Written by: Kelly Hagen
For some bands, rock songs are supposed to be an epic adventure. For 38 years, classic rock legends Kansas have been laying down tracks that have as many highs and lows as “Lord of the Rings.”
Since their debut album hit in 1974, they’ve defined the progressive rock movement, mixing rock music with complex arrangements and alternating time signatures. A violin and strings have helped to define their sound as such classics as “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind,” layering their sound with instrumentation.
They’re not just classic rock, they’re classical rock.
So it shouldn’t be all that surprising to see them out on the road now with a full orchestra backing up the band. Since 2010, the band has been touring the U.S. nearly non-stop with symphony conductor Larry Baird in tow. Baird has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony and, through this tour, numerous college and city orchestras, as he leads every orchestra located in the city Kansas is playing along for a full concert with the legendary rockers, giving audiences the full Kansas treatment.
Kansas will be bringing their orchestral act to the Bismarck Civic Center on Sunday, April 22, at 8 p.m., performing alongside musicians from Bismarck State College and the community.
For Kansas, preparing for a show like this has become almost a science. Guitarist and founding member of the band, Rich Williams, told the Great Plains Examiner that the process starts by sending scores for the songs to the orchestras well ahead of the shows, so the musicians can practice the arrangements and get comfortable with the music.
“So when we show up,” Williams said, “Larry (Baird) works with them throughout the day, sometimes he’ll get in the night before and work with them. We set up in the afternoon, run through some of the rough spots in the sound check, and then it’s the show.”
For the students, it’s a chance to be on stage and in front of a larger audience that they’re maybe not used to. Seeing that response in the young musicians is inspirational to the band.
“They help keep it fresh, to see their enthusiasm,” Williams said. “I’ve been doing this for 38 years now, so it’s familiar. But, yes, for the first time, going up on stage, these kids have probably been playing for a long time, it’s just that they’ve never done anything like this.”
John Darling, associate professor of music at Bismarck State College, says the event means a lot to the student musicians. “The Bismarck State College Music Program is proud to be the host institution for this event,” Darling said. “Everyone involved with this event is very excited about the opportunity to work with the legendary musicians from Kansas.”
The Kansas Collegiate Symphony Tour helps to raise funds and awareness for music programs at the colleges the band plays with across the country. Kansas will have performed with 27 collegiate symphonies by the end of this current semester, and getting the chance to help these programs means a lot to the band.
“The arts are always underfunded and virtually unknown,” Williams said. “And these kids are doing some things we could be proud of, if you just go out and witness it. They need your support, and the support of their friends and their peers is pretty inspirational to them. It helps them along the way.”
And, just as importantly, the concert in Bismarck is a chance to see one of the biggest names in the history of rock music, live and on stage.
“Like us or not, we are a living legend,” Williams said. “We’re a rock ’n’ roll Mount Rushmore. And it’s a pretty cool thing, for a Kansas fan in particular, to see us with a symphony, it’s not going to happen every day. It’s not like, ‘I’ll wait until next year to see it.’ It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, for up there.”
Tickets can be purchased through any Ticketmaster outlet or at the box office of the Bismarck Civic Center. For more information, visit http://www.bismarckciviccenter.com/calendar/details.asp?ID=480.
This entry was posted in NEWS CATEGORIES, People, Slideshow and tagged Bismarck State College, Carry On Wayward Son, Dust in the Wind, Kansas, Kelly Hagen, orchestra, symphony. Bookmark the permalink.One of my all-time favorite bands. Was thrilled that they played both The Wall and Song For America at the Portland show last week. But the killer was Dust in the Wind (not really one of my favorite Kansas songs); when the orchestra’s string sections come in during the violin solo, it takes your breath away.
Overall, a well-done show, and fun for me to watch with my son also on stage (tpt and pic-tpt) alongside heroes of my youth.
My husband and I went to see the band Kansas last night at the Bismarck Civic Center. Now with all the bands doing what I call “retirement tours”, and some that shouldn’t be touring at all, I figured that the concert would be OK… yeah, they’ll play the well-known songs, at a slower tempo, and sung with voices that weren’t quite up to it anymore. Man, was I wrong!
All were older and grayer, but to my ear, more technically proficient than they were decades ago with voices that were strong and clear. Not bad for guys in their 50s and 60s!
Then there’s the premise of the tour – to promote music, especially at the college and high school level. You could tell by the band’s enthusiasm how near and dear this is to their heart, and that enthusiasm was reflected back by the audience. Such a diverse crowd! Family of the BSC orchestra members, older fans like me and Bob, younger fans that probably were first exposed to Kansas on an “oldies/classic rock” radio station, and kids as young as 10 or so.
And the BSC orchestra did themselves proud! Especially the talented violinist that soloed on “Dust in the Wind” (sorry, didn’t catch her name, the applause was so loud). The playlist was challenging – not only the crowd pleasers, but also the more difficult pieces like “Magnum Opus”, “The Wall”, and “Miracles Out of Nowhere” (a personal favorite). Overall a great concert!
Kudos to everyone involved ~ and Carry On, Kansas; you’re doing so much more than just “… howling at the moon”.
Our son Travis is playing
With BSC & the Symphony,
For the group Kansas.
What a privaledge.
We can be very proud of the
Many many talented young people
From our great state of
North Dakota