 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
All Genres > Urban/R&B > Funk > GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC: Instant Live: State Theater Portland, ME 03-19-04 CONCERT REVIEW By AIMSEL L. PONTI PORTLAND PRESS HERALD "WHOLE LOTTA PARTY GOING ON A CLINTON SHOW" This was not your ordinary concert. It was a party and a celebration of decades of music mastery by living legend George Clinton, who was joined by an extensive cast of musicians, including members of Parliament and Funkadelic, two acts created in the '70s. Surprisingly enough, most of the audience was born in that decade, if not the early to mid-'80s. It seems Clinton, a/k/a Dr. Funkenstein, has caught the attention of the younger jam band set. These fans were bursting at the seams with energy and were eager participants in arm waving and singing along, beginning with a "We want the funk" chant that was started by a band member and taken to new levels by the crowd. Keyboardist Bernie Worrell also started the night off with a punch with his instrumental, soul-shaking version of the Beatles' "Come Together." The next thing you knew, a dozen musicians were on stage and the magic really started to happen. Original band members Garry Shider and Michael Hampton, among many others, were on hand to deliver the goods. Shider donned his signature garment for the evening, a large white cloth diaper. Initially it was shocking to see a middle-aged man with a significant gut so scantily clad, but by the end of the night it seemed perfect. Everyone, in fact, had his own unique style. There was black leather, colorful tracksuits and everything in between. More eclectic than the wardrobe choices, however, was the music. Just about everyone sang lead at one time or another, and at least three of the guys blew the crowd away with their electric guitars. The keyboards and percussion added further funk to the circus-like stage. Musicians roamed off and on stage all night. It all, however, revolved around one person, and that of course would be George. At 63, honestly, he really doesn't sing all that well anymore, but that was almost irrelevant. He is still revered, he is still in charge and he still knows how to throw one heck of a party. Clad in a blue warm-up suit with his famous Technicolor hair, Clinton is cool to the bone and clearly still quite passionate about his music. Through classics like "Cosmic Slop," "Atomic Dawg" and the brilliant "Flashlight," Clinton was at the top of his game as ringleader, cheerleader and rock star. His granddaughter Shonda Clinton, who goes by the name of Sativa, joined the fun on stage and took lead on the best song of the night: "Somethin' Stank and I Want Some." The elder Clinton took over toward the end of the song, but not before we heard some rather X-rated lyrics, a crowd-pleaser for sure. George got everyone singing along on this one - and speaking of odor, well, let's just say that there was something being smoked that wasn't tobacco by more than a few fans. It seemed that most concertgoers, though, were high on the music and the moment more than anything else. It never let up for a minute, the deluge of extensive jams that incorporated funk, hip-hop, screaming guitars and dance-inducing rhythms. Clinton and company skipped the obligatory stage exit and encore and just blasted past 11, when perhaps 800 fans spilled out onto Congress Street. With ears ringing and hearts pounding, it's a fair assessment to say that a good time was had by all, at least most. This was one of the highest-energy, most electrifying shows I've seen in a while. Although I started to drag toward the end, George Clinton and his incredible cast of characters from the past, present and future, looked like they could have kept going until dawn. Aimsel L. Ponti is a free-lance writer who lives in Portland. Copyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. Check out the artist's website: http://www.georgeclinton.com Track List: 1. P-Funk Intro 2. Bernie Worrell Keyboard Solo > Funkentelechy 3. Bop Gun > Gamin' On Ya > Undisco Kidd (The Girl is Bad) feat. Be 4. Cosmic Slop 5. Dr. Funkenstein Medley 6. Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker) > Up For the Dow 7. James Brown (Cool to Show Off) continued > James Brown Jam feat. 8. Something Stank and I Want Some > Hard as Steel feat. Sativa 9. U.S. Customs Coast Guard Dope Dogs > Flashlight 10. (Not Just) Knee Deep > Sentimental Journey feat. Belita Woods 11. Sentimental Journey (continued) 12. Atomic Dog > Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On 13. Red Hot Mamma Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
|