Kansas
August 18, 2023
Knoxville, TN
One cannot possibly be a baby boomer and not have at least one Kansas song be a part of the soundtrack of their youth.
For me, there are several songs, and they include several of the obvious ones such as Carry on Wayward Son, Dust in the Wind, Point of No Return, and Play the Game Tonight. When those songs come on whatever device I’m listening to, the volume goes up and my mind flashes back to the days of my youth . . . back when I knew everything.
I guess what could possibly inflict a little emotional pain is to realize that our youth was, um . . . fifty years ago. But the good news is that so many of our favorite bands and artists are still performing, recording, and are as relevant as ever.
Such is the case with the iconic band, Kansas. They made its long-awaited stop at our own Tennessee Theatre and played to a very enthusiastic sold-out crowd. And while that crowd was made up mostly of baby boomers, there was a substantial representation of younger generations watching a piece of musical history take place right before their very eyes and ears.
The fact that the band is still together and performing is astonishing enough. But to perform their memorable songs (and deep cuts, too) with note-perfect precision is jaw-droppingly mind-boggling . . . and all without an intermission.
The band typically has two remaining founding members: Rich Williams (watch my interview with him here) and Phil Ehart. However, Phil was out Saturday night due to an injury. Rich had an injury (no, the two didn’t get injured at the same place or time) but was able to perform sitting down . . . and did so with perfection.
I wish to especially highlight the performance of the band’s current violinist, Joe Deninzon. This guy is frickin’ amazing! He does things on the electric violin that almost defies reality . . . and he does so with the flash and swagger of a well-seasoned rocker. He compliments the band quite well.
Some bands and artists perform even though they do so as a shadow of their former selves (and, in many cases, performing just to survive). In the case of Kansas, they do so for the love of the music, for the love of performing with excellence, and (more tellingly) for the love of their fans.
Be sure to catch Kansas anywhere and anytime you can. They are most definitely worth every penny of your entertainment dollar!
Watch the Boomerocity interview with Kansas’ Rich Williams here and listen to it on all major podcast platforms.
