Friday night Kansas City enjoyed one of the best lineups of musicians, reunited in an epic band of expert talent. Bela Fleck and the Original Flecktones are back on tour, and honored KC with a visit, demonstrating a level of musical professionalism most audience members could never find elsewhere.
The night began with Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, a jam band with a wide range of sound that showed the audience an exciting opening act. The set included dance-able hits and slower lover's songs, so the crowd could pace themselves. Bela Fleck even came out and warmed up with a couple of fast-fingered numbers that spiced up the show.
When the headliners came out, the Crossroads was roaring with thrilled fans. Bela Fleck, banjo virtuoso, Victor Wooten, bassist extraordinaire, Futureman on his "drum-itar" - a guitar that plays percussion sounds when he plays it, and Howard Levy, master of harmonica and piano. The band has been broken up for a spell, but their new tour shows that all the members are still as fantastically talented as ever and the chemistry the four concoct is as potent as possible.
Features of this crazy-good show included Victor Wooten throwing his slap-bass around his back and over his shoulders while playing a powerful solo. Then there were songs that Bruce Hornsby joined in for. There was a fiddle player who faced off against Bela Fleck for a duet. And for the finale, the bands joined forces. Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers came on stage with the Flecktones, combining the powers of both jam bands.
The Crossroads is possibly closing at the end of September, with a finite number of shows booked between now and then. Many of those shows will be great. Stand by for previews. But THIS show was unbelievably good. Many fans followed the band down to Wichita for the show there Saturday night. If you ever get a chance to see ANY of the musicians in the Original Flecktones, go!
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