Live Review: The Rainmakers at Knucklehead’s Garage in Kansas City, 12/14/25

For their “We Forgot to Say Goodbye” show, the Rainmakers sold out one of their favorite haunts in KC’s Knuckleheads after quietly retiring three years earlier. Fans were baffled. No more Thanksgiving shows? No more summertime concerts? The foursome felt it only fair they do it once more. But will they go down swinging? Leader Bob Walkenhorst dropped hints throughout the evening such as “Never say never,” followed by confused clapping and a couple howls. Turns out that this band is still in the fight and a summer show is on the calendar. Praise be.

The band sailed through four-plus decades of music, playing songs dating back to the early 80s. Fans and friends shouting out memories and requests throughout the evening. Possibly the oldest tune Walkenhorst wrote, “Before Steve, Bob & Rich, before the Rainmakers, before I even moved to Kansas City” was “Kissing Time.”

During a break in the music, Bob shared, “We quit playing three years and we did not announce it as a final show or a farewell or anything…so what I’m gonna to tell you is either gonna make you happy or really piss you off. Tonight’s show, when it was first announced, it was advertised as, ‘We forgot to say goodbye,’ which kind of implies…implies…that we’re saying goodbye tonight” (cue crowd boos). “But we shoulda called it ‘never say goodbye‘” (cue crowd cheers). Naturally, the band then ripped into “Given Time.”

I’ve often shared with the unenlightened that to understand and appreciate the music of the Rainmakers, simply look up Rock ‘n’ Roll in the dictionary. The band’s picture should be there. All members, past and present, are masters of their instruments. Walkenhorst is one of the best songwriters this side of Doomsville and possesses the voice to elevate those lyrics into everyman anthems. Original band members Rich Ruth on bass and drummer Pat Tomek have captained the rhythm section with grit and heart. Jeff Porter, who replaced the late, great Steve Phillips, has seamlessly hit his groove on lead guitar. The brotherhood is strong.

Paying homage to Phillips who passed away five years ago, Bob took a moment to talk about him. “We would not be doing this if it wasn’t for our old friend Steve Phillips. Steve’s guitar playing was just kind of from another planet.” Rich then manned the ship on “Nobody Knows,” singing Steve’s parts. It was special.

“We’ve got new shirts,” Bob chimed in, motioning behind him to the big, lit-up Rainmakers sign. “Well, not new, it’s just our logo. We used to sell red and blue ones but we’ll be damned if we’re gonna put our name on anything red!” Soon after, the opening chords to “Waiting on a Wave,” written as a plea for the Blue Wave to dominate the 2024 general election.

Three hours and 40 songs. It was a night to remember for fans visiting as far away as London. The band played the hits, deep cuts, and then some. Originally known as Steve, Bob & Rich, the trio released Balls in 1984 and were quickly picked up by Mercury Records. Bob stepped away from the stand-up drumming when the band hired Pat Tomek and released their self-titled major label debut as The Rainmakers. That album got them on the charts and sent them touring around the world.

In the lead-up to “Spend it on Love,” Bob asked, “So, how are your healthcare subsidies?” The song describes what a charitable and compassionate government should look like, with lyrics such as, “Spend it on love, spend it on the children / Spend it on the ones who need it the most.” The singer ended with an ardent, “Spend it on healthcare, motherfuckers.” The singer is known for creating a recipe of politics, religion, and American life in his songwriting. The humor is just the icing on the cake.

The band has traditionally made a medley out of “Drinking On The Job,” with Bob kicking into Brewer & Shipley’s “One Toke Over the Line” tonight, Rich belting out “Born Free,” and Jeff sharing “Marching to Shibboleth,” (from Firesign Theater). For the duration of the night, fans sang along with the boys onstage, rarely missing a word.

Bob’s sharp wit permeates his songs, as in the tale of an aging rocker, “If I go down, I’m gonna go down swinging / If I grow old it won’t be gracefully / I’m gonna trip and fall / And pass it off as dancing.” The aging rockers and the (mostly) aging fans saw eye-to-eye on this evening. Let’s hope the band keeps on swinging.

For more information on the band, music, or to catch them live, check out their Facebook page or BobWalkenhorst.com. Enjoy the #SetlistPlaylist below.

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