Catch Kevin Costner & Modern West at the Roanoke Civic Center on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 7:30pm. You can buy tickets here.
Kevin Costner, a household name with plenty of fame under his belt, is a man of many talents. Actor, director, producer, and lead singer of his country rock band Kevin Costner & Modern West, Costner says he only has one major fear.
“I don’t want to get sick on the road. In nine years, I’ve only missed one show. I don’t want to have excuses because the audience doesn’t care. They took the time to get babysitters, spend money and come see our show. I’m not going to let them down.”
If there’s anything to be learned from a talk with Costner, it’s that he cares deeply for his fans. Costner wants to have experiences with his fans, something more meaningful than a simple autograph. In his mind, an ideal experience is that the fans get their money’s worth.
“They come in not knowing what to expect with our band. Some people – like husbands – are reluctant, so we hope to break the ice and have people walk away saying, ‘I know him better now more than I’ve ever known him.’ People want to see who you are, and seeing me play music is their best chance.”
In fact, it was that mindset that helped him take the leap into music. When Costner’s wife, Christine, discovered his songs, Costner initially shrugged it off. He’d had a bad experience with a critic and decided, thanks to his soaring movie career, that he didn’t really need someone hacking at him. Christine, however, asked him the big question: “Are you happy when you play?”
“It was so simple how your partner can help you through something,” Costner says.
When Costner said yes, he realized he should be doing what makes him happy, no matter the critics. Despite the believability in his vast array of movie characters, it’s when the audience sees him on stage that fans can truly see and connect with him.
Costner is quick to state his band’s stance. Their plan has always been about wanting to play music, as opposed to making records or money. When the band’s star status grew, they began to write and play original music. Audiences responded and nine years later, they’re still together and playing around the world.
Despite the leap from acting to performing, Costner doesn’t get stage fright. Much like before a TV interview, it’s actually the two or three days prior to a show that’s most uncomfortable because he wants to give fans the best show possible.
“I want my voice to be strong,” Costner says. “It comes down to making things perfect so that people leave with a better feeling than they thought they could’ve had when they walked in.”
Costner’s musical influences range far and wide. He grew up with classical music and learned to play the piano, while music in the 60’s completely absorbed him, from acid to Motown to folk. He believes in songs that tell stories, which explains how his songwriting can sometimes hit close to home.
“Sometimes we write age-appropriate songs, while others are things we thought about as kids. I may write a political song or even songs that have to do with characters in a movie.”
This mindset helped Modern West be part of Famous For Killing Each Other: Music From And Inspired By Hatfields & McCoys, the soundtrack to the Emmy-nominated History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys. While they initially had no plans to be a part of the music, Costner was overcome by the harshness of the movie and its characters.
“It’s a very American story, that vendetta and feud – this was ours. I got really affected by it and some dark songs came out of it.”
Unfortunately, Costner doesn’t get much down time in between shows. While the band might take a break to grab a bite to eat or even play a game of basketball, Costner’s “pulling the wagon” by doing interviews and press junkets. Despite the lack of play time, Costner still enjoys touring from city to city. Chicago, he says, is probably his favorite US city.
“There’s something magical about walking around in that city. The high rises don’t dominate, so you can still feel the sun and there’s always something going on.”
Music is a constant in Costner’s life, especially at home. His wife and kids play music all the time, whether it’s modern day hip hop or old school folk. Interestingly enough, while Springsteen and Clapton might be influences, Costner will never be one to join them onstage during a set.
“You just made my temples pound,” he says with a laugh. “I love making our own music and that’s not the easiest thing in the world. Those guys are so strong – I wouldn’t mind opening for them, but I’d never want to be on stage with them. It’s too much pressure!”
Catch Kevin Costner & Modern West at the Roanoke Civic Center on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 7:30pm. You can buy tickets here.
KEVIN COSTNER & MODERN WEST
The modern genesis of Modern West began when Kevin’s wife, Christine, encouraged him to reconnect with his love of music.
However, the history of the band goes back over 20 years when Kevin met John Coinman in a dirty, downtown warehouse in Los Angeles during an acting workshop. John was a musician with an intense interest in acting and Kevin was an actor with an intense interest in music. They became friends and began to play and write music together along with another friend, Blair Forward. That collaboration turned into the band Roving Boy – a rock band with an edgy Western style and a small record deal in Japan where they had a #1 single called “Simple Truth”.
As Kevin’s star began to rise, the band continued behind-the-scenes playing, writing, and recording anytime they could get together. Coinman and Forward both ended up in Tucson, Arizona, where they met guitarist/producer Teddy Morgan and drummer Larry Cobb. So in 2005 when the three former Roving Boys decided to build a new band together, they brought in Teddy and Larry and named it Modern West.
Born from a shared love of music and comprised of a tight-knit group of longtime friends, Kevin Costner and Modern West draw their influences from a broad tapestry of American music and beyond. The show itself flows from original material penned by the band to cover songs written by some of music’s giants.
