PALMETTO – The current members of Kansas and The Outlaws did their predecessors proud during the stellar concert they performed at the Bradenton Area Convention Center on May 2.
Having both surpassed their 50th anniversaries and experienced many lineup changes along the way, the present versions of both bands proudly continue the musical legacies that began with the commercial success first experienced by both bands in the mid- to late-1970s.
With The Outlaws (headliners in their own right) as the opening act and Kansas as the headliner, the convention center crowd was treated to an evening of beloved songs, exceptional musicianship, outstanding instrumental soloing and exquisite lead and harmony vocals projected through a pristine sound system.
Both bands were fully engaged and appreciative of their current status and their joyous and energetic performances were as genuine and authentic as any new or long-time fan of either band could wish for.
The Outlaws
Founded in Tampa, The Outlaws are led by classic 70s-era member Henry Paul, who grew up in Tampa. After leaving The Outlaws in 1977 to pursue a solo career, Paul formed the successful country/rock band Blackhawk in the mid-1990s.
In 2008, Paul returned to The Outlaws. As lead vocalist and acoustic and electric guitarist, he guides the current band that includes Blackhawk founding member Dave Robbins on keyboards and vocals, Blackhawk alumni Jeff Aulich (lead guitar, lead and backing vocals), Jimmy Dormire (lead guitar and backing vocals), Randy Threet (bass and backing vocals) and Mike Bailey (drums). Paul’s son, Henry Paul IV (lead guitar, lead and backing vocals) rounds out the current seven-member lineup.
The Outlaws opened their 40-minute set with a one-two punch of two of their biggest hits: “There’s Goes Another Love Song” and “Hurry Sundown,” both from their mid-70s heyday.
Next was the up-tempo “Freeborn Man” that featured a half-tempo, jazzy, jam band-style instrumental breakdown in the middle that started with a slow-burning organ solo followed by tasty guitar licks from a trio of talented axe slingers.
After a quick hello to the audience, Paul turned the lead vocals duties over to his son for “Born to be Bad.”
Before the next song began, Paul said, “I’ve been looking forward to this evening for a while. We first played with Kansas in Atlanta at a club called Alex Cooley’s Electric Ballroom and we were immediately knocked out by their music and their songs. And in my opinion, Kansas is one of the best bands that came from the 70s and we’re really thrilled and honored to be here tonight to play with them.”
Bailey then played a thunderous drum roll on his floor toms to kick off the band’s 1980 hit, “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky” – covering an old Stan Jones and his Death Valley Rangers song from the 1940s that features a galloping rhythm, twangy, cowboy-inspired guitar licks and the “Yippie-Yi-O, Yippie-Yi-Yay, Ghost Riders in the Sky” sing-along chorus.
When the applause ended, Paul noted the band was playing close to home and he expressed his thanks to all those who’ve been Outlaws fans during the past 50 years.
To close their crowd-pleasing opening set, the band launched into their signature song, an epic 16-minute version of “Green Grass and High Tides,” during which Paul, Threet and the three lead guitarists lined up at the front of the stage in salute of The Outlaws’ “Florida Guitar Army” moniker that dates back to their legendary past.
Intermission
The concert was organized and hosted by The Center of Anna Maria Island and the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (BACVB) and co-sponsored by Cedar Cove Resort & Cottages in Bradenton Beach.
When addressing the crowd immediately after The Outlaws’ set, BACVB Executive Director Elliott Falcione said, “We’re finishing the sixth year of the Gulf Islands Concert Series that raises money for the kids at The Center of Anna Maria Island.”
Falcione name-checked several bands that performed at The Center during the past six seasons and he made a pitch for additional sponsors for the upcoming seventh season of The Center/BACVB concert partnership.
When addressing the renovations currently taking place at the convention center, Falcione referenced a Kansas song and said, “Sorry about the construction outside. There’s a little bit of dust in the wind out there; and we’re going to have some great ‘Dust in the Wind’ in here.”
Kansas
The Kansas lineup featured Ronnie Platt on lead vocals and keyboards, Joe Deninzon on violin, rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Tom Brislin on keyboards and lead and backing vocals, Zak Rizvi on lead guitar and backing vocals, Eric Holmquist on drums, Dave Edwards on bass and backing vocals (filling in for Dan McGowan, whose wife just had a baby) and Scott Bernard on lead guitar and acoustic guitar, filling in for founding member Rich Williams.
When talking to The Sun a couple of weeks before the Palmetto concert, Platt said the band still rehearses constantly.
“This band drills relentlessly,” he said. “The music demands it, but we are our own worst critics and we really strive to not only make the show perfect but to also give it that live element that enhances the studio versions. It’s a great feeling to do a show and everyone’s firing on all cylinders; and that comes from relentless rehearsing.”
That commitment to excellence was clearly evident during the 90-minute display of complex, neoclassical progressive rock music that features majestic and soaring lead and vocal harmonies, frequent tempo changes and dynamic musical shifts that range from a solitary keyboard, violin or acoustic guitar to full-band music interludes with blazing violin, keyboard and guitar solos and some good old-fashioned classic 70s guitar riffs.
The 13-song set kicked off with four well-known Kansas songs: “Point of Know Return,” “What’s On My Mind,” “Play the Game Tonight” and “Fight Fire With Fire.”
The band then journeyed back to their pre-commercial success third album, “Masque,” for a rocking version of “Child of Innocence.”
Setting up the next song, Platt told a story about original lead guitarist Kerry Livgren sitting in his living room playing a finger-picking exercise on his acoustic guitar. His wife heard the beautiful melody he was playing and suggested he turn it into a Kansas song.
“He thought about it, and he listened to his wife, and this is what he came up with,” Platt said before the band performed a beautiful and extremely well-received version of “Dust in the Wind.”
Afterwards Platt said, “So, you’ve heard that song before, have you?”
The band then launched into the 10-minute prog-rock title track from their second album, “Song for America,” which featured Brislin’s dazzling keyboard soloing, Deninzon’s fiery violin soloing and some fantastic guitar work by Rizvi and Bernard – all supported by Edwards’ rock solid bass playing and Holmquist’s powerful and technically proficient drumming.
Next was “Can I Tell You,” from the band’s 1974 debut album, “Kansas,” followed by the inspirational ballad, “Hold On” that includes the lyric, “Hold on baby, baby hold on, because it’s closer than you think and you’re standing on the brink.”
In addition to being a great singer, Platt, who joined the band in 2014, was gracious and appreciative when interacting with the audience. As he does at every show, Platt dedicated “Down the Road” to original violinist and vocalist Robby Steinhardt, who died of natural causes at the age of 71 in Tampa in 2021.
The main set ended with two more classics from the “Leftoverture” album: “The Wall” and “Miracles Out of Nowhere.”
After leaving the stage briefly and returning for the encore, Platt thanked The Outlaws’ and Kansas production crews that “worked their butts off” to put the show on.
Saving the best for last, the encore began with the instantly recognizable vocal a capella: “Carry on my wayward son, there’ll be peace when you are done, lay your weary head to rest, don’t you cry no more.” Kansas then rocked the convention center audience to a satisfactory conclusion.
Before exiting the stage, Platt said, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for making Kansas a part of your life for more than 50 years. And the final question of the evening is: Ladies and gentlemen, did you have a good time tonight? We love you. Please be safe, please stay healthy and we will see you next time.”
