(READINGTON, NJ) -- America’s preeminent progressive rock band Kansas has been announced as the first featured concert headliner at the 39th annual New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning. The legendary band ("Carry On Wayward Son," "Dust in the Wind," "Point of Know Return") will perform Sunday, July 31, at 3:30pm. in association with Q104.3 at the 39th annual festival at Solberg Airport in Readington, NJ.
Attracting upwards of 165,000 people and the biggest names in music including Grammy Award winners, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, and top-selling artists, it is the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America.
Kansas launched to stardom with their platinum album Leftoverture and on the strength of the album's smash hit "Carry On Wayward Son," which continues to be one of the top five most played songs on classic rock radio. They’ve remained a staple of classic rock radio for nearly five decades with a catalogue of 16 studio albums, five live albums, and eight gold albums.
They followed with "Point of Know Return," which featured both the title song and the monster hit "Dust in the Wind." Kansas established themselves as a fixture on the Billboard charts for more than 200 weeks throughout the '70s and '80s with Point of Know Return becoming the band’s greatest selling studio album.
Their popularity has continued through generations of listeners. "Carry On Wayward Son" became the most-played song of the year, reaching sextuple-platinum status with more than six million copies sold, and the album had three Billboard Hot 100 singles.
They reached a whole new audience through their presence on the popular video games Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Grand Theft Auto; on television shows such as "Supernatural," "South Park," and “The Office;” and films including "Anchorman."
Kansas continues to resonate with large and enthusiastic audiences around the world. Recent releases including The Absence of Presence and Point of Know Return Live & Beyond have soared high on the Billboard album charts.
The band is currently comprised of original drummer Phil Ehart, bassist/vocalist Billy Greer, vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale, keyboardist/vocalist Tom Brislin (a New Jersey native), and original guitarist Richard Williams.
“We’re thrilled to have Kansas ‘carry on’ with us,” said Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman. "One of the first questions we're asked is 'who are your concerts this year?' We're proud that our concert series is so popular. Kansas has the proven ability to connect with audiences of all ages and we're pleased to announce them as our first major headliner this year."
The three-day New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning, July 29-30-31, features twice-a-day mass ascensions of up to 100 sport and special shaped hot air balloons, its hugely popular concert series, family entertainment and attractions. Tickets for Kansas are on sale now at www.balloonfestival.com and include Blue Sky Club VIP packages, Reserved Concert Seats, Concert Chalets, as well as general admission lawn seating.
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