Secondhand Setlists

First time at the Bowl, and certainly a time to remember.

Despite living in LA for nearly five years (my Goddess), I only made it to the Hollywood Bowl just this week. As someone who typically prefers smaller concerts at more intimate venues, I rarely feel the need to shell out for something like the Bowl or the Greek. But fate would have it that a friend of mine copped a few extra tickets for the venue’s Fourth of July week festivities, thereby giving me the chance to see one of the city’s most famed venues featuring one of music’s finest living icons – Nile Rodgers and Chic.

Even better, the famed disco group received backing from LA’s own Philharmonic Orchestra, adding an extra pop to their already lively music. Naturally, we heard the hits, “Everybody Dance”, “Good Times”, and “I Want Your Love”, the latter delivered with extra gusto from vocalist Kimberly Davis. Yet much of the excitement came from the extensive number of covers Rodgers performed, all songs he had a hand it creating. It’s one thing to recognize Rodgers as a prolific star, it’s quite another to hear hit songs from 1979 (“I’m Coming Out”) all the way up until 2013 (“Get Lucky”).

While America was and still isn’t on my list of things to celebrate at the moment, Chic remains worth celebrating, and a whole symphony and fireworks display felt well suited for their honor.