Earth, Wind & Fire, arguably the most influential and prolific funk, disco, R&B
Earth, Wind & Fire, which was founded by Maurice White in 1969, has been nominated for 20 Grammy Awards and won six. The band has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and, at over 90 million records, is one of the best-selling bands ever. Their influence on
However, Earth, Wind & Fire transcends those impressive statistics. Their music has a timeless quality about it that can’t be measured — each song a message of love, understanding
That’s why, after 49 years, the band still has millions of fans, old and young. Although I wasn’t even alive for the majority of the group’s career, they are my favorite band of all time. The same must have been true for many of the people at the Overture Center on Saturday. The room was full of nostalgic anticipation as the crowd flowed excitedly into the sold-out theater.
The crowd held its breath as a large screen was illuminated, displaying astrological graphics and a voice recounted the birth of a power so great that it could bring joy and harmony to the people: music. On the screen, a spaceship descended from the kaleidoscopic heavens and the members of Earth, Wind & Fire strolled onstage to thunderous applause.
Of the original band, three members remain: bassist Verdine White, percussionist Ralph Johnson and singer Philip Bailey, all of whom are 66 years old. When they strutted onstage, however, I seriously wondered if they were actually that old. They seemed just as young as the other band members (composed of family members and other talented musicians).
Verdine White, dressed in a pair of sparkly purple bell bottoms, danced exuberantly while wailing on the bass and did enthusiastic full kicks for the entirety of the show. Ralph Johnson's percussion solo was as lively as ever.
Philip Bailey, one of the band’s lead vocalists, along with founder Maurice White who passed away in 2016, carried the concert with his signature falsetto, which has somehow gotten even better with age. During one of the band’s classic soul ballads, “Reasons,” he hit notes that I doubt exist on any conventional musical scale.
The band played their big hits, including “Shining Star,” “Sing a Song,” “September,” “Let’s Groove” and many others. They also played some lesser-known songs like “Drum Song,” complete with a solo by Philip Bailey on the Kalimba (African thumb piano), an instrument which appears on every EWF album.
One of the reasons that Earth, Wind & Fire are so renowned and timeless is the joyful energy that they bring to each one of their performances; that inescapable energy flooded into the crowd from the moment the band stepped onstage. For the whole show, the audience grooved in their seats, clapping and dancing, standing every once in a while after a solo or particularly beloved song.
However, it wasn’t until the band started to play “Boogie Wonderland” that there was a moment of unspoken understanding among the audience and everyone jumped up from their seats and began to dance. The audience stayed standing for the last four songs, dancing and shouting and smiling.
Earth, Wind & Fire performed with the ease and talent of seasoned musicians, and every person at the concert was moved by the energy of love and joy that they brought to the Overture Center.
As one of their lyrics states, "Only love is pure gold." In my opinion though, so is Earth, Wind & Fire.
