Infinity Song
A River Festival & Friends For Life
For most of my youth and adult life I have said the first concert I attended was Peter Frampton. That concert took place on October 13, 1979 at the newly opened 7,000+ seat Salina Bicentennial Center in the heart of Salina, KS; so newly opened that Peter Frampton would be only the 8th concert at the arena, following a string of shows that included The Osmonds, Kansas (of course), Glenn Miller, and Charlie Daniels. Two other events also took place in the Bi-Center before the Frampton show: The Royal Lippizan Stallions and the Harlem Globetrotters. The Bi-Center was HOT!
My sister-in-law Jane took me to that Saturday night concert, and I couldn’t have been more excited. I was a 13-year old kid experiencing all the awkwardness that early teens do, starting to take in all things music and simply trying to figure out what needed to be important in my life. We climbed to our seats mid-way up to one side of the half-full arena, I even brought binoculars. I had been to baseball games at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, and my dad took me to see a Monday Night Football game at Texas Stadium (We saw O.J. Simpson play), however, I had never been in a concert arena this big. It seemed huge. At the appropriate moment, Peter Frampton hit the stage, just a few years off of his record-breaking live album “Frampton Comes Alive” and in support of his latest album “Where Should I Be?” which had a top-20 hit at the time called “I Can’t Stand It No More”. There was one more thing, the hair. The curly long hair that seemed to accompany many rock stars of the 70’s latter half, and a few years later would finally make its way into my blonde locks via a permanent from Regis Hair Salon at the Mid-State Mall.
Frampton belted through a set that included his famous guitar talk-box during “Do You Feel Like I Do?” (which seemed endless, and no one wanted it to end.) This was the first time I had seen a professional light show and a performer use some strange box that sat on the floor in front of where they played guitar. I was attentive, and chose to believe that Frampton was literally changing/running the light show by pressing the pedals in that strange box. Naive, yet a curiosity that would help me finally figure out how an actual light show ran and what guitar pedals did.
That night was magical. But, it was not my first concert.
Two years earlier, a fledgling festival born out of the 1976 bicentennial celebrations came to Oakdale Park in Salina. In ‘76, a street festival complete with a newly built gazebo took place in downtown Salina to celebrate the Red, White, and Blue’s 200th birthday. It was such a success that the city moved that gazebo to a permanent place right in the middle of Oakdale Park and began the annual Smoky Hill River Festival on the banks of the 30th longest river in America, which snakes its way right through Salina. It was during the initial Smoky Hill River Festival, in 1977, where townsfolk packed in around The Gazebo to see The 5th Dimension. I was one of those people, along with my mom and dad. THAT was what fairly should be considered my first concert.
The 5th Dimension was a soft rock/pop/r&b vocal group from Los Angeles that surfaced in 1965. Buoyed by their top hits “Up, Up and Away” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” and a consistent lineup during their decade of highest popularity, 1965-1975, The 5th Dimension garnered 20 Top 40 hits from ten albums during that time. The brand of funky, west-coast pop fit well within the AM radio dominated landscapes of America, along with groups like The Association, The Mamas and Papas, Three Dog Night, and The Lovin’ Spoonful. By the time The 5th Dimension made it to Salina in 1977, the lineup had changed a bit; Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Junior had left the group in 1975 to embark on their own path which would regularly find them on our living room television screens appearing on a national variety show of some sort. They even made it to Worlds Of Fun amusement park in Kansas City for a show at one point, or was it Starlight Theatre, or was it even them? I may be recalling Peaches and Herb. Time and memory, they can be biting minions to one’s recollection of history. Nonetheless, The 5th Dimension made it to Salina that night in 1977, and I was there. The memories are just flashes of crowds, of pending weather issues (There was a tornado watch AND warning that evening). I can recall sounds, lights, The Gazebo. My first concert.
Infinity Song is a four member r&b/pop/soft rock group out of New York City, via Detroit, comprised of siblings Angel, Momo, Abraham and Israel Boyd. Their home growing up was a house of music led by their Father John. Upon arriving in New York they performed in a choir directed by their father and soon found themselves growing an audience throughout Gotham until it caught the attention of none other than Jay-Z. Along that way they have bonded with some fairly large scale folk such as Jon Batiste, Kanye West and Tori Kelly, but none as important or larger than Jay-Z.
On June 14th, Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation Records released Infinity Song’s first full-length album, “Metamorphosis”. It was several months earlier this year when the song, “Hater’s Anthem” started making headway on indie and adult alternative radio stations throughout the land (that’s still what many folks like me, in their 50’s, tend to gravitate toward for music discovery). I am told that it was a huge viral hit on Tik Tok, but I discovered it on WNXP-FM out Nashville. The song is a mirror for all of us, offering the chance to see our reflection in a mile a second social media driven life where the powers that be would rather see us tear each other apart than to allow a tempered peace that might lead to a better society. It shows us who we are while offering us a chance to smile and realize just how ridiculous all of that culture fracas is.
It is “Hater’s Anthem” that first made me think of that airy, spring-like feeling of early 70’s pop which transported me back to The 5th Dimension. “Hater’s Anthem” is solidly glued to the track #4 slot on “Metamorphosis” and is surrounded by a shining ocean with endless horizons that one can travel for hours.
Track #3, the title cut, “Metamorphosis” beams with vulnerability: “And sometimes I don’t like myself, can I be someone else?” More opportunity for introspection, and once again, in a way that doesn’t beat you up, but sends a smile. It’s as if the record has been imbued with grace.
These days, the term ‘vocal group’ usually churns up visions of K-Pop groups who are too good looking to be true, or flashbacks to the boy band era before reality television got hold of those heroes. In a world of samples, AI, over populated network talent shows, and writing credits that seem a mile long and suspiciously attributed, “Metamorphosis” is not a ‘farmed’ out record. The Boyd family has talent well above the judgement of a paid celebrity panel. Except for the fantastic arrangement of the Stevie Nicks penned, “Dreams” every song is written with family participation, most have instrumentation performed by group members and several songs with production credits.
Infinity Song is a much welcome, wonderful and fresh sound to the music scene. I can’t say how they will do in the big picture of things, but I believe they will be just fine. I can’t wait to see them perform live. Maybe they will control their light show via guitar pedals.
Thursday, June 13th, the day before “Metamorphosis” was released to the world, The Smoky Hill River Festival kicked off in its usual place, Oakdale Park on the banks of the mighty Smoky Hill River. By the way, it is also within spittin’ distance of the old Bicentennial Center, now called Tony’s Pizza Events Center. 45+ years in, the River Festival still thrives and I have to believe it may be one of the best attended small town festivals in America. Some things do change, like the arena next door succumbing to corporate sponsorship, or the admission buttons sold at area retailers for years and years now being replaced by wristbands. The Gazebo still exists, moved to Jerry Ivey Park across the street from my old high school. A new performance stage was built in Oakdale Park to better accommodate festival goers and performers. Sorry Gazebo. And, maybe some things don’t change. Perhaps there was a 10-year old kid hanging with his parents and seeing his first concert at the festival.
And, maybe it was my buddy Randy’s band. The Randy Baldwin Band played The River Festival this year, and I believe it appropriate to give him a shout out. I have known Randy since our teenage years in Salina. Randy and I even participated in the long-running and popular (well, at least around mid-Kansas) Smoky Hill River Gang (Think Up With People with flashier early 80’s outfits); a traveling music group organized by the Salina Recreation Commission during the 70’s and 80’s. I’m not sure if it made it past the 80’s, for the internet is quite quiet about info on the ol’ River Gang. Randy was a performer and I was the sound guy for a bit. Randy and I also were in a band called Magi; a Christian rock band during our high school period. Randy was the guitarist, lead singer and chief writer. Again, I was the sound guy. I’ll never forget the time we had a gig at a youth event in Abilene, KS. We showed up adorned in our white t-shirts emblazoned with the “One Way” symbol (finger signaling one, a cross: One way to Jesus. Highly popular in the 70’s and 80’s), mine appropriately with the sleeves cut off. We set up, the ‘crowd’ assembled and Magi rocked. I don’t recall how long into the show it took for things to go south, but I do recall the towering youth minister with a angry look on his face running toward me and all of my sound board gear. “Turn that down NOW or I’ll unplug you!” I obeyed, praised God he didn’t kill me and Magi finished a successful set.
Randy writes, performs and records for the love of music. He is a leader who can organize a group of musicians to the point that has allowed him to record multiple albums, perform all over this great land, and continue to find ways to express his art and soul. During my Nashville days he even came to Music City and stayed with me a bit. I know he is smart because he got out of there about as quick as he came. Last year, he even wrote and recorded a song dedicated to our homeland of Salina. I have included the link to the video and audio below.
To the Smoky Hill River Festival, thanks for supporting your local artists. Maybe you can book Randy’s band again, and MAYBE you can even book a little group out of New York called Infinity Song.
Randy Baldwin Band, “Heartland” Video
Infinity Song, “Hater’s Anthem” Video
Infinity Song, “Metamorphosis” Apple Music