Ticket 2 Ride

September 13, 2024, Ameristar Casino, Kansas City, Missouri.

When these legacy artists come to town, what you expect is a greatest hits concert. With a couple of exceptions, that what Three Dog Night gave us.

Lead vocalist Danny Hutton is the only original member, still with the band. Vocalist Corey Wells died in 2015, and Chuck Negron, the other lead singer was fired from the band in 1985, and fronts his own band. The only other band member alive, is guitarist Michael Allsup, but he’s age 77 and no longer performs with the band.

Without Hutton, this would be a tribute band. Still, the singing and music almost makes you think it’s the original band. That’s a stretch, but the songs are excellently arranged and played. What I expected was a band that played the hits exactly as recorded, like a tribute band would, but this band put much more into the songs. Guitarist Paul Kingery, who also contributes lead and backing vocals, was the star of the show, not flashy, just offering great guitar licks and handling vocals when needed.

I honestly didn’t expect much from Hutton, who just turned 82, who isn’t quite as nimble was fellow octogenarians Mick Jagger or Ringo Starr, but he presents himself well. His voice is thinner naturally, but one doesn’t dwell on it. Actually overall, the vocals were fine, they alternate and blend their harmonies.

When I first heard the band perform in a private concert in the mid-1990s, there were four original members. Negron was banished by then, but guitarist Allsup and keyboard player Jimmy Greenspoon were still in the fold. I remember being very impressed, but the venue and occasion were unusual.

Here is their setlist with a mixture of relatively recent and videos from the early 1970s. Although the band has changed, the music hasn’t. Enjoy.

“The Family of Man”
(Paul Williams/Jack Conrad) – My all-time favorite Three Dog Night song. To lead off with it is great! Paul Williams was a hit machine in those days, and the songs hold up. The song peaked at number 12.

https://youtu.be/lmWk75e5Vkc?si=j0LItwJ8OrQHTatk

“Black and White”
(David Arkin/Earl Robinson) – How far we’ve not come. I remember this song from high school and it seemed both bold and ridiculous at the same time. Why did we need this song? We still need this message. The song topped the charts.

https://youtu.be/bzXcau9AVEc?si=cO0VkEIXowupdf_i

“Never Been to Spain”
(Hoyt Axton) – A top five hit. A reflective song. The first singalong of the night. The crowd loved the slow, country groove.

https://youtube.com/shorts/fsV_LZX-43E?si=eAx9gzDuNxWICzGd

“Shambala”
(Daniel Moore) – This song went to number three on the Billboard chart. Gospel or Eastern mystical, it’s a heady song, rockin’ song with great harmony.

https://youtu.be/7swfnI5XXLU?si=UBaEL7VNc4D-FjAk

“Out in the Country”
(Paul Williams/Roger Nichols) – Another great song from Williams, who tapped into the blue jeans and sunshine vibe of the era. Peace, love and rock’n’roll. A number 15 hit.

https://youtu.be/GfSCAU7JPz4?si=Rlkzykiz2Ul1WQl9

“Easy to Be Hard”
(Galt MacDermot/James Rado/Gerome Ragn) From the musical Hair. A number four hit.

https://youtu.be/SrD14jqTtAE?si=scMhVQy_BtijPzWM

“Play Something Sweet” (Brickyard Blues) – Written by Allen Toussaint. The song reach number 32. Their last top 40 song.

“One”
(Harry Nilsson) – Back then I had no idea who Harry Nilsson was, but that soon changed. The first time I heard this song, I was riding with the guy who would give me his paper route. I recall the song blaring from his car radio. This was a nasty bit of rock and roll. In concert it still smokes. Top five song.

https://youtu.be/l5261s3Z3RU?si=hKGYlEwMsLo2mkCp

“I Will Serenade You”
(John Finley) – A number 17 hit.

“An Old Fashioned Love Song”
(Paul Williams) – Nostalgia was in during the early 1970s, this was a perfect fit for the folk-pop music machine. Their version reached number four. Offered to The Carpenters, who had success with other Williams songs, but they passed on this one.

https://youtu.be/AM7zb5FMmLM?si=OuqmV4oBqVyVAXNK

“Sure as I’m Sittin’ Here”
(John Hiatt) – Hiatt is still an active performer, yet he doesn’t play this song in concert. He has an entire catalog of songs he’s written and recorded. A top 20 chart hit for the band, it would be their last song to chart that high. Vocalist David Morgan took a few moments to talk about how to be 77 years old (something that most audience members could relate to) and how lucky all of us really are.

https://youtu.be/HJV3IXRqb4g?si=Yz6Ig3ARowQu9BdQ

“Liar”
(Russ Ballard) – White-hot British blues rock, perfect for the organ. Raw and to the point. Ballard was a member of Argent and they first recorded it. A top ten hit. The band really rocked on this one.

https://youtu.be/FHM9hpDAYX0?si=oTc6GguZFcRgROmU

“Mama Told Me Not to Come”
(Randy Newman) – Who knew that Randy Newman wrote bluesy rock and roll? The band took this song and set it on fire. A number one hit.

https://youtu.be/DTCyjYjsVc8?si=kEmkU71CF4ltumNx

“Celebrate”

(Gary Bonner/Alan Gordon) – A number 15 chart hit. A singalong song.

https://youtu.be/kXI6CdTVJ-0?si=JwmKfD6HFMyrLIov

“Eli’s Coming”
(Laura Nyro) – Written as a folk-pop song, by singer-songwriter Nyro, it was one of her songs to hit pay dirt. A top ten song. The long intro to the song featured keyboard player Howard Laravea in what sounded like a mini rock opera, grand and bombastic – but in a good way.

https://youtu.be/N67IHpNE9jM?si=ApIXYAp8cO0orapV

“Prayer of the Children”
(Kurt Bestor) – Written for the children living amongst war. Hutton announced that this song, done almost full a cappella, is from their upcoming album. This lineup doesn’t just rock, their vocal harmonies are quite good.

https://youtu.be/VRVgVqWuDj4?si=gPFB2znhvLfvWisX

“Joy to the World”
(Hoyt Axton) – The feel good song of the early 1970s. A number one hit. Every junior high school chorus group performed this song, mine did. I doubt that Hoyt Axton realized how much of an anthem this song would be. I’m sure he did when the royalty checks swelled his band account. A great way to end the concert, getting everyone singing and happy to hit the gaming tables.