Written by Dave Clements

I patiently waited 45 years to finally see the band Kansas … and I sure wish I had lost my patience 40 or more years sooner!
I’m not sure I can explain just why I had never seen Kansas perform live before last night but it would likely be a series of excuses, nothing really noteworthy. If I had made it a high enough priority, I certainly could have figured something out before now. I had no idea what I’d been missing.
Yesterday afternoon my wife and I drove from our home north of Houston a couple hours east to Beaumont, TX to experience the historic Jefferson Theatre in downtown Beaumont for the first time.

I could brag on the theatre for several moments but really feel compelled to stay focused on the evening of terrific music. Let me just say this 1700 plus seat venue is worth a trip from wherever you live especially if it is to experience your favorite band.

Right from the beginning of the evening things went just like I had hoped they would. My photo credential was waiting for me at Will Call, the doors opened within seconds of when they said they would. The venue announced an hour after ‘doors’ that the show would start in ten minutes and it started in exactly ten minutes. And, I need to add that it was so nice to experience a timely show. I despise seeing venues delay start times because the patrons are not prompt in their arrival. Don’t get me going on that vicious circle. (right Andrew?)
The band came onstage to a near capacity and extremely energetic crowd especially for a Wednesday night show. Founding member and guitar player Rich Williams (who never said a word the entire evening!) were joined on stage with Billy Greer (bass), David Ragsdale (violin), Ronnie Platt (vocals) and Tom Brislin (keyboards) who each had their stool and proceeded to play ‘unplugged’ five songs starting with People, then Hold On, one of my favorites, Memories Down The Line, Refugee and closed with Lonely Wind.

From that point on it was all a Rock and Roll full band show with Phil Ehart the only other original member on drums joining the others on stage for the next two plus hours.
The eight songs that kicked off this ‘rock’ portion of the show were a precursor to what was to follow….
Their LP Point Of No Return in its entirety, in order!
What a treat to hear the band’s top charting LP just the way it was designed back in 1977.
Although four of the six musicians were not those that started the band in Topeka Kansas many years ago, they all were amazing, accomplished musicians, well immersed in the band’s spirit. Their collective sound vocally and instrumentally was sufficiently close to what I had heard on the radio for several decades that it was all I needed to satisfy my ‘LIVE Kansas’ itch. It was obvious this theatre full of fans felt the same way!

Thank you guys for such an energized evening of live music and I don’t take ‘live music’ for granted. And if you are reading this review, I hope you don’t either. We need to support it in every way we can or one day we might look around and it will be gone.

Before closing please let me make a pitch for ‘live music patrons’ to please turn off your cell phones and just enjoy the show. If you must record it keep your phone below your head level so the people behind you don’t have to watch the show through your phone. (… and PLEASE turn off the freakin’ flash. It doesn’t help light the stage from where you are sitting and it negatively impacts the experience for the patrons sitting around you).
Go see Kansas live performing their Point of No Return show. You will not be disappointed!

dwc