Live Review: Steve, Bob, & Rich evolve into The Rainmakers at Parody Hall in Kansas City, MO, May 31, 1986

For fans of the Kansas City trio Steve, Bob & Rich, a surprise was in store at this very important show. The big news was shared that the band had signed a major record deal with PolyGram Records and that their new name would be The Rainmakers. Parody Hall, down by the Missouri river was an ideal (albeit scary) place to have such an important show.

Of the 15 songs played, four were not from Balls, nor did they show up on any Rainmakers album. All four were fantastic. “Cool Down,” sung by Phillips, is a driving rocker. In “The Book of Life,” Walkenhorst sings, “I’ve got so many brothers and sisters now it’s never gonna happen to me / I’ll never write the book of life alone.” It’s an uplifting and joyful tune that never saw studio time. “Don’t Let Go” finds Phillips back at the mic, with plea to an ex, perhaps. Finally, “Hello I Said” is just seeking common courtesy with the line, “Hello I said what’s the matter are you dead? / Hello I said I didn’t ask you to bed / Hello I said won’t you talk to me? / Well, all I said was hi.” Halfway through the song, Walkenhorst asks the crowd, “Hey, is it midnight? Is it midnight yet? It’s midnight? Happy birthday to me, I’m 33 years old!”

The Parody was packed on this hot Saturday night in KC, with the indoor temps pushing the mercury up. The capacity of 350 seemed low, as there were wall-to-wall fans from back to front. Was the AC out of commission or was the heat emanating from an excited crowd the reason? Who knows, but Walkenhorst retorted, “I’d like to nominate Parody Hall as the sweatiest hall in the country. If you didn’t sweat tonight you ain’t no friend of mine. In fact, if you didn’t sweat tonight you’re probably dead.” The band then launched into “I Talk With My Hands,” a tune that ended up on the second album “Tornado.”

Local radio station KY-102 later replayed this night on their station and I recorded it off the radio. Still have that cassette. Thanks to the Internet Archive, whose sole purpose is to acquire fan or soundboard recordings, this show exists! To hear or download it, click HERE! The band interview at the end with local NPR station KCUR is an added bonus.