The Point of Know Return

In 2018 I interviewed Rich Williams of the band Kansas and he said something I’ll never forget.

Howdy Horn Honkers.

This is actually two stories - one professional and one personal - so it’s a bit of a yellow brick road, but if you stick with me we can amble together to that place where the stories collide.

A few years ago my job was writing program content for a concert venue near Atlanta, providing descriptions and highlights of shows scheduled for each season of performances.

I wrote about all manner of performers — touring Broadway stars and comedians, classic and current rock artists, and upstart YouTube sensations who took the show out of their living room and onto the road.

I also was responsible for the quarterly feature center-spread article for the publication and in 2018 that’s how I ended up interviewing Rich Williams, a founding member of the rock group Kansas.

Kansas, a one time Midwestern bar band (later hit makers and darlings of prog and album-oriented rock) were kicking off their 40th Anniversary “Point of Know Return” Tour in Cobb County, Georgia, celebrating the 1977 quadruple-platinum selling album of the same name by playing it live in its entirety.

Their fans stood ready. The demand for the band became such that Kansas played 98 dates in 2016 and by the time I talked to Williams they already had 60 shows booked for 2019.

Not bad for a band who once “couldn’t draw flies” according to Williams, back in the days they were playing in the state from which they took their name.