The Funky Meters are a revival of the iconic and widely influential funk group The Meters, founded in the late 60’s in New Orleans. Their music has found its way into an innumerable amount of jam sessions and funk shows, and you will be hard pressed to find any jam, jazz, blues or funk artist that do not claim to have some influence from their music. Featuring two of the original members, keyboardist Art Neville and bassist George Porter Jr, the Funky Meters are taking the rich Meters legacy and carrying it into the 21st century. They are allowing a new generation of fans and musicians alike to witness the timeless spectacle of these masters of funk playing live and also help us gain a new appreciation for the funky roots of our exploding music scene.
The crowd was treated to dual openers on both sides of the venue, Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom. On one side was a local Denver funk outfit, the Trevor Jones Band. Led by Trevor Jones, founding member of the national touring act Frogs Gone Fishin’ and Colorado electronic duo Ape Tit, the set featured a number of originals and covers. One highlight included a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias,” with a surprising sit in by a young guitarist who couldn’t have been more than five. His sense of rhythm and groove gave a strong foreshadowing to this kid’s bright and funky future.
On the main side, San Diego funk band The Earful gave direct support for the Funky Meters. I have to give props to these guys, not only for their awesome set, but also how they seem to manage a national tour with an eight-piece band, which is a rare and quite difficult thing to do successfully these days. Their chemistry on stage was unmistakable and the energy throughout the set got quite high, so high that their bongo player ended up without his shirt by the end.
The Meters took the stage and kicked off with a bang with a rendition of “Space Jam” into Meters original “People Say,” which many modern fans may recognize it as a cover done by Colorado favorite “The String Cheese Incident.” Other highlights from the set include funk favorites, “Sing a Simple Song,” “Cissy Strut” and even a cover of Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child,” which was performed towards the end of the set.
I truly hope that everyone at that show, especially the younger fans, appreciate the significance that this band has had to the music industry at large. Their service to funk has caused a ripple effect of influence across the US and the world, one that most musicians can only dream of achieving. The Funky Meters have been of service to funk music and the general happiness of people for the better part of fifty years, and even now, they don’t show many signs of stopping. Big ups to the Funky Meters for an awesome night!
[Photography by Cody Deel]