Earth, Wind and Fire ‘truly still got it’: Soul icons thrill Kansas City at concert
Although only three original members are still performing with the band, musical pioneers Earth, Wind, and Fire still dazzle audiences after more than 50 years of soulful melodies.
Formed in 1969, EWF has seen the highest of highs, widely regarded as one of the best bands of all time. Their hits, which can be heard at almost any family gathering, such as “Boogie Wonderland,” “Reasons” and “September,” kept the packed Starlight Theater crowd moving and grooving in and out of their seats on Friday evening.
The Kansas City concert itself had the feeling of a family gathering as fans across multiple generations danced in the moonlight and sang popular lyrics from the 20-song set.
Some fans, like Anitra Warren, have been listening to the band since they were children and have seen them perform several times. Warren has seen Earth, Wind and Fire almost 10 times, including once at Arrowhead Stadium, and attended Friday’s concert with several of her Southeast High classmates, all of whom graduated in 1979.
“It’s just a good thing to listen to music and just reminisce about all these different songs that came out at different times,” Warren, 63, said.
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LaChelle T. attended the concert with her sister and the father of her children, Richard Mitchell. LaChelle and her sister, Portia King, have memories of family members playing Earth, Wind and Fire throughout their lives.
“It was my uncle,” LaChelle said. “Driving around, going to the car wash, and he would wash my grandmother’s car. He would sing those songs. I knew all the songs because of my uncle.”
Sue Scott traveled from Cleveland to attend the concert for her 70th birthday. Scott and her friends, including Molly Whaley, tailgated before the concert and wore custom earrings dedicated to several albums the band had made.
“In all our family weddings, the very first song they play at the reception is ‘September,’” Whaley said. Whaley and her sister, Kathy Barsness, traveled from Iowa for the show.
When asked about which songs they wanted to hear, multiple fans simply said, “All of them.”
‘They the pioneers’
The show began at 8:15 p.m., when the band launched into one of their biggest hits, “Shining Star,” as each member walked onstage showcasing their coordinating black and gold glittery ensembles.
EWF original members Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson currently lead the 12-member band in vocals, while B. David Whitworth, who has been with the band since 1996, and Bailey’s son, Philip Bailey Jr., who has been with the band since 2008, round out the band’s current main vocalists. Each vocalist also plays at least one instrument, giving the band a complete cast of musicians who also sing.
“There’s a party in Kansas City,” Bailey said to the crowd during the opening rendition.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band still showcases classic elements of their era, like synchronized dances, tambourine tosses and constant interactions with the crowd. Each musician on the stage also got a solo moment to shine. Throughout the performance, pictures of the band since its inception were showcased on the screen behind them.
Mitchell explained how EWF and other soul bands from the 1970s created iconic music that stuck with audiences.
“They tell stories based on their life, how they struggle to get to where they are,” Mitchell said. “They the pioneers of all this.”
Earth, Wind and Fire saved some of their biggest hits for last. The final 15 minutes of the show were dominated by “Fantasy,” “Boogie Wonderland” and “September,” with almost the entire theater singing and dancing.
Before the band’s closing number, “In the Stone,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas appeared onstage with Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw and councilmember Darrell Curls to declare the day “Earth, Wind and Fire Day,” putting a cherry on top of a clean, high-quality performance..
Lucas said Missouri Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II was in the crowd as well.
“I am just amazed at how they truly still got it,” Parks-Shaw said about the band after announcing the proclamation.
This story was originally published July 19, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
