KC Confidential.com

My favorite part of movie star Kevin Costner’s surprisingly fun rock concert Saturday night at Crossroads KC at Grinder’s?

Near the end, when my 17-year-old son realized with a widening smile that we were listening to Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.”

Except Costner and his band Modern West weren’t playing “I Won’t Back Down,” but their own tune, “The Sun Will Rise Again,” whose chorus came as close to Petty’s ditty as George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” ever did to the Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine.” And that’s pretty damn close.

The recognition had us initially laughing at Costner’s clever audacity, and then before we knew it unabashedly belting out the lyrics of Petty’s chorus to Costner’s tune with ever-increasing glee.

No offense, Kevin – just a neat father and son moment.

But the question remains: Was Costner being a musical imposter? Hardly.

Let the rock snobs sneer if they want, but the harmoniously moonlighting star of more than a few great Hollywood flicks was only sharing his influences to the point of tribute. It’s not like Petty himself didn’t “borrow” from the Byrds. Just go back and listen to his and the Heartbreakers’ “American Girl.” And, of course, the Byrds began by putting an electric 12-string guitar over the acoustic folk of Bob Dylan. In the rock ’n’ roll game, everybody’s always doing somebody else.

I say no harm done that Costner’s adopted song structures consistently came off as by the numbers. His fans weren’t there to see the next big thing. They were there to see the man who had impressed them for decades on the big screen. And if he wanted to have a good time in his spare time by making like Petty, John Mellencamp and myriad other so-called heartland rockers, so be it.

Although Costner’s pipes were far from strong, they were serviceable. He certainly could carry a tune. But he seemed to act out the songs with his voice as much as croon them, often relying on a whisper or a rasp to convey emotion. Let me put it this way: It sounded like Kevin Costner singing.

Costner was content to gently strum an acoustic guitar, but he also brought with him plenty of musical muscle. The 90-minute show was delivered with professional gusto from Costner’s capable six-man band – especially in the case of ferociously rocking fiddler Bob Yang, who sprang from his feet while performing as if he were Who guitarist Pete Townsend attacking a power chord in mid-leap.

As for Costner relating to the live audience, he conceded that many men in attendance may have been cajoled by wives and girlfriends to take them to the show.

“ ‘We’re going to pay what? To see who?’ ” Costner said from the put-upon male of point of view. “Well, I’m dedicating half of these songs to you guys.”

That didn’t stop gaga women in their 20s to 50s from shouting en masse: “You’re so hot!”

How hot? I’ll leave that to the ladies, but the salt-and-pepper-haired Costner indeed looked the part of a relaxed middle-age stud dressed in a black dress shirt (top button open, sleeves rolled up his forearms), faded blue jeans and tan cowboy boots. He also sported a sprout of soul-patch hair beneath his lower lip. And there was that easygoing smile that has sold so many movie tickets over the years.

He flashed his famous grin at one point when he and a roadie were having some trouble attaching a strap to his guitar.

“I just can’t dress myself, can I?” Costner cracked.

“Need some help?” asked an interested female down front.

“You’re damn sexy!” cried another gal near the stage.

“This next song is about men and their mistakes,” Costner said, carrying on. “Not that anyone in Kansas makes them.”

“Missouri!” yelled a man in the audience. Touche.

With that, Costner launched into “Long Hard Night,” the formula-rocking lead track from his band’s debut album, “Untold Truths.” However, the fact is that most of the music-driven truths explored by Costner – including those about sleepless nights, dust bowls, freight trains, restless souls, irresistible women and the lure of the open road – have been told countless times before.

OK, I take that back about this line from “Long Hard Night”: “I’m listening to the wobble of the ceiling fan/I wish I were a better man.” Got to admit I’ve never heard that one before.

Costner said that many of his band’s songs were also part of his movies, such as “Gotta Get Away,” which he introduced as “a little redneck song we wrote for ‘Swing Vote.’ ” He said that the song was a reaction to many people not knowing how to think for themselves with so many media outlets trying to cynically manipulate them.

But not everything Costner talked about was related to his career. Anyone wonder what sights he might have seen while in Kansas City?

“We saw the World War I Museum today,” he offered. “I paid to get in. I paid. It’s really beautiful. It’s worth going to. It’s worth pondering. The world was at war. It seems it’s always at war.”

On a lighter note, Costner taught the crowd the totally accessible chorus to an upbeat song about Saturday night that could have passed for a commercial jingle selling that day of the week: “Whoa, whoa, it’s Saturday night/ I’m feeling alright/Come a little closer, let me hold you tight/Whoa, whoa, it’s Saturday night.” Anyway, it was perfect for clapping your hands above your head to. And, hey, it was Saturday night, right?

The most endearing thing I heard Costner say came late in the evening and concerned the impetus behind the song, “Superman 14.” He said it was inspired by adolescent memories of imagining to be the Man of Steel while zooming around on a Stingray banana-seat bicycle in the 1960s. Talk about hitting the baby-boomer boy bullseye.

During the song’s finale, he threw his guitar over his back, leaned forward and stuck out his arms as if he were flying. He was beaming.

“We’re going to remember tonight for a long time – so nice,” Costner said to cheers before it was all over, but not before picking a great one to end on: A lively version of Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” that I was happy to keep playing in my head as the audience’s boot heels were wandering toward the exits.

Costner built his own “Field of Dreams” with his show in downtown Kansas City. About 1,500 people showed up. But if he returns, my guess is even more people will come.

Sweet and spunky opening solo singer-guitarist Lindi Ortega from Canada was as brimming with Dolly Parton-like vocal talent as she was overflowing with charm.

“Thank you,” she said to well-deserved applause and whistles. “I like this place… . I wish Toronto’s crowd was like this.”

Yes, she was an eye-opener in a red hair ribbon, red lipstick and red cowboy boots. But it was her straight-up version of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” that will stick to my heartstrings.

Brian McTavish