{"id":48087,"date":"2015-02-04T13:04:39","date_gmt":"2015-02-04T18:04:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=48087"},"modified":"2015-03-14T07:17:51","modified_gmt":"2015-03-14T12:17:51","slug":"tesla-simply-rocks-kc-concert-review-photo-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2015\/tesla-simply-rocks-kc-concert-review-photo-gallery\/","title":{"rendered":"Tesla simply rocks KC"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Kathy Kindred<\/span>
\n– Editor in Chief —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Tesla<\/p>\n

Feb. 3, 2015 at the Midland Theater in Kansas City, MO. —<\/h3>\n

As expected, Tesla brought its A-game to Kansas City. The band has been coming to Kansas City for 28 years, and Tesla\u2019s diehard Kansas Citian fans keep the band coming back year after year, sometimes more than once a year. <\/p>\n

Tesla is known for being loud, and at the Midland Theatre, the band\u2019s sound was explosive. There were ticket-holders seated right in front of the speaker stacks; it\u2019s amazing their ears weren\u2019t bleeding from the booming basslines, which made your heart feel like it would beat right out of your chest. <\/p>\n

The band kicked off its set with \u201cMP3,\u201d the first track off its recently released Simplicity<\/em> album, which brought the crowd to its feet, and heads started banging. Dave Rude and Frank Hannon dazzled the crowd with their tight and perfectly synchronized guitar playing. Surprisingly, Jeff Keith\u2019s vocals have not deteriorated over the course of Tesla\u2019s long career. He continues to have that throaty, sultry sound and still can hit the higher notes. And it has to be said that Keith is one of the most animated, crowd-interactive vocalists of any band. Even during guitar solos, Keith always is moving and grooving to the music. <\/p>\n

The band\u2019s set included an equal mix of new material from Simplicity<\/em> and its classic hits, such as \u201cEdison\u2019s Medicine,\u201d \u201cThe Way It Is,\u201d \u201cWhat You Give,\u201d \u201cSigns\u201d and, of course, \u201cLove Song.\u201d Obviously, the crowd loved hearing Tesla\u2019s older hits, but the band\u2019s newest material also had fans cheering and hollering. <\/p>\n

Hannon noticed that fans sitting near the stage were wearing dated Tesla shirts; ones from 1987, 1992, 1997, 2001, 2012 and 2014. He commented that it was like seeing the band\u2019s career flow right in front of the band members; it was the perfect segue into the band\u2019s song, \u201cLife Is A River\u201d off of Simplicity.<\/em> <\/p>\n

Musically, guitarists Hannon and Rude, bassist Brian Wheat and drummer Troy Luccketta remain tight as ever. The guitar duets of Hannon and Rude simply were amazing, and Luccetta was phenomenal on drums. When Tesla performs, the band gives its all with every performance, and the Kansas City show was no exception. The only negative about the show is that there was no photographer pit, and photographers were forced to stand in front of the side speaker stacks. It\u2019s unclear whether Tesla or the venue requested that set-up, but it was cumbersome for those covering the show. However, Tesla never fails to deliver a great show, and it was well worth covering. <\/p>\n

Band:
\n\u2022\tJeff Keith – lead vocals
\n\u2022\tFrank Hannon – guitars, vocals, piano, bass
\n\u2022\tBrian Wheat – bass, vocals, piano
\n\u2022\tTroy Luccketta – drums, percussion
\n\u2022\tDave Rude – guitars, vocals, bass<\/p>\n

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