Hundreds fill auditorium for screening of Kansas documentary
http://cjonline.com/news/2015-04-12/hun ... ocumentary'Miracles Out of Nowhere' chronicles the band's rise
April 12, 2015
By Justin Wingerter
justin.wingerter@cjonline.com Hundreds of people Sunday night crowded into Topeka Bible Church for a public viewing of “Miracles Out of Nowhere,” a documentary on the rise of the band Kansas in the mid-1970s.
The 78-minute film was shown in the auditorium of the church, 1135 S.W. College Ave., beginning at 6:30 p.m. Organizers carried dozens of chairs from elsewhere in the church to accommodate the overflow crowd.
The documentary, which was filmed in Topeka, features interviews with original band members Phil Ehart, Dave Hope, Kerry Livgren, Robby Steinhardt, Steve Walsh and Richard Williams. It chronicles the band’s rise from performing at small Kansas bars in the early 1970s to selling out large stadiums by the middle of that decade.
The large crowd laughed often and clapped occasionally at the film, which features several anecdotes from the band’s first six years, such as recording sessions next to John Lennon and a disagreement with Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler in Wichita.
“We had everything a band needed to make it, except we were from Kansas,” Livgren says early in the documentary, alluding to the band’s struggles to get noticed by music executives in New York City and Los Angeles.
Band members lived on a dollar a day in 1973 as they toured constantly, playing small gigs throughout Kansas before recording their first album.
After the viewing, Livgren was in attendance to answers questions. He said he and other members of the band would go fishing or collect cans on the side of the highway to buy food.
“We were making a living mainly in the Midwest,” Walsh said in the documentary. “It was hard but it made us stronger.”
In March 1974, the band’s self-titled first album was released. Before the end of the decade, the band produced five more studio albums, along with a double live album recorded at Madison Square Garden in New York.
On the cover of the band’s debut album is the iconic mural of abolitionist John Brown in the Kansas Capitol. On the other side is a photo of the band members atop Burnett’s Mound in southwest Topeka. In the documentary, the band members revisit both spots and reflect on the role Topeka played in their musical journey.
Along with narration from band members, the documentary features interviews with several other musicians explaining the influence Kansas had on their music.
“These guys just reached out and grabbed my soul,” country musician Garth Brooks says as he describes his first Kansas concert.
“It sounded kind of classical, I suppose,” Queen guitarist Brian May adds.
The band underwent a series of changes in the 1980s and beyond, never recapturing the success of 1976’s “Carry on Wayward Son” and 1977’s “Dust in the Wind.” In 2000, the original band gathered in Topeka to record the album “Somewhere to Elsewhere” and has continued to tour annually since.
In 2009, Livgren suffered a stroke, requiring him to relearn English. He lives on a farm in Berryton with his wife, Vicci.
Livgren was met with a standing ovation as he took the stage after the viewing. He took questions from the crowd, speaking often of his spirituality.Livgren’s current project has been in the works for 35 years, he said Sunday. “Cantata: The Resurrection Lazarus,” is an orchestral and vocal composition based on the biblical story from John Chapter 11.
“Miracles Out of Nowhere” debuted at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Feb. 2 and had its television premiere on VH1 Classic on March 20. It has been available in stores since March 24.
Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 9:42 am