kansas-band

Carry On

Kansas’ newest member and lead vocalist, Ronnie Platt, unravels the band’s ongoing allure and why it seems destined to remain a powerful musical force.

Greg Archer Arts & Entertainment, Current Digital

kansas-band
Kansas, which began as a garage band in the 1970s, brings its act June 1 to Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY KANSAS

Longevity is not the easiest skill to master. Marriages require it. Athletes work toward it. But for some rock bands from the 1970s and ’80s, especially a group as robust and fluid as Kansas, longevity is something that may be destined.

Ronnie Platt, one of the lead vocals of the popular rock group whose smash hits Dust in the Wind, Carry On Wayward Son, and Play The Game Tonight, discovered this immediately upon coming on board as one of Kansas’s new members four years ago, replacing original frontman Steve Walsh.

Platt recalls that he immediately felt a deep sense of brotherhood among the entourage with humble beginnings — the group began as a garage band in Topeka, Kansas in the early 1970s before its celebrity took orbit.

In 2015, Kansas celebrated its 40th anniversary. With 15 studio albums, five live albums, millions of albums and records sold, and some band member changes over time, the group ventures forth. The rockers hit the stage June 1 at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon.

Platt tells Palms Springs Life about the depth of the musical journey.

kansassongs

Coming on board Kansas several years ago was a major turning point for you and the band.

Even after four years, it is still surreal as it was the first week. We’ve had an incredibly tour schedule, one the band has not had in decades. We recorded a new album, and then a live album. It’s like the Kansas machine has never stopped.

Was there a longtime bandmember that took you under their wing, initially?

Billy Greer. We share so much of the vocals. He’s in Atlanta. I’m from Chicago. We first started rehearsals in a hotel room. He made me feel really confortable and help me fit into the job.

So, what’s the allure? Even after all these years, Kansas, remains incredibly popular with quite a tour schedule.

It’s the depth of the music. Kansas, by no stretch of the imagination, is a one-hit wonder. They had a particular style and [founding member/guitarist and keyboardist] Kerry Livgren being so classically influenced and all, he incorporated that into a rock sound—it had an intellectual depth. And [former guitarist/vocals] Steve Morse, too. These were extremely talented guys. All of the ingredients were perfect at the right time.

Why do you think Dust in the Wind was such an amazing hit?

It was such a beautiful song. An amazing melody. An amazing meaning. Everybody interprets the song differently but I think people are able to apply it [the lyrics] to their own life experiences. And to think, Kerry Livgren was playing that as a guitar exercise originally. It was one of the biggest songs for Kansas and the biggest songs—ever! Wayward Son may have put Kansas on the map, but Dust in the Wind kept it on that map permanently.

Do you think now, more than ever, because we are at such a curious time in the world — politically and otherwise — that people are craving more comfort and that could be part of it, too? People are just comfortable with Kansas. It feels like home.

One of the biggest complements I get when we do a show is when somebody says, “You took me back to my youth.” They tell me that all their tension and stress just left them for the time of the show. Music has that ability. It’s what we do. It’s intense. It grabs you and makes you forget about your troubles. And if that’s what we are doing, we are doing our job.

Your history is interesting. You were in other bands. You were also a truck driver for decades. What was it like at that very first concert with the band?

I remember the first time [keyboardist] Dave Manion and I went on. It was in Oklahoma City. We were like, “Please let them like us. Please let them like us.” We were coming on board and there was a lot of anxiety. But the audience loved it. It was such a heavy sigh of relief to have the first show under our belt.

Kansas performs at 9 p.m. June 1 at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon. For more information, visit morongacasinoresort.com or call 800-252-4499.