Nile Rodgers & CHIC Turn the Pacific Amphitheatre Into One Giant Dance Floor on July 31st, 2026

I had never seen Nile Rodgers perform live before, but meeting—or even interviewing—the legendary producer has been on my bucket list for years.

My connection to Rodgers actually goes all the way back to 1984, when I bought Madonna’s Like a Virgin album. Like any music-obsessed kid, I studied the album credits, and there it was in the fine print: Produced by Nile Rodgers.

I already knew CHIC. Growing up in the 1970s, I remember my older friends and cousins dancing to “Le Freak.” That unforgettable guitar riff and infectious beat were everywhere, and even today, “Le Freak” remains one of my favorite dance songs.

As I got older, I began to realize just how enormous Rodgers’ influence on popular music really was. Beyond CHIC, he produced and worked with artists including David Bowie, Madonna, Sister Sledge, Diana Ross and Duran Duran, and decades later continued collaborating with artists such as Daft Punk and Beyoncé.

So on July 31 at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, standing there with my camera as Nile Rodgers & CHIC took the stage felt a little surreal.

Covering his concert was an unforgettable experience.

Now there’s only one thing left on my Nile Rodgers bucket list: interview him someday.

The Party Begins

From the moment the band walked onto the stage, you knew this wasn’t going to be one of those concerts where everyone politely stayed in their seats. This was a party.

Rodgers stepped into the spotlight wearing pink trousers and a pastel floral blazer, his signature white guitar strapped across him. His backing vocalists looked stunning in shimmering pink dresses, adding even more color to an already vibrant stage.
Then came that guitar riff.

“Le Freak.”

Within seconds, the Pacific Amphitheatre transformed into a giant dance floor. People jumped from their seats. Arms went into the air. Couples danced in the aisles while groups of friends sang along to the familiar chorus.

“Freak out!”

Rodgers stood at center stage effortlessly strumming the guitar sound that has helped define generations of dance music. Beside him, the singers delivered powerhouse vocals that were smooth, soulful and seemingly flawless. And this was only the beginning. The hits kept coming: “Everybody Dance,” “I Want Your Love,” Diana Ross classics “I’m Coming Out” and “Upside Down,” and Sister Sledge favorites including “He’s the Greatest Dancer” and We Are Family.”

It quickly became apparent that this wasn’t simply a CHIC concert. It was a journey through decades of pop, disco, funk and dance music—and Nile Rodgers had been behind an astonishing amount of it. Tonight, We Became Nile Rodgers’ Gang Vocals. Midway through the concert, Rodgers stopped to talk to the audience. “I wrote songs for a lot of big artists,” he said, casually listing names like Diana Ross, Sister Sledge, Madonna, David Bowie and Duran Duran before joking that the complete list was simply too long. Then he gave us an assignment. This audience wasn’t getting a free ride.

“You’re going to work your a^&* off tonight,” Rodgers joked. Every time the band reached the chorus, he wanted the audience to sing.

The Gang Vocals

Rodgers explained that when he made records at New York’s legendary Power Station studio, other major artists were often recording nearby. Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Dire Straits and Bryan Ferry were among the names he recalled. Because so many of the musicians knew one another, they would sometimes wander into each other’s sessions and join the chorus. Luther Vandross, who sang backing vocals on early CHIC recordings, called them “gang vocals.” And for one night in Costa Mesa, thousands of people at the Pacific Amphitheatre became Nile Rodgers’ gang vocals.

Rodgers called out to the crowd. “You guys are going to be my gang vocals, right?” The response was immediate. He introduced the next song—one he had written for Diana Ross. “I’m Coming Out.” Then he counted us in. “One, two… one, two, three!” Suddenly thousands of voices filled the amphitheater: “I’m coming out! I want the world to know…” You weren’t simply watching Nile Rodgers & CHIC anymore. You were part of the band.

The Story Behind Madonna’s “Like a Virgin“

For me, one of the most memorable moments of the night came when Rodgers began talking about Madonna. Sharing the story behind Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”. Before performing songs from Like a Virgin, he shared the story of producing the album early in Madonna’s career. Rodgers recalled that after they finished recording, he suggested releasing “Material Girl” as the first single. His reasoning? Marketing. He imagined people seeing Madonna walking down the street and saying, “There goes Madonna—the Material Girl.” Madonna had other plans. According to Rodgers, she told him that the first single would be “Like a Virgin.” And just to make sure there was no confusion about who was calling the shots, she also decided the album would be titled Like a Virgin. Rodgers laughed as he reenacted their conversation. His response was essentially: It’s your record. It’s your career. I’m here to help you get to the top. Then came one of the funniest moments of the night. Rodgers reminded us that Madonna wasn’t there to stop him. “So,” he asked the audience, “can I do both songs?” The crowd roared. And just like that, the Pacific Amphitheatre became an enormous Madonna sing-along.

For someone who first discovered Nile Rodgers’ name by reading the credits on my Like a Virgin album decades ago, watching him perform those songs live felt wonderfully full-circle. “Good Times” indeed.

Rapper’s Delight

One of the highlights for me was hearing Rodgers revisit the groove connected to “Rapper’s Delight.” Although he wasn’t part of The Sugarhill Gang, his cover was fantastic. Did you know that The Sugarhill Gang’s 1979 hit became the first rap song to break into mainstream American pop culture? Hearing that unmistakable groove live was a reminder of just how far Nile Rodgers’ musical DNA reaches. Disco. Funk. Pop. Rock. Hip-hop. Different genres. Different generations. Same groove.

Good music. Good times. And one irresistible groove.

By the end of the show, almost nobody seemed interested in sitting down anymore. People were dancing, singing, laughing and waving their hands in the air. And Rodgers wasn’t ready to simply disappear backstage. After the performance, he walked toward the front of the stage, shook hands with fans in the first row and stopped for photos, giving the night an unexpectedly personal ending.

For nearly the entire concert, the Pacific Amphitheatre felt less like a venue and more like the world’s biggest disco. There were people who grew up with CHIC in the 1970s. People who discovered Rodgers through Madonna and David Bowie in the 1980s. Others knew him through Duran Duran, Daft Punk or Beyoncé.

I met a fan named Xavier who summed up the evening perfectly. He told me, “It was an outstanding concert by Nile Rodgers & CHIC. It brought me back to the good old days of the ’70s and ’80s—listening and dancing to good music.”

Different generations had arrived through different songs. But on this night, everybody understood the same language.

And yes, after finally seeing Nile Rodgers perform live, that interview is still firmly on my bucket list.