LIVE: KANSAS – June 17, 2023

Venue: Fisher Theatre

City: Detroit, MI

Dates: June 17, 2023

Review and Photographs by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur (www.toddstarphotography.com)

It’s not every day a band gets to tour in celebration of its 50th Anniversary.  Out on their current Another Fork In The Road tour, Kansas is doing exactly that and doing it well.  The current leg of dates brought them to Detroit’s Fisher Theatre, and I was able to experience the band and their legacy on a Saturday night in June.  With no opening band in tow, the band took the stage and proceeded to kick the evening off with “Belexes” and dropped into one of their classics “Point of Know Return.”  Guitarist and original member Rich Williams anchored the show from his spot stage right and played the songs and solos flawlessly from the opening note until the final bow.  Next up was my favorite Kansas track “Play the Game Tonight” and it had all the power and rock vibe I remember from the first time I heard it back in the early 80’s.  The song was followed up with another rocker from the 80’s, “Fight Fire With Fire” with both featuring killer vocals from Ronnie Platt. Other classics and fan favorites filled the first half of the set, including the tandem of “Icarus: Borne on Wings of Steel” and “Icarus II” which led the way for “A Glimpse of Home.”  It was obvious the crowd was having a great time, but the smiles and energy on the stage was undeniable as well.  Bassist Billy Greer added background vocals and some leads as well as the band worked through more tracks as the evening moved along through the band’s catalog. The band launched into “Bells of Saint James” and “Throwing Mountains” with keyboardist Tom Brislin helping to carry the musical load from track to track.  An acoustic set split the evening with “People Of The South Wind” and “Dust in the Wind” being the focal point of that section while “Reason to Be” and “Lonely Wind” closed the acoustic section of the evening.  With “Song for America” and “Can I Tell You” — the song that got Kansas signed to Kirschner Records — brought the energy and volume back up as well as original member and drummer Phil Ehart to the stage to close out the evening and set with the band from behind his kit.  The music got better and seemed to have more urgency as the songs flowed and the minutes ticked away toward the end of the show.  The trio of “Hold On,” “Down the Road,” and “The Wall” created a cool musical tapestry that let the band do what they do best and the crowd to just enjoy the songs original compositions as well as the current incarnation of the bands stamp and interpretation of the songs.  New addition to the band Joe Deninzon added familiar violin and some rhythm guitar to tracks throughout the show completing the band’s sound.  After “Miracles Out of Nowhere,” the band closed the show the only way they could… with “Carry On Wayward Son.”  Say what you will, but this song is legendary and was played to perfection tonight and I for one left the venue with a song in my head and a smile on my face.  The current tour stretches into January 2024 with dates spread across the country. Don’t miss this one… if you dig Kansas, this show delivers on every level.

SETLIST: Belexes – Point of Know Return – Play the Game Tonight – Fight Fire With Fire – Icarus: Borne on Wings of Steel – Icarus II – A Glimpse of Home – The Pinnacle – Bells of Saint James – Throwing Mountains – People of the South Wind – Dust in the Wind – Reason to Be – Lonely Wind – Song for America – Can I Tell You – Hold On – Down the Road – The Wall – Miracles Out of Nowhere – Carry On Wayward Son

[Show as slideshow]

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Tags: featured

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries