George Clinton & P-Funk, The Motet, Dopapod, More Kick Off ‘One Nation Under A Groove’ 2022 In Central Park [Photos]

George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic descended upon New York’s City Parks SummerStage in Central Park on Wednesday as part of the ongoing Blue Note Jazz Festival.

The Central Park get-down marked the first stop on Clinton’s 2022 One Nation Under A Groove tour, an extensive outing featuring a loaded lineup of nightly supporting acts including Blue Eye Extinction, The Motet featuring Shira Elias, Chris Brouwers, and Josh Schwartz (formerly of Turkuaz), Dopapod, and Pimps of Joytime.

The overstuffed band lineup has been something of a custom for One Nation Under A Groove since George Clinton and company initially touted its first iteration as his “final tour” back in 2019. The tour has rolled on for years at this point—this marked its third stop at SummerStage in Central Park—and the now-80-year-old funk innovator still shows no signs of winding down his groove.

Each of the many bands supporting the One Nation Under A Groove tour have their own fanbases, followings that could earn them longer slots should they so choose. For the chance to hit the road with Dr. Funkenstein and his traveling circus, however, these bands gladly cede some of their spotlight.

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Fan-favorite soul outfit Pimps of Joytime had just 20 minutes to show off what they’ve been up to. Prog-jam stalwarts Dopapod found time to mix some old favorites with selections from their new, self-titled album over the course of their 30-minute slot. Colorado funk fixtures The Motet welcomed old friends and former Turkuaz bandmates Shira Elias (vocals), Josh Schwartz (baritone sax), and Chris Brouwers (trumpet) to bolster their longtime lineup for 40 minutes. Funk Flex turned the park into a block party for a quick 10. Funkadelic-inspired NYC funk/hip-hop outfit Blue Eye Extinction did its thing for another half an hour or so.

These whirlwind opening sets may not let the bands dig too deep, but together they strike the perfect sort of organized-mayhem tone for a headlining set by George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, a man and band that have long maintained a satisfying sweet spot on the line between group synchronicity and loosely organized chaos.

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George and the many colorful characters of P-Funk rode that wave of energy onto the stage as the sun set on Central Park. With Clinton serving as master of ceremonies and a hive of musicians, singers, and dancers swarming, swirling, and swinging around him, his many decades of providing “whatever the party calls for” seemed to catch the fading light like a medal of the highest honor on his puffed-out chest. Here he still was, uniting bands from around the country and across the funk spectrum under his singular presence and songbook, getting red-hot mamas off their asses to jam, standing on the verge of getting it on…

Retirement is for the birds. We still want the funk and George Clinton still, thankfully, provides.

Scroll down to check out photos from the funky evening in the park via Ken Spielman. Click below for a full list of upcoming One Nation Under A Groove 2022 tour dates. For further George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic ticketing details, head here.

For a full list of upcoming concerts as part of the 2022 Capitol One City Parks SummerStage series, head here. For a list of upcoming concerts as part of the 2022 Blue Note Jazz Festival, head here.