miko2 | (no subject)

Today's Song: Death of Mother Nature by Proto-Kaw

This is one of those cool stories of ressurected musicians/bands that you come acorss occasionally. Who is Proto-Kaw? Well, between 1971 and 1973, they were known as Kansas. Then they broke up and their guitarist and songwriter, Kerry Livgren, joined a band named White Clover, who changed their name to Kansas and went on to become quite famous.

Aside from Livgren, the original members of Kansas (they were actually "Kansas II") went on with their lives... none of them stayed in music, they all became quote-unquote "normal" people, working in education, sales and the media. For the most part they didn't even talk to each other for the next 30 years.

You only get one shot in life, right? You can't go back to the past.

Except... demo tapes of that early Kansas incarnation kept floating around, and spread with the help of the internet, until a music label decided to release them as an actual "Early Kansas" cd. The other original members were brought back together for this project, and, hey, guess what? They wanted to stay together and make music!

They've released 2 cds of brand new material since then and are working on a third. They've toured Europe. I imagine they're having a blast doing this. ^_^

The name "Proto-Kaw" makes sense if you know that Kaw is a Native American name for the area known as Kansas.

Proto-Kaw -- Death of Mother Nature Suite

Behind the music: Proto-Kaw (warning: this is 70 minutes long, very unusual for Youtube)