Kansas to rock Festival stage today

The songs are as classic as the band that performs them.

“Carry On Wayward Son,” “Dust in the Wind,” “Point of Know Return,” “Fight Fire With Fire,” “Hold On,” deep cuts and more.

Music fans and lovers of classic rock will have a chance to hear iconic Kansas tunes as the legendary band headlines the Festival at Sandpoint stage today at War Memorial Field.

With a career spanning five decades, Kansas has firmly established itself as one of America’s iconic classic rock bands. This garage band from Topeka released its debut album in 1974 after being discovered by Wally Gold, who worked for Don Kirshner. Since then, the band has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.

With a catalog that includes 16 studio albums and five live albums, Kansas has produced numerous gold and platinum records. The band appeared on the Billboard charts for more than 200 weeks throughout the 1970s and 1980s and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums across North America, Europe and Japan.

“Carry On Wayward Son” remains one of the top five most-played songs on classic rock radio, and “Dust in the Wind” has been played more than 3 million times.

In the summer of 2020, Kansas released its 16th studio album, “The Absence of Presence,” which debuted at No. 10 on Billboard’s Top Current Albums chart. The wide-ranging progressive rock album, released by InsideOut Music, followed 2016’s “The Prelude Implicit,” which debuted at No. 14 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart.

Along with constant touring, Kansas remains a fixture of classic rock radio and popular culture. The band continues to reach new audiences through its presence in commercials, live sports broadcasts, and popular video games such as Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Grand Theft Auto. Kansas has also been featured in the documentary “Miracles Out of Nowhere” and made a guest appearance on The CW’s “Walker.”

Their music has been included in television shows such as “Supernatural,” “Reacher,” “All Elite Wrestling,” “South Park,” “The Office” and “The Simpsons,” as well as films including “Old School,” “The Suicide Squad,” “Anchorman,” “Pitch Perfect” and “Happy Gilmore.”

The current lineup includes original drummer Phil Ehart, vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, keyboardist/vocalist Tom Brislin, guitarist Zak Rizvi, violinist/guitarist Joe Deninzon, bassist/vocalist Dan McGowan and original guitarist Richard Williams. Drummer Eric Holmquist is currently performing while Ehart recovers from a major heart attack. With no signs of slowing down, Kansas continues to perform for large and enthusiastic audiences.

Opening for Kansas will be Vika and the Velvets.

The concert will be a seated show, with general admission in front of the stage limited to short chair and blanket seating only.

General admission tickets are $85.16, including taxes and fees. Gates open at 6 p.m., with music starting at 7:30 p.m.

The Festival at Sandpoint’s annual summer performance series continues through Sunday, Aug. 3, with a variety of genres including pop, rock, country, folk, classical and more.

More information: festivalatsandpoint.com