Richard Williams, Tom Brislin, Ronnie Platt, Joe Deninzon and Billy Greer of the band Kansas perform at the Ryman Auditorium on August 19, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesKansas will perform at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena on Saturday, Feb. 21. "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind" will echo through the venue, drawing from five decades of rock history.
According to New Jersey Stage, Wally Gold discovered the Topeka group while working for Don Kirshner. Their debut album dropped in 1974. Since then, they've moved more than 30 million albums across the globe.
Fifteen studio albums sit in their collection, plus five live recordings. Eight went gold. Three achieved sextuple-platinum status. One platinum live album joined the ranks, and two singles each sold over a million copies.
During the '70s and '80s, Kansas spent over 200 weeks on Billboard charts. Sold-out arenas and stadiums became routine stops in North America, Europe, and Japan. "Carry On Wayward Son" still ranks among the top five most-played tracks on classic rock radio, while "Dust In the Wind" has spun on airwaves more than three million times.
Both the Kansas Hall of Fame and Georgia Music Hall of Fame inducted the group in 2015, honoring their roots and where they settled.
New fans keep finding them. Commercials feature their tracks. Live sports broadcasts pump their music through speakers. Video games like Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Grand Theft Auto let players jam along. The documentary KANSAS: Miracles Out of Nowhere brought their story to screens everywhere.
Television shows grabbed their songs: Supernatural, Reacher, All Elite Wrestling, South Park, The Office, and The Simpsons. Films did too — Old School, The Suicide Squad, Anchorman, Pitch Perfect, Happy Gilmore, and its sequel, Happy Gilmore 2, all wove Kansas into their soundtracks.
The current lineup brings together vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, keyboardist/vocalist Tom Brislin, guitarists Zak Rizvi and Scott Bernard, violinist/guitarist Joe Deninzon, and bassist/vocalist Dan McGowan. Original members Richard Williams on guitar and Phil Ehart on drums remain part of the group. Eric Holmquist handles drum duties while Phil Ehart recovers from a major heart attack.
Tickets begin at $69. Purchase them online. Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena sits at 1000 Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
