Earth, Wind & Fire boogies on down with Chicago in St. Louis

I’d like to come right out of the gate and say that I underestimated Earth, Wind & Fire. Now don’t get me wrong — I know they’re an amazing band. But what I did not know was just how many of the people in St. Louis were also aware of this fact. Typically, when I go to shows at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, I park at the casino and ride the shuttle to the venue. This strategy usually lets me avoid the massive cluster that is the HCA parking lot, both before and after the show. Imagine my bewilderment when I casually pulled up to the casino 30 minutes before the show was scheduled to start and there was a line of about 200 people waiting to get on the shuttle. The cluster was spilling out farther than it should have. I took it as a sign that this show was going to be a party and the amphitheater was most likely packed. I hastily drove back to the venue and parked in the parking lot like all the other concert-goers who were not aware that the casino shuttle is the move.

I arrived late to the show, but not too late to see Chicago.

Without even setting my bag down, I jogged to the soundboard where the other photographers informed me that we were on song two out of the three that we were allowed to photograph. I tossed my bag in an empty chair and managed to snag a couple shots of Chicago warming up the crowd before us photographers were hustled back to our waiting room backstage. I stashed my cameras and went back out into the crowd to watch the rest of the show. Chicago brings back such good memories of driving in the car with my dad and singing along to songs like “25 or 6 to 4”. The band sounds just as good as they ever did and seeing them in such great form was really a treat.

After Chicago’s set, I turned around to get a good look at the crowd. My intuition from the casino shuttle turned out to be true — the place was packed! Even the lawn behind the reserved seating (where everyone knows the real party is at) was completely filled up with eager concert-goers. The full house made itself known as Earth, Wind & Fire took the stage. Roars of excitement echoed across the amphitheater, as the band — who gained popularity in the 70s and has since sold over 90 million records — took the stage and showed the fans exactly why they are one of the best-selling bands of all time with a setlist spanning disco, R&B, funk, jazz, and pop.

It’s amazing to see EW&F still able to perform with such enthusiasm after over half a century in the business (55 years for those counting)!

Their experience at putting on a show did not go unnoticed either. Fans of all ages boogied down in the aisles and on the lawn as the band ran through their deep catalog of hits. It truly was a show for all ages, proving these bands still draw a massive crowd with surprising energy!

Photography by Sean Rider

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