Kenny Loggins performs at SKyPAC

Kenny Loggins has had quite a varied career with several phases, and it was all on display when he came to SKyPAC. His latest work is with a group called the Blue Sky Riders, an acoustic trio who came out and opened the show with a half-hour set. Once in awhile you’ll see a headliner perform a song or two with the opening act, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the headliner be in the opening act. I think Loggins was aware of this rarity when he reminded everyone before Blue Sky Riders’ last song that this was just the opening act and there was more to come. At SKyPAC, the trio was backed by his touring band, so the effort could have certainly had people confused and wondering why they hadn’t heard their favorite songs. Thanks for the reassurance Kenny!

The Kenny Loggins show started up after an intermission with some videos of Loggins during many of those phases of his career. The transition from video to live performance was quite interesting with a video of “Danny’s Song” leading into a rising of the screen and a seamless continuance of the song live. It was a nice touch. And then he was off into hit after crowd-pleasing hit for the rest of the show, with a few exceptions where he allowed his band mates to shine. He also did an unexpected cover of “Crossroads” since he had the guitar player to handle it. 

If you’re familiar with his hits you already know the different styles Loggins brings to the stage. His list of hits included such classics as “I’m Alright”, “Your Mama Don’t Dance”, a tasty “Angry Eyes”, the duet “Whenever I Call You Friend” (originally performed with Stevie Nicks and covered nicely by Loggins’ Blue Sky band mate Georgia Middleman), the children’s song “House at Pooh Corner”, “Danger Zone”, “Celebrate Me Home”, and “Footloose”. 

The only fault I could find was some of these songs were drawn out a bit, with long guitar breaks and jams. This was probably partly to highlight the musicians and partly to give himself a break here and there. A few people in the audience mentioned to me they thought the music was sometimes too loud for his voice. I don’t know. It was, after all, a rock show. And they did rock more than I thought they would, so maybe that’s what folks were reacting to. Oddly enough, with all that rocking the show also had a singer-songwriter feel to it, as Loggins took the time to give some background on how some of the songs came to be and what was going on in his life at the time. And by the way, his vocals are still great. 

I took in this show on the second level of SKyPAC, and just as I previously experienced in the upper orchestra, the sound was fantastic here. Guess I’ll have to try the upper level next time around to complete the full SKyPAC experience. It was a great show at a great venue, so if you haven’t been to SKyPAC yet you’re missing out. Go to www.theSKyPAC.com for more info on upcoming shows.

About the author: Pennman bought his first 45 at age nine and has been hooked on rock ever since. He has spent much of his disposable income on music, especially live performances. He writes reviews of the shows he sees and keeps a keen lookout for upcoming shows in or near Bowling Green. He has a BA in Communications, specializing in journalism, and has dabbled in music himself, both as a player and instructor. Visit him at www.facebook.com/pennman