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Story & Photographs by Diane Fleischman
Walking on the ArtsQuest grounds with the faint smell of fried delicacies and the recognizable scent of Aww Shucks corn in the air can only mean one thing, Musikfest is here! Kicking off on Thursday, preview night, fans of all ages filled the Wind Creek Steel Stage for Earth Wind & Fire. It was a perfect night, cool with a soft, light breeze from time to time.
Earth Wind & Fire took the stage horns blazing, as they opened with the funky “Sing A Song”, and in an instant we were lifted back to the mid seventies. Then came “Shining Star” followed by “Getaway”. The lead singer, Philip Bailey, wasted no time getting the crowd involved as they sang and clapped along.
For a band that covered close to five decades of performances, and also created the soundtracks to many fans’ lives, the line up has changed leaving three original members, Philip Bailey (vocals), Verdine White (bass), and Ralph Johnson (drums). Founding member, Maurice White, passed away in 2016 from Parkinson’s disease, but his spirit carried on in each song. A large screen displayed photos of Maurice as the band paid their tribute, it was a heartfelt moment.
Also included was their cover of The Beatles hit, “Gotta Get You Into My Life”, which got everyone on their feet, as they bopped to the beat. Reaching way back to the early days was “Keep Your Head to the Sky”, a powerful ballad, with a message of getting through hard times. Bailey astonished the crowd with his trademark crystal clear falsetto. He nailed the high notes, and took it to a shattering level. They performed their 1979 hit, “After The Love is Gone”, and then began the musical explosion, like fireworks, that led to the finale. “Fantasy”, “Boogie Wonderland”, and “Let’s Groove Tonight”. The set closed with a ‘Ba de ya’ here, and a few ‘Ba de yas’ there, one of their biggest hits, “September”.
The sounds of Earth Wind & Fire don’t need any upgrade to today’s musical sounds. Their style smoothly fuses funk, pop, jazz, disco, and a whole lot of soul. A bit nostalgic, but yet another band that has influenced artists, and successfully withstood the test of time.
https://www.earthwindandfire.com/
