Wild West Festival Spotlight 2018 is made possible by support from: State Glass, Paul’s Lawn & Tree Service, Coldwell Banker Executive Realty, Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, Patty Baconrind Appraising, and Diamond R Jewelry.
Salina-based Mahan takes the Wild West Festival stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 7.
MAHAN the Band- This band came together as naturally as possible. Howard and Landon met while in college at Kansas Wesleyan University. Instantly, as they began to play music together in school groups and various jam sessions, they knew they had something that would be special. One night they heard live music coming from just down the street, and that is when they met Tim King. After jamming together for months in a garage with a rotating cast of local musicians, they decided to form MAHAN.
This power trio is fueled by Howard Mahan’s attention-demanding guitar style, Tim King’s booming bass lines, and Landon Livingston’s virtuosic percussion abilities. Each is a strong vocalist in their own right, and the blending of vocal styles in this group ensures that everyone in an audience will hear something with which they connect.
This group is in it for the crowd experience, but is a truly dynamic jam band at heart. Playing both cover songs and original music, there is no telling which musical direction it could take once a solo section opens up; every show they play is new and no song is ever played the same way twice. They draw inspiration from great past musicians as well as modern music to blur the lines between genres, though they are a true blues band at heart.
Howard Mahan (Guitar and Vocal)– Originally from Fredonia, KS, Howard has played guitar in blues bands (notably the Buddy Ray Band) since he was 10 years old. After taking some time off from playing in live bands to attend college in Salina and further develop his guitar skills, he brings a wide array of influences from blues, rock, jazz, classical, and folk backgrounds.
Landon Livingston (Percussion and Vocal) – Having played drums and percussion in essentially every style of band known to man, Landon’s incredibly diverse background shapes the sound of the band in total. A true professional, he can switch styles or hold down a groove better than anyone!
Tim King (Bass and Vocal)– Having played guitar professionally for over 40 years, this is Tim’s first gig playing bass. His guitar experience gives him a unique voice on bass. He is never afraid to double guitar parts or follow melody lines within a song. This approach works especially well in the power trio setting to truly hold down the rhythm section. Tim is also a lifetime inductee into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame!