KC Sunshine Band – Ledge Amphitheater – Waite Park MN – August 7th 2025

KC & the Sunshine Band (with the Village People)  – Thursday, August 7, 2025 at the Ledge Amphitheater, Waite Park, MN

Review and photos by Jim Zons

Sometimes I’m amazed that there are still bands touring from the 1970s with any original members, and especially key members, but that is the case with KC & the Sunshine Band, and I was excited to finally see this band live at the Ledge Amphitheater in Waite Park, MN on a warm summer evening on Thursday, August 7, 2025, as were many concert goers dressed up in their finest disco attire!

First up, opening for KC & the Sunshine Band, were the Village People.  The Village People have had an interesting history; they were originally created by a French music composer and his business partner after moving to New York to try to duplicate their European success in the States.  Victor Willis, a New York singer and actor, was hired by the duo to sing on the debut Village People album in 1977.  The album did so well that they needed to assemble a group of dancers to accompany Willis on tour through the rest of the 1970s, and the iconic macho gay-fantasy look was born!  Willis left the group in 1979 after writing most of the band’s biggest hits, and only relatively recently returned after securing the rights to the Village People name and his song writing credits.  Today, Willis is the only original member of the Village People still touring (he’s “the cop” character) but the rest of the young dancers and singers in the group really brought the energy to the performance at the Ledge.  Their short set included all the hits including “Macho Man,” “In The Navy,” “In Hollywood (Everybody Is a Star),” and of course, everyone’s sing along and dance along favorite, “Y.M.C.A.” One surprise was a cover of “Go West” by the Pet Shop Boys which was actually written by Willis. It was a fun set.

Finally, it was time for the headliner:  KC & the Sunshine Band. Man, I grew up listening to KC in the 1970s when I was in grade school and junior high, and one of the first 45s I bought was “I’m Your Boogie Man” in 1976, so I was pretty excited to finally see the band in person!  The band was formed in 1973 by Harry Wayne Casey (his last name is where “KC” comes from) who worked at a record store and a recording studio in Florida (the “Sunshine” State).  Casey is credited with that early disco sound thanks to hits with KC & the Sunshine Band, and the show at the Ledge brought that 1970s magic to life!   Now, I was expecting a fun show, but I wasn’t expecting the over the top spectacle that arrived in Waite Park: an incredible ten piece band with a four piece horn section, dancers, costume changes, and a TON of energy and fun!  After an extended intro that slowly brought out the entire band, Casey came out to “Shake Your Booty,” and the energy just kept building from there.  Casey is a little slower, and quite a bit heavier, but MAN this guy looks and sounds like he’s having a ton of FUN at 74 years old!  He had an extended monologue riff before going into a medley of slower songs that was like a night club standup routine, and despite his over the top disco costumes, and goofy dance moves, it’s obvious he’s not taking himself seriously, and is just having the time of his life!  The night was full of hits from the 1970s like “Boogie Shoes,” “Keep It Coming Love,” “Please Don’t Go,” and my favorite, “I’m Your Boogie Man.” A lot of people aren’t familiar with the fact that Casey wrote the HUGE 1974 hit for George McCrae “Rock Your Baby” that established that classic disco sound, and, unknown to me, inspired John Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” and Dr. Hook’s “When You’re In Love with a Beautiful Woman,” both of which the band played snippets of during an extended version of “Rock Your Baby.”  I mentioned the ten piece band … but I didn’t mention how AMAZING they were!  So tight and such excellent musicians; they were jaw droppingly good.  Horns are a big part of the recordings by KC & the Sunshine Band so hearing those songs performed live with a real horn section was a real treat.  The band tossed some fun cover songs into the night’s performance, including “Brick House” by the Commodores, “ Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” by the Jacksons, and “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas. But my favorites, and the crowd’s, were the classics from KC & the Sunshine Band that filled the air in Waite Park on a warm summer August evening with disco magic.  That’s the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it.  And you will too!