Live Review: Bruce Hornsby & the Range with Crowded House at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS, March 7, 1987

As I sat at my desk job in the mid-80s (one I would eventually escape), I would listen daily to local radio station KY-102. It’s tagline was “We Rock Kansas City,” and indeed they did. I was a frequent caller to the station when concert tickets were up for grabs or they were giving away other things, for example. (One such contest handed out car keys to random callers. I won two. The station determined I had an unfair advantage and only allowed me one. Several key holders gathered at the Arrowhead Stadium parking lot to try their luck on a new car. I was not the lucky winner). Nonetheless, I continued to listen to my fave radio station.

One winter day in 1987, I was the 102nd caller and won Bruce Hornsby & the Range tickets. I liked the title song from Hornsby’s debut album, The Way It Is. The tune showcased his piano prowess and lilting voice, but the attraction to me were the lyrics. He sang for the marginalized, the downtrodden, the less fortunate. “Well, they passed a law in ’64 / To give those who ain’t got a little more / But it only goes so far.” The show was a blast with an engaged crowd and some terrific piano rock.

Unbeknownst to me, the Aussie trio Crowded House opened the show on their maiden voyage in America, just months after their self-titled debut album was released. Now, everyone knows Split Enz, that great progressive art rock group from New Zealand. What you may not know is that lead singer Tim Finn had a younger brother named Neil, who joined the Enz in 1977 about a month before his 19th birthday. The band that had established a solid fan base over the previous five years began to blow up when young Neil wrote and sang such tunes as “I Got You,” “One Step Ahead,” and “Message To My Girl.” The Split Enz broke up in 1984 and Neil set off on his own, eventually forming Crowded House with bassist Nick Seymour and drummer Paul Hester.

I was instantly addicted to the pop-rock sounds, the uber-tight musicianship, and that banter. The boys went back and forth at every song transition. While the music was clean and superb, we all kinda wanted the chatter to go on all night. And don’t sleep on Neil’s guitar work. He is a phenomenal player and an even better songwriter, pulling hooks outta nowhere and making you feel like it’s the first time you’re hearing his songs even after dozens of listens.

Critics have described him as Lennon and McCartney fused into one. Too much? Maybe. But the more you listen, the more that proclamation becomes all the more plausible. Whatever the comparisons, the remaining genius is simply Finn’s individuality. There’s no one quite like him. Or as talented as him, or as smart, or as wickedly funny.

Visit Bruce Hornsby and Crowded House for more information on music and tours.

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