Kansas II - Live - 1972 - Belexes

Recorded live at the Opera House in Ellinwood, Kansas in 1972. This was the 2nd version of Kansas with Phil Ehart and Dave Hope having left and only Kerry from the more familiar line-up remaining. This same lineup would reform 30 years later as Proto Kaw and produce several albums.

Kerry Livgren - Guitars, Piano
Lynn Merideth - Vocals
Don Montre - Piano, Flute, Alto Sax
Dan Wright - Hammond Organ
Zeke Low - Drums
Rod Mikinski - Bass
John Bolton - Tenor Sax, Flute

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Kansas
• Live
• 1972
• Ellinwood
• Opera
• House
• Belexes
• Kerry
• Livgren
• Lynn
• Merideth
• Don
• Montre
• Dan
• Wright
• Zeke
• Low
• Rod
• Mikinski
• John
• Bolton
• Proto
• Kaw

[notfragile33]

Any coincidence that "early" Kansas sounds a lot like "late" Bloodrock, considering that both bands toured together through the plains states? One band was on it's ascendency, and the other was on its way out

[rickyon]

Any coincidence that a member of Bloodrock from this timeframe ended up in Kansas 10 years later!

[notfragile33]

@rickyon Not only that, Kerry Livgren attended the Texas Pop Festival in 1969, where Bloodrock was also forming. They really must have known each other early on!

[rickyon]

Another factor would be that Warren Hamm also became a born again Christian.

[tinman3012]

Rick, this is a great find and thanks for posting. I know you are a stickler for details so one small correction for you....it's Ellinwood, Kansas (without the 'g'). As you may know, this is the same Ellinwood Opera House that "Kansas" played to secure their recording contract. Wally Gold from Kirshner records flew down to hear them play at this opera house to a packed house ('Kansas' had supplied free beer for the crowd) and he then recommended to Don Kirshner that they be signed.

[rickyon]

You're welcome Ron. Thanks for the clarification. I didn't know that this was the place that they performed for Wally Gold until very recently. Did you know he got hit in the head with a bottle at that performance?

[HighwayToFun]

@rickyon It was rumored "someone threw a liquor bottle from the balcony and it hit a guy in the head" did not know that "guy" was Wally Gold. It was impressive to see a limo parked on Main Street in front of the Opera House. Man, was the band LOUD,....they could be heard all the way across town. Variations of the band played locally,...at the prom and at a small local outdoor venue, The Kimbo

[joemysteryguitar]

An astute comment by notfragile33 that early Kansas sounds like late Bloodrock. I have always thought Kansas was influenced by Bloodrock. Warren Ham (late Bloodrock) played at one point with Kerry Livgren. The Bloodrock sound (early especially) was a funky mix of metal, Texas blues and even ethnic themes. You could plug Lee Pickens (guitar) or Stevie Hill (keyboards) in Kansas and not lose a beat. In fact, Bloodrock had religious themes in their music- see Breach of Lease. Both great bands.

[bubbatheroaddog808]

This Kansas band also played the Ellinwood Opera House often, for very receptive audiences (which wasn't a given for the "prog~rock" they were literally inventing) ~ but not for Wally Gold or Kirshner Records.

[bubbatheroaddog808]

I was with Wally Gold all day when he came to Kansas and sat with him that night at the Ellinwood Opera House and yes he got hit by a rowdy fan with a beer bottle when Dave Hope threw dozens of tampons into the crowd (Wally suggested that Dave should not have a microphone). However, it was White Clover + Kerry Livgren that Wally came to see, not this Kansas band. He came based on a demo cassette White Clover recorded in Liberal, looking for a house band for Don Kirshner's "In Concert" tv show.

[rickyon]

Thanks!

[notfragile33]

@notfragile33 Right--and his vocal style was identical to that of Lynn Meredith, Steve Walsh, Jon Elefante, etc. Plus Stevie Hill was adding a Moog in with his organ on Bloodrock's last album. If you heard that album and didn't know it was Bloodrock, you would think it was Kansas!