Night Shift hones the old-school faves at b-ball games.

The biggest names in popular music usually play the gigantic Oakland Coliseum Arena. U2, the Rolling Stones and the Beastie Boys have all graced the stage of the enormous complex. But, no band has played the Oakland Arena more over the last seven years than the East Bay dance band Night Shift.

As the house band for the Golden State Warriors, who play home games at the Arena, Night Shift performs in the massive venue about 25 times a year. The band has also played at a number of other Bay Area spots including San Francisco’s Harry Denton’s Starlight Room and San Ramon’s Maestro’s Ristorante Italiano.

Night Shift bassist Phil Wiltz says the band plays on a stage about 30 feet up from the Coliseum’s basketball court. So that everyone in the complex can see the band, video footage of Night Shift is often shown on the Coliseum’s Jumbotron.

Since becoming the Coliseum’s house band in 2002, Wiltz says he and his bandmates have discovered what fires up the Oakland sports crowd—and audiences in general. The bass player says Warriors’ fans go wild for tunes like Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Shining Star” and Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish.”

“They like a lot of old school, R&B and Top 40 songs,” he says.

Night Shift plays Sly McFly’s, 700 Cannery Row in Monterey, Saturday at 9pm. 649-8050.