Heinz Hall
Pittsburgh, PA
October 6, 2018

By Tiffini Taylor

Acoustic Set:  
People of the South Wind | Hope Once Again | Refugee | Hold On | Lonely Wind

Electric Set:
Song for America | Cold Grey Morning | Wheels | Musicatto | Summer | Two Cents Worth | Taking in the View | Miracles out of Nowhere | Mysteries and Mayhem/ Lamplight Symphony | The Wall

Point of Know Return Set:  
Point of Know Return  | Paradox | Closet Chronicles | The Spider | Portrait (He Knew) | Lightening’s Hand | Dust in the Wind | Sparks of the Tempest | Nobody’s Home | Hopelessly Human

On a semi-rainy October night, a band from Topeka, Kansas, that came out in the early Seventies ruled Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, PA. After a little over forty years Kansas can still rock a full house. An intimate setting of a symphony hall like Heinz the sound is truly wonderful.

When a band is considered legendary, expectations are set very high...on this night there were no disappointments from Kansas! Songs like “Dust in the Wind” and “Carry On Wayward Son” are what most people know about the band Kansas. The band proved they are much more than that as songs like “Wheels” and “Point of Know Return” also had the audience grooving.  

The evening began with an acoustic set that is something not to be missed. It is just the guys in the band at the front of the stage sitting on stools playing instruments and singing. It is that simple. The acoustic set is about twenty-five minutes and it is better than an opening band. This is not easy, a stripped-down show is always great, but when the same band is going from acoustic to plugged in rock then their talent is really shown.

Songs through the acoustic set included “Refugee,” “Hope Once Again” and the beautiful “Hold On” which brought the crowd to their feet. The acoustic set brings along an intimacy that can be lacking in rock ’n’ roll.

Kansas is out for their fortieth anniversary tour and being able to bring an acoustic set into the show is a performance that is worthy of its own concert. After a standing ovation for the acoustic set, you begin to wonder how can a band top that, well Kansas did. Roaring drums, powerhouse vocals, incredible guitars, smooth keyboards, beautiful bass, an amazing violin… that was their solution!  

The backdrop going from simply saying Kansas to the “Point of Know Return” cover art is lovely illuminated by the lights. The stage is simple, as it is completely about the fans hearing the music.

Keeping the stage and the backdrop simple and using lights, the band relies on their talent to bring music to the masses. Blues, reds, greens, purples, and white lights gave feeling to the music. The feels come when the first note is played, and that tingle is felt all the way into your soul.

Kansas knows how to find that first chord to hit that soul spot. They have a charm on stage where you feel like the music is just for you and no one else. The music is alive, and the production of this tour is what makes the music shine. Songs like “Portrait (He Knew)”, and “Nobody’s Home” are notable to create a memory no matter how many times you have seen the band perform them live.

At this concert there were not only the fans who have been there since the beginning in the Seventies, but you see their kids and their grandkids as well. It is music that truly stands the test of time.

“Dust in the Wind” brought the crowd together in singing along. This is a song that has been played well over three million times over the radio. It is a song that can bring hope, it is a song that brings people together. There was a tear in my eye when I heard it live tonight, it gave me major feels, just hearing others around me singing and swaying to the music of this song. This was one of those concert moments that I will never forget.

The encore was one of the most notable and memorable songs of all times “Carry On Wayward Son”! This song had the audience on their feet singing the lyrics and enjoying every moment. The Kansas classic! A classic song to end a classic night!

A standing ovation and a huge roar from the crowd brought an end to the concert. These music fans are the people that make the band do what they do so well. A thank you from the band to the audience and a thank you from the audience to the band equals a beautiful rocking night.

Longevity in this present time is unusual for rock bands. Seeing how a band has survived the past forty some years through their music and is still out on the road…let’s face it, forty years from now some of the bands that are successful right now will not be around.

It is magical that certain bands from the Seventies are still rocking and selling out. The fans are die hard and they know good music. In a world filled where anyone can put music out into the world thanks to technology, it is more special when bands like REO Speedwagon, Chicago and Kansas showcase their talents by still touring.

These are the nights that memories are made of.

Rock ‘n’ roll is not dead!

http://kansasband.com/index.php
https://twitter.com/kansasband
https://www.facebook.com/KansasBand
https://www.youtube.com/user/kansasVEVO
https://www.instagram.com/kansasband/