TOTO and Friends Roll into Kansas City

There’s something about a warm summer night, with a clear sky, and minimal humidity. Add the soundtrack of summer from decades past, a dash of nostalgia, perhaps a beer or two, and the journey down memory lane shall commence.

Kansas City’s newest venue, Morton Amphitheater, affectionately referred to by locals as “Saltstone” played host to the soundtrack of the 80s last night. While a week prior, shows were delayed due to severe storms, and others dealt with extreme heat, the temperatures at least matched the decade.

The Romantics, Christopher Cross, and TOTO are on the road together; a lineup that shouldn’t even work on paper, but somehow does. A combination of New Wave, Yacht Rock, and a dash of Soft Rock from TOTO, creating a tour who could easily make the soundtrack for a John Hughes film.

The Romantics took to the stage first, with arguably the only original member left, Wally Palmar on vocals and guitar; Coz Canler, who joined in 1981 on lead guitar. Rounding out the band were Bruce Witkin on bass, Joey Malone on rhythm guitar, and Mike Rizzi on drums.

The band played a quick 11 song set, including a cover of She’s Got Everything by The Kinks. The crowd was still moving in as they played, with the sun still high in the sky (thank goodness for the large awning covering the stage and most of the seats). But the energy from the band, and electricity from the audience, was palpable. By the time the band moved into What I Like About You, everyone was on their feet.

Even after their set, The Romantics didn’t stray too far from one of the concession stands, happily posing for pictures with any fans who took notice.

Coming to the stage next was Christopher Cross. Christopher famously battled many health issues over the past few years, which required extensive time in rehab, and physical therapy. This also affected his ability to speak and sing. Christopher had said previously that he needed to adjust the keys for his songs; from earlier videos, it is clear that he was having trouble, singing in an almost staccato fashion; on Monday night at Morton, Christopher was in peak condition. He maybe was a tad softer, but otherwise sounded as good as he did on any of his albums.

Though his second tour with TOTO, the relationship between Christopher and the band goes back decades. TOTO’s Steve Lukather played guitar, and Jeff Porcaro played drums on Cross’s 1983 album, Another Page.

Cross was joined by a trio of background singers (Bella Hicks, Stephcynie, and Lisbet Guldbaek), Spyro Gyra drummer Joel Rosenblatt, Kevin Reveyrand on bass, and Andy Suzuki on saxophone and flute.

Though more traditionally mellow than some of the more pumping rock songs from The Romantics or TOTO, Christopher’s lighter melodies kept the audience entranced. For myself, getting to hear Arthur’s Theme performed live was special; it’s clear I wasn’t the only one feeling that way, while a dozen or so people used that moment to turn on their phone’s flashlights like lighters; a sentiment no doubt appreciated.

Next up were TOTO. No stranger to us, we covered TOTO previously in 2018, and in 2019. With 7 years since our last coverage, we were certainly overdue for another visit with the legends.

Born from the LA studio scene of the 70’s and 80’s, TOTO proved themselves as the go-to session players of the age, effectively being the spiritual successors to the fabled Wrecking Crew, were truly a supergroup before they were a thing.

With a constantly changing lineup, guitarist Steve Lukather is the only original member left, since keyboardist David Paich retired from touring. Rounding out the band is Joseph Williams, son of legendary film composer John Williams, on vocals, having replaced Bobby Kimball around 2010, Warren Ham on saxophone, and several other instruments, John Pierce on bass, with Keith Carlock on drums, and double keyboard duty from Dennis Atlas and Ra Thistlethwayte (with Joseph joining in from time-to-time).

There isn’t much more to say about TOTO that I haven’t said before. Live, their sound is nearly flawless. The mix, perfect. There are plenty of videos on YouTube showing things from behind the scenes from their production team showing what goes into producing a live show; they put a lot of work in, and it shows.

While their setlist has changed some over the years (and with a library the size of theirs, it is understandable), but this tour also marked a shorter setlist – with two other artists on tour, this is understandable. Two songs that I always enjoyed hearing them do live, I Will Remember, and their cover of While My Guitar Gently Weeps (the best cover, I said what I said) were cut; this did make way for other songs like Hydra, Kingdom of Desire, and I’ll Supply the Love. Mega hits like Hold the Line and Rosanna were present.

TOTO gel seamlessly together on stage, only like pros in the game for decades can do. Things came full circle at the close of the night when TOTO was joined onstage by Christopher Cross, and The Romantics vocalist Wally Palmar, both of whom sang and played guitar, giving an already full and textured song more flavor. It was truly the best capstone that a concert could’ve had.

While it’s easy to dismiss artists of a certain vintage as “legacy acts”, any one of the artists on the bill still has the energy, and the chops, to produce a stellar performance. While this tour may be heavily tinged with nostalgia, this tour is so much more than that; whatever you may like about them, if it’s getting caught between the moon and New York City, or blessing the rains down in Africa, you’ll be in for a great evening of music, whether it’s your first time seeing these artists, or your 100th.

Words and Photos by Josh Chaikin