*** An important message from Richard Lucente 06/29/20 ***
ALL OF THE JUICE HAS BEEN SQUOZE OUTA THAT BOX
With an equal mixture of regret and relief, I announce with no small amount of trepidation that I will no longer be performing live with a band I first put together in 1982, and the only band I have ever appeared with, The Bon Ton Soul Accordion Band.
Trust that this decision is not based on physical infirmity or external influence…it’s simply time to go.
When it became clear, as a result of the band’s performance at the Kansas Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2014, that the group should re-form and continue live shows, my unstructured goal was a series of sporadic performances spread out over the course of no more than one year. Six eventful years later I will tip whichever hat I have on at the moment and finally bow out. I will take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the thousands of fans who have appreciated and supported our unique contribution to the Kansas City music scene. You know who you are, and you are well aware that you have been involved in an unequaled musical phenomenon, a very strange cup o’ tea…in other words, some extremely weird shit.
As a songwriter, I have been afforded the inalienable right to say anything and everything I have wanted to say and run with it. Operating comfortably under the radar, I have consistently and diligently explored adult themes of the non-pandering variety which, in turn, have been enthusiastically interpreted by a group of extraordinary musicians whose talent and loyalty remain unmatched. I join all of you in thanking all of them, and lead the applause.
Richard Lucente
PS: Thanks to the band’s foremost friend, Frank Sereno, all of our recorded music and a vast archive of live performances will continue to be made available through various social media.