Deep Purple + Kansas @ F&M Amphitheatre 2026-09-11

LIMITED TIME / LAST TIME

https://pixeldrain.com/l/MPNW3Q8x

Included reviews of both the show and a venue specific primer for anyone thinking of going. Scroll down. 

Originally thinking W.A.S.P. / KK's Priest but there were freebies galore for this and decided to just check the place out before something important gets booked.

Was telling friends I am seeing what's left of Deep Purple and Kansas. Turns out what's left of Kansas is not one original member. Still sounded good but also you really have to if you wanna pull it off.


DEEP PURPLE
LONG BEACH, CA @ F&M AMPHITHEATER
2026-09-11

SP-CMC-4U -> A10 -> Soundforge -> FLAC

01. -intro-
02. Highway Star
03. A Bit On The Side
04. Into The Fire
05. -guitar solo-
06. Arrogant Boy
07. Lazy Sod
08. -keyboard solo-
09. Lazy
10. When A Blind Man Cries
11. Diablo
12. -keyboard solo-
13. Perfect Strangers
14. Space Truckin'
15. Smoke On The Water
16. Guinnesis
17. Hush

KANSAS
LONG BEACH, CA @ F&M AMPHITHEATER
2026-09-11

SP-CMC-4U -> A10 -> Soundforge -> FLAC

01. Point Of Know Return
02. Paradox
03. Child Of Innocence
04. Jets Overhead
05. The Wall
06. Sing For America
07. Dust In The Wind
08. Hold On
09. Down The Road
10. Portrait (He Knew)
11. -band introductions-
12. Miracles Out Of Nowhere
13. Carry On Wayward Son

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since it's a brand new place who's reputation as logistics nightmare is already notorious just a few shows in I accepted the tickets to go see for myself. I can handle it just fine and would probably go again but there are also people to whom I would recommend never ever going there. 

Absolutely imperative you read venue communications.  When they say no parking at (or within a mile and a half) of the venue they mean it! I know it's unbelievable they would build a 12,000 seater with no parking lot but they sure did! 

If you set your GPS to the venue there is a very helpful barricade line of police to direct you back to downtown Long Beach. During Kansas I was on the end of the bleachers and was looking behind and still seeing cars rolling up and getting turned back. 

Set your GPS to where you are parking and find out whenever the shuttles leave and consider that the start time for all intents and purposes. Shuttles are $12-15 or there is the free Passport but it only runs Fri-Sun with just one after presumed end time at 11:10.  (Or walk if you don't mind, I got split from my friend and just walked back). "Official" parking is $60, not sure if that includes the shuttle or not or there are $12 city lots that don't show up on Parkwhiz/Spothero on Pine between 2nd and 5th. 

This might end up being an orphaned spot like Glen Helen or just the packages LiveNation uses as loss leaders for the concessions. I know I read a lot of this or that show is overbooked but I like places with lots of empty seats and room to move around and spread out. Which also means freebies and bargains galore if you know where to look. The place itself is fine inside. They basically just picked up Five Points in Irvine and moved it to Long Beach. I thought the sound was decent enough up in the bleachers but if you are on the aisle you are going to get the thump thump thump of people walking up and down the stairs.

 

+ + + + +

I had free tickets and decided it was a good enough opportunity to check it out before something important plays here. 

Kansas was doing Kansas songs Kansas style. No idea how many, if any original members are on stage or what connection they have to classic material. The video screens just showed a far off tripod shot of the stage. I was paying such good attention that when another friend inside texted me complaining about it, I thought it was just a logo display. When Deep Purple was on I texted back they could also have benefited from no video screen.

They opened with Highway Star and hell yeah, they look and sound a little old, even the replacement guitarist who I was surprised to find out was only 46 but it's a killer song. After that they started playing unfamiliar material because they are still putting out new albums all the time. Then after 3 songs / 15 mins there is such a long guitar solo that I am texting friends there "Did someone die backstage?" There were also at least 2 keyboard solos. Worst paced show since early Asylum tour. 

The engine of the group, Ian Paice and Roger Glover looked and sounded great. I will actually say Ian Paice Band is probably a much better experience but they just play bars in Europe. To be honest, thinking back, it was already kinda terrible in 2004 when "Thin Lizzy" opened. 

Show was over, found my friend at the meeting spot (he decided to take over one of the recliners in the outside concourse area where you can still see the left screen and most of the stage) and we made our way out to the signs that shuttles without realizing Passport and shuttle are 2 different things. We got split up in the crowd crush.  The shuttle lines looked claustrophobic and painful. I saw a path lit up with signs that said "Downtown" and just started walking. Not a bad walk along the water. Downtown Long Beach was totally lit up with thumping nightspots and lovely young and wasted latinas and ebonies on the sidewalks with a few straggling boomers wondering what kind of hellscape they wandered into.