The line-up includes The Jacksons, Kool & The Gang, Village People and more.
Sunshine, moonlight, good times, boogie.
This review summed up in those five words – thanks Jacksons.
Move over Motown, this is Mount Maunganui!
You know you had a good night when you can hardly walk the next morning. From dancing! I went from high heels, to sneakers and in the end bare feet. Blame it on the boogie.
Six hours of dancing to six of the world's biggest disco legends - including Rock & Roll Hall of Famers The Jacksons. The six groups performed in Mount Maunganui last night for a one-off New Zealand show. A Summer's Day Disco.
You know you had a good night when you can hardly walk the next morning
Disco icons Kool and the Gang, Village People, The Pointer Sisters, Sister Sledge and Sounds of the Supremes joined The Jacksons' Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon.
It was an incredible line-up right here in little old Tauranga. That dream the organiser Pato Alvarez has of making the Bay of Plenty the music capital of New Zealand is not a dream – it is happening.
The atmosphere was upbeat and electric, with a crowd of all ages ready to get their beat on. I knew it was going to be a great day when we walked in and bumped into local Helen Brown, in an afro and sunglasses, wearing the same disco outfit she boogied down in during her disco youth.
Helen Brown gets her groove on at A Summer's Day Disco at Baypark. Photo / Andrew Warner
There were sequins and glitter, big hair and platform boots, satin hot pants and psychedelic flares, celebrating a genre that produced decades of great music and set the stage for the hit makers and beats of today.
Every single act brought their best energy to the stage. It was like time had stood still as these stars still had the moves, still had the voice, and man did they have the hits.
You forget just how many bangers there were in the disco era, and I found myself knowing all the words to every single song.
It was why we didn't sit down – as songs came on we kept saying, "Oh this is my favourite song." Then the next one would come on and we would all throw our hands up again and say, "No hang on, this is our favourite."
The Sounds of the Supremes perform at A Summer's Day Disco at Baypark. Photo / Andrew Warner
The Sounds of the Supremes belted out one of my favourite songs of all time, Reflections, as well as reminding us of great hits of the Motown area, such as Baby Love, You Keep Me Hanging On and You Can't Hurry Love.
That dream the organiser Pato Alvarez has of making the Bay of Plenty the music capital of New Zealand is not a dream – it is happening.
Sister Sledge rolled out another great set, the highlight Lost in Music making us all want to give up the nine to five and just dance all day.
The Pointer Sisters followed, proving girl power was born in the disco era, revving up the crowd even more with hits including Jump, He's So Shy, Slow Hand and the crowd favourite, So Excited.
Yes, we are about to lose control and we think we like it!
The Village People had everyone back on their feet, with theatrical performances to Macho Man and In the Navy. Then YMCA, don't deny it, you know the moves, don't hold back, just do it. Even the crew in the pit were getting into it.
Kool and the Gang in glittery shirts commanded the stage with an impressive mix of jazz, soul, funk, rock, and pop. The crowd got down on it to their hits, like Ladies Night and Celebration.
The Jacksons came on stage and it was as though everyone in the crowd, a collective shiver of electricity ran through us as suddenly we had the same thought, wow, we are here in Tauranga, with The Jacksons!
As though tuned in to the vibe from the overawed crowd, the legendary brothers kicked off with Can You Feel It?
Yes we can.
The big screen flashed up some old footage, but it was thought time had stood still. They have still got the moves, and they have those songs that you never ever tire of. After ABC followed an emotional I'll be There, at the end of which the brothers looked to the night sky and paid tribute to their brother Michael. Then launched into another of my favourite songs of all time, a cover of Michael Jackson's Got to Be Startin' Somethin'.
As the night came to an end an elated crowd walked out, or in my case limped, and there was so much talk of it being the "best night ever", the "best gig" people had been to. Even one of the diehard music promoters who attends thousands of concerts said it was one of the best nights of music in New Zealand she had ever experienced.
The great atmosphere in the crowd made the night too, with no aggression – no one had time to do much drinking apart from water because they were too busy getting high on the music.
A special note to the great hard-working teams that make it all run seamlessly, they were also super good-natured. The lovely pit team and back stage crew, to the people manning the different gates.
Even as we were ushered out, a lovely traffic team chatted to people and helped them navigate their way out to Ubers or cars.
We were all lost in music, feeling so alive, perhaps music really is our salvation.
