That’s the Way I Like It, Essay Example

This performance review is based on a performance by KC & the Sunshine Band, who performed at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood Florida on March 30, 2015. The group was founded in the state of Florida and has a jazzy feel, although they incorporate elements of funk, R&B, and disco into their act as well. I was generally unfamiliar with their music, although some of my friends have heard of their hits including “Get Down Tonight”, “That’s the Way I Like It”, and “Please Don’t Go”. I was interested to learn that these songs had been featured in many movies and had been considered radio hits when they were initially released. However, as this music was produced between the 1970’s and 1990’s, I hadn’t encountered it until now. While this is not typically the type of music I would listen to, I did find it to be enjoyable during the live performance.

The vocal style employed by the performers was very easy to understand. It appeared that the lyrics were the most important parts of the song, as there appeared to be meaning in most of them. However, some lyrics were simply meant to be catchy and the background music was meant to be the greater focus. Some of the song lyrics were love songs, and these were the ones that appeared to be meaningful. Others, such as those in “Get Down Tonight” were meant mainly to serve as good lyrics to accompany a dance song. In most of the pieces, there was a strong beat which is expected because most of this music appears to have been made for dance. The strongest tempo derived from the songs created in the 1970’s. While this effect was weaker in the newer songs, it was definitely identifiable in these pieces. The tempo and rhythm were very straightforward, as these were meant to be a pop/dance pieces during the time period of time in which the music was released. A majority of these songs were written in common time.

It didn’t seem like there was any improvisation in these pieces. While they had the jazz/funk feel and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to incorporate improvisation into this type of music, it was clear that all of the music performed was rehearsed so that each performance would be identical. If any improvisation was done, it would only be identifiable by someone who is very familiar with these songs and it would only have been a small change to the conventional vocal or instrumental parts. The most notable part of these songs were the choruses. Each song had a chorus and this was obvious because these chorus lyrics were repeated many times. However, there were no solos and the effect that the band produced relied on collaboration throughout the performance.

The musicians appeared to be wearing normal clothing, although it is possible that they tried to have a slightly “cool” effect with their outfit selections. However, this clothing was nothing too outside of normal. The musicians were certainly prepared, as they have been playing this music for the past 40 years and they likely played their respective musical instruments for an even longer period of time. It was interesting to hear this music before reading about the band itself because I didn’t realize that they were at one point very popular. It is very likely that people who grew up between the 1970s and 1990s still listen to their music today. While this is not the style of music I typically enjoy, I can appreciate the value that they have in the music world and it is likely that they influenced many of the bands I do listen to today.