St. Augustine — There are legends. And there are superstars. And then there are legendary superstars. Like Kevin Costner.
Tonight, the legendary superstar – and musician – will grace the stage with his band Modern West at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. Showcasing tunes from his recently released album, Tales from Yellowstone, this will be the band’s first visit to America’s oldest city.
While the performance may be new for some, Costner and Modern West have produced four studio albums and toured the globe playing live since their inception in 2007. The mega star fronts two sets of band members who write and play alongside him, adding dimension to “eclectic” Americana rock music that he says everyone can “relate” to.
“We play music that no one has ever heard and it doesn’t feel foreign,” he said.
Although grateful and humbled by the band’s success, Costner said that at the onset, the band had no plans. Music was simply a way to connect him to his surroundings when filming.
“I wanted to make original music to have an authentic relationship with a community that I would find myself in for three or and months,” he said. “We would play in a bar and people would come back and ask us to play in another place.”
The pattern continued as the years passed and the blockbusters added up. Despite his enjoyment, Costner shelved his music. Years later his wife, Christine, unearthed a treasure trove of songs and encouraged him step into this genre of entertaining.
“She set me free,” he said. “And I’ll never forget it.”
Despite the band’s success, Costner has refused multiple requests to perform on television.
“I’ve been asked a hundred times but I’ve never done it once,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed playing live around the world. We’ve played the Kremlin, we’ve played in South America, we’ve played in a lot of places.”
Costner remains undeterred by the surprise of those “who never knew I even did this.”
“I think life is good when we’re surprised,” he continued. “I think it’s good to realize there’s more to people than what we thought.”
Click on the link below to hear the spotlight with Kevin Costner
https://od-cmg.streamguys1.com/jacksonville-market/20220128061520-LVKevinCostner.mp3
The bands last two albums have paralleled Costner’s acting gigs. The 2012 release, Famous for Killing Each Other: Music from and inspired by the Hatfields & McCoys, was inspired by the TV mini-series of the same name. Tales from Yellowstone was inspired by Costner’s role as John Dunn in the TV series Yellowstone.
“I didn’t know that I was going to write about Yellowstone,” he said. “I didn’t know I was going to write about the Hatfield and McCoy’s. So much of my music came out of the fact that I went and participated in something and the feelings of what was going on around bubbled up.”
Surrounded by an incredible array of talent, Costner admits that his “brave band” exposes the stories dancing in his head. Unafraid to play new - and sometimes unrecorded - music, this “confident but not arrogant” ensemble knows no bounds.
“When we have a chance to rock it we will,” he said. “But we’re not afraid of instrumentals. And we’re not afraid of slowing it way, way down.”
While admitting that many are surprised to see the two-time Academy Award winner’s melodic persona, music has always been a part of Costner’s life. The classically trained pianist, “grew up in the church with music.” He even fronted a band before landing his first acting job. As his movie career exploded, a “cruel” and “vicious” critique – “what makes actors think they can play music” – thwarted his confidence to pursue his love for music.
“It was unlike me to back away but I didn’t want anything to disrupt the movies I had worked so hard to get going,” he said. “My movie career was what it was, and is what it is, and things just went along.”
Costner’s wife “prodded” him to get on stage, describing it as the best place to get to know the real Kevin Costner.
“When I told her that I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it, she reminded me that if I was feeling good about it, and the audience was feeling good about it, what could possibly be wrong with that union?” he said.
Audience members may be surprised to know that the story teller grew up in a conservative household, fishing boats, driving trucks and framing houses.
“I was on my way to a very blue collar life that I liked,” he said. “I like to work. But when I worked these stories would pour through my head. And so, I ultimately found my own yellow brick road and moved my life into the direction of things that made me happy.”
When on stage, Costner admits to being nervous.
“I’m nervous because I want to be the best that I can be,” he said. “I want what happens to be great. If I’m in St. Augustine, I want it to be a great night.”
Despite Costner’s overwhelming success, he remains humbled by his family, friends and career. When asked about encouraging others, the 66-year old said that “if that sound in your heart is loud enough, you’ve got to try to follow it.”
“If you can,” he concluded. “Sometimes there are circumstances that say you can’t but other times …. Just don’t let fear be the one thing that stops you. That’s all.”
Tickets are on sale now. The St. Augustine Amphitheatre is located at 1340 A1A South in St. Augustine, FL 32080. Gates open at 6 p.m.