Ticket 2 Ride

The Yard at Ranchmart. Leawood, KS, September 19, 2026.

Ambrosia is a band from the 1970s, with a handful of pop-rock hits. A band that until several months ago still had three original members, which was pretty good considering their 50+ years together. Ambrosia founders Joe Puerta (bass, vocals) and drummer Burleigh Drummond are joined by Shem von Schroeck (keyboards, vocals) Doug Jackson (guitar, vocals) and Mary Harris (keyboards, vocals).

Original keyboardist Christopher North passed away this year. Original guitarist and vocalist David Pack left the band for a solo career back in 2000.

In the early-mid 1970s, Ambrosia was labeled a progressive-rock band, then had big success with several pre “yacht rock” hits, and then they shifted back to a harder, more complex sound, stepping back from the ballads that defined their earlier sound.

Ambrosia would spend the 1980s apart, but would reform in 1989, although without a record contract. Puerta, North and Drummond have kept the band on the road through the decades. Losing Pack, who was a main songwriter with Puerta, sang lead on the majority of songs, and a fine guitarist, might have ended the band, but it showed how deep the band was and fortunate to find talented musicians to come aboard.

The Yard is a relatively new event space located in a renovated shopping mall. It’s not huge, but an enjoyable gathering space for concerts. The ticket prices are very reasonable and the viewing has been great. Last year we saw 10cc in concert there.

Setlist

“Rock n’ a Hard Place” 🎷 – harder rock. From their One Eighty album.

“You’re the Only Woman” 🎷 – great ballad, powerful R&B groove. Reached No. 13 on chart. From their One Eighty album.

“Nice, Nice, Very Nice” 🎷 – progressive rocker 1975. Keith Emerson style organ. Opened it up a bit for instrumental prowess. The lyrics are from a poem in Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle.

“Livin’ on My Own” 🎷 – Silky smooth, jazzy mid tempo. From the One Eighty album.

“Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled” 🎷- Alan Parsons produced Ambrosia’s second album, this is the title song.

“Heart to Heart” 🎷 ballad. From Life Beyond L.A.

“Kamikaze” 🎷 harder rock, with progressive elements. From One Eighty.

“How Much I Feel” 🎷 – Peaked at No. 3 on the charts, from their third album, Life Beyond L.A. The album brought a cool jazz, soft rock vibe to their sound.

“Magical Mystery Tour” 🎷 – Ambrosia was asked to record this song for the soundtrack of All This and World War II, which married songs by The Beatles with film from WWII. An interesting, but unsuccessful project.

“The Raven” 🎷 – Alan Parsons, after producing Ambrosia’s second album, asked the band to provide the backing to this song for the first Alan Parsons Project album, based on the works of Edgar Alan Poe. Joe Puerta came up with the distinctive bass groove.

“The Way It Is” 🎷- Bruce Hornsby joined Ambrosia just before they broke up in 1982. Hornsby got signed to a recording contract and asked Joe to join the Range, which was awarded a Grammy for Best New Artist.

“Life Beyond L.A.” 🎷 – slick rocker, much harder live. Great instrumental breaks on guitar and keyboard. From their self-titled album.

“Holdin’ On to Yesterday” 🎷 – great instrumental opening. The song from their debut album reached No. 17.

“Biggest Part of Me” 🎷 – 3x Grammy nominated song, it reached No. 3 on the chart. From the One Eighty album. A frequent spin on yacht rock radio.

“Love Is Alive” 🎷 – Ambrosia toured with Gary Wright at the end of Wright’s career. This is performed as a tribute to him.

---

Final Thoughts

Having never seen this band in their classic period, I was anxiously awaiting this concert. Looking ahead at their set lists I could see the hits they would certainly play, but wondered about the choice of cover songs. It was great to hear the stories behind the songs.

Ambrosia is a very talented band, aside from the obvious songwriting successes, their musicianship is superb, and their blending of vocals is as smooth as ever.

The band gets both accolades and grief about being labeled “yacht rock”, which is inaccurate. Their songwriting leans toward complex chord progressions and intricate timing changes that are rolled into very accessible rock formats – whether it’s a ballad, a hard rocker, mid-tempo jazz-rock composition or a majestic prog-rocker.

Puerta (75) is in fine voice and can make his bass dance. Drummond (74) is a powerful drummer, but still has great finesse with the sticks. Harris, married to Drummond, has been a member since 2012 and handles the keyboard with skill. She played the piano part on “The Way it is.” Jackson isn’t a flashy guitarist, but he nails solos and doesn’t seem to overplay the parts. He’s been onboard since 2000. von Schroeck is on his second membership with the band, most recently stepping in when North left the band. His resume is impressive, playing with TOTO, Kenny Loggins, Tom Jones, Christopher Cross and many others, and sings opera.

A great time was had by all.