Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at the Greek Theatre

One of the hottest concert tours of 2004, the Chicago/Earth, Wind & Fire double-header (which I caught at the White River Amphitheatre outside of Seattle) turned out to be one of the most sublime and inspired pairings to hit the stadium circuit in a long time. Finishing out their summer tour at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre before a large, appreciative crowd, this nearly-three-hour concert finds the '70s powerhouses combining forces brilliantly for opening and closing sets (on songs such as "Beginnings," "September," "25 or 6 to 4," and "Shining Star"), as well as performing hour-long sets individually. First up was EW&F, fronted by "the voice," Philip Bailey--who's still able to hit an impressive range of high notes--and backed by the superfreaky energetic Verdine White on bass and Ralph Johnson on percussion (the other founding member, Maurice White, has Parkinson's and no longer tours). The silky-smooth mystical soul/funk band regaled the audience with hits such as "Jupiter," "Getaway," "Got to Get You Into My Life," "Reasons," "Fantasy," and "Mighty Mighty." Although Peter Cetera was sorely missed on vocals during the Chicago set, Robert Lamm, one of the four original remaining members (the others are Walt Parazaider, James Pankow, and Lee Loughnane) sounded excellent on the few songs he sang, including the mega-hit "Saturday in the Park." Other standouts included the "Make Me Smile" medley, "If You Leave Me Now" (with Bailey doing guest vocals), "Call on Me," "Just You 'n' Me," "Feelin' Stronger Every Day," "I'm a Man," and "Old Days." Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, this two-disc set also features an entertaining bonus "Drum Duel" between EW&F's John Paris and Chicago's Tris Imboden. One of 2005's best music DVD releases, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—July 22, 2008—Image, 172 min., not rated, $24.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2004's Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at the Greek Theatre features a nice looking transfer and a DTS-HD master audio 5.1 soundtrack. The extras on the disc are identical to the previous DVD release, namely the bonus "Drum Duel" between Earth, Wind & Fire's John Paris and Chicago's Tris Imboden. Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray edition of a wonderful concert.]