Indeed, by putting in those hours of practice, EW&F became one of the best live acts of the ‘70s. Their performances were soulful spectacles for which they donned ornate clothes and utilized dope dance steps, where slick magic and sleek music shared the spotlight and left audiences worldwide dazzled and dazed. “Those shows were groundbreaking,” Verdine White said in 2013. “We had pyramids landing on stage, magic tricks and the wonderful choreography of George Faison. It was fantastic.”

Having witnessed the manifestation of their wild visions at Baltimore’s famed Civic Center in 1977, when they were on the All ‘n’ All tour, I can attest that EW&F knew how to take it to the next level – and the one after that. Screaming alongside my cousin Marie and baby bro Carlos, after opening acts Deniece Williams and Pockets performed (both acts were signed to EW&F’s company Kalimba Productions), the headliners hit the stage and turned that mutha out. I had been to concerts before, but theirs was a Afrocentric sci-fi vision of special effects including flying pyramids and band members. Watching as Verdine and his perfect Afro was lifted into the air as he plucked away at the bass like witnessing something from a futuristic circus where Sun was the ringmaster.

http://www.soulhead.com/2016/02/09/be-forever-wonderful-a-farewell-to-earth-wind-fires-co-founder-maurice-white-1941-2016-by-michael-a-gonzales/#more-33723