.
Mick Jones with Kelly Hansen singing Juke Box Hero. Those are Kelly Steed's hand's in the photo.
I was the third person from from the stage standing below Kelly Hansen at this point. TOO AWESOME!
Mick Jones and the top of Kelly's head (lower right)
Foreigner played a riff of "Whole Lotta Love" in the middle of Juke Box Hero. Mick told us that it was the anniversary of John Bonham's tragic passing and asked if we'd like to help Jason send a message to his father in Heaven. The crowd went nuts as they played another Led Zeppelin tune.
At the end of the concert , I was standing breast up against the stage trying to get Pilson's attention to see if he'd shake my hand. He was having a blast throwing pics into the audience and didn't see me.
Suddenly Richard tapped me and said, "Here." He handed me a guitar pic this one was white and said Foreigner 5 on it.
"Where'd you get
this?"
"From
Mick."
Mick Jone's Pic Front and Back shots.
I had a sharp intake of breath and looked up on the stage. Mick Jones was standing there looking at ME! I almost had a heart attack! We looked at each other for a few seconds then he gave me this huge smile, winked, walked over, picked up a towel, wiped his face, flung it into the crowd and left the stage. What an awesome memory to take away with me!
For giving me the Most Tremendous Night of my Life,
I'd like to thank the following:
The Mix 94.3 WDIF-FM
Brandi Foxx, DJ Most Awesome-ist!
Marion, Ohio
The OK Cafe for hosting The Mix so I could sign-up. Richard and I chased the evening with a Carry Out large pizza and two liters of coke mixed with rum.
It's NO HYPE, the OK truly has the BEST PIZZA in Marion!
And Finally:
Foreigner!
(Mick Jones, Jason Bonham, Kelly Hansen,
Jeff Jacobs, Jeff Pilson and Thom Gimbel)
Most especially Base Player Jeff Pilson and
Writer, Producer, Singer (and to me the Rock-N-Roll Teddy Bear)
Mick Jones
for making the night truly memorable!
