Progressive rock band, Kansas, extends its Collegiate Symphony Tour to Bismarck, Sunday, April 22, for an 8 p.m. concert at the Bismarck Civic Center.
From its beginning years in Topeka, Kansas achieved success by playing only their own music. Fans will hear that and more as Kansas shares the stage with the Bismarck State College String Ensemble for ArtsQuest 2012, BSC's month-long celebration of the arts.
Kansas was among the most popular bands of the late 1970s, appearing on the Billboard charts for more than 200 weeks through the 1980s. They played to sold-out arenas and stadiums across North America, Europe and Japan. In 1978, the band was named UNICEF Deputy Ambassadors of Goodwill.
With a complex blend of British progressive rock and American heartland sound, Kansas songs have retained relevance through the years. Their hit single, "Carry on Wayward Son" was the No. 2 most played track on classic rock radio in 1995 and went to No. 1 in 1997. Many of the group's hits remain staples of album-oriented rock radio today.
Fame beckoned in 1976 with the release of "Leftoverture." The album reached the Top Five and sold more than 3 million copies. The "Point of Know Return" collection achieved even more success, spawning the huge hit, "Dust in the Wind," the band's first acoustic track. Both songs have been covered by other artists and featured on film and television soundtracks.
Kansas has produced 12 platinum and gold albums plus the gold single, "Dust in the Wind." The band has released several performance DVD's, including "Device Voice Drum (2002)," "Works in Progress (2006)," and the acclaimed "There's Know Place Like Home," considered a best-ever performance by the band.
In 1998, Kansas released an orchestral CD, "Always Never the Same," recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London. They followed with an orchestral tour, accompanied by top-caliber symphony orchestras. Kansas has since performed with college orchestras to raise money for their music programs. The performances are enriched by a stage full of musicians and arrangements by renowned composer and conductor Larry Baird.
Kansas began its latest Collegiate Symphony Tour in September 2010 after completing a tour with classic rockers Stix and Foreigner. The band, currently comprised of drummer Phil Ehart, bassist Billy Greer, violinist David Ragsdale, singer/keyboardist Steve Walsh, and guitarist Richard Williams, will conclude the collegiate run this spring and then headline a package tour with the band Kings X in the fall of 2012.
Tickets can be purchased at the Bismarck Civic Center box office or through Ticketmaster.
About Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities.
From its beginning years in Topeka, Kansas achieved success by playing only their own music. Fans will hear that and more as Kansas shares the stage with the Bismarck State College String Ensemble for ArtsQuest 2012, BSC's month-long celebration of the arts.
Kansas was among the most popular bands of the late 1970s, appearing on the Billboard charts for more than 200 weeks through the 1980s. They played to sold-out arenas and stadiums across North America, Europe and Japan. In 1978, the band was named UNICEF Deputy Ambassadors of Goodwill.
With a complex blend of British progressive rock and American heartland sound, Kansas songs have retained relevance through the years. Their hit single, "Carry on Wayward Son" was the No. 2 most played track on classic rock radio in 1995 and went to No. 1 in 1997. Many of the group's hits remain staples of album-oriented rock radio today.
Fame beckoned in 1976 with the release of "Leftoverture." The album reached the Top Five and sold more than 3 million copies. The "Point of Know Return" collection achieved even more success, spawning the huge hit, "Dust in the Wind," the band's first acoustic track. Both songs have been covered by other artists and featured on film and television soundtracks.
Kansas has produced 12 platinum and gold albums plus the gold single, "Dust in the Wind." The band has released several performance DVD's, including "Device Voice Drum (2002)," "Works in Progress (2006)," and the acclaimed "There's Know Place Like Home," considered a best-ever performance by the band.
In 1998, Kansas released an orchestral CD, "Always Never the Same," recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London. They followed with an orchestral tour, accompanied by top-caliber symphony orchestras. Kansas has since performed with college orchestras to raise money for their music programs. The performances are enriched by a stage full of musicians and arrangements by renowned composer and conductor Larry Baird.
Kansas began its latest Collegiate Symphony Tour in September 2010 after completing a tour with classic rockers Stix and Foreigner. The band, currently comprised of drummer Phil Ehart, bassist Billy Greer, violinist David Ragsdale, singer/keyboardist Steve Walsh, and guitarist Richard Williams, will conclude the collegiate run this spring and then headline a package tour with the band Kings X in the fall of 2012.
Tickets can be purchased at the Bismarck Civic Center box office or through Ticketmaster.
About Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities.