Backbeat: Earth Wind & Fire, J&R Music Celebrate 40th Anniversaries @ NYC's South Street Seaport

Earth Wind & Fire, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a band, helped J&R celebrate its 40th anniversary by doing a free show on Sept. 9 at New York's South Street Seaport, which is about two blocks away from the Park Row store. Since the shop opened in 1971, it's grown to take in 10 stores and 300,000 square feet on Park Row, across the street from City Hall.

JR Party
New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, wearing the tie, does the neighborly thing by presenting both Earth Wind & Fire and J&R with a 40th anniversary proclamation at the event. From left are WCBS New York DJ Ron Parker, EW&F's Philip Bailey, Bloomberg, EW&F's Verdine White and EW&F's Ralph Johnson, and J&R co-CEO Rachelle Friedman. (Photo: Monster Cable & Dan Dio)

JR Party
Earth Wind & Fire rocks the South Street Seaport. (Photo: Monster Cable & Dan Dio)

JR Party
The crowd gathered at the South Street Seaport show. (Photo: Monster Cable & Dan Dio)

JR Party
The band stops by the J&R office. From left are: White, Johnson Monster Cable's head monster Noel Lee, J&R co-CEOs Joe and Rachelle Friedman, and Bailey. (Photo: Monster Cable & Dan Dio)