As an acoustic indie artist, I was looking forward to playing first in Sacramento my small gig so I could then get to Reno at a reasonable hour... but I was moved much later and finished my gig at 11pm. Exhausted by the time I got to Reno... the Atlantis hotel staff must have made a huge mistake as they put me in a luxury room... I had never seen a room like that before... a jacuzzi inside, a bathroom the size of a regular hotel room. The next day I was downgraded to a room I was more comfortable with - down from 5 luxury little soaps to 1 regular little soap. I guess rich people have more things to wash off... ha ha. Still waiting for the show I got something to eat at a place alone at the hotel. I was sitting next to a typical American couple, but the waiter - who should have had his own cooking reality show - was so overly attentive I couldn't believe it. I kept hoping he'd play attention to the messy people next to me... but alas after another guy sprinkled pepper on my food an two little black specks hit the table cloth... the over attentive waiter rushed over with something I'd never seen before, the little spec remover brush... I'm sure their must be a fancy French word for it... Tres le broucette le spec nastee.... Je ne parle pas Francais....I thought it was too weird. I almost wanted to start deliberately sprinkling little specs on the table cloth to mess with him. He freaked me out. Thankfully, Kansas was to be on soon & sure enough they brought everything back down to earth with their lofty melodies... a Paradox I know all was well... everything is alright ... musical bliss... Two shows in a row rocked Atlantis, with longer set lists both nights. An enthusiastic crowd, many repeat customers were treated to outstanding vocals by Steve Walsh, and David Ragsdale serenading the audience right where they sat. Steve proved once again that there is no better vocalist in Rock history. His musicality was outstanding even doing vocal counter-melodies. "Belexes" and "The Wall" were added to the second night, the set list order was compelling both nights. Kansas was the first band to play in the Grand Ballroom at Atlantis, and although not the best acoustics, a low ceiling and blinding lights, Kansas made the best of it and the audience couldn't even tell. Despite lights shining right in his eyes, Rich Williams still rocked the house, and Phil Ehart impressed the guys in the row next to us, who had never seen Kansas before... with "wow he's really an amazing drummer"... Billy Greer was enjoying himself too. In my row alone, people drove from California and Arizona, some flew from North Carolina and Washington to catch these shows... After the shows I got to have lunch with the most fun people, I had so many questions to ask them, but instead just enjoyed their company... I didn't see that overzealous waiter either! Go see Kansas! It'll make everything alright... musical bliss...

Kansas even when playing the exact same setlist, can satisfy any audience... even a sea of hardcore bikers. It was Arizona Bike Week, and Arizona is home to some of the largest motorcycle clubs and otherwise in the US.

The closest parking was strictly enforced, motorcycles only. Cars had to park way, way in the back. Timid and a big chicken by nature, the thought of having even to walk through the rows of bikes alone I questioned my sanity and thought, well my horse is just up the street about 5 miles, I could just not see my favorite band, have a nice dinner and hang out with my best buddy.

Motorcycles have always terrified me, living in Custer, South Dakota when I was small, our whole town once a year would be literally taken over by motorcycles, every single parking spot was taken and they lined up all of the streets. Little old ladies would stock up on groceries a week in advance, close their shutters and warn me, "don't go down there, whatever you do"

I first rode a motorcycle when Pablo, our guitarist in one of my first bands "Tandem Felix" gave me a ride on his on the winding roads in the Sandias I was scared out of my mind he was going so fast... no helmets duh... just his long black hair and my blonde hair flying everywhere.

I bravely had to go to a biker gang only bar, alone again when I was running for office ... I walked in there and the special kind of glare, like who are you, I'm going to hurt you in ways you've never been hurt before... that glare... from everyone was all I got until their leader, came by and said, oh this is so and so and she supports our issues. Then as George Thorogood says, "Lord, they were all lovey dovey"... and acted like my best friends.

Hey if I could do that, I could walk across the sea of bikes... and didn't I program a station named after a Hawg, and we gave away a Harley on the air? Damn I should have worn my Hawg jacket...wasn't thinking.

Note, I'm 40 and not what I used to be, but the amount of being hit on was terrifying. And the kind of being hit on was absolutely aggressive. I kept asking myself why don't they go bug that half naked 20 year old over there. I got there late, but not late enough. The people I was supposed to meet never showed up. I have to get out of here, I just don't feel safe. Walking out, I found a table where some out of place mid-western looking types were sitting and thought, maybe if I sit with them it'll be alright. Nope... about 5 minutes later a toothless drunk guy asked me m'aam do I get the first dance? The lady across from me had a pained expression on her face for some other reason, and the drunk guy said, oh I guess your mother over there doesn't approve... and he walked/staggered off. The lady said what did he say? I said he thought you were my mom and that you didn't approve of him dancing with me... I said, "hey thanks for adopting me! You're keeping me safe, thank you, I can still sit here with you for awhile right?!!" The whole table cracked up as did the normal looking guys at the ATM machine.

Finally some of the people I was meeting showed up, and the concert began. When the music started I forgot all about the sheer terror that ensued before. When Steve Walsh sang the part in Icarus II about being safe... terror what terror... I was safe...as only his voice can do, soothe the savage beast or in this case biker. Few vocalists have that ability to transport you out of your current situation to a better place. What had appeared to be a sea of mean-scary-freaking bikers turned into a sea of friends with one thing in common, their fine taste in music. Kansas music has always been progressive and has that effect to make people see/feel the highest in themselves.

Despite power issues on Steve's keyboard and David Ragsdale's guitar, these pros still made it so seamless you couldn't tell.

Encore

GO SEE KANSAS LIVE... prepare to be transported... even Captain Morgan was smiling and seemed pleased!

Built in 1150, Acoma Sky City is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the US, by the "People of the White Rock"... It was neighboring Acoma Sky City Casino 15 miles north where they became "People of the South Wind" for a night on March 29, 2008 and truly rocked.

Articles in the Albuquerque Journal and the Navajo Times advertised the event, as did billboards along historic Route 66.

Albuquerque radio has a long tradition of playing deeper tracks of Kansas music - hey at least starting in the 80's! I remember my first day on the job at a commercial radio station after finally "graduating" from KUNM & college radio... Hubby Dean the Music Director at 94 Rock was "training me in" I brought in my own copy of the first Kansas album. They were playing a pretty heavy setlist so I told him, "Hey this will fit in great.... it was Belexes" He had to admit that although he had never heard it before it was "really good". That was 1985. They say radio waves travel the speed of light and unless they hit something they will travel forever, not at their original strength of course... so let's see Belexes complete with my exhuberant back announcing, in 1989 reached the closest star, Alpha Centauri, in 2001 it reached Altair, the brightest star in the constellation Aquila and right about now it's reaching the star Formalhaut which it's been discovered has a Neptune sized planet orbiting it... so they are rocking to Kansas at Fomalhaut, who knew? They're really gonna be happy when Journey From Mariabronn arrives! O.K. see there I did something with my astronomy education at UNM, would you like fries with that?

The crowd was sold out and loud, and the show started with David in the audience playing right to the crowd, right in their laps practically, the audience loved it! The audience knew the words to everything except Musicatto ha ha. They even knew Down the Road which was a nice departure, complete with solos and assorted creative riff-age, very cool Steve Walsh keyboard solo, only wished it went a couple of more times around, that was really a treat to hear!

In the third row, native Acoma men were singing the words to Cheyenne Anthem, that was quite a sight to see. An Acoma woman next to me was clapping to every beat of Miracles Out of Nowhere, I have actually never seen that before, or knew it was possible.

Song For America was so perfect vocally with Steve, Billy and David. Rich Williams did a great solo on Icarus and David Ragsdale ... can any other human being replicate what he does? No.

Phil was also in fine form and was really adding to the already intense energy level especially on Belexes, the Fomalhautians would be proud! Billy's vocals were very good, and he was more creative with some of his bass runs too.

Hold On drew the most applause up until that point and David Ragsdale's insanely difficult bridge sailed through ... stunning the audience. Kansas mixed up the order and played "Dust In the Wind" much earlier in the set than normal, further increasing the audience's decibel level, as they sang along. Steve's vocals shown through like the brightest star in the sky on everything.

The encore was Fight Fire with Fire which although not a song I love, it was infinitely better live than the original recording, and of course "Carry on Wayward Son" ---- as if it wasn't already loud enough, somehow people saved enough of their voices to scream even louder. I hope it's not light years before they play New Mexico again!