Nile Rodgers’ dance party
Nile Rodgers wants fans to dance the night away on latest CHIC tour
The year 1977 was a pivotal point in the history of dance music. It was the year that the glitzy celebrity hot spot and discotheque central Studio 54 was opened in New York City at the same time that disco funk act CHIC released their wildly successful self- titled debut that produced iconic dance floor hits like “Everybody Dance.”
Forty years later, the tandem anniversaries are celebrated in the new 2054 The Tour ( stopping at United Center July 26) that joins CHIC with Chicago’s own seminal R& B groove act Earth Wind & Fire — the first time the two have ever officially toured together. The name of the mega tour explores what Studio 54 could be like in this century; as such, each of the arenas they visit over the next two months will feature a special seating configuration along with a DJ between sets that beckons people back onto a huge dance floor.
“It’s a symbolic year and a great tour loaded with lots of symbolism, and you know Earth Wind & Fire is all about that,” jokes CHIC co- founder and producer extraordinaire Nile Rodgers in a recent chat. “When you see the set and how we are approaching the show it’s pretty over the top and spectacular.”
Rodgers sees the irony of holding a show like 2054 The Tour in the city that once famously hosted a Disco Demolition Night at the old Comiskey Park in 1979, but glibly says, “We’re not scarred by it … and think it’s pretty awesome we get to have a big dance party again.”
As one of Rolling Stone’s “50 most important people in EDM,” Rodgers has alwaysys been an integral cog in the dance musicic machine, ensuring its visibility in a crowdeded music marketplace. Beyond his work withth CHIC, he has been a Top 40 producer workrking with Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Bryan an Ferry and David Bowie in his formative years, rs, to currently booking studio time with Avicii, cii, Disclosure and Kylie Minogue. Of coursese he’s also regarded for his co- writing creditsts on several Daft Punk songs like “Get Lucky” ky” ( with Pharrell Williams) that have pushed ed Rodgers forward into a new millennium.
Though CHIC hasn’t released an albumm since 1992’ s “CHIC- ism,” Rodgers promises es that 2017 is it, with the 2054 Tour the firstst time that many will hear the new tracks.ks. “This is definitely the year,” he says for the much- anticipated release of the appropriately named “It’s About Time,” tentatively slated to feature collaborations with Lady Gaga and the late George Michael, whom Rodgers worked with the day before the singer unexpectedly died in December.
Michael was just one of the personal losses Rodgers experienced in the past 18 months, also saying goodbye to close friends and colleagues like Bowie, Prince and Natalie Cole. The devastating toll made him pause and rethink “It’s About Time” on several occasions, delaying its release out of respect and recently also deciding to take out a song called “Prince Said It” from the album.
“I still feel really strongly about that,” Rodgers says. “It’s so hard to talk about because the track wasn’t supposed to be an homage to Prince, but a fun song about the conversations I have had with him. It seems so odd to put out this song that’s fun and up- tempo. … Also because CHIC is a really happy band, that’s what we are about. It’s about reinforcing that consciousness of happiness even in bad times.”
He continues, “When Bowie died and Prince died, it was just too much for me. But now I’ve had enough time to get over my emotions and to reorganize the record. I’m committed to it.”
At a recent set at the U. K.’ s Glastonbury Festival, Rodgers also got frank with the crowd,cr telling them how lucky he was to be cancer-ca free after a six- year period. Though hishi doctor told him at that time to “get his affairsaff in order,” today Rodgers has a new leasele on life and is happy to be putting the emphasisem on his music affairs instead, focusingcu on the new album and tour and the importantim anniversaries showing just how farfa he — and dance music — have come.
In the 75- minute set, he says, “We play theth very first song I ever wrote for CHIC, ‘ EverybodyEv Dance,’ and then work our way up to the present with a bombardment of hitshi because that’s what my career has been like,lik and I’m fortunate for that.”