Disco fans are ready to get down tonight this Thursday, July 17, 2025 evening at Englewood, NJ’s Bergen Performing Arts Center for a Doin’ It World Tour 2025 performance by KC and the Sunshine Band. Considered one of the defining groups of the 1970s, KC and the Sunshine Band have sold over 100 million records while earning nine Grammy nominations, three Grammy awards, and an American Music Award.
Inside the BergenPAC auditorium, music lovers cheer as the members of the Sunshine Band — guitarist Chris Lane, keyboardist Michael Joy, trumpeters John Reid and Cisco Dimas, saxophonist Felipe LaMoglia, trombonist Miles Fielder, drummer David Simmons, percussionist Fermin Goytisolo, back-up singers Maria De Crescenzo and Anika Ellis, and dancers Tarian Green and Nadia Albuit, under the direction of keyboardist Johnathan “J Whitty” Whittaker — take the stage and unleash a dynamic prelude medley which includes an ethereal version of Whitney Houston’s “I Want to Dance with Somebody” and a rhythmic rendition of The Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited.”
Music lovers cheer as Harry Wayne Casey — aka KC — takes the stage performing his 1976 #1 hit, “(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty.”
Concertgoers dance and sing along on the happy “Shake shake shake/Shake shake shake/Shake your booty” chorus which is punctuated by tight horn licks while the dancers shake their booties to the infectious beat.
The band seamlessly segues into KC’s 1975 Top 40 hit, “Boogie Shoes,” where the dancers move to the groove as KC and his backup singers happily sing, “I want to put on/My my my my my/Boogie shoes.”
Disco lovers cheer and KC, 74, responds, “Good evening!” How ya doin? You all look great tonight!” Explaining that although his bass player isn’t here this evening, “the show must go on.” KC further quips, “If you came here thinking you were gonna see this 23-year-old up here tonight, you missed that 52 years ago,” prior to joking, “Take a good look — this is what Justin Timberlake will look like in 30 years!”
KC is accompanied by “J Whitty” on keyboards as he slides into a medley of slow songs which starts with a tender ballad interpretation of The Supremes’ 1965 hit, “I Hear a Symphony.” Moving on to a 1980 duet he recorded with Teri DeSario, the sound of a muted trumpet ornaments KC’s lead vocal on the ballad, “Yes, I’m Ready.”
After dancer Nadia Albuit demonstrates her ballet moves, KC performs his heartfelt 1979 soft rock ballad, “Please Don’t Go,” where he holds out a long note on the song’s dramatic coda to enthusiastic cheers and applause.
KC asks, “You ready to boogie with the Boogie Man?” and disco fans wildly cheer as the group steps into their 1977 chart-topper, “I’m Your Boogie Man.” While the dancers move about the stage, music lovers dance at their seats singing, “I’m your boogie man/I’m your boogie man/Turn me on,” and they energetically respond to KC when he asks, “You feeling all right?” by calling out, “Yeah, oh yeah, I feel good!”
Keeping the disco beat going strong, the Sunshine Band segues into KC’s 1977 Top 5 hit, “Keep It Comin’ Love,” which features jazzy solos by trumpeter John Reid, trombonist Miles Fielder, saxophonist Felipe LaMoglia, and trumpeter Cisco Dimas, along with a distorted electric guitar solo by Chris Lane. The party really gets heated as the crowd dances and sings along on the disco tune’s catchy “Keep it comin’ love/Keep it comin’ love/Don’t stop it now/Don’t stop it now” refrain.
The horn section is featured on the upbeat disco number, “I Like to Do It,” where KC and back-up vocalists Maria De Crescenzo and Anika Ellis sing, “I baby I/I like to do it/With you,” before KC takes a moment to introduce his band and crew members, exclaiming, “Give it up! They’re doing an amazing job!”
KC talks about writing songs, including one he wrote which inspired ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” John Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Through The Night,” and Dr. Hook’s “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman.” Here, he and the band perform his 1974 #1 hit for George McCrea, “Rock Your Baby,” on an arrangement which has the men in the crowd singing the song’s “Woman, take me in your arms/Rock your baby” refrain to the ladies before the women join in singing.
Disco fans are on their feet once they recognize the horn intro to KC’s 1983 Top 20 hit, “Give It Up.” Everyone dances and sings along on the song’s “Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na na now/Baby give it up” refrain before the ensemble segues into The Commodores’ “Brick House” and Michael Jackson’s “Shake Your Body.” On this upbeat medley, the audience energetically sways back and forth with the music as KC struts across the stage with dancers Tarian Green and Nadia Albuit.
The crowd hoots and hollers and KC and company leave the stage to drummer David Simmons who solos under flashing lights. Twirling his sticks to cheers, Simmons’ motions increase in speed and intensity as he deftly plays around his set to avid cheers and applause.
When the band returns, guitarist Chris Lane is featured on Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady,” and the horn section is spotlighted downstage on Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” where they slip in a few bars of Van McCoy’s “The Hustle” accompanied by Michael Joy on keys and Fermin Goytisolo on percussion. Finally, a swirling organ solo leads to a climatic coda which has audience members whistling and cheering for the Sunshine Band.
KC returns and addresses the crowd exclaiming, “You guys are amazing! Thank you for the love!” After asking, “Is that the way you like it?” the crowd responds by standing and dancing to KC’s 1976 #1 hit, “That’s The Way (I Like It),” where the party atmosphere intensifies as KC and his dancers spin and twirl to the music.
Audience members happily respond to KC when he tells them to, “Say ‘Par-ty!’” and they enthusiastically sing along on the song’s ubiquitous, “That’s the way/Uh-huh uh-huh/I like it” refrain.
Following a dramatic fanfare, KC and Co. sing, “Do a little dance/Make a little love,” on the group’s final number — KC’s 1975 #1 smash, “Get Down Tonight” — where the crowd animatedly joins them in singing the song’s rhythmic “Get down, get down, get down, get down/Get down tonight, baby” refrain.
KC asks, “You have a good time tonight?” and music fans respond in the affirmative before KC launches into a new disco song, “I’m So Glad We Got Together.” Audience members raise their fists in the air as the ensemble segues into an uptempo reprise of “Please Don’t Go” where KC croons, “Please don’t go, don’t go/Don’t go away.” As the arrangement slows, KC pleads, “Take my hand,” before crying out as he and the band members exit the stage, “I love you always and forever — don’t you ever forget that!”
To learn more about KC and the Sunshine Band, please go to heykcsb.com. For information about upcoming performances at bergenPAC — including The Jacksons on August 10, Blackberry Smoke’s Rattle, Ramble and Roll Tour 2025 on August 27, and Brian McKnight on September 13 — please click on bergenpac.org.
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