“We went out there and floated on all that energy.”
Photo: Alfredo Flores
Prior to this weekend, the best-known duet of Philip Bailey’s career was the stone-cold Phil Collins classic “Easy Lover.” Now, it might be a little shorter and sweeter. Earth, Wind & Fire were the surprise guests at Sabrina Carpenter’s Lollapalooza set on August 3, with the band joining Carpenter for a rump-shaking two-song set of “Let’s Groove” and “September.” Bailey, who’s served as lead singer since 1972, credits Carpenter’s agent for conjuring up the idea. However, there was a major time crunch leading up to the performance, so much so that Bailey was initially skeptical the correct decision was made. “It was one of those kinds of things that happened in 24 hours,” he recalls. “We had to really turn this thing around.”
Earth, Wind & Fire were up in Detroit for a concert on August 2 and had two days off before their next gig in the northern Michigan town of Interlochen. Lollapalooza, held in Chicago — the group’s hometown — was an easy enough commute for the friendly and luxurious skies. “They sent a private plane for us and our entourage,” Bailey says. “We hopped a plane at seven in the morning, went in, and had the rehearsal. It was very quick and kind of sketchy. I was almost concerned about it. But by that evening, they had dialed everything in, and she did her homework on what verses she was going to take. We went out there and floated on all that energy.” The song choices of “Let’s Groove” and “September” were an easy decision because they “always keep the party rocking,” although Bailey says Carpenter was well versed in the band’s deeper discography during their brief time together. She later wrote on social media that Earth, Wind & Fire “raised me on the greatest songs of all time; true soul moving timeless music.”
Bailey wasn’t familiar with Carpenter’s work besides the caffeinated earworm “Espresso,” and time constraints for the rehearsal prevented them from getting to know each other a little bit better, as there were several other members of Earth, Wind & Fire to contend and choreograph with on stage, including longtime percussionist and singer Ralph Johnson. “She’s very cordial, very kind, and very approachable,” Bailey says of the pop star. “We both greeted each other warmly, but we didn’t have time to talk about anything. Everybody was on a tight schedule. We didn’t even have time to run over the performance thoroughly. There were things that weren’t right during the run-through, so my people stayed there and we trusted that they would get all that stuff ready in due time.”
The results, of course, speak for themselves: Carpenter, strutting around in a sequined pink bodysuit, looks over the moon to be in the presence of such legendary elements. Bailey looks dashing himself in a patterned suit, dancing the night away to some of the most joyous hits in the American canon. “Sometimes things work, and oftentimes they don’t,” Bailey explains. “Her energy and our energy were very compatible and complementary to one another. How she puts her show together, in terms of how it accelerates and builds, was fantastic. Where she chose to put our segment was perfect.”
Photo: Alfredo Flores
Consider it a successful weekend for respecting the classics. The night prior, Carpenter’s fellow Lollapalooza headliner Olivia Rodrigo brought out Weezer for a one-two punch of “Say It Ain’t So” and “Buddy Holly,” continuing her own impressive festival streak of highlighting rock elders for younger audiences. (Carpenter has stated in the past her admiration for Queen, the Beatles, and Rush, in case we’re scoping out ideas for the future. You think she has the range for “Fly by Night”?) But, for now, Bailey is thrilled. “I had to ask everybody once we were done, ‘How was it?’ Because you can’t really feel with that short performance if you’re actually meeting the mark or not and I think we all had nerves,” he says, as if the tens of thousands of gyrating fans in the audience weren’t enough confirmation. “We were honored to be asked and very appreciative to her and to her fans for embracing these moments we were able to share.”
