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The Rainmakers at Olathe Live!, Olathe KS (2022-06-17) review

THE RAINMAKERS SETLIST One More Summer The One That Got Away The Other Side of the World Long Gone Long Rockin' At The T-Dance Like Dogs Width of a Line Hoo Dee Hoo Small Circles Snakedance Shiny Shiny Given Time Even With the Wind (Jeff Porter cover) Missouri Girl The Lakeview Man Spend It on Love Sh*thole Town Nobody Knows Reckoning Day 13th Spirit The Wages of Sin I Talk with my Hands Downstream -- Encore -- Information Let My People Go-Go Read More Rainmakers Kansas City based singer-songwriter, musician and painter Bob Walkenhorst, the lead singer of The Rainmakers, was making his first area appearance in five years. The occasion was the Rock n’ Jock Expo …

“Sometimes you write a song… and it’s kinda poking fun at some place… but it never crosses you mind, when you’re writing that derogatory song, that you’ll be playing in that place again…!” - Bob Walkenhorst

Sometimes musicians have to change their tune… but would the town forgive him?

Midwest 80’s radio stalwarts and Americana rockers The Rainmakers emerged from the pandemic hiatus to play a show in suburban Olathe, KS as part of the city’s Olathe Live! summer concert series.

The band that started as bar trio Steve, Bob & Rich had played sporadically since reforming in 2011 and were hit with the bad news in 2020 that founding former guitarist Steve Phillips had passed away from Covid complications, but have endured and remain a Kansas City area favorite and are still especially popular in Norway.

Fans on the open grassy knoll near the town’s City Hall and Community Center assembled their lawn chairs, dug out old tour shirts, and danced in front of the stage to late 80s/early ‘90s songs that were staples on Midwest FM album rock radio.

Though a free show, the band didn’t skimp or phone things in, as the audience was treated to a full 1hr47min set with bassist Rich Ruth even driving in from Nashville (overcoming a flat tire in East St Louis, MO) to make the gig.

Singer Bob Walkenhorst remains a vibrant performer and his twangy, howling vocals are mostly intact, honed by a semi-residency at an area bar and often performs solo, at house concerts, and as a duo with his daughter, Una.

“One More Summer” from 1986 album Tornado was an ideal opener on this warm and humid evening and while they played songs from their four decade career, fans responded most to those from the first couple albums. Walkenhorst had mentioned that the last time the band had played together, was last August and the prior time, some two years before that, as the jangly opening chords introduced “Long Gone Long”.

Walkenhorst revealed his family had just gotten a new puppy the day before, dedicating 2011’s “Like Dogs” to their new addition and Olathe’s own Jeff Porter took center stage and lead vocals as the guitarist played “Even with the Wind” from his solo record. A backwoods riff began the “almost true” story of 1987’s “The Lakeview Man”, a song that would later inspire fan Stephen King for his novel, Gerald’s Game.

And then it was the moment, the part in the set where Walkenhorst had to semi-apologize in the quote above for referencing Olathe by name in their 2014 derogatory song, “Sh*thole Town” calling out The Cowboy Palace (perhaps a former bar) singing, “I’d rather be any place but here”. With laughing and applause from the crowd, it’s safe to say the crowd took it all in stride and easily forgave the band for any ill comments.

After an energetic “I Talk with My Hands” and second single from 1986, “Downstream” (a song set on the Mississippi River), the band headed backstage for a brief breather, before returning for a two-song encore, culled from their 1984 pre-Rainmakers LP, Balls. Fan favorite “Information” was followed by the band’s biggest success, “Let My People Go-Go” which hit the Top 20 in the UK upon its 1986 release.

With almost four decades under their belt, it’s both nostalgic and a musical joy to see The Rainmakers still playing shows and making music, and maybe equally as joyful to see a growing suburb like Olathe not take anything personally and collectively laugh off when a sharp lyric or verse, calls out their town in a previously negative light.

(click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

Rainmakers

Setlist

Bob Walkenhorst

Jeff Porter

Pat Tomek

Rich Ruth

Rainmakers

The Rainmakers at Olathe Live!, Olathe KS (2022-06-17)

 

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Bob Walkenhorst (of The Rainmakers) at Outtakes Bar, New Hope (19 March 2016)

Setlist Downstream Long Gone Long Wages of Sin Lakeview Man The One that Got Away Reckoning Day Small Circles Go Down Swingin' Spend it on Love Turpentine Information -- Encore -- Let My People Go-Go Missouri Girl Shiny Shiny Half a Horse a Piece Hoo Dee Hoo Tour Dates 05/14/16 Kansas City, MO Knucklehead’s 05/29/16 Leavenworth, KS Gaia Festival 08/12/16 Kansas City, MO Crossroads KC Read More The Rainmakers Ever since I heard my first Rainmakers song, probably Downstream, I have loved them. Everyone I know that has ever seen them, loves them. But, they could never get the following they deserve. Yes, WAGES OF SIN …

It was a cool, gray, and crisp Saturday, fitting for the last full day of winter, but that all could change at a moment’s notice—a Rainmaker had come to town.

Kansas City based singer-songwriter, musician and painter Bob Walkenhorst, the lead singer of The Rainmakers, was making his first area appearance in five years.  The occasion was the Rock n’ Jock Expo, an annual and somewhat odd pairing of local sports stars and memorabilia, and vinyl records as well as a musical performance or two. A west metro sports memorabilia store and north metro music dealer combine forces to make this show happen.

In addition to Walkenhorst, That Metal Show co-host and comedian Don Jamieson, boxer Caleb Truax, and former Minnesota Vikings players Daunte Culpepper, Randall McDaniel, and John Randle were all also on hand at various times.

Bob Walkenhorst

Walkenhorst was the show’s sole musical guest, best known as leader of the Midwest roots rock band he’s led for almost thirty-five years.  In addition to Rainmakers albums, Walkenhorst released a solo album in 2003, The Beginner and 2011’s Spare, which featured re-interpretations of old favorites as well as new songs.

What was supposed to have been just a single half-hour set, turned into two sets and a running time of almost three times that, with Walkenhorst cracking jokes, taking requests, and telling stories along the way.

The setlist was predictably Rainmakers-heavy, with the first 55 min. set getting going with the foot stomping ‘Downstream’ from The Rainmakers’ 1986 self-titled debut, Walkenhorst distilling the song down to acoustic guitar and harmonica, while still maintaining its backwoods drawl vocals and clever turns of phrase.

Walkenhorst recalled fondly playing locally with his band in the late ‘80s- at the Cabooze, First Avenue, and even opening for Rush to 16,000 people in 1987.  Walkenhorst was even selling copies of the debut album on vinyl- not re-pressed, rather recently unearthed from his manager’s storage.

‘Reckoning Day’ was written in 1987, one of the band’s most political songs, with its lyrics somehow still relevant in the election-year climate of thirty years later.  ‘Small Circles’ from the band’s second album, Tornado, remains a sweet storytelling roots masterwork.  ‘Spend it on Love’ from their third release, was done by request from a couple paying rapt attention to the performance.

The second set began with The Rainmakers’ biggest chart song, ‘Let My People Go Go’, which was a staple on Midwest FM rock radio and even charted #18 on the UK charts.  Walkenhorst revealed after the song that the music video was filmed at a church in nearby Golden Valley, complete with dancing extras and a tall top hat for the singer.

‘Shiny Shiny’ harkened back to 1950’s muscle cars, ‘Half a Horse a Piece’ began as a mis-heard phrase at a cabin in northern Minnesota, and the afternoon ended with ‘Hoo De Hoo’, a swampy toe-tapper that could as easily come from the Georgia Satellites catalog as much as the Rainmakers.

Walkenhorst wrapped his set to return to Kansas City, where he has a weekly residence at a local club with musical cohort Jeff Porter and other musical friends, and where The Rainmakers still do 4-5 dates annually in the area.

“Looks like it’s sunny out there now, which is a good thing”, Walkenhorst mentioned, looking out through the bar’s window as he finished his last song- maybe the Rainmaker did have an effect on the weather.

Bob Walkenhorst (of The Rainmakers) at Outtakes Bar, New Hope, MN (19 Mar 2016)

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic