From: krm3611@sigma.tamu.edu (KEN MCWATTERS)
Subject: Re: Kansas - Live at the Whiskey
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 06:24:00 GMT

>>In article <13vdppINN38i@wupost.wustl.edu> oser@fermi.wustl.edu (Scott Oser) writes:
>>>	Reminder:  the new Kansas release "Live at the Whiskey" should be
>>>in record stores by now. 
>>

   I haven't seen much mentioned on Kansas, so I'll put in my Two Cents Worth.
I got into them about 2-1/2 years ago, and lamented that they were another band
that I liked but would never see in concert.  Well, to my surprise, they gave a
free concert in Dallas in July 1991!  And not only was Kerry Livgren back in the
group, but they had a violinist, enabling them to play their 70's classics!

   Needless to say, except for the crowd (I heard later there were over 10,000 
people crowded into Dallas Alley to see them), the concert was excellent.  
Although much of it was a rehash of material that they played on their Two For
the Show live release, notable additions were Miracles Out of Nowhere, Hold On,
All I Wanted (from their '85 album!), and their encore, Down the Road.
They are on tour again this year, although from the new album it appears to
be the same material.  

   The day of the Dallas concert last year, radio station Q102's Redbeard (the
guy who is the host of the syndicated show In the Studio) had an interview with
Phil Ehart, who seems to be one of the more talkative members of the group.  He
described their "reunion" in the following manner:

   He said that a promoter in Germany had started contacting defunct or dormant
groups from the 60's and 70's, offering significant sums of money to reunite and
play concerts there.  He gave the impression that their motives were not totally
monetary, but they decided to do it with a new violinist since Robby Steinhardt
was devoted to his family.  There was a violinist, who had played with the Tulsa
Orchestra and had started playing gigs with country acts, who had been writing
Phil for a couple of years about wanting to join them, saying "playing for
Minnie Pearl [just a generic act, not meaning to deprecate, too much :^)] is 
driving me crazy!"  Anyway, they got Kerry to join as well, and they played the
gigs in Germany.  Suffice it to say that they enjoyed the experience so much
that they decided to go on tour to play their old stuff, without intent to 
release any new recorded material.  One stipulation is that Steve Morse would
replace Kerry when it was time for Kerry to return to his farm for the planting
season (!).

   I saw them with Kerry in the group, and they sounded quite fresh considering
they hadn't played the songs in a decade.  Since they're still out touring, I
can only hope a new studio CD will follow in the next year or so...

   By the way, WRT what I've heard about the availability of the new CD, it's 
in widespread release in Southeast Texas, anyway.  For the record shop guy
who said, "Didn't they break up a decade ago?" or whatever, don't these 
people keep up on their record stock?  Their last studio album In the Spirit of
Things came out in 1988, and except for the fact that about half the tracks were
written by people outside the band, I thought it was pretty good as a concept 
album for the late 80's.

   Here's to hoping that the Almighty Kansas will rise again.

   Ken

   "The man is not alive who knows the value of his soul,
    And when our lives are pulled away, it's hard to fill the holes.
    I wonder why you cling when all those changes didn't come.
    'Cause holding on is only going back to where you're from."
		-  Kansas,  Incomudro - Hymn to the Atman