by Aiden Klein - SGN A&E Writer

EARTH, WIND & FIRE
CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE
July 20

The astounding elements of Earth, Wind & Fire (EWF) grew, blew, and burned up the stage last Friday evening at the Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Woodinville. Led by original members Philip Bailey (vocals and percussion), Ralph Johnson (percussion), and Verdine White (bass), the elements known as Earth, Wind & Fire brought the house down. All three swapped impressive solos and shared harmonies through dance numbers, smooth jazz jams, and ballads. (If there is a population surge in King County nine months from now, we'll know why.) If you are not familiar with EWF, it's safe to say that you were probably conceived to their music. My father used to tell me and my siblings all the time, 'If it wasn't for Earth, Wind & Fire, you kids wouldn't be here today.' It all makes sense now!

EWF were one of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the 1970s. Their all-encompassing musical vision uses funk as its foundation but also incorporates jazz, smooth soul, gospel, rock 'n' roll, psychedelic rock, blues, folk, and disco. One of the contributions to the band's early sound, the kalimba, or African thumb piano, made an appearance Friday night, astonishing the crowd and sending them into a frenzy. The rhythm section was mighty tight, providing solid grooves underneath Bailey's soaring falsetto, and the dynamic horn section pushed things to great heights as well. The audience sang along and boogied through the show, from the upbeat funk dance tracks to the ballads. Though baby-boomers comprised the majority of the crowd, they proved that their era's music was superb and I could not disagree. The combination of wine and funk mixed with the outdoor environment of Chateau Ste. Michelle made for an impressive and soulful experience. The crowd definitely came prepared to party - the amphitheatre lawn was littered with blankets and picnic baskets.

Energy was the word of the night, and energy is what EWF brought. The concert kicked off with the 1979 top-ten hit 'Boogie Wonderland,' followed by their 1975 Grammy-award winning hit 'Shining Star,' thus setting the tone of the night for a walk down memory lane. Nostalgia was in the air as the musical icons shared with the crowd the secret of their success. 'It's all about making feel-good music,' Bailey said before diving into an hour and a half of pure '70s funk.

The 12-member band kept delivering hit after hit, igniting the crowd to 'let loose' - which the audience did with the help of the many bottles of wine that were being passed around. 'Whether it's Red or White you're sipping on we all are here for the music, not the wine,' Bailey joked before the band busted out another string of hits, including 'Gratitude,' 'Keep Your Head to the Sky,' 'Devotion,' and 'Can't Hide Love.'

Toward the final 30 minutes of the hour-and-a-half show the group allowed their fans to come to the front of the stage for a sing-along of 'Got to Get You Into My Life' and that's pretty much where they stayed for the rest of the night. The group followed up with 'Fantasy,' 'September,' 'Let's Groove,' and, to close out the show, 'Mighty Mighty.' Shortly after leaving the stage, the band returned to give the ecstatic crowd a five-minute 'Mighty Mighty' encore.

With over 40 years in the industry, the remaining members of EWF show no signs of slowing down. Their style of funk and soul music became a staple in the '70s and is still prevalent today. Artists such as Puff Daddy, Beyonce, and Crystal Waters have sampled their music, and many more will undoubtedly follow suit. For anyone wishing to hear a real, live, funk band, I would highly encourage you to attend an Earth, Wind & Fire concert. Their sound will definitely influence and mesmerize you - and will make you realize that today's sound cannot hold a candle to the legendary EWF!

 Share on Facebook

Share on MySpace!

    Share on Delicious

Share on StumbleUpon!