Dua Lipa did her best to turn Madison Square Garden into Studio 54 over the weekend as she brought out Nile Rodgers for a performance of Chic’s Le Freak.
At each stop on her Radical Optimism tour, Lipa has been making it her business to cover a song that relates to the city she’s in. But while there were no guests at her first two MSG shows, when saw her sing Alicia Keys’ No One and Blondie’s One Way Or Another, Lipa surprised her audience with a proper New York legend on Saturday night (20 September).
Describing Rodgers as someone “who’s given me and given the world so much music over such a long, long span of time,” and “so prolific and a master of his craft,” she invited the iconic producer, songwriter and guitarist to the stage, billing him as “New York’s finest”.
As you’d expect, Rodgers was toting his famous ‘Hitmaker’ Stratocaster, and he - along with Lipa and her band - delivered a pretty faithful rendition of Chic’s 1978 funk-disco classic.
As the song finished, Rodgers - who always seems to enjoy his moments in the spotlight - thanked Lipa and told the crowd that his appearance felt like a great late birthday present (he turned 73 on 19 September).
Dua wasn’t done with the guests, either; for her final night at MSG, she brought out Lenny Kravitz, who joined her for a cover of his hit single It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over, from 1991.
It’s over now, though - after those four Madison Square Garden shows, the Radical Optimism circus is now making its way to Miami for Lipa’s next show on 26 September.
