Foreigner to rock Hants County Ex

BY FRED LAWRENCE

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsNow.com

Classic rock fans will get a chance to see one of the pre-eminent bands of the late1970s and ‘80’s right here in Windsor when lead singer and composer Lou Gramm and his band Foreigner take to the stage in their only Nova Scotia performance.

Organizer Maureen Dill started the concert series at the Exhibition Arena with Exhibition manager David Coombs four years ago and she’s hoping for another solid performance and a sell-out for the 2,000 tickets.

“David and I have been working at this for the past four years and so far this year the buzz is starting to happen already, so that’s exciting,” Dill said.

The 2002 show featuring Dr. Hook with Ray Sawyer was a huge success and Dill hopes to repeat that same success this year. “We’ve had great bands like David Wilcox, Nazareth, Trooper, Tom Cochrane, April Wine and Honeymoon Suite, so we’re trying to keep the level of the show at a premium for the audience by bringing in big-name groups,” Dill said.

Plenty of economic spinoff

The concerts create a lot of spinoff business for the area, too, Dill said. “We hope to bring a lot of people to the area and this year there will be open camping on the grounds. There’s no age limit so parents can come with their kids and enjoy the show.”

From hotel and motel rooms to restaurants, corner stores and service stations, concerts create a huge boost for the local business community and bring awareness to the area. “We’re trying hard to make Windsor/West Hants a choice destination for people because there’s a lot going on here for a small town and people are really starting to take notice that Windsor isn’t only a great place to live, it’s a great place to visit as well.”

Exhibition manager David Coombs said hopes are high for a successful show. “We’re calling this the End of the Summer Blast 2007 and this show will be a major highlight and a great way to close the season. At this point we’re hoping it’ll be our biggest concert ever because we have a real powerhouse band that will provide a rockin’ good time.”

Cabaret on the floor

Liquor will be served in a cabaret on the floor of the arena while family seating will be in the stands.

“We’ll have beverages on the floor and for those who don’t wish to imbibe, we have the entire stands reserved for families who can enjoy the show,” he said.

Coombs said so far sales have been brisk. They started “last week, but it’s looking good. We hope to get 1,500 to 2,000 people, but we can hold 2,500 and maybe we’ll get that many.”

All proceeds from the concert go to the non-profit Agricultural Society which, in turn, donates a portion to help host the Annual Pumpkin Festival. Tickets for Foreigner and front bands Ambush and Bedrock Blues are on sale at Pharmasave, Tim Hortons, McClean’s Petro-Can in Brooklyn or at the Exhibition box office.

For more information on the concert contact the Exhibition at 798-0000 or the Town Office at 798-2275.