Sometimes it is hard to fully grasp the coolness of something happening in our own front yard. Sometimes it seems unbelievable that the movers and shakers could actually be so clever as to support something that, after the fact, everyone in attendance will talk about for years to come. If you’re reading this now, and like music at all, you must attend Funk Fest.
Starting around 2 PM this coming Saturday, a parade of truly talented and occasionally legendary artists will perform for FREE on Pine Avenue. Sure, for those too-cool hipsters, there are $100 tickets for VIP seating, parking, and included grub. But this show is about bringing some joy to the people!
Even if you’re not a Funk aficionado, you’ll quickly succumb to bootie-quaking and toe tapping as The Meters’ Experience take the stage. Their New Orleans influenced flavor will whet your appetite for Slapbak, local favorites OO Soul, BabyStone, Danny Bedrosian and Secret Army, the hardest working funk band in Long Beach: Delta Nove, and Breakestra, Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
That would be fine for a low-key free local event, but our friends at Summer and Music did not stop there. Oh no. (Hold onto your hats) The two headliners are Mandrill, and Dawn Silva of the Brides of Funkenstein, with special guests Cynthia Robinson & Jerry Martini of Sly & The Family Stone and Black Byrd McKnight of Parlaiment/Funkadelic!
This is, without a doubt, an amazing line-up. This is the kind of line-up you’d find at a huge festival, or at the Hollywood Bowl. Did I mention this show is FREE? FREE! If you have any sense at all, you’ll be a part of this 8 hour joy-fest!
I’ll see you there.