"One for the Road:" Earth, Wind & Fire

By Chuck Sudo in Miscellaneous on Nov 11, 2010 10:40PM

Earth, Wind & Fire concerts were sort of like P-Funk shows, only under the influence of wine coolers instead of weed. Doesn't necessarily mean they were boring. Only predictable, like good arena bands. They were tightly choreographed affairs that owed as much to magic and sleight of hand as they did tight musicianship. Maurice White also soaked up a lot of Egyptology influences for the band's stage show that, if you mistook it for a Sun Ra show, you wouldn't be completely in the wrong.

White's interest in Egyptology was rooted in his previous band, The Pharaohs, and expanded upon when EW&F went supernova. At one point, White called Chicago home and EW&F concerts were akin to conquering heroes returning home.