As many artists I love get older, and some of them stop touring altogether, it's always special for me when I'm able to go and see a performer or group that I enjoy.
In the past, I've had the opportunity to see Bob Marley's group, The Wailers, Tesla, King Crimson, Charlie Wilson (of The Gap Band), and this fall I'm going to the Aerosmith farewell tour.
This past Sunday, though, I went to the CHI Health Center in Omaha to see both Earth, Wind and Fire and Lionel Richie on the “Sing a Song All Night Long” tour.
Now, I love both artists, but Earth, Wind and Fire was the big draw for me. Them, Kool and the Gang and Stevie Wonder are the artists that made me fall in love with funk, soul and R&B when I was a child. Suffice to say, seeing the Chicago-based group was very special for me.
They did the big hits one would expect – “September,” “Shining Star,” “Boogie Wonderland” and “Let's Groove” – but what was really awesome for me were the deep tracks that I adore. Songs such as “On Your Face,” “Reasons” and “That's the Way of the World” were all a part of the setlist, setting the stage for a great set from Richie.
The former Commodores singer opened his set with “Hello” and mixed in other hits like “You Are,” “Dancing On the Ceiling” and “Say You, Say Me,” as well as performing Commodores' tunes like “Easy” and “Brick House.” He brought the house down with the worldwide smash hit “We Are the World” and “All Night Long” to close out the night, of course.
On that note, I highly recommend the documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop,” which is on Netflix if you haven't seen it. Richie, who co-wrote “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson, offers an inside look at the recording of the iconic song.
All in all, it was a great time, and one that I can't stop smiling about. I left with an Earth, Wind and Fire t-shirt, and my fiance Morgan purchased a Lionel Richie crewneck, so we covered our bases.
Now, while I am looking forward to the Aerosmith show in November, I'm very excited to see who the next legendary artist or group will be to make a stop somewhere in the neighborhood. I still have quite a few on my bucket list.
