LIVE REVIEW: Earth, Wind & Fire in Uncasville, CT (12.07.25)
On Sunday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville CT, the nine-time Grammy Award-winning legends Earth, Wind & Fire conquered the stage for a packed show celebrating over 55 years as one of musics most influential groups. Continuing their winter run of shows on the East Coast, the band delivered a high energy night of pure nostalgia, irresistible grooves, and iconic hit songs that you couldn’t help but dance to.
As the sold out arena began to fill up with psyched fans, vibrant blue lights lit the stage, setting the tone for an electrifying evening. When looking around the crowd, you couldn’t help but notice the wide range of ages in attendance, sections were filled with fans as young as fifteen, eager to see their musical superstars perform. Meanwhile, longtime super-fans, who grew up on the band, were sat with the same buzz of excitement.
The show, starting sharp at 7:00pm, was prepped by a ten minute countdown to ignite the audience out of their seats. Right as the arena lights began to dim, the countdown clock hit zero, with a loud thrill erupting from anticipation. For just a moment—the arena remained dark, with a suspension of anticipation. Then, without any warning, an intro video dazzled the towering screens onstage with . As the audience began to rise up, the screen showed a mix of their iconic music videos and snippets of classic hits.
Finishing the intro off, the band stormed the stage to perform their first No. 1 hit, “Shining Star.” The nine piece group slammed the stage with the opening grooves, instantly sending the crowd to their feet. Right as the spotlights swept the stage, the three original members made their entrance together with a roaring explosion of applause.
Earth Wind & Fire has definitely cycled through plenty of members over the years, yet the vibe and sound is still intact. First came Verdine White, the band’s legendary founder and electrifying bassist, gliding across the stage with his signature moves and charisma. Right behind him was Philip Bailey, whose unmistakable vocals and rhythmic percussion have defined the group’s sound for every performance over the decades. (Many know Bailey as the iconic co-vocalist on his 1984 single “Easy Lover” with the icon Phil Collins.) Moments later, Ralph Johnson joined in with effortless power on his electrifying percussion kit. The three originals, (all at the age of 74 years old) also sang backing vocals on every single track from the 18-song setlist, hitting every note to perfection.
Behind them was the rest of the powering ensemble who brought life to the founders power. Vocalist and percussionist David Whitworth held the iconic pitch of original member Maurice White, keyboardist/musical director Myron McKinley magically set the tone for each track with his sound, and drummer John Paris powered through with that signature snare snap. In addition, vocalist/percussionist Phillip Bailey Jr led all the dancing, lead guitarist Morris O’Connor shredded every solo, and rhythm guitarist Serj Dimitrijevic shook through every beat. Further behind the stage was the famed horn section who have been in the group since 1987. The trio is composed of the tenor saxophonist Gary Bias, trombone player Reggie Young, and trumpeter Raymond Lee Brown.
During the night, many moments were key to an Earth, Wind & Fire show experience. Phone lights shined up the arena during the heartwarming ballad “Devotion” to pay tribute to the past members of the group, and hit songs likes “That’s The Way of the World,” “Sing a Song,” “Reasons,” and more, created a raving audience. Every band member gained mighty applause during the evening, and most of them got to break out in famed solos like the keyboard intro for the hit song “Fantasy” and the bass solo by Verdine White during “Jupiter.”
With social media and the film industry using tons of Earth Wind & Fire songs over the years, iconic hits like “Let’s Groove,” and “Boogie Wonderland” brought the younger generation out of their seats to sing along. Soon after, the band kicked off the famed “September,” with every single fan screaming “Do you remember, the 21st night of September?”. Right as the final chords hit, the arena lights immediately dimmed for the encore. Before the crowd could relax for a moment, the band ran right back onstage, with the horn section belting out the intro to “In The Stone.”
After performing a 90 minute journey through their catalog, the show ended with a bow in the middle of the stage. It was obvious, that even though the band had performed in thousands of places over the decades, they truly appreciate the crowd. Throwing out guitar picks, setlists, and even singing somebody’s album, the band left the stage, although the energy was still alive.
As lead singer Phillip Bailey walked offstage, he stated “Mohegan Sun Arena, this is one of our favorite venues to perform at. Thank you for coming out tonight, have a great holiday season,” truly, ending off a magical night.
Photo by: Mike Von Villas (July 2024)
