Kansas is still known today as one of the best progressive rock bands to ever hit the stage. Known for such classics as “Dust in the Wind”, “Point of Know Return” and “Carry On My Wayward Son” the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 and is still going strong. Original members Rich Williams, Steve Walsh and Phil Ehart along with longtime band mates Billy Greer and David Ragsdale are currently touring with fellow rockers Styx and Foreigner while, at the same time, supporting their recent live concert DVD release, There’s Know Place Like Home. The three bands will hit Chicago on June 5^th at the Charter One Pavilion.

I caught Rich on a windy day in Nebraska hours before he was to take the stage, where he joked, “there’s nothing to block the wind out here.”  

Buzz – I wanted to ask you about Kansas’ recent DVD release, There’s Know Place Like Home. This is a live DVD that commemorates the 35^th Anniversary of your debut self-entitled album, Kansas. 

Rich Williams – We did an album with a symphony orchestra about 15 years ago and since then – just about every year – we do some symphony dates always in hope of one day filming it, and the 35^th anniversary seemed like a really good time to do that. We didn’t know where we wanted to film it and we wanted it to somehow make sense, so it wasn’t until we went back home where we started that we really began to get a feel for the whole project.

Buzz – How is that different when Kansas plays live shows – having an orchestra behind you?

Rich – Well, we’ve done it quite a bit over the last 15 years so it’s another day at the office, really. It is different but it’s not as hard as one thinks because the symphony follows us. The conductor follows the drummer and they follow the conductor. We just do what we do.

Buzz – How did the idea of playing with an orchestra even come up in the first place?

Rich – I think for a long time – a long time before we even did the symphony album – we just thought that one day it would be great to do a recording with the symphony. I don’t think it was any one person; it was just kind of a band goal to do it.

Buzz – Now, you guys have been around since the early 70’s. Are you constantly picking up new fans along the way? Capturing new generations as you go?

Rich – With the Internet, songs in movies – classic rock radio plays us all the time – we’ve always had new kids every year, and having “Carry On My Wayward Son” on Guitar Hero II has boosted our following incredibly. Rock Band also has “Wayward Son” on it and that started bringing whole families to the shows that play the song together. So the face of the crowd is older, but it’s also younger.

Buzz – And then you also have those devoted die-hards that worship you guys as one of the greats in the progressive rock world. You are really reaching out to a diverse audience.

Rich – We do have a very loyal fan base.

Buzz – The last Kansas album was released in 2000. Do you guys ever kick around the idea of recording an album of new material?

Rich – Yeah, we have kicked it around a bit. We have a project that we might be doing at the beginning of next year – or even late this year. It’s hard to get it moving and it’s very expensive to do. Radio won’t play it and when we would play a song off our new album people would get up to get a beer or buy a t-shirt. The reality is that nobody really gives a shit.

Buzz – Why do you think the radio wouldn’t play new Kansas material? I mean, you guys have TONS of fans.

Rich – Classic rock radio would be the only format and they are very formatted. They don’t play new material. They only go three songs deep with us. There are a few stations here and there that will, but not enough to move a record.

Buzz – That’s very true. You guys have a massive amount of great songs and yeah, they only play the same three. It’s almost a disservice.

Rich – They have a structured formula and that’s what they have to do. There are very few independent classic rock stations that just do it the way they want to where the disc jockey just pulls the songs out and plays whatever he wants. They all have a list of what they have to play. 

Buzz – So how has the Internet changed Kansas?

Rich – I know a lot of kids have discovered us on the Internet. Like when they play Guitar Hero II and they really like the song so they find out who plays it and they start looking us up. I remember my middle son, several years ago, was on his musical journey on the Internet and downloaded some songs and asked me, “Have you ever heard of a band called Crosby, Stills and Nash?” That wasn’t something that was on his plate before, so it was all new to him. So there is a lot of discovery there.  

Buzz – Very true. Now you are currently touring with Styx and Foreigner. How has that been for you?

Rich – Well, it’s familiar. I think it was ’96 when Styx first did their reunion tour, we did that tour with them. And we have worked with them every year since. We also worked with them back in the 70’s so we’ve known them forever. And Foreigner – we did the Foreigner Four tour with them in Europe – and since they’ve been back together we did a show with them last year and a couple the year before. So it’s all great. It’s very familiar and the crews even know each other.