Kansas celebrates breakthrough album ‘Leftoverture’

It’s time to travel back over the rainbow to find Kansas live, Friday at Bundy Auditorium-USCL in Lancaster. An iconic, innovative band that helped forge the prog/rock niche in the mid-70’s, Kansas is currently touring select cities celebrating the 40th anniversary of their breakthrough album “Leftoverture.”

To honor this milestone, the band will be performing the hit album in its entirety, in sequence for the first time. In a concert lasting over two hours, their set list includes hits from 10 albums plus songs from the recently released album (their first in 16 years) titled ‘The Prelude Implicit,’ then wraps it all up with the live presentation of “Leftoverture.”

The legendary career of Kansas began in 1973 when they conjured together a sound that was different, unique and interesting enough to stand out amid stiff competition of the time.

Merging hard rock with a lofty classical, orchestral aura, done with imagination and clever instrumentation, the music revealed itself as memorable even timeless. So, it’s no surprise that a sound so significant to so many retains its vitality and holds up over the decades.

Let’s review: sales upwards of 30 million records overall, eight gold albums, three multiple platinum studio albums and a platinum live album keeping the band on Billboard charts for more than 200 weeks in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The Kansas hit “Carry On Wayward Son” continues as one of the top five most played classic rock radio tracks but “Dust In the Wind” – another Kansas hit – has racked up more than three million radio plays over the years.

The current lineup embarking on this historic tour features original drummer Phil Ehart, original guitarist Richard Williams, bassist/vocalist Billy Greer, keyboardist David Manion, vocalist/ keyboardist Ronnie Platt, violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale and guitarist Zak Rizvi.

The current tour began in October, traveling up and down the East coast, into the middle U.S. then to Daytona Beach, Fla., before hitting South Carolina. This is a return visit to the area for Kansas after a downtown Rock Hill concert in mid-2015.

This tour offers a different experience, creating plenty of anticipation and excitement for fans as well as for the band. According to original Kansas guitarist, Richard Williams, this event “definitely will not be your typical Kansas concerts of the past few years.”

“This is incredibly exciting for the entire band, and hopefully our fans. It’s something we’ve never done before – play an album in its entirety, as part of a set. ‘Leftoverture’ was our breakthrough, and it’s special that we are getting to celebrate it 40 years later. We’ve never even played ‘Questions of My Childhood’ live before,” he said, adding, “I can’t wait.”

Likewise, great expectations for fans ready to encounter music that’s significant enough to carry on for decades from Kansas, Friday at Bundy Auditorium, inside the Bradley Arts & Sciences Building on the USCL Campus, 476 Hubbard Drive, Lancaster. For more information, call the box office at 289-1486 or check p.arts@lancastercitysc.com. For more on the music, visit kansasband.com and facebook.com/kansasband.

Coming up

Friday: Songwriter’s Showcase/Open Mic with Alan Barrington & host Michael Wayne Avery at Ledo Pizza, Rock Hill; Halden Vang at Luke’s Sports Bar & Grill, Rock Hill; Chase Killough at McHale’s On Main, Rock Hill; Blind Driver at Hartland’s, Rock Hill; Catawba River Monster at Handle Bar Tavern, Catawba; Wayne Capps at Madison’s On The Corner, Tega Cay; Jeff Shows at Pineville Tavern, Pineville.

Saturday: PJ Brunson at Ledo Pizza, Rock Hill; Mitch Hayes Duo at Original Empire Pizza, Rock Hill; Matt Tucker at Revolutions at The Galleria, Rock Hill; Stella Rising at Hartland’s, Rock Hill; DJ Kardiak at McHale’s On Main, Rock Hill; Trial By Fire-Journey Tribute at Sylvia Theater, York; Lipstick on a Pig at T-Bones on the Lake, Lake Wylie; Weekends Band at John’s Place, Fort Mill; Rockin’ Kids First Benefit Concert/Auction with English Band, Halden Vang, Kevin Marshall & The J-Walkers, Shotgun Saints, more, at Amos’ Southend, Charlotte.

This story was originally published November 30, 2016 at 10:15 PM with the headline "Kansas celebrates breakthrough album ‘Leftoverture’."