Deep Purple and Kansas: Still Loud, Still Brilliant

When a British hard rock icon joins forces with an American progressive rock icon to co-headline a tour, something very special happens for music fans. Deep Purple, founded in 1968, arrived at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood this past Sunday alongside the cerebral American band Kansas—a musically powerful and iconic combination that simply couldn’t go wrong.

Deep Purple came to South Florida promoting their 24th studio album, SPLAT!, released just last month, while Kansas took us on a fantastic trip through time with the songs that have defined their career. Fans arrived at Hard Rock Live knowing they were in for a colossal night of powerful rock, blues influences and the mathematical precision of progressive rock. It was a bill that promised a masterclass in musicianship, spanning decades of timeless anthems as well as brand-new material.

Photo: Julisa Sandra Marquez

There was also something particularly special for me about seeing these two bands together: the drummers. Ian Paice is the only remaining founding member of Deep Purple, while Phil Ehart was there behind the kit representing the original Kansas lineup. As a drummer myself, I was especially grateful for the opportunity to watch these two legends perform on the same night. They are musicians I have admired for many years, and seeing both of them behind the kit made this concert even more special for me.

Kansas opened the show with a thirteen-song set that traveled through several eras of the band’s career, with a strong presence from Song for America (1975), Leftoverture (1976) and Point of Know Return (1977). While the Kansas lineup has evolved over the years with new members and new talent, the band has managed to keep its unmistakable sound alive for more than five decades.

From the opening notes of “Point of Know Return,” vocalist Ronnie Platt brought tremendous energy to the stage. Platt took over lead vocal duties following Steve Walsh’s retirement from the band in 2014 and has since become an essential part of the modern Kansas sound.

Later, Joe Deninzon, who joined Kansas in 2023, brought that smooth and instantly recognizable violin sound to “Song for America” and “Down the Road.” His vibrant and expressive playing honored the work originally recorded by Robby Steinhardt and immediately brought back the unmistakable Kansas sound that was born more than 50 years ago.

Photo: Julisa Sandra Marquez

The set moved through “Paradox,” “Play the Game Tonight,” “Fight Fire With Fire,” “Jets Overhead” and “The Wall” before arriving at the epic “Song for America.” Then came one of the most recognizable moments of the evening, “Dust in the Wind,” followed by “Hold On” and “Down the Road,” the powerful opening track from the band’s 1975 album Song for America.

“Portrait (He Knew)” and “Miracles Out of Nowhere” brought the set toward its conclusion before Kansas closed with the much-anticipated “Carry On Wayward Son,” fully satisfying the appetite of the crowd with thirteen wonderfully selected songs from the legendary progressive rock band born in Topeka, Kansas.

Then it was time for Deep Purple.

Before the band appeared, a spectacular and nostalgic video presentation took the audience through Deep Purple’s long discography. Once they walked onto the stage, however, there was no hesitation and certainly no slowing down. They went straight to work, opening with the mega-hit “Highway Star” and delivering an explosive performance that, for a moment, made it feel as if we had somehow landed in a London rock club in 1972.

Photo: Julisa Sandra Marquez

Deep Purple was one of the bands that helped define British hard rock in the early 1970s, standing alongside Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath during the rise of the genre. More than half a century later, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and Ian Paice are still there, now joined by Don Airey on keyboards and Simon McBride on guitar, carrying that combination of hard rock power, blues influence and remarkable musicianship into another era.

And the evening wasn’t only about nostalgia.

After “Highway Star,” the band moved into “A Bit on the Side,” from their 2024 album =1, followed by the 1970 classic “Into the Fire.” Simon McBride then took over with a guitar solo before Deep Purple introduced the first song of the evening from their new album, SPLAT!, “Arrogant Boy.”

“Lazy Sod,” another track from =1, led naturally into the classic “Lazy,” followed by the beautiful “When a Blind Man Cries.” Then it was back to the present with “Diablo,” one of the new songs from SPLAT!.

A keyboard solo from Don Airey gave way to another new track, “Scriblin’ Gib’rish,” before the band returned to the classics with “Space Truckin'” and one of the most recognizable riffs in the history of rock, “Smoke on the Water.”

Photo: Julisa Sandra Marquez

And yet, despite the decades that have passed and the evolution of the lineup, the essence, energy and intensity of Deep Purple’s greatest songs have never disappeared. In fact, the contrast between the classics and the new material made something very clear: this is not a band simply living from its past.

Following “Smoke on the Water,” Deep Purple played another new SPLAT! track, “Guinnesis,” before closing the night with “Hush,” the Joe South song that became Deep Purple’s first major American hit back in 1968.

It was an absolutely grand night of rock. One great song came after another, and then another. The virtuosity, energy and musicianship of both bands felt completely alive and relevant—not like something preserved from another era, but like music that still has plenty to say today.

For those of us who truly love music, watching Kansas and Deep Purple share the same stage—and watching Phil Ehart and Ian Paice still sitting behind those drums—was simply a gift to the ears.

Thank you, Hard Rock Live, for another unforgettable night of music.

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