Kansas Drummer Phil Ehart on the band's 50 year legacy (Audio Interview)

[@jpocalips1]

What a great band and great bunch of guys. Got to work with the stage crew setting up for a show with REO Speedway at the China Lake Navel Weapons Center in China Lake Ca. Turned out Rich didn't want to fly in to the gig on a small puddle jumper plane to our local airport. So the promoter sent me to LAX to pick him up and bring him to the show. It was one of the highlights of my life, taking the 3hr. drive back to China Lake. Was great to shoot the shit with Rich about fishing, music, and life in general. The next day after Kansas played, Rich introduced me to the whole band, gave me tee shirts, signed autographs for my family by him and the band, shared a few shots, without a doubt the most humble decent bunch of guys you would ever want to meet, and my favorite band to this day. Thanks for the music and memories guys.

[@TFTO1973]

When I get into conversations of 'most underrated drummers' Phil Ehart is usually in the top three that I shout out.

[@progreport]

Totally agree

[@pjtooley8547]

Same here,always mention him.

[@chriscosby2459]

Phil is a great drummer. I never realized until recently what a big part he played in forming the band in the beginning.

[@drew-shourd]

Retired professional drummer here from Los Angeles, pushin 60, I cut my teeth on KASAS, Phil blew my mind, simple, yet odd metered, straight, yet syncopated. But I gotta say, I am very tired of reading everyone calling him 'underrated', like it's a bad thing, I disagree, here's why. Imo, KANSAS was (is) the ultimate Prog Rock band, prog meaning progressive, which means, they were writing and playing music that was NOT mainstream, not the norm, not 'popular...THAT to me is a compliment. Everyone who loves KANSAS, loves Phil and his playing, so to say he is 'underrated' is a compliment, every drummer I have ever met in 40+ years, have nothing but praises for him. By 1981 (or 82) they were the world's top grossing act, in the world, critics didn't like them much, but the people did, we loved them for 50 years!!

[@jim9685769]

I don't think anyone is using "underrated" in a derogatory fashion. When people say that it merely means that 9 out of 10 people surveyed in a mall in the 70's/80's would fail to mention Phil Ehart as a top drummer of the 70's/80's simply because so many other drummers stood out more and were more familiar to audiences. There were a lot of animated band members on stage (six) in a Kansas show as opposed to 4 members of The Who and Led Zeppelin, or the 3 showmanship members of ELP or Rush. But follow up the question by mentioning Kansas and they'd say, "Oh yeah. 'That Kansas dummer' is great!"

[@crusheverything4449]

Kansas - my favorite band since 1975 - was never the top-grossing act, unless you mean the top-grossing act from Topeka. I love how people just make shit up. 🙄

[@baneverything5580]

I think a lot of my drumming feel came from listening to Kansas albums in the late 70s & into the 80s. I wore out a lot of 8-tracks. Guitar players thought I was Rush influenced when I played around on the drums but few of them had heard the full Kansas albums.

[@hawkone007]

50 years isa long time! I started as a fan of White Clover and have been a KANSAS fan ever since! Will be seeing the 50th. Anniversary Tour show this coming spring! What an amazing career and still very relevant music being produced! Getting to see this Tour in the State of Kansas will make it extra special, because it will be a two night show in the inspirational historic Stiefel Theater ! Should be an epic performance!

[@thethirdgeneration1738]

I once meet him during the concert that Kanas was performing at The Starwood in Nashville, TN. (hence that has been torn down now) this was back in the late 80's, they were warming up for another band. Phi Ehart (who I didn't know who it was at the time or moment) came walking up the isle of the seating, came into my seat to talk to the two people sitting next to me in the audience. Now, Kansas has just finished their "set." I thought this was someone from the stage, simply? He asked me, "Will you hold my towel, please?" I did of course. Still, it didn't dawn on me who it was? I couldn't see the stage face recognition wise, to know it was him. Finally, he left our seats. I ask the people seated next to me, "Who was that?" The girl said, "That's Phil Ehart, the Drummer of Kansas!" I was like Holy Smokes! I didn't realize that! Yea, he was nice guy, back then. He appeared that way with me. Hey, Phil, "Remember me the guy at the Starwood holding your towel? 😉"

[@michaelbaucom4019]

Can listen to Phil all day, and, to understate, a great drummer

[@ProgSnob14]

Phil is such an under rated powerhouse drummer!

[@davidrichardson2517]

No other band sounds like Kansas.That alone Says volumes of the one of a kind sound that made them Kansas.Best Progressive Rock band Ever.

[@baneverything5580]

Guitar players would hear my real drum style when I was messing around or improvising and say I was influenced by Rush. They`d only heard the Kansas radio hits. Then I`d let them hear songs from the old Kansas albums. That`s what I was listening to obsessively in the years leading up to 1982 when I got my first drum set. I wore out multiple 8-track tapes of Monolith. But when I heard Led Zeppelin`s last album, In Through The Out Door, something about it made me become obsessed in an overwhelming way about drums. That album influenced my power on bass drum and my timing, but Kansas gave me my jazziness and complexity...creativity, etc.

[@trailrunner919]

Just saw them at The Keswick couple weeks ago. Phil only played the last portion of the show due to his injury apparently. It was a profound difference between the drummer that started the show and to when Phil started playing...unbelievably talented drummer!!!

[@pjtooley8547]

He had an arm injury for a while.The drummer who was playing is his longtime drum tech.

[@VIDEOHEREBOB]

Would love to see a reunion with Steve for a few shows, similar to Lou Gramm joining Foreigner for a few. One of my all-time favorite bands. Such a nice bunch of mega-talented guys.

[@crusheverything4449]

No Steve, no Kerry and, sadly, no Robby. Although the current line-up does a fine job, it’s just not the same and honestly, how could it be?

[@katesjanice]

To me, it was the loss of the “Maestro” Kerry Livgren that really changed Kansas. What a magnificent composer, orchestrator, lyricist & multi-instrumentalist. And oh how I loved that long white blond hair!

[@baneverything5580]

I wore out so many 8-track tapes of the Monolith album in summer when school was out. I played it over and over every day and night along with Boston, Louisiana Leroux, Van Halen and Molly Hatchet. When I became a drummer and was warming up sometimes guitar players would make comments like, "That`s Rush stuff." I would say, "No, listen to the old Kansas albums." Many had only heard their radio hits and were shocked by the Kansas songs I let them hear.

[@terryjestersr.6769]

Best concert ever seeing Louisiana Leroux open for Kansas in Baton Rouge, La.

[@TerryPruitt-321]

I saw Kansas in Nashville @The Ryman about 2 weeks ago and my God it was awesome!!! I've seen them about 6 times and actually had Phil Ehart give me a Kansas shirt back in the early 80s. I worked security for Sound 70 Productions in Nashville and met these guys back in the day. They sound better than ever!!

[@crusheverything4449]

I realize you’re being nice, but better than ever? How can they possibly sound better than ever without Steve Walsh, Kerry Livgren and Robby Steinhardt?! Let’s not get carried away. Ronnie Platt is a very far cry from Steve Walsh in his prime and the current line-up can’t match the vocal harmonies of the original band. Despite the fact that Phil, Rich and Billy are still at the top of their game, they’re like a top-notch tribute act these days, still worth seeing, but not a patch on the original six.

[@TimMead-uu7ez]

@@crusheverything4449 but they are crushing songs from a vast catalog that Steve couldn’t touch in his last few years with the band. They had to cull off several songs because he could no longer sing them. It’s nice to hear those tunes again. That said, I agree that ‘Steve in his prime’ had few equals if any. Things change in 50 years with any work. Billy has been with them now around 40 years and is a stellar bass player and voice. Brislin is awesome on keys and great voice, and has few peers at the top of his art. Rich is still great and an anchor, and Phil, in spite of some challenges is still one of the best, and a great manager. Joe was the best violinist out there, backs up vocals and guitar much as David Ragsdale did. I’ve listened to all iterations of the group since the mid 70s and have seen them on each tour. This group is among the best, and so much more than a ‘tribute band.’

[@crusheverything4449]

@@TimMead-uu7ez - I can’t stomach Ronnie Platt, so it doesn’t matter how good the rest of the band is to me. Platt is better suited to singing Air Supply on karaoke night. There’s nothing about the guy that suits a rock band. With Phil off the road now, they should call the band something else or call it a day. I realize they won’t change the name because it’s the name that sells tickets, but I won’t be spending my hard-earned money to see Ronnie Platt whine into a microphone that he thinks is a penis. Of course, you’re free to so so.

[@stevendemayo5376]

My favorite drummer since 1979. My favorite Phil video is the sound check in Topeka Ks. Song down the road

[@gregkunkel8704]

Thanks, what a climb up the ladder, pure determination. Here's something weird, I played drums to Dust in the wind last night. serious not joking😄

[@progreport]

:) Nice one.

[@mellotronin54]

Any chance of a UK date that is not cancelled ?

[@ProgSnob14]

As a truck driver in Missouri and Kansas....I can confirm Topeka still ain't sh*t

[@okeydokey4523]

Met him once on a cruise ship show in Mexico. I traveled from Australia to see the band. The band was fantastic and it was 4 months before Steve Walsh retired. Shook all the members hands but Phil held his hand by his side and insisted I shake his hand down there..weird but like I said, great performance. Phil’s wife gave me a pair of his sticks he used that performance. Meeting the band, seeing them live, was a highlight of my life to this day.