Story by Kristen Collosso | June 14, 2010 | Tags: Cary Academy, Events, koka booth amphiteatre, music, News
Story by Kristen Collosso. Pictures by Chris Adamczyk.
Cary, NC – In the 1970s, it would have been hard to find a household that didn’t have at least one “record” (remember them?) from Foreigner, Styx or Kansas inside of its walls.
Decades later, these three bands continue to tour nonstop, captivating audiences with music that continues to speak to younger generations. This summer, they have joined forces for what is labeled the “United in Rock” tour. On Wednesday, they made a stop at Booth Amphitheatre.
It was a warm and humid day in Cary, with mostly cloudy skies that threatened the chance of thunder showers. Nevertheless, fans came out in force that evening, getting there early and camping outside the gates until they opened at 5 pm.
Kansas
Kansas opened the show at 6 pm with a set that included many of their best-known hits, from Point Of Know Return to Dust In The Wind to Carry On Wayward Son.
Having seen Kansas live several years ago, I immediately noticed a difference in the lineup. Longtime Kansas violinist Robbie Steinhardt is apparently no longer in the band as of 2006 and has been replaced by David Ragsdale.
Ragsdale is no stranger to longtime Kansas fans, having replaced Steinhardt back in the 90′s as well. Lead singer Steve Walsh, drummer Phil Ehart and eyepatched guitarist Rich Williams rounded out the impressively authentic lineup.
At first glance, Kansas came off as a sort of ragtag group of guys up there on the stage. However, the musical prowess of the progressive rock quintet was unmistakable. Vocalist Steve Walsh unleashed some amazing operatic vocals from start to finish, and Ragsdale treated us to some complex and beautiful violin parts.
Throughout the majority of Kansas’ set, the audience remained seated, though we were all attentively involved with the performance. As I looked down the row of people next to me, I saw a sea of bobbing heads and tapping feet. During Miracles Out Of Nowhere, a rambling progressive rock piece from their Leftoverture album, we experienced about three “false endings” where the audience thought the song was over. Bassist Billy Greer motioned during each part “not done yet!” with a laugh, and the song continued on. At the end of the song, he announced “the end!” to massive applause.
The performance of Portrait (He Knew) was spiced up by the crew on the side of the stage performing obviously rehearsed motions done to the rhythm of the song – things like hand motions and slapping foreheads. It served for a very entertaining spectacle, and even the band seemed to be having a great time with it.
Kansas Set List
Kansas’ set ended with Carry On Wayward Son, and the audience started to get up on their feet. They left the stage to a warm and roaring applause, and it was clear that Kansas felt the love in Cary that night.
Foreigner
Foreigner’s powerhouse set was the second of the night, and as the band blew through their opening song, Double Vision, we were all on our feet!
The lineup of Foreigner has changed considerably since their heyday, a point that lone original member Mick Jones addressed during band introductions. His goal in the reformation of this band, he said, was to restore the performance and sound to its original quality. The new lineup included guitarist Jeff Pilson (founding member of heavy metal band Dokken), multi-instrumentalist Thom Gimbel and lead vocalist Kelly Hansen.
Both members brought great energy to Foreigner’s set. Jeff Pilson possesses the rare ability to raise a crowd’s volume from a whisper to a roar in a matter of seconds. Hansen, looking much like a slightly younger Steven Tyler, ran about the stage and delivered soulful vocals. Full of energy, he always seemed to be constantly striking rock star poses and during the instrumental section of Cold As Ice, he surprised the front row by leaping over the barricade and running around among the audience!
The weather didn’t feel much cooler even by the end of Foreigner’s set when it was starting to get dark. The band was certainly feeling it, with many of the members completely sweating through their shirts! A drenched Hansen even addressed the audience about it, saying “I’m sweating! I was going to try to hide it, but it isn’t working out so well!”
As a part of Foreigner’s routine, Hansen suggested that we all put our arms around our neighbors for I Want To Know What Love Is. As sweet as the sentiment was, we all knew we weren’t going to be able to stand wrapping our sticky arms around each other. Thanks but no thanks! We got a treat when the Cary Academy Chorus joined the band on the stage and offered some backup vocals during this song!
Foreigner Set List
Foreigner’s amazing set definitely rocked, but there was still more music on the way!
Styx
It seemed that Foreigner was going to be a tough act to follow, but Styx was surely up to the task.
After 11 years of virtually nonstop touring, this band is a force to be reckoned with. The current lineup, anchored by longtime members James “JY” Young and Tommy Shaw, features Todd Sucherman (voted Modern Drummer’s #1 Rock Drummer in 2009) on drums, Ricky Phillips (formerly of The Babys and Bad English) on bass and Lawrence Gowan (Canadian singer/songwriter) on keyboards and vocals.
Their set opened up with a medley that combined pieces from Borrowed Time, Mr. Roboto, Pieces Of Eight and Rockin’ The Paradise. From there, they dove into a set filled with their greatest hits. Fans were also surprised with another big hit from Tommy Shaw’s career — a beautiful rendition of the Damn Yankees’ power ballad, High Enough!
However, that wasn’t the only surprise of the night. Longtime fans were thrilled when original bassist Chuck Panozzo walked out onto the stage for Fooling Yourself! Panozzo, while still a member of the band, does not tour full time for health reasons. But when he does join the band for a leg of the tour, he always receives the warmest welcome from his fans!
Keyboardist Lawrence Gowan kept the crowd smiling as well, with his spinning keyboard (which he at different points played backwards and upside down), crazy dance moves and comedic antics on stage.
As a lead-in to Come Sail Away, he performed a call-and-response exercise with the audience, where we were to finish the lines of famous classic rock songs. “We don’t need no…” he’d start. “education!” we’d reply, etc. After a few examples to warm us up, he jumped into Come Sail Away which, according to him, is a great sea faring song for nights out on the “bayou” (he gestured toward Symphony Lake).
Come Sail Away ended with Tommy Shaw running up to the barricade, perching his booted foot on top of it, and allowing a fan in the front row to strum his guitar for the final chords of the song. Massive amounts of red, white and blue confetti spouted out from the top of the stage and covered everybody and everything. It got in our hair, in our clothes, and even the stage was completely coated!
Styx Set List
Many left the Booth Amphitheatre that night thoroughly rocked and still finding confetti stuck to our skin (again, thanks to humidity). These three bands certainly know how to put on a great show! Do yourself a favor, and don’t miss them the next time they come around.
Proceeds from the sales of Styx’s concert program and Foreigner’s “Can’t Slow Down” 3-CD set on this tour go to Save the Music. The Cary Academy Chorus is also to receive a $1,000 donation.
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Matt
June 15, 2010 at 5:50 pm
That lead picture is AWESOME.
Kristen Collosso
June 15, 2010 at 6:02 pm
I agree Matt, Chris did an awesome job with the photos!