Earth, Wind & Fire prove smooth, soulful funk never goes out of style

OXON HILL, MD – There are joyful concert experiences, and then there is Earth, Wind & Fire.

After 55 years, they are still the mightiest of elements on stage, captivating with pinpoint harmonies, sinewy grooves and a trove of R&B-pop-funk hits that are more than nostalgic. These are songs that still sound fresh and fiery – as they should, given the dozen ace musicians onstage delivering one knockout after another.

At The Theater at MGM National Harbor on Dec. 12 – the first of two sold-out shows in the 3,000-seat venue – EWF demonstrated how decades of live performing hones perfection. How splendiferous, sparkly stage wear showcases the pride they take in their concerts. How, at 74, the three veteran EWF-ers – bassist Verdine White, percussionist Ralph Johnson and singer Philip Bailey – still derive energy and elation from sharing their gifts with adoring crowds.

The 90-minute show was a master class in vocalizing. Bailey nearly cracked every glass in the venue with some of his impeccable falsetto runs on “Reasons,” and longtime sideman B. David Whitford, when not high-kicking the cymbals of his percussion setup, shared creamy vocals with Bailey on “Sing a Song” and “Let’s Groove.”

The spindly White, grinning and slightly hunched over his bass, offered a molasses-thick solo on “Serpentine Fire” that segued into “Jupiter” after a full band romp with cowbells, tambourines, cymbals, shakers and a gospel-ized coda.

In the band’s early ‘70s infancy, founder and undisputed mastermind Maurice White crafted live shows that expounded on the norms of the times with lasers, video projections, illusions and even a spaceship to “transport” the band.

None of that is necessary now given EWF’s cemented legacy. But the lockstep side shuffles and colorful graphics that exploded like a bag of Skittles onscreen elevated the spongy funk of “Let’s Groove” and their cover of The Beatles’ “Got to Get You Into My Life.” Where the original is an urgent plea, EWF’s take is a languid, finger-snapping stroll that, it could be argued, surpasses its source material.

The spirit of Maurice White, who died in 2016, pervaded the concert, particularly during “Devotion,” when a live shot of him with his head back, mic clasped in passionate delivery, loomed behind the band.

After a dozen songs in the seamless show, EWF slowed the pace for a segment spotlighting their seductive bedroom ballads.

The aforementioned “Reasons” earned Bailey several well-deserved ovations, and the velvety backdrop of “After the Love Is Gone” and Zen-like philosophy knitted into “That’s the Way of the World” captivated fans who blissfully sang along with the escalating chord changes.

While the band could easily spread their multitude of hits that infiltrated Billboard’s pop and R&B charts in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s throughout their set, they wisely corral their most delectable hip-shakers for the home stretch of the show.

Johnson’s snaky percussion on “Fantasy,” the unmistakable EWF horns married with the disco rhythm of “Boogie Wonderland,” the chant-a-long chorus of “Let’s Groove” and the still-meme-worthy sassy swing of “September” invited fans to dance, high-five and execute the EWF mantra: Sometimes all you really need to do is sing a song to make your day.