Kings X

KINGS X

The Stiefel Theatre

Salina, KS

© Lydia Lowe 10/05/2012

Kings X . . .I remember somewhere back in the annals of time hearing about the band Kings X.  This band is about to celebrate 30 years together and they show no signs of stopping.  I had a chance to interview the band before their set and they confided in me that they didn’t particularly like the name of the band, it was something that their manager at the time had put together to distinguish them from another band with a similar name.  They were always going to change it and then the timing was never right.  And here we are 30 years later, still Kings X.

This band can rock.  With Ty Tabor on guitar, Jerry Gaskill on drums and Doug Pinnick on bass guitar they are a complete band with three instruments.  And what sounds they can deliver with just those three instruments.  The lyrics are phenomenal, easy to learn as you listen and I found myself humming the tunes during intermission.  Their music pulls you in and you instantly feel like these tunes are a part of you, like you’ve known them all along.  There’s a familiarity with the lyrics even if you’ve never heard them before.

Unfortunately, my seat was at the top of the balcony and I couldn’t make out all the lyrics or the names of the songs.  The reverberation was pretty intense.  The Stiefel Theatre had a sold out crowd on this night and I was lucky to get a seat at all.  But I did enjoy the music.

There were a couple of guys in my row who had been following Kings X on tour and they were pumped for the show.  They could quote every city that the band had visited.  They were sticking with the tour until it was done.  True fans.  Another couple in my row had never heard of the band and at intermission they went down and bought every CD the band had available.  With fans like these, Kings X will be around for a long time to come.