George Clinton and P-Funk

live in Providence (2015)

macaroni

Mr. George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic brought their party bus through Providence Friday night, making a pit stop at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, performing to a close to sellout crowd. Admittedly, I’ve always been just a casual fan of these Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, but their rock legend status and my respect for the artistry, forced me from the comfort and warmth of my cozy apartment, to Lupo’s, to pay homage.

Upon entering through the doors I was immediately greeted by two elements: the sounds of opening act, Chaci Charvalho, as well as a cold, almost frigid, environment. At times, I found myself looking around Lupo’s to make sure the walls were still erect, as it almost felt like I was at an outdoor venue. The cold temperature did not appear to bother the local artist, Charvalho, as the rapper and his accompanying 14 member band, the International Players, set the tone of high energy /oversized bands for the evening. Charvalho’s lyricist skills and stage presence were evident throughout the performance, with the International Players providing a perfect blend of musical melodies for Charvalho to flow over. The crowd, showing their approval, formed small, yet enthusiastic, dance circles throughout Lupo’s. If Chaci Charvalho and the International Players primary objective was to warm the crowd up, they dutifully performed their task.

At 10:25 the lights at Lupo’s dimmed, letting concert goers know Clinton and Crew’s arrival on stage was imminent. Moments later, The Prime Minister of Funk greeted the crowd with a confident, full on strut across the stage, bellowing out the words “Soul Power” into the microphone. More slim then I remember, and looking quite dapper with his flat billed fedora and tan sport jacket, Clinton was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from the crowd, as well as obligatory clouds of weed smoke billowing through the air. The Parliament Funkadelic took their positions alongside, doing their best to fill the cold air with sounds of funk.

Clinton, and the accompanying 20 plus members of the Parliament Funkadelic, would bring a wide variety of entertainment to town with them. From singing, to rapping, to choreographed dance, to instrumental solo’s, to even some old school skatting; as well as gymnastic-like physical maneuvers - the P-Funk clearly brought an ever eclectic array of artistry to the stage. This was never more apparent than when one particular P-Funk member, wearing an unbuttoned, white, fur coat, took the stage and began sexually gyrating for the crowd before removing the coat entirely; and climbing the giant speakers to perform a dangerous, acrobatic, yoga style headstand from the edge of the speaker. Although the performances from the Parliament Funkadelic were entertaining, it was difficult not to constantly want to focus your attention on the antics of star of the show – Dr. Funkenstein himself. You never lost sight that he was the star of the show.

Clinton spent most of the show peacocking about like only he can, almost as if he was able to feel the eyes of the crowd constantly directed towards him. It was inspirational to see the amount of energy the 73 year old was still able to exude, impressively making it all the way to the encore before finally needing to take a seat to catch his breath. Having not seen him in his prime I can only write on what I saw of the 2015 version of George Clinton. Clinton’s present day role is almost as a Conductor of an Orchestra. He struts around, passing microphones, pointing to and directing his band mates, as if taking on the role of a performance coach. From time to time, he would shriek or a squeal into the microphone, almost as if channeling James Brown. It was obvious to see that Clinton still gives a very strong theatrical performance, constantly hand gesturing and making wide-eyed facial expressions. My personal favorite was when he would give the crowd the occasional “Hulk Hogan Ear Cup” to let them know he was looking for a little more out of them. Never was the crowd any more cooperative with their enthusiasm than when Clinton emphatically declared into the microphone, “WELCOME TO THE MOTHERSHIP!!!” The rock legend never stopped performing, not even letting occasional mishaps such as his glasses getting knocked off his face, his hat getting knock off his head, or himself almost physically getting knocked over - get him off track.

If there was any constructive criticism to give of the performance, one could maybe argue that the 1 hour and 45 minute set was a little long. At times it felt as though the performance was dragging on a bit. I couldn’t help but notice the bodies start trickling towards the exit at about the 1hour and 30 minute mark. Those that did make it to the end of the set we’re rewarded with the P-Funk classic, “We Want the Funk,” to send them on their way. By the looks of the faces still in attendance, this was exactly the ending that many appeared to be looking for.

I wouldn’t say this was one of the more memorable shows I’ve ever seen, but it was an overall solid, entertaining performance. Although, not the liveliest crowd, there appeared to be a collective appreciation of being able to see George Clinton and the P-Funk before their long, historic careers finally come to an end. For me, it will be the stage presence shown by Clinton that will be my lasting memory of this show. I’m sure devoted fans would be quick to point out that they aren’t the same band they once were, the 2015 version of George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic are still out there having fun, and more than worth their price of admission.