Foghat
When: 8 p.m. Feb. 11
Admission: $49-$74 ($5 more at the door)
Where: Palace Theatre, Greensburg
Details: 724-836-8000 or thepalacetheatre.org
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Updated 19 minutes ago
Foghat is a '70s band that has stood the test of time.
Those who were growing up in those years might not remember their names, but they surely remember their music. Their biggest hits — “Slow Ride,” “Fool for the City,” “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” “Stone Blue” and '80s ballad “Third Time Lucky (First Time I Was a Fool)” — are still played on classic rock radio and playlists of their fans.
It's good to know these guys are still recording and touring, and enjoying both aspects of their jobs more than ever, according to British-born drummer Roger Earl. Foghat will perform on Feb. 11 at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg.
Earl is no stranger to Western Pennsylvania. He remembers playing shows in Pittsburgh at the former Civic Arena and says he has a number of friends in the area. Even a few of his band mates — guitarist Bryan Bassett, sound engineer Randy Meullier and drum tech Mark Petrocelli – hail from in and around the city.
“We have a real connection to the ‘Burgh,” he says. “We're always well received.”
Earl is originally from the U.K. but proudly calls Long Island, N.Y., his adopted home, residing there since 1973. He lives on a houseboat with his wife and manager Linda and has a passion for fishing.
“I fish, therefore I am,” he says with a laugh, paraphrasing a famous quote by French philosopher Descartes. He's a believer in the “take what you need and leave the rest” philosophy when it comes to catching and cooking up his catch of the day.
The couple also is involved in their wine business, Foghat Cellars, and recently returned from central California where they visited with longtime friend and winemaker Steve Rasmussen, who first met the band in 2007 when they were playing at the California Mid State Fair. Their vintages include a cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and chardonnay.
Earl considers himself a pretty lucky guy. “I'm fortunate that I have a wonderful life,” he says. “Not too many people get a chance to earn a living at what they love.”
He attributes his love of music in part to his father back in England, where his family lived in London's East End before World War II. His dad enjoyed music and played piano. When he was about 12, he took his son to a Jerry Lee Lewis concert, “and after that, I was never the same,” Earl says.
Foghat — with band members Charlie Huhn, lead guitar, and Craig MacGregor, bass guitar, along with Earl and Bassett — is doing very well these days, having just released an album on Feb. 3, “Live at the Belly Up,” recorded this past August in the same Solana Beach, Calif., club where the Rolling Stones also played and recorded, Earl notes.
The live album includes three tracks from the band's latest studio record, “Under the Influence,” which was released in June. It is their 17th studio album; the last one was 2010's “Last Train Home.”
Since Foghat was formed in 1971 in London, the band has earned eight gold records, one platinum and one double platinum record in the U.S.
Candy Williams is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
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