Golden Jubilee

David Desin

Jefferson Starship took to the Warner Theatre stage, partnering with Kansas to bring a night full of hits to the Warner Theatre as both bands celebrated the 50th Anniversary of their first albums.

The evening was filled with classic rock standards as Kansas and Jefferson Starship celebrated the 50th anniversaries of their debut albums with a joint milestone tour that made a stop at the historic Warner Theatre in Erie on Oct. 1. Kansas was formed in 1973, but it wasn't until a year later that they debuted with a self-titled album that blended boogie blues with progressive rock, and even though it wasn't an immediate hit, the album laid the groundwork for the hits that were to come for Kansas. Jefferson Starship was formed by Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, and David Freiberg after the dissolution of 60s psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane. They released Dragon Fly by the summer of 1974, which reached 11 on the billboard charts and was certified gold. Both bands grew in popularity throughout the 70s and continuing to compose hits into the 80s.

The evening at the Warner began as Jefferson Starship landed on the Warner's stage, beginning the show with a track of tones and tribal beats, leading into some guitar feedback that eventually turned into their song "Find Your Way Back" from their 1981 album Modern Times. They continued with "Stranger," another track from the same album, keeping the momentum going with a fan favorite, straight forward rock 'n roll song. The song features a distinct bassline that drew attention to the fact that keyboardist Chris Smith was playing the bass parts as well, however his tone and tempo were so spot on that you forgot several times during the show that they were sans a bassist.

Switching gears, the band then played one of two songs from the Starship era of the band, with the hit ballad "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now." Although neither David Freiberg nor Cathy Richardson sang on the original recording, their ability to match the original vocal parts made the difference appear seamless. Richards joined Jefferson Starship in 2008 after a successful career as a musician and stage actor, portraying Janis Joplin in Love Janis and fronting Joplin's former band Big Brother and the Holding Company in recent years. While Freiberg left the band during the Starship era, only to return after changing the name back – he has fantastic vocal range at 87 years old. They then went on to play "Miracles," their first hit, followed by the Jefferson Airplane psychedelic classic "White Rabbit," which saw Richards take to the crowd and cross through seats in the middle of the arena, while the song built to a crescendo.

The hits kept coming as they continued with the Starship number one "We Built This City," which had the entire crowd singing along, followed by their 1979 song "Jane," which is better known these days for its use in the films Wet Hot American Summer and Cocaine Bear, and the video game Grand Theft Auto IV. Finishing off their set with "Somebody To Love," the song was written by Grace Slick's brother-in-law.

Jefferson Starship and Kansas: All photos by David Desin

After a hit-filled set from Jefferson Starship, Kansas took the stage kicking their set off with "Point of No Return," the album opener to their 1977 album of the same name. Kansas fans have come to expect the band to open with this song – as it's become a staple of their performances since its release. They continued playing their singles with 1976's "What's On My Mind," followed by "Play The Game Tonight," from the 1981 album "Vinyl Confessions." Kansas continued to play crowd favorites from the '70s and '80s like "Fire With Fire," "Child of Innocence," "The Wall," and "Song For America" before launching into one of their biggest hits "Dust In The Wind," which was met with the crowd swaying and singing along.

Following one of their most recognizable songs, the band decided to go back to their roots and play "Can I Tell You," the first track from their debut album. The song features many solos, which showcased the current lineup's ability to, not only sound like the original lineup, but have the chops to add their own style to the solos – including a mesmerizing violin solo from Joe Deninzon who joined the band in 2023. They continued to delve into their catalog with "Hold On," which featured the violin again, as well as group harmonies from the entire band. Kansas continued to stay in their heyday and played "Down The Road," "Portrait (He Knew)," and closing with the song "Miracles Out of Nowhere," all from their 1970s releases. Kansas then left the stage, only to return for an encore with, arguably, their biggest song "Carry On Wayward Son" from their highest selling album Leftoverture, keeping the crowd on their feet and singing along. 

Two original members of Kansas are still with the band – Rich Williams (lead guitar) and Phil Ehart (drums), continuing to make new music, with their last effort being 2020's The Absence of Presence. Continuing the legacy of this Topeka, Kansas band, they have enlisted musicians including Joe Deninzon from Stratospheerius, Scott Bernard from Kenny Loggins' band, and Tom Brislin who has worked with Meatloaf, Yes, and Deborah Harry, amongst others, to carry Kansas into the future. 

Larry Wheaton can be reached at wheaton1138@gmail.com