George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic Bids Farewell Tor LA As Farewell “One Nation Under a Groove” Tour Funks The Greek Theatre (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS)

Old School funk filled the balmy night air to the delight of a packed house at the Greek Theatre in Hollywood on August 2, 2019. Legendary frontman George Clinton, the 78-year-old “Dr. Funkenstein” and ringmaster of the expansive Parliament-Funkadelic band, hosted the show, which was part of his farewell tour to celebrate the band’s storied career.

Along for the ride are three bands that draw inspiration from P-Funk and inhabit the same funky realm. Miss Velvet and The Blue Wolf opened and are fronted by a lithe, blond dynamo. Miss Velvet is blessed with a booming voice, but she seemed to enjoy screaming more than singing. Her talented band sounded more metal than funk in what appeared to be an attempt to distinguish themselves from the rest of the night’s lineup, with mixed results.

Dumpstaphunk suffered no such illusions. They are the reigning kings of funk in New Orleans and feature a royal pedigree – Ian on guitar and Ivan on keys are two of the super-talented, second-generation members of the Neville Brothers family. The band ran through a much-too-short set that got the crowd dancing at their seats. They played a few of their heavy funk songs including “Meanwhile,” “Dancing to the Truth” and “Justice.”

Fishbone followed Dumpstaphunk and as bassist Norwood Fisher said to the audience, “Fishbone would not be here today if it wasn’t for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.” The hometown band played their frenetic fusion of funk, ska, punk and rock tunes as their dynamic vocalist and saxophone player Angelo Moore’s stage antics and foray into the adoring crowd drew loud applause. The band’s high energy revved up the audience as they ran through some of their more popular songs like “Party at Ground Zero,” “Alcoholic” and “Swim.” 

While the opening acts did their part to warm up the crowd, the anticipation for the headliners was palpable. George Clinton has been recording and touring for over 50 years. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, along with 15 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. In May 2019, he and Parliament-Funkadelic received Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards. When Clinton recently announced his retirement, the 2019 “One Nation Under a Groove Tour” became the last chance for fans to see him perform live. 

A P-Funk live show is always a diverse display of great musicianship, outlandish fashion, psychedelic elements, wild dancing and bawdy humor. On Friday night in Hollywood, Clinton was joined by a cavalcade of children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren that make up three generations of his expansive family. They filled the stage, along with Bennie Cowan (trumpet), Greg Thomas (sax), Lige Curry (bass) and Blackbird McKnight (guitar), who have all been with George for over 30 years.

George and the band ran through classics like “One Nation Under the Groove,” “Flashlight” and “We Want the Funk.” George no longer has the energy or vocal prowess of his youth, deferring much of the time to the younger vocalists while he takes a seat in front of the drum kit, but throughout the show, he was still the center of attention. As the large band played and danced, George encouraged the crowd to cheer and sing along. 

He and Tracey “Trey Lewd” Lewis took turns singing verses of “Get Up for the Down Stroke” as the other vocalists harmonized and Greg Thomas played a scorching sax solo. The show culminated with surreal versions of “Atomic Dog” and “Mothership Connection (Star Child)” as people from the front rows and the wings came onstage to boogie to the beat. 

Clinton and the band were all smiles as the Parliament-Funkadelic Mothership took one of its final journeys. George Clinton may be wrapping it up, but his legacy will live on as his talented descendants and extended family members keep the P-Funk tradition alive into the future.

Live photos courtesy of Andy J. Gordon ©2019.