- [Announcer] Presented by the Kansas Arts Commission.

(gentle guitar music) - Across our state and across the world, Kansas artists inspire us and enrich our communities with their talents and creativity.

This program celebrates those Kansas artists, some of whom you may know, and others you may not, by bringing you remarkable performances from my office.

It's within the beautiful and historic Kansas State House.

(gentle guitar music) Welcome to the "LG Desk Concerts."

(guitar music) - Freedy is a native Kansan from the small town of Kinsley, Kansas.

And you made time to be here with us today.

I wanna say thank you so much for that.

- Thanks for having me.

- Yeah, absolutely.

We're just grateful you're here.

What's interesting is you came from a small Kansas town, Kinsley.

How do you think that actually affected your success in your songwriting career?

- I don't know.

I'm just gonna have to sing you a song about it I think.

- [Sierra] That's the way to do it.

(mid-tempo guitar music) ♪ I was lost ♪ ♪ Up on the mountain ♪ ♪ I was lost ♪ ♪ On an empty sea ♪ ♪ I was lost ♪ ♪ Down in the canyon ♪ ♪ Now I'm coming home ♪ ♪ Will you remember me?

♪ ♪ Well, I left town with a hardcore band ♪ ♪ Headlights shining on the beach ♪ ♪ Left my money in a Maxwell's coffee can ♪ ♪ Down by the cemetery gate ♪ ♪ When I walk into your kitchen ♪ ♪ And I hold your loving face ♪ ♪ Mother dear, will you remember me?

♪ ♪ I was lost ♪ ♪ Up on the mountain ♪ ♪ I was lost ♪ ♪ On an empty sea ♪ ♪ I was lost ♪ ♪ Down in the canyon ♪ ♪ Now I'm coming home ♪ ♪ Will you remember me?

♪ ♪ Well, they sent me packing with a broken umbrella ♪ ♪ A pocket full of nothing and change ♪ ♪ I had the right to remain and left just the same ♪ ♪ I didn't even get a receipt ♪ ♪ There's a big green city all made out of twenties ♪ ♪ And I run, run, run, but I never do reach it ♪ ♪ I woke up night by the old dry fountain again ♪ ♪ Down a lawless border of here and there ♪ ♪ Not finding any way to get by ♪ ♪ Jumped a garbage floater in a dead cold night ♪ ♪ Cried under a beautiful sky ♪ ♪ When I walk into your bedroom ♪ ♪ And I look you in the eye ♪ ♪ Daddy dear, will you remember me?

♪ ♪ I was lost ♪ ♪ Up on the mountain ♪ ♪ I was lost ♪ ♪ On an empty sea ♪ ♪ I was lost ♪ ♪ Down in the canyon ♪ ♪ Now I'm coming home ♪ ♪ Will you remember me?

♪ ♪ Now I'm coming home ♪ ♪ Will you remember me?

♪ ♪ Now I'm coming home ♪ ♪ Will you remember me?

♪ (audience cheers and applauds) Oh, you guys are too much, thank you very much.

That's awesome.

If the folks out there could only see this fantastic office, and I'm sure they are, thanks to the cameraman, it's really nice, really nice-sounding room.

Well, I came from Kansas.

I come from Kansas, and I am a Kansan, and I moved to New York City and got a job as a temp, because I was a Kansan.

That's why they hired me.

They said, "Well, you're from Kansas.

"Obviously you're gonna get a job.

You work hard."

It was great.

And so, I did that for years.

And then I got this record deal.

It was weird, I liked my job a lot.

But I got a record deal, you know?

And then I had to quit my job.

And I was on the road very soon after.

I went to a La Crosse, Wisconsin gas station, and I heard my song on the radio for the first time.

And I just hope that sounds like a full circle story, because when I left Kansas, I pawned my guitar in Lawrence, Kansas.

You know, I pawned my guitar.

It sounds like a joke, but it was.

I didn't have any money, had to pawn my guitar.

Gosh, it's a funny world and I'm a very lucky man.

(mid-tempo guitar music) ♪ I know I got a bad reputation ♪ ♪ And it isn't just talk, talk talk ♪ ♪ Still I'm gonna give you everything ♪ ♪ That I haven't got ♪ ♪ I couldn't have one conversation ♪ ♪ If it wasn't for the lies, lies, lies ♪ ♪ Still I'm still gonna give you everything ♪ ♪ Before you close your eyes ♪ ♪ Suddenly I'm on the street ♪ ♪ Seven years disappeared below my feet ♪ ♪ Been breaking down ♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Suddenly I'm down at Harold's Square ♪ ♪ Looking in the crowd, your face is everywhere ♪ ♪ Just turning around ♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ (mid-tempo guitar music) ♪ Don't try to be an inspiration ♪ ♪ You're just wasting your time, time, time ♪ ♪ You know about the best I'll ever be ♪ ♪ I see it on your eye ♪ ♪ Yeah, I know I got a bad reputation ♪ ♪ And it isn't just talk, talk, talk ♪ ♪ Still I'm gonna give you everything ♪ ♪ That I haven't got ♪ ♪ Suddenly I'm on the street ♪ ♪ Seven years disappeared below my feet ♪ ♪ Been breaking down ♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Suddenly I'm in another place ♪ ♪ Looking in the crowd, I think I see your face ♪ ♪ Just turning around ♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Don't you think I've heard the talk?

♪ ♪ Nobody's gonna tell me who to love ♪ ♪ Been breaking down ♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ Suddenly I'm in Harold's Square ♪ ♪ Looking in the crowd, your face is everywhere ♪ ♪ Just turning around ♪ ♪ Do you want me now?

♪ ♪ I've been breaking down, down, down, down ♪ ♪ Been breaking down, down, down, down ♪ ♪ Been breaking down, down, down, down, down, down ♪ ♪ Down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) What a crowd, too much.

Well, if you don't mind, I would like to shift gears and play the first song I ever wrote when I lived in Kinsley, Kansas.

Jeff Atwood, a retired Wamego doctor now.

But when we were in high school, we were classmates and wrote this song called "Sparky the Heroic Dog."

And I wanted to, you know, bookend this by maybe playing this first song after "Bad Reputation."

I hope you like it.

I had a dog named Sparky.

I named her after the song.

(guitar music) When we did this song in Kinsley at the talent show, the Junior Class Talent Show, I think it was, or maybe the Senior Class Talent Show, I got my first taste of success, because all the kids in town then knew us.

So, Kinsley's like 1,800 people.

We'd walk down the street and they'd be like, "Sparky!"

And it was, whoa, this feels good.

I like this, you know?

So this is where it all started for me.

(gentle guitar music) ♪ Sparky the heroic dog ♪ ♪ Saved my life one night when the house burned down ♪ ♪ Oh, Sparky the heroic dog ♪ ♪ Became a hero back in my hometown ♪ ♪ Oh, Sparky ♪ ♪ Sparky, my dog ♪ ♪ Was so warm and soft and cuddly ♪ (mumbled singing) ♪ He smelled when he was wet ♪ (audience laughs) ♪ But I loved Sparky yet ♪ ♪ Sparky ♪ ♪ Sparky the heroic dog ♪ ♪ Saved my life one night when the house burned down ♪ ♪ Oh, Sparky the heroic dog ♪ ♪ Became a hero back in my hometown ♪ To the kids in Kansas.

♪ Sparky ♪ (vocalizing) (howls) (audience howling) (audience cheers and applauds) Oh, you guys are just the best.

So I don't know how much more time I have, but I do want to keep doing these songs that are not songs you know, because they're important to me.

This song is a new song I've written called "The Lonely Drummer."

And it's about a drummer being let go from a band, something that's very near and dear to my heart.

I was drummer for Dalton Howard and the Go Kats here in the Topeka/Lawrence area for a few gigs.

I wasn't let go, but I was politely replaced.

You know, that's all it was.

I love those guys.

I love Dalton Howard and Dan and everybody.

But anyway, that's the story of this song.

Well, it's a song sent out to all you percussionists who find yourself unemployed now.

It happens.

(playful blues guitar music) ♪ They said, we found another drummer ♪ ♪ I said, that's okay ♪ ♪ I packed up and loaded up ♪ ♪ Took the long way back to the house ♪ ♪ Pulled up as the rain was starting ♪ ♪ Saw my lead foot was low ♪ ♪ I left the dog out in the back ♪ ♪ Smoking my last Marlboro ♪ (vocalizing) ♪ That's the way it goes ♪ (vocalizing) ♪ You gotta learn to keep time, you know ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ They said, you're a great guy ♪ ♪ But we're looking for something else ♪ ♪ We are all looking for something ♪ ♪ I said to myself ♪ ♪ Sat on the couch watching "Rockford" ♪ ♪ Doing prayers on my knees ♪ ♪ You know, Jim, someday I'm gonna win ♪ ♪ Here we go now, one, two, three ♪ (vocalizing) ♪ That's the way it goes ♪ (vocalizing) ♪ You gotta learn to keep time, you know ♪ (vocalizing) ♪ It helps if you have your own ride, you know ♪ (vocalizing) Yeah, Freedy, you're a really fun guy and we like your little round glasses and your punk rock attitude, but you just can't keep the beat.

(audience laughs) ♪ They said, we found another drummer ♪ ♪ I said, that's okay ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) I love it.

Okay, this song I wrote in the nineties, before many of you were born.

But I wrote about Las Vegas, a trip to Las Vegas that I took with my girlfriend.

We were so silly.

The brightest lights.

We were right at midnight.

We drove toward the brightest lights, which happened to be downtown.

If you know Vegas, that's the run down part of town.

So we were amazed, like, wow, this town's really lost.

So I wrote this song about Las Vegas, not knowing that I was in the wrong Las Vegas.

(audience laughs) (mid-tempo guitar music) (vocalizes) ♪ Walking from the bus stop ♪ ♪ Couldn't wait to get off ♪ ♪ I know I am the lucky one ♪ ♪ Mm-hm ♪ ♪ Walking through the twilight ♪ ♪ Cold Nevada twilight ♪ ♪ I know I am the lucky one, uh-huh ♪ ♪ On the wheels, on the tabletops ♪ ♪ On the handles with my shirt off ♪ ♪ On the floor, on my heels again ♪ ♪ I know I'm the one, I'm the one, I'm the one ♪ ♪ Standing on the corner ♪ ♪ If I could find a quarter ♪ ♪ I know I'd be the lucky one ♪ (vocalizes) ♪ Standing in the last light ♪ ♪ Artificial daylight ♪ ♪ I know I am the lucky one ♪ (vocalizes) ♪ The wheels on the tabletops ♪ ♪ On the handles with my shirt off ♪ ♪ On the floor, on my heels again ♪ ♪ I know I'm the one, I'm the one, I'm the one ♪ ♪ All the wheels, on the tabletops ♪ ♪ On the handles with my shirt off ♪ ♪ On the floor, on my heels again ♪ ♪ I know I'm the one, I'm the one, I'm the one ♪ (vocalizing) ♪ I'm walking to the bus stop ♪ ♪ Couldn't wait to get on ♪ ♪ I know I am the lucky one ♪ (vocalizes) (audience cheers and applauds) I'd like to play one more song if I could.

And of course it's gonna be a bummer, but I write a lot of sad songs.

But I do feel like this one needs to be played more.

It's a song I've written about a returned veteran, who is at the VA, and he's trying to get a re-up on his pills and basically saying to the psychiatrist, like, gosh, don't ask me any questions at all.

Please just sign this sheet of paper.

And so that's this song called "A Little Bit of Something Wrong."

And I play it because I want to play songs that might try to help somebody.

Since all my songs are so like, "Poor me."

I wanna try to say, "Poor you."

(audience laughs) Hope that makes sense.

I'm learning, honey.

(gentle guitar music) ♪ With my head on straight ♪ ♪ You know things can go just great ♪ ♪ But when my head's on wrong ♪ ♪ You'll be singing a different song ♪ ♪ I got a wife and kid ♪ ♪ But I'm supposed to stay away from him ♪ ♪ I ain't been back long ♪ ♪ I got a little bit of something ♪ ♪ A little bit of something ♪ ♪ A little bit of something wrong ♪ ♪ You know, I saw the others ♪ ♪ Running for cover ♪ ♪ And that's the last thing I know ♪ ♪ Well, my old sick dad ♪ ♪ He said, you just gotta be a man ♪ ♪ I know he's been through hell ♪ ♪ You know he just don't understand ♪ ♪ When the night closes in ♪ ♪ It all comes back again ♪ ♪ I'll sleep till dawn ♪ ♪ I got a little bit of something ♪ ♪ A little bit of something ♪ ♪ A little bit of something wrong ♪ ♪ You know, I saw the others ♪ ♪ Bloody in the gutter ♪ ♪ And that's the last thing I know ♪ ♪ Excuse me but I'm sorry ♪ ♪ But what was your name, please?

♪ ♪ And could you just sign for these?

♪ ♪ 'Cause you got a lot of people to see ♪ ♪ But I've seen a man's insides ♪ ♪ Against a clear blue sky ♪ ♪ And when your head's blown off ♪ ♪ It's like you're really, really gone ♪ ♪ And you're never coming back no more ♪ ♪ And you can't believe it ♪ ♪ What it's like to see ♪ ♪ Your own hands on the floor ♪ ♪ I got a little bit of something ♪ ♪ A little bit of something ♪ ♪ A little bit of something wrong ♪ ♪ You know, I left my brothers ♪ ♪ Back there in the gutter ♪ ♪ And I didn't even make it home ♪ (vocalizing) (audience cheers and applauds) (vigorous guitar music)