Lionel Richie / Earth Wind and Fire at T-Mobile Center, Kansas City MO (2024-06-06)

“Sing a Song, All Night Long” reads the tour posters–

Make that a plural, and you’re much more accurate as classic soul, funk and r&b makers Lionel Richie and Earth Wind and Fire came together for a night of hit, after hit, after hit, that packed a capacity crowd into the T-Mobile Center in downtown Kansas City, playing songs that all seemed to know all of the words to. The two legendary acts are following up last year’s 20-date mostly sold-out run, with this 13-date Live Nation-produced trek, before going their separate ways again.

Earth, Wind & Fire, the Chicago-originated band who has sold over 100 million albums (winning 9 Grammys over 27 nominations along the way) would open the night with an energetic set of a medley of some fifteen songs fitting tight but nicely into their hour-long set, beginning with hit, “Shining Star”.

In existence since 1969, the group’s three remaining original members, bassist Verdine White, vocalist Philip Bailey, and singer/percussionist Ralph “Slick” Johnson were deservedly given center stage space, while another nine members surrounded them, including their famous horn section.

The mix of the younger members that were more active crowd hype men, and the venerable presence of the older members seem to work well, and the crowd roared when they all marched about the stage in single file. Phone flashlights were turned on and the capacity crowd waved them back and forth for 1974’s “Devotion” and the crowd remaining swaying for “After the Love is Gone” a 1979 cover they’ve definitively made into their own song.

The 73-year young Bailey proved his falsetto was still in fine form and could hit a high note on the ballads. The group paid tribute to past and lost members via their video backdrop, even working in some vintage music videos as well.

The back end of the setlist let them unleash the funk, which brought the crowd back to its feet for “Boogie Wonderland” the unforgettable vocoder on “Let’s Groove” and ending with the show-stopping “September.”

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It could be argued that Lionel Richie is now, even more famous than ever. After his star-making days leading The Commodores in the 1970s, to a solo career that peaked in the 80’s, Richie has changed and adapted with the times, forayed into Country, and just ended his seventh season as a judge on American Idol.

He’s sold over 125 million albums, was recently inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, won the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by the Library of Congress and was honored at Kennedy Center Honors, and has an Oscar and Golden Globe award.

In case you needed reminding of his stellar career, a brief montage began his ninety-five-minute headlining set, segueing into one of his biggest hits, “Hello” with Richie himself dramatically rising from the floor in a white patterned and tailed jacket amid dramatic clouds of smoke and spotlights.

After a spirited “Running with the Night”, Richie admitted he was looking forward to this show, being in “Chiefs Nation”, promising to come back and sing “Three Times a Lady” (or “Champion”) when the team wins it again. If it was easy crowd pandering, the crowd ate it up and begged for more. Richie’s voice remains crisp and intact, still more than able to croon those familiar ballads, and punctuate verses with his trademarked growl.

“This is Karaoke Night 101!”, Richie exclaimed, “It’s the party capital of the world” inviting everyone to sing to all the songs, and he brought greetings from his Idol fellow judge, Luke Bryan, saying “Stuck on You” was his favorite Richie song. 1986’s “Dancing on the Ceiling” even worked in a part of another high-energy hit from the era, Van Halen’s “Jump”.

Richie wasn’t above making fun of himself, admitting he was “200 years old” with an arsenal of doctors backstage and hoping his “battery-powered leg” could make it through the show, but the show’s themes were mainly one of unity, positivity and togetherness. “Diana’s not coming…” he teased before “Endless Love” “I’ve been calling her the last forty years… ladies, you’re going to be Diana (Ross)” he told the audience.

We literally felt the heat of the funk classic “Brickhouse” which mixed in the Ohio Players’ “Fire” as pyro bursts blasted from the back end of the stage, which Richie declared it to be the “nastiest ‘Brickhouse’ I’ve seen in a while” of watching people getting down.

Before ending the set, Richie took time to thank the audience for bringing his music into their lives and spoke of the rise of “those people” and how we’re really all one and the same, wanting the same goals of love and happiness. Camera flashlights filled the arena with pinpoints of light as Richie emoted on “We are the World” a song he co-wrote with Michael Jackson for the 1985’s USA For Africa charity project.

The party would return with the brief encore of “All Night Long” and Richie and three of his band members marched out and played on the jutted second stage in the middle of the floor. Richie's band was half the size of the opener’s, but still made their loud and impactful presence known.

Timeless, classic, and still very dance worthy, Lionel Richie and Earth Wind and Fire continue to make for an entertaining and celebratory time; both separately and especially together (though it’s too bad they didn’t join forces on stage). Both acts go their separate ways following this short tour leg, only to converge in Las Vegas in the fall, but as separate headlining shows, and both acts show no signs of stopping anytime soon.

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LIONEL RICHIE at T-Mobile Center, Kansas City MO (2024-06-06)

LIONEL RICHIE at T-Mobile Center, Kansas City MO (2024-06-06)

EARTH WIND AND FIRE at T-Mobile Center, Kansas City MO (2024-06-06)

EARTH WIND AND FIRE at T-Mobile Center, Kansas City MO (2024-06-06)