#trouble funk

I don’t have too many notes for this week.  The playlist should speak for itself.  Let the funk get you in the groove.

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/funky-friday/pl.u-oZylMVRCPqDGLE

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5dImxpEUBAz092xnnraHrA?si=PUNKTmOFTTKPBiN3JBV3sg

Funkadelic – “Mommy, What’s A Funkadelic?” (Funkadelic)

Parliament – “Funkentelechy” (Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome)

Bootsy’s Rubber Band – “The Pinocchio Theory” (Ahh…The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!)

Octavepussy, George Clinton & Parliament featuring Funkadelic – “Keep Your Head Up And Hold Your Head High” (Straight From #1 Bimini Road)

Jean Carn – “There’s A Shortage Of Good Men” (Happy To Be With You)

Teddy Pendergrass – “Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose” (Life Is A Song Worth Singing)

Patti LaBelle – “Body Language” (I’m In Love Again)

The Isley Brothers – “Live It Up (Part 1 & 2)” (Live It Up)

Barry White – “Let The Music Play” (Let The Music Play)

Prince featuring George Clinton – “We Can Funk” (Graffiti Bridge)

Trouble Funk – “New Money” (Trouble Over Here, Trouble Over There)

Jimi Hendrix – “Crash Landing” (People, Hell And Angels)

Ohio Players – “Fire” (Fire)

The Temptations – “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” (All Directions)

Lee Fields – “Watch That Man” (Let’s Get A Groove On)

James Brown – “Can’t Take It With You” (Get Up Offa That Thing)

Lyn Collins – “Rock Me Again & Agin” (Check Me Out If You Don’t Know Me By Now)

Earth, Wind & Fire – “Let’s Groove” (Raise!)

Trombone Shorty featuring Jeff Beck – “Do To Me” (For True)

REASONS TO COME EARLY: Trouble Funk

Trouble Funk, one of the pioneers of go-go in the 1980s, continues pumping up crowds across the country more than thirty-five years after their founding. Go-go, a distant, older cousin of hip hop, originated on the streets of Washington, DC, and, like early hip hop, was an integral part of the urban block party culture. While you can listen to recorded versions of songs, the style is best experienced live. It relies heavily on percussive grooves and call-and-response. You may recognize a few of Trouble Funk’s hits from more recent popular music. Most notably, their single “Let’s Get Small” was sampled in “We Be Ballin’ (Street Mix)” by Ice Cube featuring Michael Jackson and Shaquille O’Neal.

Trouble Funk will be playing this October at Cal Jam Festival in San Bernadino, CA alongside Foo Fighters. Though the two bands’ musical styles are quite different, they have a personal connection that spans decades. Dave Grohl opened for Trouble Funk several times during his teenage years in the DC area. In a video published before he took part in a 9:30 Club birthday celebration for Trouble Funk bassist and frontman Big Tony, Grohl said, “Every time I have seen the band play it has inspired me to go home and discover music and play music and play as well as I can.” You, too, can experience the electric performance style that has inspired the Foo Fighters’ guitarist since his earliest days as a musician on December 31st when Trouble Funk opens for Thievery Corporation. Get your tickets and prepare to travel back in time to an ‘80s-go-go club at The Anthem’s inaugural New Year’s Eve event.

-Niya Avery