PITTSBURG, Kan. — For decades, Jefferson Starship has treated crowds to psychedelic-inspired rock music that takes on a life of its own on stage, and next Saturday, the multi- gold and platinum band is set to land at Kansas Crossing Casino.
“We love playing the Midwest,” Guitarist Jude Gold told The Morning Sun. “There’s great crowds, great people. And we like dodging tornadoes. It makes it exciting.”
At this all-ages show, Pure Prairie League and Atlanta Rhythm Section will amp up the crowds before Jefferson Starship takes the stage by storm at 8:30 p.m.
Throughout the night, audiences will journey through the evolution and eras of the band as they play hits such as “Ride the Tiger,” “We Built This City,” “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” and many more. The group also will blast their latest single “Jetpack,” which was released two weeks ago, as a teaser for their upcoming 2027 album drop.
The five-minute song “Jetpack” was sparked by the frustration of current events and politics, but Gold and founder David Freiberg believe it features original member Paul Kantner’s fascination with outer space and the great beyond.
“I really think that if Paul could have gotten on a one-way ticket to outer space, he would have done it just to find out what it's like,” Gold said.
Kantner died in 2016, but Gold and Freiberg said his essence is still with them on stage.
Jefferson Starship was formed in 1974 by former members of Jefferson Airplane but later disbanded in 1985. Kantner revived the band in 1992, and in 2005, he asked Freiberg to sit in on a gig.
“It was FUN,” Freiberg emphasized. “It felt like oh, ‘this is what it was before I left,’ you know, people playing together and actually listening to each other and writing songs together. So I did one gig. Then he said, ‘You want to do another one?’ And I haven't missed one since.”
Jefferson Starship’s current lineup consists of Freiberg, drummer Donny Baldwin, keyboardist Chris Smith, singer/guitarist Cathy Richardson and Gold, who is the guitarist.
Gold and Freiberg stressed that each member is what gives Jefferson Starship their unique dynamic. Both described Richardson as a “powerhouse lead singer.”
When Richardson joined the band in 2008, Freiberg said she knew their lyrics already because she has been a fan since she was a teenager.
Gold, who joined in 2012, also remembers being blown away by Jefferson Starship when he was a young teenager.
“There's something about the DNA of Jefferson Starship that really rocks hard,” he said. “When I first saw them, I was 13, and I was very surprised at how hard they rocked. I had all the records and was a big fan, but the thunder that came off that stage when I saw them in San Francisco, just from the very first note, really blew me away. So, it's a pleasure to be part of that thunder now.”
What really sets Jefferson Starship apart is that their live songs are never carbon copies of the recorded versions, and improvisation is weaved into each performance.
“We aren't trying to sound exactly like the records; we're trying to keep it alive,” Freiberg said. “They are still the songs, but we can put different little things into them daily. So we're not trying to duplicate what was played. We're playing what's happening, what is coming now, and listening to each other. And it might change every night a little bit.”
“Paul always said that we went into the studio, we wrote all these songs and we put them out,” Freiberg continued. “Then we went on the road and played them and then we found out how they really went.”
Gold said all their new music is born on the stage during sound checks or live performances.
“These stages become our palette where we start new ideas,” he said.
Their stage sound checks and live performances are the birthplaces for new ideas and songs.
Throughout the many eras and changes of Jefferson Starship, Freiberg said there’s a magic or synergy that always lands the band right where it needs to be with the right people.
“I've lived all those songs and sung on all of them, and I love them all,” he said. “And no matter who shows up, it always manages. It always seems to eventually get the right people.”
Freiberg, who is 88, says he has no plans to slow down or retire from the band.
“I'm going till I drop,” he said.
To purchase tickets for Jefferson Starship, kansascrossingcasino.com.
This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews.
