Starship entertains
Old favorites rock the crowd Saturday night

By Joanne Gonnerman
Kannapolis Citizen
Saturday night at Village Park sounded like a venue from the 1980s as the hit rock band Starship featuring Mickey Thomas took to the amphitheatre stage in front of a crowd estimated at 3,000.
The Starship band, first known as Jefferson Airplane and then Jefferson Starship, kept the concert crowd on its feet with hands in the air as hit songs from the past 30 years blasted from speakers towering on both sides of the stage.
“I remember this music quite well,” said Sally Saunders, who was at the concert with her granddaughters, Madison Grace Saunders, 4, and Taylor Faith Saunders, 3. “The music was great back then and it still sounds great today.”
The Starship concert included the 1976 hit song, “Fooled Around And Fell In Love,” from Thomas’ tenure with “The Elvin Bishop Band,” to music from his solo albums. Crowd favorites, however, were the hits that made Starship famous — songs like “Sara,” “Set The Night To Music” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” the No. 1 hit and Oscar nominated song from the 1987 romantic comedy movie, “Mannequin.”
“There’s no denying the genesis of it all,” said Thomas, as he spoke to the crowd about his three decades as a performer. “We’ve played on eight tracks, cassettes, CDs, and now we’re played on iPods.”
Thomas introduced band members Mark Abrahamian on lead guitar, Jeff Adams on bass, Phil Bennett on keyboards, Darrell “Pelican” Verdusco on drums and powerhouse female vocalist, Stephanie Calvert, who took lead vocals for the song, “Don’t You Want Somebody to Love.”
On more than one occasion, Thomas dodged fan requests for the hits from the early ’80s, instead performing his current music. After more than an hour of music, the band exited the stage for a euphoric encore, led by Larry Sprinkle, weather anchor from WCNC. It was then and only then, with the last song of the evening, that Thomas and the “Starship” musicians, belted out the 1985 legendary hit “We Built This City.”
“This is a phenomenal time to be a part of Kannapolis,” said Cindy Griggs, chairperson of the Kannapolis Parks and Recreation Department, who was attending a private reception for event sponsors, city council members, and volunteers who serve on Kannapolis boards and commissions. “We have all the new people coming to Kannapolis … to expand the vision of Kannapolis.”
Griggs praised the work of the Parks and Recreation Department staff, recognizing director Gary Mills and Becky Tolle, special events coordinator.
“The attendance at our events has surpassed the attendance for similar events held in surrounding communities,” Griggs said. “Our Parks and Recreation staff just do a fantastic job.”
City Manager Mike Legg echoed that message.
“The city council has put a lot of emphasis on the Parks and Recreation Department,” said Legg, referring to the expanded programming and new facilities. “We are building a brand of quality of entertainment. It’s free and it’s family-friendly, the kind of entertainment this community, every community needs. It’s building a quality of life, and you just can’t underestimate how important that is, especially with a changing city like Kannapolis.”
Noticeable at the concert were members of the Kannapolis City Police Department.
“We’re expecting a pretty big crowd,” said Sgt. Travis Furr, a 10-year member of the Kannapolis Police Department. “These are pretty low key events as far as problems go, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Our biggest concern is the heat.”
Near record-breaking temperatures in the upper 90s had settled over Cabarrus County since last Wednesday.
Also present at Saturday’s concert were staff from the Kannapolis Fire Department.
“We attend any city-sponsored event,” said Capt. Justin Hahn. “We’re certainly here to administer first aid if necessary, but we’re also here because of the fireworks being launched tonight.”
The fireworks, launched from a new location this year, the former Cannon Mill’s property where the red and white water tower once stood, brought “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd. Colorful sprays of gold, red, green and silver lit up the night sky while crackling pops or big booms often followed each color burst.
“This is the best fireworks ever,” said Madison Saunders, of the evening’s grand finale.
For a listing of the 2008 summer events at Village Park, visit www.cityof kannapolis.com.
Contact Joanne Gonnerman at 704-932-3336 or jgonnerman@kannapolis citizen.com.