Fifth Third Ballpark to host FREE concert; Kansas named headliner
Trevor Menear, son of Classic Rock 97 LAV FM personality Kevin Matthews, and other yet-to-be-named bands will open the free show.
Box seats, reserved seats and field access are free to the public; no physical tickets will be issued for these areas. Hospitality suites, VIP tables and private party areas will be available to groups at a low cost. Full ballpark food and beverages will be available at the concessions stands. Parking is $5 per car.
"The decision to bring in a high-profile act for a free concert was a great way to offer the West Michigan community a night of great music without worrying about the ticket costs usually associated with concerts and other forms of entertainment," said Lew Chamberlin, CEO and Managing Partner of Whitecaps Professional Baseball Corp. "This free concert on June 6 is a great way to kick off a summer of fun at Fifth Third Ballpark."
A highly successful band in the mid-to-late 1970's, Kansas combined British-style progressive rock with elements of both early 70's heavy metal and classical music, while maintaining a hard rock edge throughout. Kansas appeared on the Billboard charts for over 200 weeks throughout the 70's and 80's and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan.
From the beginning, Kansas achieved success by playing only their original music. The band's discography includes 14 studio albums, five live albums and seven compilation albums between 1974 and 2006, and has produced one 5x platinum album (Leftoverture/1976), two quadruple Platinum albums (Point of Know Return/1977, Best of Kansas/1984), two platinum albums (Monolith/1979, Two for the Show/1978) and four gold albums (Kansas/1974, Song for America/1975, Masque/1975, and Audio-Visions/1980).
In addition, 18 singles have hit the US charts, with two certified gold ("Dust in the Wind" and "Carry On Wayward Son"). Both singles continue to stand the test of time, with "Carry On Wayward Son" becoming the #2 most played track on classic rock radio in 1995 and rising to #1 in 1997, and "Dust in the Wind" being certified gold as a digital download in 2005, almost 30 years after it sold 1 million copies as a single. Other hit singles include "Point of Know Return" and "Play the Game Tonight."
The music of Kansas appeals both to the Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers who listened to the band in their mid-seventies heyday, as well as to current teenagers who now play Kansas songs on Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Digital sales of "Carry On Wayward Son" rose from 119,000 in 2006 to 297,000 in 2007 after it was included in Guitar Hero II. Kansas Guitarist Rich Williams says the band sees the Guitar Hero influence at concerts. "The front row of almost every show we did after Guitar Hero II was released was filled with young teenagers," Williams said. "It's all due to that. It's brought us a whole new fan base - a younger crowd to us that otherwise might not have come in." The song was also included in Rock Band 2, which was released in September 2008.
Original band members Steve Walsh (lead vocals, keyboards), Phil Ehart (drummer), Robby Steinhardt (violin, vocals) and Williams (lead and acoustic guitar) maintain the legacy that began more than 35 years ago and will bring music of Kansas to Fifth Third Ballpark this summer. For more information on Kansas, please visit the official website www.kansasband.com.
Gates for the concert open at 5 p.m. and the opening acts will take place soon after.
The Kansas concert is just one of many non-baseball events to take place at Fifth Third Ballpark this summer. Other events include the Great Lakes Irish Music Festival, Gus Macker basketball, and several football games. For more information on ballpark events, please visit www.whitecapsbaseball.com and visit the Fifth Third Ballpark section.
The 2009 Whitecaps baseball season begins Wednesday, April 8 with an exhibition game at home against Grand Valley State University. The regular season begins April 9 at home against South Bend at 6:35 p.m. Season, group, and individual tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.