51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� It was an evening of jubilant dance breaks and stellar musicianship at 51黑料 Music Park on Tuesday night, as American pop legends Earth, Wind & Fire took the stage.

Fans of all ages braved the elevated temperatures to see the six-time Grammy Award-winning band run through nearly 60 years of hits. But the last surviving founding member, bassist Verdine White, wasn鈥檛 present.

With Raymond McKinley filling in for White, Phillip Bailey, B. David Whitworth and Ralph Johnson on vocals and Bailey鈥檚 son, Phillip Bailey Jr., on background vocals, EWF performed as a restructured unit.

Considering how band member shifts are a part of the group鈥檚 longstanding history, EWF held down the stage with fun-filled precision, despite White鈥檚 absence. Yet, there were noticeable vocal flaws throughout the show, including a few cracked falsettos and instances of forgotten lyrics.

EWF kicked off its 98-minute set with its 1975 hit 鈥淪hining Star,鈥� immediately teleporting each audience member to memory lane. Relying mainly on flashing lights and projector visuals as effects, the band focused more on bouncing between instruments and singing than fancy on-stage bells and whistles as they jogged through 21 fan-favorite records.

鈥淭rue Earth, Wind & Fire fans don鈥檛 mind songs that weren鈥檛 Top 10 on the charts because they were Top 10 in their hearts,鈥� the elder Bailey said as he welcomed the crowd.

A member of EWF since 1972, Bailey vocally carried the performance. Juggling both the falsetto and alto harmonies, he was a musical ringmaster on 鈥淩easons.鈥� He was also a crowd pleaser on 鈥淕otta Get You Into My Life鈥� as his sequin shirt and black leather pants shined under the stage lights.

Like the rest of the band, he bounced between vocals and playing instruments, tackling the congas on 鈥淪erpentine Fire鈥� and grabbing the kalimba, a handheld thumb piano, for the 1974 track 鈥淜alimba鈥檚 Story.鈥�

With Bailey鈥檚 son and longtime bandmates on stage, EWF鈥檚 set felt like a family affair with everyone having their chance in the spotlight. They blended beautiful acapella vocals towards the end of 鈥淪ing a Message to You,鈥� and the audience morphed into one big, happy family as they flooded the aisles to hit the Electric Slide during 鈥淪eptember.鈥�

The nonstop dance moves helped distract concertgoers from subtle lowlights throughout the show. Although he started off strong, Phillip Bailey Jr. struggled with the falsettos on 鈥淛upiter鈥� with his voice cracking throughout the verse. His background vocals on 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the Way of the World鈥� were practically inaudible before his father grabbed the microphone to sing along.

Whitworth鈥檚 performance was also full of highs and lows. He kicked his legs high in the air, displaying dynamic, high energy all night as he worked the stage. But his vocals fell flat on 鈥淪ing a Song,鈥� and he appeared to forget the lyrics during his verse on 鈥淏oogie Wonderland.鈥�

He shined more in his role as a percussionist and performer, where it was apparent that Whitworth still had the moves and a bag full of on-stage tricks. He played the cymbals behind his back on 鈥淩easons,鈥� playfully acted out the lyrics on 鈥淐an鈥檛 Hide Love,鈥� and leaped into the air midway through 鈥淔antasy,鈥� dramatically striking the cymbal with his left foot.

The high level of instrumentation served up Tuesday night was the highlight of the show. It felt ancestral as melodies and rhythms created by the original members flowed through the instruments of current bandmates, carrying on the EWF legacy.

The band paid homage to founder Maurice White during 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the Way of the World,鈥� by projecting an image of the late bandleader onto a backdrop as guitarist Morris O鈥機onnor delivered an electrifying solo that sent chills down spines. Midway through 鈥淏razilian Rhyme (Beijo),鈥� keyboardist Myron McKinley broke into a rhythmic frenzy. He could hardly remain in his seat as he struck the keys, running his finger across the instrument like a glissando-playing madman.

EWF is known for having one of the most celebrated horn sections in American music history. Trumpeter Bobby Burns Jr. and trombone player Reggie Young brought funky vibes to songs like 鈥淟et Your Feelings Show.鈥� Gary Bias delivered multiple sweet saxophone solos throughout the night. He gracefully glided through the notes on 鈥淩easons,鈥� slowing down the rhythm for a quick build-up as Bailey鈥檚 falsetto rang throughout the venue.

Although he had big shoes to fill, McKinley didn鈥檛 miss a beat as he stood in for one of the greatest bassists of all time. He kept the tempo on 鈥淒evotion,鈥� delivering standout bass thumps dripping with soul. McKinley also delivered a showstopping solo at the beginning of the show, riding the beat like a surfer as the audience danced in front of the stage.

It was evident on night that age had caught up with EWF. But that didn鈥檛 stop the groove as they bounced between instruments with ease, thrusting their arms in the air with excitement and hitting synchronized choreography to some of the best-selling songs in history.

Not even time can stop the elements.