Photos by Kaitlyn Owings
Yesterday, June 14, George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Dopapod and Blue Eye Extinction stopped by the Relix Studio in New York City. The intimate performance took place and was livestreamed from the renovated space located in the basement of what was once the Jazz Standard on East 27th Street, ahead of the respective ensembles’ performances set for Summerstage in Central Park, tonight.
The evening started with Dopapod who–with technical finesse–immediately settled into their renowned exploratory and catchy sonic musings. Members of Parliament-Funkadelic and Blue Eye Extinction were interspersed and sprawled throughout the space – off-screen – as the jamband kicked off the evening with “Velcro.” Next, they moved into 2017’s “Mucho,” showcasing Rob Compa, Eli Winderman, Chuck Jones, and Neal “Fro” Evans’ on-stage chemistry and individual skill. The online chat grew restless as they knew Dopapod would likely treat them to new material from the quartet’s recently released self-titled seventh studio LP – and they weren’t wrong. After a short pause and applause from the studio’s technicians, photographers and contemporaries they moved into the debut of “Building a Time Machine” which was melded into the debut of “Nuff.” They continued with one more taste off the new album, “Ebb and Flow.” Dopapod closed their set with a pairing of “Grow” > “Black Holes.”
Following their set Compa and Winderman sat down with publicist and host of The Great Beyond Podcast Greg Knight to talk about their new material and upcoming shows. The two musicians expressed their joy to be performing with such iconic groups: “This may be the first tour I’ve been on where I’m more excited to see the other bands,” Compa said with a laugh. They continued to chat about the restorative, yet nerve-wracking feeling of performing the songs off Dopapod live – which are three years in the making.
After Dopapod’s performance, Blue Eye Extinction took the stage. In an immediate shift in both style and volume, the New York funk-fusion ensemble gripped the room and the livestream. The group–comprised of James Jones (bass), Constance Hauman (keys), TJ Robinson (trombone/percussion), JS Williams (trumpet), Henry Ott (guitar) and Joshua Keitt (drums)–were fresh off their performance at Jazz Fest 2022, where they shot the music video for their debut single “Waves of Time,” and brought the Big and Easy energy to the studio in spades. During their set, they amalgamated funk, rap and rock in a fashion that honored the man of the evening, and surely convinced many to look into the LP they plan to drop this Friday, June 17.
Knight once again took to the stage, this time, with one of the most influential innovators of funk music and an undeniable music legend George Clinton. Knight inquired about Clinton’s return to the stage after the pandemic and near retirement; with a smile, Clinton responded, saying, “I was almost retired but forget that, I got a little rest because of the pandemic but it gave me second thoughts, I’m ready to do more.” The soon-to-be 81-year-old then went on to detail his thoughts on the music he so deeply impacted. “[I] didn’t have to have a hit single. We worked from the albums, the underground, the image of rock and roll and the psychedelic part of it fit.”
Clinton continued to reminisce about the freedom the music gave him and continues to give him and is able to give others. “Wherever we want to go, we went on a spaceship,” he said. “Mothership connection. Funk is the DNA for all music that has something to do with a booty. If you want to shake that a little bit of funk will help. Electronic, disco, hip-hop, it works good with a taste of funk.” He left Knight and viewers with humble words of wisdom: “Pay attention to the song that did it even if you don’t like it,” he said, before happily admitting, “I’m going to learn a lot on this tour.”
After their conversation, Clinton was joined by his colony of out-of-this-world funk lovers, performers and musicians who joined him in traversing worlds of music that have deeply been affected by funk, hitting hip-hop staples like “Jump Around” and “To to the Window to the Wall” to funk anthems like “Up For The Down Stroke” with ad-libbed lyrics, shouts, vivacious and infectious dance moves brightened a cacophony of guitar, brass, bass, percussion and unadulterated howels of joy. Through nonstop sonic fun, with Clinton at the helm, Parliament-Funkadelic showcased what over 50 years of touring, recording and spreading love sounds like.
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Dopapod and Blue Eye Extinction will be joined by The Motet, Shira Elias, Josh Schwartz and Chris Brouwers, Funk Flex and The Pimps of Joytime tonight. Find tickets here.
