Kansas, Native Window – Rialto Square Theater, Joliet 12/4/09

Seeing Kansas is always a treat as the band is known to deliver very powerful performances. On such a cold December evening who could better warm up the evening? The Rialto Square Theater proved to be a perfect venue to see such show.

Native Window opened the show. For those unfamiliar with Native Window, it’s a brand new band made up of all instrumentalists from Kansas. Having released one of the hottest debut albums of the year, I was eager to see what Native Window can do on stage. Native Window delivered a powerful 35 minute set, the band played about 7 cuts from the album. Native Window sounded very comfortable on stage; they were well rehearsed, and relaxed about being the opening act. Some humor crept into the banter between the songs. The songs were very faithful to the studio versions, and there was no space for any occasional jams. The band played with conviction and Billy Greer sang great. The only complain being too much bass in the mix. The audience seemed to enjoy what they heard, but it appeared that very few truly knew Native Window prior to this show. My guess is that many albums were sold after the show. It was great to finally experience Native Window live.

Kansas took the stage by the storm. Celebrating their 35th anniversary, Kansas, does not show any signs of slowing down. In fact, they certainly get better with age. Opening with Howling At The Moon, the band was just warming up. Then it was just one classic after another. Kansas is a well oiled machine, extremely good at what they do. Musically proficient, the band did not overwhelm the crowd with volume. There was no need for that. They made it all seem so easy, yet the material requires tremendous effort on the part of the players. Not a single note was missed; in fact the band was not afraid of taking chances with some of the material in the live setting.

Steve Walsh’s vocals are still very powerful. The man simply possesses one of the best pipes on this side of the Atlantic. And a still very animated performer at that as well. Billy Greer also became a vocal powerhouse; supplementing and sometimes leading the songs. The combination of Walsh and Greer appears to be very powerful mix. Violinist, David Ragsdale, is doing a fine job on the fiddle and sometimes guitar. Ragsdale was very energetic, adding a lot of motion to the performance. Phil Ehart is the heart of Kansas. His drumming powerful as always and full of complex signatures delivered in a very creative manner. Rich Williams added his six strings, and drove the band in lead and rhythm. All of it added to one thing, a band on fire.

The material selected for this performance was well received by the audience. Tracks such as Point of Know Return, The Wall, Dust In The Wind, or Song For America had been fan favorites for years, and this evening was no exception. But other favorites included On The Other Side, Hold On, or Cheyenne Anthem to name a few. There was no song played which would be considered filler or an unrecognizable.

Kansas is a great live band, and this evening in Joliet confirmed that once again. They are on top of their game, and their retirement is not likely to come anytime soon. Why would such an original act not be included in the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame is beyond this writer’s comprehension.

Mark Kadzielawa