Empire City Kicks Off its Summer Concerts

BY PAMELA STERN

Do a little dance. Make a little love. Get down tonight!

Those are KC and the Sunshine Band’s most famous lyrics and that is exactly what was going on at Empire City Casino’s Summer Concert Series when they came through town in June. KC and The Sunshine Band kicked off the start of the Sunday Summer Concert Series at Empire City Casino. The crowd was “Shaking their Booty” as KC went down memory lane performing his hit music and some oldies standards.

A new CD will be coming out by the end of the summer with 17 new songs and 17 songs from the 60s and 70s that KC will be singing. KC is hoping that this will be a double CD (or rather that is the way that he would like it uh huh, uh huh). A new song that he has out is “I Can’t Get You Out of My Mind” is available on I-tunes, and amazon.com.

The crowd of all ages was dancing and singing along with KC and The Sunshine Band, an act that has been ongoing for 40 years now. The band started up with “Shake your Booty” and closed the show with “Get Down Tonight!” Fans were up and dancing throughout the show. Frank Ferraro of Yonkers said, ”My favorite song is ‘Give It Up.’ I have been a fan since 1984. I loved the show the atmosphere was great! The crowd was really into it and KC’s interaction with the crowd made it an amazing show.”

After the show, KC announced that he will be signing autographs for his fans. While waiting on line to get KC’s autograph, Diane Herlihy said that she has been a fan for 31 years. She noted, “I still have my posters and the first album. I came back to Yonkers from Mahopac to see him tonight. This is my first concert at Empire City and it was phenomenal. I just recently had surgery, but nothing was holding me back from coming to this concert tonight! I just can’t wait to meet him and get his autograph. My all time favorite song is ‘Get Down Tonight’ and I loved seeing him perform it live!”

“I finally got to see KC and The Sunshine Band perform live,” exclaimed Regine Clark from Manhattan. “I have had a crush on him for years. I love KC! I can’t wait to get his new CD,” Clark continued. “His stage presence was great! My favorite song is ‘I’m your Boogie Man.’ When I get home I am going to ‘like’ his Facebook page!”

When asked how long you plan to keep performing KC (Harry Wayne Casey) said, “I will keep performing as long as I can. I enjoy and love it.”

Do you like hearing your music on commercial or in the movies or on TV shows? KC said, “I think that it is great! It is a high form of flattery to me.”

What does KC like to do in his free time? KC said he likes to chill out, ride his bike, do some gardening and take care of his dogs. “Australia is my favorite place to go to. I have the luxury to go and travel and see new places. I have been lucky to be able to see different places. I do look forward to some familiar places that I have been to. It is almost like going to visit relatives and friends, when I go to a familiar place,” he said.

KC and The Sunshine Band received a star on the Walk of Fame in Palm Springs, California on July 6. KC and The Sunshine Band has a Facebook page and encourage their fans to go on there and “like” it.

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