In 2015, George Clinton is 74 years old. He is the spearhead of Parliament, Funkadelic and P-Funk, and a musical descendant of the Motown empire. He has collaborated with funk originators like James Brown and Sly Stone. He has collaborated with the incomparable Prince. He has collaborated with students of the new school like Big Boi and Kendrick Lamar and most recently with Flying Lotus, Shabazz Palaces, and Thundercat on “The Lavishments of Light Looking” (Listen here). The Mothership itself currently resides in the Smithsonian.
Throughout George Clinton’s tenure on the map of American music, he has continuously released new material, whether it be his own recordings, production for others or by making guest appearances, and all-the-while maintained the immense popularity of music he created in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s. This thick tenure in American music was evident during his concert at the House of Blues New Orleans on last Saturday, October 3rd.
George Clinton and P-Funk performed a raucous two hours. There were nearly twenty musicians, and with the addition of audience members who were invited up to dance with them, the stage became densely crowded with people and energy. Sir Nose climbed up the giant house speakers from the stage to dance and greet the concertgoers in the balcony.
The band performed a mixture of music from their latest release First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate, an extensive recording with an impressive 33 tracks, and their most popular releases from favorites such as The Mothership Connection and Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome. Classics were presented with new twists that surprised seasoned listeners with inventive introductions.
Also on the bill was DJ Soul Sister, a New Orleans taste maker and crate digging extraordinaire, who led her funk-hungry audience to the concert by showing how important and nostalgic this music is. She let her audience peep into her memory bank of photos and stories from being a young fan of Parliament Funkadelic, all the way to sharing a concert bill with the group. DJ Soul Sister also did something very important, outside of exhibiting her remarkable collection of music. She gave permission to her audience to be first-time listeners. For many, this was their first George Clinton concert.
The George Clinton Parliament and Funkadelic concert veterans were happy to see so many fresh faces, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Some remembered being 19 years old, hearing George Clinton, and then seeing him for the first time at The Warehouse in the 1970s. The Warehouse, a venue on Tchoupitoulas Street that opened its doors in 1970 with a concert by The Grateful Dead, was demolished circa 1989. Bricks from The Warehouse that were salvaged have since become the floor at Le Bon Temps Roule, and memories from The Warehouse have since been affectionately revisited with this funky night in New Orleans at the House of Blues.
[Cover photo by Erik Kabik]