REVIEW
By Ann Marie Bush
THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
I was sitting about 12 rows back from the stage Saturday night at the Topeka Performing Arts Center.
rolex replicaI had my leather handbag sitting in my lap, and I gripped my reporter's notebook and pen in my hands. My legs were crossed at the ankles, and I settled into my chair to review Kansas, the progressive rock band formed by Topeka residents in the summer of '72.
I wasn't familiar with Kansas. I hadn't been exposed to its music other than in my high school music appreciation class. Oh, and my husband sings his rendition of "Carry On Wayward Son" over and over to our 2-year-old at bedtime.
This was to be my first rock concert.
I struck up a conversation with the women sitting to my left. Janet Tenholder and her sister were at the concert because they listened to Kansas when they were younger.
I glanced around the room. There was a good mix of ages --- children, teens, 30-somethings, those who probably grew up listening to Kansas and a man in our row who was at least in his 70s.
The lights dimmed and Wichita band Pathos, who received the opportunity to open for Kansas because it won a CD Tradepost music competition, took the stage.
The group was talented. Awesome bass player, guitarists and drummer. My husband and a few other younger people in the audience seemed to enjoy it more than many of the 40-plus crowd gathered to watch Kansas.
After about 45 minutes, the headliners took the stage.
led down lightsThe audience seemed to get into the opening song. By the third song, people were on their feet, and many were dancing off to the left and right of the stage.
OK, OK. My toes were tapping. I might have been bobbing my head -- - a little.
Guitarists Billy Greer and Richard Williams and drummer Phil Ehart were great. But the voices of Robby Steinhardt and Steve Walsh blew me away. And when Steinhardt brought out his violin, I knew I was hooked.
The group played a mixture of new and old hits including, "Song For America" and "Point of Know Return."
Steinhardt also did an awesome job interacting with the audience. At one point he asked, "Who said you can't rock when you're 53 years old?" and, he said, "It's good to be home again."
The group told the audience that this was the "longest show we've played in years." No one seemed to mind. In fact, the older man in our row kept tempo with his cane for the whole two hours.
After leaving stage at about 11 p.m., the group came back on and was joined by Kerry Livgren, one of the original band members.
Audience members chanted, "Kerry, Kerry, Kerry," and the band played two of its most popular songs --- "Dust in the Wind " and "Carry On Wayward Son" (believe me, they do it much better than my husband!).
Did I enjoy it? Let's just say that by the end of the show when they were performing "Carry On Wayward Son," my legs were uncrossed, my reporter's notebook was closed, my purse was somewhere on the floor by my feet, and I
embroidered patches was standing and singing every word.
So, can you still rock when you're 53? Hell yeah.