If you live in Southern California, you know what a good band looks and sounds like and what a great band looks and sounds like. KC and The Sunshine Band has always been on the latter end of this totem pole. On December 30th, Harry Casey brought his namesake band to Segerstrom. They made noise and opened eyes.
Best known for their era-defining mega hits from the ‘70s, Casey has always been an entertainer that other entertainers admire. Despite being 72 years old, Casey delivered on an eclectic set taking the entire arena back in time, then back to the future.
With a stage setup that popped in radiance and color, the crowd was canvased by every single age group imaginable. I sat next to a 60- or 70-something year old that could pass for a CPA. Once the show started, this mild-mannered man turned into a dancing machine straight out of “Soul Train.” Oddly, this was not an anomaly; it turned out everyone in that arena was there to dance and boogie to their favorite blast from the past.
As the crowd sang along to the Village People’s “YMCA” playing over the PA, a roar similar to that of a 747-jet taking off engulfed Segerstrom Hall as The Sunshine Band rolled out on to the stage.
First came the bass and guitar players, then the backup singers and two dancers, followed by the horn section, and the drummer was already in his seat pounding out the beat.
Then, the moment everyone was waiting for – a very cool contemporary beat to what sounded like “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” and out came Harry Casey. Like the entertainer he is, he immediately engaged with the crowd and asked us all if we were ready to party and shake our booty. As the crowd roared in approval, that unfamiliar super cool beat morphed into what we all thought we heard: “Shake Your Booty.” The crowd screamed out “Shake, Shake, Shake!”
Casey immediately belted out this crowd favorite song and then welcomed everyone to the show and thanked them all for coming out. He was genuinely thankful for the crowd being there and said, “Thank you for supporting me and my music all these years.” He complimented the band and said they are fantastic and full of talented musicians. He also said they do not use tapes or backing music. They then kicked it into gear with another classic hit, “Boogie Shoes.”
In all sincerity, there was a lot going on with The Sunshine Band; the backup singers and dancers – it was a lot to take in. I try to stay away from comparisons like this, but in this case, it is warranted. The horns were as if Boingo was in the house.
The energy and delivery was that of the Bus Boys. The showmanship was as if Earth, Wind & Fire was in full effect while Dave Grohl and Flea had the guitar and bass. And the dancers mesmerized everyone. It was an overwhelming sight, and the crowd ate it up!
What makes Casey a legend among legends? That’s simple: He can sing, dance, and engage with his crowd just like the greats. In between songs, to give himself, the band, and the crowd a moment to take a deep breath, Casey would tell stories and give background on what was going on in his life, the country or world when the next song was written and took off.
His delivery is reminiscent of a Springsteen show, and there’s no higher compliment than that.
With that as our backdrop, he segued into “It Happens Every Night” and “Yes, I’m Ready” before he took a moment to give a heartfelt storyline on love and what it means.
Then, with the assistance of one of his fabulous dancers, he led the crowd into “Please Don’t Go.” Before the crowd could stop cheering, the band rocked the house to “I’m Your Boogie Man.” You could not hear yourself think; the crowd erupted that loudly.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get louder, somehow the crowd found a way to set that house on fire.
Casey along with his Sunshine Band blew it up with “Keep It Comin’ Love.”
As Casey took a short break, he joked about how he was now 72 and the crowd may have been expecting his 22-year-old self. He said that wasn’t going to happen and joked about how he had gained some weight. With comedic timing, he said he lost 15 pounds, and at first wanted to get back to his original weight, but seven pounds may not be realistic. The crowd got the joke and laughed heartily. Then he said he gained so much weight that they considered changing the band name to KFC and The Sunshine Band, which made the crowd laugh even harder and endeared them more than they were already to his presence, humility, and kindness.
It takes a big person (no pun intended) to get in front of a crowd and talk as frankly as he did and make everyone comfortable all while getting smiles from the sea of faces in the crowd. Much respect to Casey for his humor, which made everyone just focus on the music. Perhaps that was the plan all along. If so… mission accomplished.
The catalog of great music continued with “I Like to Do It” and “Party.” What stood out was after “Party,” he introduced the band… then he introduced the sound and PA staff, then the roadies, and even Eric, who is their driver who gets their equipment from point A to point B. He didn’t have to do that, but he did; that is called “class.”
The hit parade kicked off again with “Rock Your Baby,” and then the highlight of the show was a medley of songs which featured each musician with “Give It Up,” “Brick House,” and yeah that “Brick House.” Then “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” to round out that set.
The energy that KC and The Sunshine Band displayed was contagious, and the crowd could not get enough as they sang along and danced to “That’s the Way (I Like It),” “Get Down Tonight,” and closed with “So Glad We Got Together.”
That ending was a slower pace from the rest of the night, but in closing the show, Casey again thanked everyone for the years of support and the song captured the moment as streamers went off as the band exited the stage to the cheers of all.
Like any great artist, KC and The Sunshine Band re-emerged to give the crowd one more sendoff song. At first it wasn’t clear what they were getting into, then it was – we went back to the past and into the future as they played “Please Don’t Go,” but styled as if OMD was a ska band. It was upbeat with lots of keys and percussion, perhaps the coolest version I have ever heard of that song.
What a night for music, what a band, and what a performer Harry Casey proved to be. The difference between being good and being great is “Harry Casey.” It’s the effort he puts into every moment of the show. If you’re a new band, check out KC and The Sunshine Band so you can see how it’s done.
The crowd left very, very happy… filled with sunshine!
