25-NOV-99 THE ROOTS HOUSE OF BLUES – WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA 07-Nov-99 06-Nov-99 30-0CT-99 14-Oct-99 CIRQUE DU SOLEIL “DRALION” 10-Sep-99 THE FUNKY HIPPEES 29-Aug-99 ROLLERCOASTER ??-Aug-99 BLAIR WITCH PROJECT PARTY ??-Jun-99 CONNEAUT LAKE AMUSEMENT PARK 26-Jun-99 TERMINATOR 3-D ??-Jun-99 CASTLE PARK AMUSEMENT 24-Jun-99 SPARKS VS LYNX 07-May-99 ME’SHELL N’DEGEOCELLO 11-Apr-99 VAN GOGH’S VAN GOGHS 25-Mar-99 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 24-Mar-99 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 18-Mar-99 RONKAT & THE SOUL DISCIPLES 13-Feb-99 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 05-Feb-99 SOUTH BAY MASTER CHORALE 30-Jan-99 MACEO PARKER 03-Oct-98 DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER 11-Sep-98 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 05-Sep-98 MACEO PARKER 26-Aug-98 LONG BEACH AQUARIUM 22-Aug-98 RACE FOR ATLANTIS 02-Aug-98 MAGIC’S ALLSTAR GAME 01-Aug-98 STOMP 08-Jul-98 CIRQUE DU SOLEIL “MYSTERE” 03-Jul-98 IND. DAY FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR 19-Jun-98 SPARKS VS LIBERTY 22-May-98 ALANA DAVIS 25-Apr-98 IEBNA AWARDS BANQUET 11-Apr-98 RIVERDANCE 26-Mar-98 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 03-Mar-98 …BRING IN THE FUNK!! 01-Jan-98 TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE 10-Dec-97 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 30-Nov-97 STEELERS VS CARDINALS 17-Nov-97 COMDEX 31-Jul-97 SMOKIN’ GROOVES TOUR 30-Jul-97 SMOKIN’ GROOVES TOUR 26-Jun-97 ZAPP FEATURING ROGER 03-Jun-97 MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO 22-Nov-96 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 21-Nov-96 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 11-Nov-96 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 19-Oct-96 PRE-SEASON LAKERS VS SUNS 05-Oct-96 MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO 22-Aug-96 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 10-Aug-96 LONG BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL 02-Aug-96 SARAH MCLACHLAN 20-Jun-96 ALANIS MORISSETTE 27-Mar-96 NSBE NATIONAL CONVENTION 28-Jan-96 SUPERBOWL XXX 28-Jan-96 NFL EXPERIENCE 27-Jan-96 NFL EXPERIENCE 10-Dec-95 STEELERS VS RAIDERS OAKLAND COLISEUM STADIUM, 03-Dec-95 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 26-Nov-95 STEELERS VS BROWNS 04-Nov-95 RICKY HARRIS-JOHN HENTON 15-Jun-95 RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE 28-May-95 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 26-May-95 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 18-May-95 NBA PLAYOFFS: SPURS VS LAKERS GREAT 07-Apr-95 CAMEO, GAP BAND, TINA MARIE 14-Jan-95 STEVIE WONDER 24-DEC-94 27-Nov-94 STEELERS VS RAIDERS 30-Oct-94 STEELERS VS CARDINALS 18-Oct-94 BOOTSY COLLINS 04-Sep-94 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 26-Aug-94 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 24-Mar-94 NCAA TOURNAMENT-WEST REGIONAL LOS 21-Nov-93 COWBOYS VS FALCONS 20-Nov-93 HORNETS VS HAWKS 06-Nov-93 BOWE/HOLYFIELD(CLOSED CIRCUIT) GOLDRIVER, 29-Oct-93 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 12-Sep-93 STEELERS VS RAMS 24-Jul-93 ZAPP, WAR, BARKAYS, DAZZ BAND ORANGE 27-Jun-93 CHAKA KAHN THE HOP, CITY OF INDUSTRY, 23-May-93 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 22-May-93 JAM FOR PEACE May–1993 AMER. MUSEUM-NATURAL HISTORY NEW 14-Apr-93 PRINCE 06-Feb-93 OCEAN SPORT FISHING 22-Jan-93 CAVS VS CLIPPERS 28-Nov-92 CAL.ST.FUL.VS UNLV (FOOTBALL) SILVER 01-Oct-92 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 20-Sep-92 STEELERS VS CHARGERS 16-Jul-92 P-FUNK ALLSTARS 14-Apr-92 KINGS VS CLIPPERS 30-Dec-91 DISNEYLAND 25-Dec-91 LAKERS VS CLIPPERS 16-Jul-91 OLYMPIC BOXING FESTIVAL 14-Jul-91 BEAUTY SHOP GAME 2 91 NBA PLAYOFFS:ROCKETS VS LAKERS GREAT WESTERN 09-Apr-91 MAGIC VS CLIPPERS 26-Dec-90 LAKERS VS CLIPPERS 07-Nov-90 PISTONS VS CLIPPERS GAME 4 90 WORLD SERIES REDS VS ATHELETICS OAKLAND-ALAMEDA 23-Sep-90 STEELERS VS RAIDERS 22-Aug-90 PUBLIC ENEMY,DIGITAL U’GROUND GREEK O7-Jul-90 PUBLIC ENEMY,DIGITAL U’GROUND CIVIC ARENA, PITTSBURGH, PA 26-Jun-90 JANET JACKSON 25-Apr-90 JANET JACKSON 16-Jan-90 HORNETS VS CLIPPERS 26-Sep-89 GIANTS VS DODGERS 23-Sep-89 UCLA VS MICHIGAN (FOOTBALL) 23-Sep-89 OHIO STATE VS USC 29-Jul-89 LL COOL J, NWA / EAZY E 01-Jul-89 BUDWEISER SUPERFEST 20-Apr-89 KINGS VS LAKERS 02-Mar-89 TRAILBLAZERS VS CLIPPERS 11-Dec-88 STEELERS VS CHARGERS 24-Nov-88 NEW EDITION: HEARTBREAK TOUR 21-Nov-88 MICHEAL JACKSON 02-Oct-88 BENGALS VS RAIDERS 24-Sep-88 USC VS OKLAHOMA (FOOTBALL) 22-Aug-88 METS VS DODGERS 07-Aug-88 MAGIC JOHNSON’S ALLSTAR GAME 03-Aug-88 BRONCOS VS RAMS 04-Jun-88 MAVERICKS VS LAKERS 10-May-88 INDIANS VS ANGELS 18-Mar-88 NCAA TOURNAMENT: FIRST ROUND 08-Sep-85 JETS VS RAIDERS |
jefferytv –
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The Roots House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA November 25, 1999
semi-weak and virusy (i wore my coat with a longsleeve pullover and t-shirt inside the concert) i still love the house of blues and the crowd…mostly young white girls, but still diverse, very positive, playful, cute and fun…the sistas was there this night too, in fact… i played and vibed a little, freaked a little, but i was weak so i left before the show finished…oh, the roots are still good- |
Me’Shell N’degeocello Club Caprice, Redondo Beach, CA May 7, 1999 until this evening, i had never left a concert before it ended without |
Van Gogh’s Van Goghs LA County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA April 12, 1999 the wait wasn’t that bad cause the tickets are staggered by the hour… me and ej had the 1pm slot, arrived about 12:40 and saw our 1st van gogh around 1:30p…the gallery is set up in 4 rooms, each with paintings from different stages of his career…my main interest for attending this show was to see why people say this man’s art is great… first of all, his work has no emotion, life and enthusiasm is “pushed down”…his paintings of potatoes have as much life in them as the people he painted…there were alot of self portraits (i can dig that) but no smiles in any of his work. he was never in love, had severe bouts of depression (he once checked hisself into an asylum, let alone the ear thing) and ended up commiting suicide…and all this shows in his work- groups of people were let into the gallery which had no bathrooms, no place to sit and no re-entry…you really couldnt enjoy the work cause they were hung on bright pea green walls in a very heavily lit room… there was also too many people in the gallery at once. the 70 paintings would’ve had much more of an effect had they not had to compete with so many other things in the room (other paintings, too much light, too many people)…say like on black walls with individual lighting for each painting. one thing i did notice was that even though the musuem people kept everybody 2 feet the paintings, there was nothing between the crowd and the paintings, no “velvet rope” or nothing…crowd was 95% white, the museum workers were 80% young black kids… van gogh stole, uh, imitated a japanese pic and did a terrible job- he made it gaudy and cheap looking…a guy who worked there said most japanese people familiar with the art he copied hate his piece and are disgusted by it- the original uses subtle coloring where van goghs has reds and greens…it was also pointed out the influence japanese art had on van gogh, there even was another gallery just of japanese art- and it was much, much better than van goghs…if you asked me the japanese gallery is multi-leveled with circular walkways between floors and spots to sit and chill…it was softly lit, not crowded and had water running thru it with a waterfall so you could hear the sound of flowing water throughout the gallery…i was so impressed by the work and the gallery that not only am looking forward to returning but was inspired to try my hand at some drawing- already got some good ideas too! |
P-FUNK ALLSTARS Ventura Theatre, March 25, 1999 though this was a “16 and over” crowd, it was much much younger than |
P-FUNK ALLSTARS March 24, 1999
this was an “all ages” crowd, there was a funkateer who saw me at the HOB show on 2/13/99 who brought her 3 children (and this wasn’t their first show)and a very very cool 17 year old funkadelic (who i met via the onenation mailing list and constantly reminded that i was into p-funk before he was born)Carlos (gruverboy1)…and we all were a part of the front rowers… this show started off slow, very slow- funkadelic, dope dog, maggot brain, etc- all the slow dark funky jams…they didn’t play cosmic slop until well past the midpoint and the show was close to 4 hours long. but when it did get funky, the crowd was ready, like they had been worked into a frenzy…they were young- but funky…one of the dancers with the mob came out during the dog wearing this mesh shirt dress…with nothing on under it!! i looked, then i looked again…dizzzamn!!! dat was funky… george was trying to block the view with his cape cause there was kids there…so i just leaned over and gently moved his sheet to see around him…she was shakin dat ass too!! props to gruverboy1 and my other p-funk homey (who i see at alot of shows but never get his name), it was a good time hanging out and actin’ up wit y’all before the show… |
P-FUNK ALLSTARS House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA Febuary 13, 1999 the band had a lot of energy, maybe cause this was their first show in awhile…never seen them this playful, lots of riffs turned into songs. the crowd was 95% white and very very excited, hyped- they played so long that the house killed the power to the stage, but the drummer kept playing while george and gary held back the curtain. skeet (bass)was absent, frankie waddy (drums) didnt play the whole time- there were 3 different drummers. they sounded rusty until mike did one of the best maggot brain solos i’ve ever heard him do…right after that blackbyrd gave a very very good guitar solo too!! it was good to see them do a show where they weren’t tired after a long road trip… atomic dawg, tommy davidson, very sexy violinist dueled with blackbyrd… there was this dude in the audience drunk as hell and just having a good time who kept bugging airbody trying to squeeze in up close to the stage- next thing i know homey is on stage! george told security to let him go and he got about 5 minutes of mic time during knee deep!!! i was like DAMN!!! it was cool cause he kinda funked out! i noticed george’s legs were swollen…take care of yourself george, i want you to be around for a long long time!! it made me really concerned about his health and made me wonder about finite things and longevity… take care of yourself man… |
SOUTH BAY MASTER CHORALE “OPERA GILROY” Pacific Unitarian Church, “a night (like none other)at the opera”…this was a very good horle thats been performing together for years- they did little skits based on an opera company in gilroy, ca- the show they were putting on was called “la rose qui pu” (the stinking rose). in between the staged personalities and skits (which were pretty funny) was some good opera and choir vocals. most were accompianed by a piano…very pleasant and enjoyable evening…even in “opera” i could feel the movement- the beat was in the voice and not the drums or music… the crowd was semi conservative, mostly older- there were a few faces that looked like mine in the chorale and crowd… i had a good time and enjoyed the production |
MACEO PARKER House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA January 30, 1999 how was much more funky than last one…buddy miles opened- he was imi hendrix drummer and he did almost all hendrix stuff… it was funky…i was at the stage and gary busey watch the show standing next to me…fender gave buddy a special presentation and a special guitar, he cried and then they funked out, it was good- skeet played with maceo, it was funny seeing him in a vest and a tie- greg boyer was in the band and greg thomas sat in a couple of numbers- bootsy was in the house and dressed to play but had to leave… maceo got funky and the crowd was fun and freaky- |
MAGIC JOHNSON’S ALLSTAR-CELEBRITY GAME Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA August 2, 1998 freak night at the forum…when you get this many NBA stars and celebrities in one place it brings out LA’s finest freaks… they played knee deep, flashlight and atomic dog… magic was ose to play but because of the player lockout he couldn’t even be on the court at the same time as the NBA players, he came out at halftime. it surprised me the level of talent of the celebrities, they was ballin’. (there were 2 games, a celeb game and the NBA rookies vs NBA stars game) the games were good but the crowd and the music was better… LA’s sexiest females…oh yeah, the sparks kids was there! i love the sparks kids, they be jammin… |
Stomp UCLA Royce Hall, Westwood, CA August 1, 1998 this show is all about rhythm. No words, no plot, just rhythm. they used rubber hoses, containers, brooms, cans, plastic bags, barrels, sticks, anything that makes a noise they used to make a beat and the beats they made were good! royce hall is beautiful. the crowd was not as stiff as i thought, they kinda got into it- at the end of the last encore, the guy broke it down and had the whole place snappin our fingers together in a nice rhythm. this is something that i want and will do with a crowd. i can feel something when a group is “one the one” like that, i was really moved. and just before he finished he said “can you feel it?” and naturally i was like “YEAH!!” i went with a friend to this so i wasn’t front row, in fact i was balcony…but this show was nice to see from a distance to take it all in… |
MYSTERE: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL Treasure Island Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV July 8, 1998 im chillin in vegas at the flamingo on biz when i think; “cirque du soleil!” i walk to a house phone, connect to treasure island, ask for best available…from thought to front row center in less than 10 minutes, and i mean front row center. this show is as much spiritual as it is entertaining. “MYSTERE is a celebration of life. From the genesis of the first life forms to the rise of human civilations.” the acrobatics, costumes, comedy and music disguise how almost religous this show really is from most of the public. that makes it easier to sell. but there is deep underlying theory to this show (just like riverdance). it is very “mystical?”, emotional and it deals with primal, basic instincts that western philosophy only likes in small doses… no mention of GOD, just of earth, life and universe… some of the acrobatics were so difficult that you could tell there was more than athleticism involved here. the concentration needed between performers was spiritual, mystical. the music is very moving (rhythmic, mystical (i gotta find the right words to describe this) and is played live. i especially like the violin keeping rhythm, ala keltic. the whole theatre is the stage and the audience is forced to participate. so many good things happened in this show im not even gonna attempt to describe any |
Independance Day Fireworks Spectacular Hollywood Bowl, July 3, 1998 i love calling the same day of a show and asking for the best available single seat. its to the point now i expect to be front row. and this was no exception, front garden box. the reason i wanted to see this show was i knew it would be different, but good. i wanted to see/hear the violins, horns, flutes and drums of the hollywood bowl orchestra. i wanted to hear della reese sing and recite. the crowd was alot less stuffy than i thought it wood be, it was almost rowdy compared to what i expected. still the evening was without “edges,” and nothing aggressive. everything was soft. the sound was good and i could feel the music even though it didn’t move…it was more of a sluggish march even at its high points. no drive, but still very pleasant…the fireworks were nice, some went off with the beat of the orchestra and that was real cool. della sang, made a few jokes during and recited a couple of things including one of lincoln’s speeches. she provided 98% of the limited human emotion that came from the stage- it was still good, it was just that kinda evening. i guess even the philharmonic guys do the “thats it, im done” then come back out and play more if the crowd cheers enough…hell, john mauceri, the conductor, did it 7 times… |
LOS ANGELES SPARKS VS NY LIBERTY Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA June 19, 1998 there was a definite family or female vibe. there was a carnival outside the forum. the “spark kids,” were real cool dancing during halftime and timeouts to some real funky snipets of the latest hip-hop funk (ice cube, notorious big, etc- the music was real good), i grooved the whole game. and it was cool to see the white kids gettin funky like that, everybody was groovin. as the players were introduced they each presented a ball at mid-court to a younger girl (maybe 4-12yrs) who basically did nothing but run off the court with it. it was cool to get them involved like that. jody wately sang the national anthem… the girls are very competitive, but play the game at a different level than the men. its just their first year and it will improve. but the primary of this evening was not the game, but the festive atmosphere… it was all about having fun and we did!!!! they had these long ballons drop from the ceiling during the game, and me being the ultra intelluctual that i am, began tieing them together into what became a representation of the double helix of DNA. ofcourse, everybody else in the forum started doing it too…even though i was getting alot of attention leaving with my DNA molecule, i didn’t realize how massive it was until i gave it to some kids walking by (i knew i couldn’t take it home so i said i’ll let some other parent worry about it) and as they walked away it took two kids to carry it!! only from a distance could i appreciate the masterful work i put into it… it felt real good watching them carry my creation across the parking lot… hanging out in the forum club was nice too, same vibe…oh yeah, there was a definite lesbian showing. some folx you couldn’t even tell what sex they were. some of the angry type too…im into diversity and experience so it was all good… |
ALANA DAVIS The Roxy Theatre, Hollywood, CA May 22, 1998 even though alana davis’ cd “blame it on me” isn’t considered to be funky, i can feel the funky movement of her music. i was hoping that her live performance would move like her cd moves… and it does. alana looks very very young but has a powerful and sweet voice. she was accompanied by a bass, lead guitar and a drummer. most of the songs had good a instrumental groove in the middle and there were a number of good guitar solos with a hard drum beat, a funky funky bass and alana leading the rhythm on her acoustic guitar. i love her cd not only for the music quality but for the deep and creative lyrics. i think she sang every song off it except my favorites; “murder” & “free.” the roxy is very small and the stage was so low that i was damn near on it most of the show. i was to her far right directly below the lead guitar. i made one on one eye to eye contact with each band member as we grooved and got smiles from all. alana gave me a real big smile early in the show and that was real coooooool- the crowd was mostly young-young girls, racially mixed with a few of us older brothas hanging out solo. the last song alana did “lullaby” without the band and they watched her standing right behind me. i should have givin them props and shook some hands but i had partied so hard i was soaked with sweat and didn’t feeeeel it. next time though- an all male band, “five easy pieces” opened for her… |
RIVERDANCE The Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, CA April 11, 1998 when i first saw riverdance on pbs, i said i was gonna go see it. the music’s hard driving rhythm is very similiar to my music (funk), its just played with different instruments. i felt the driving energy of the music, the motion of the music. i connected with the dance as a celebration, and it is. the straight-backed tap dance style was kinda cool too, especially when them girls in them short skirts and stockings did it. acrobatic, rhythmic, graceful, melodic… i was front row slightly right of center. AA 201, aisle seat too!!! i was able to vibe the performers and they me…a 6’1″ 260 black man in a sea of wasps with this great big ass grin on his face as a row of 4 girls danced energeticly directly at him. smilin’ & eye to eye… eileen ivers the fiddle player may have been my favorite, she was jammin’, maria, sensual latin style… lead singer girl was a wholesome kinda cute too… they dont move much when they sing, but you can feeel the emotion. bagpipe dude did a very good solo also… then these brothers came out tappin’, did their thing to a funkier beat and then the irish tappers came back out and they dueled!!!! i wanted to see them go at it so i was talkin’ trash, encouraging them…so when the irish dude did his steps, the brotha looked at me and gestured and i raised my hands as saying i don’t know what’s up wit dat…it was gooooood!! it feels good when the performer smiles cause he can see im really enjoying his performance. the best moment was roddy’s (lead male role) look of surprise and excitement to see me groovin. i was partyin’ to his music and understanding his beat. this is old white keltic irish groovin with big black funkateeer, it was goood- celebration of the sun as the energy of all life, celebration of woman- |
P-FUNK ALLSTARS The Key Club (billboard live), March 26, 1998 there is nothing to do and no where to sit in this club. but they were showing some of the best deep space pictures i have ever seen on video screens, i REALLY got into them too, that started it off. crowd was typical hollywood, diverse, youngish and ready to party. and we partied!!!!! earlier i said that i am not part of the parliament-funkadelic family. this show was deefinitely the zenith of my p-funk career, proved me wrong. i felt it this night and it was gooood. i was personally greeted (handshake or what up) by most of the band. george, franky (drummer, stick) and overton (artist, sign) each made effort to be sure i got that item from them and in a crazy crowd during a funkadelic show that aint easy. mike (lead guitar) & skeet (bass) both had on shirts just like my jersey. i know they seen mine first cause mike told me he liked it. mine is a official steeler black jersey with the name “P FUNK” and the number 1. their’s were white with a mothership logo on the front and “P-FUNK” with a number 1. my buddy noticed it first and showed me…one of the younger dudes who did a funky rap had on kordell’s jersey. official white steeler jersey with nfl logo and italics type number… talked to ron (baby payne) and he said his daddy was at home cause he just had twins- congrats clip!!! and i still owe you five for the vegas taxi thang…skeet was good too- lashonda did another funky rap and we kinda did our thang on underground angel, i was so pumped by the other stuff i guess i felt this was routine. but that little brown girl is still cute as hell!!!! my boys went 4 hours strong this night and it was funky. they were lively and tight. george was very animated and the band was pumped and playful. blackbyrd, greg on horn and knee deep, mike (maggot was good)… the more i think about it the better they get, airbody jammed that nite!! sthey played all the classics and stretched them out too, it was goood- gary was good too. when it was over i had lost my voice and could barely walk. i was on such a “high” i didnt go to work the next day. this is literally the stuff i used to dream about 20 years ago. and its coming together in a way that fits directly into my philosophy of today. are they one in the same? |
BRING IN DA’NOISE, BRING IN THE FUNK Ahmanson Theatre, March 21, 1998 its all about da’beat. i caught on to the story with the graphic about how drums were outlawed because it was thought they had caused an uprising of black slaves. the next scene was two brothas goin’ off on pots and pans. it showed how we did what we had to do to keep dat beat. we? it showed how early hollywood tap was about show and not rhythm, featured were a classic white smiling soft shoe dance number. and the totally upper class white elderly crowd loved it. it was an honor to attened this show with this crowd. these rich white folx sat there like statues cause though they had heard about rhythm, they had never seen it. i overheard “how do they do that?” and “did you understand anything they said?, “not a word.” i was 3rd row left ($65), i was able to look into the eyes of the performers and feel them. i was able to see them feel my excitement. i was so excited my eyes watered cause i was tryin to be cool in statue land. it was some serious funk goin on, my kinda funk and these folx was sitting there like they was in detention. no head bobbin’, no foot tappin’, nothin’- (but i didn’t hold it in the whole show) i realized that the interaction between me and performer really moves me. there is no gathering; meeting at work, major concert, seminar at comdex, comedy show, etc where i don’t interact with the principle. front row, eye to eye. i was able to look into the performers eyes and let them know that i understood and believed in what they were doing. eye to eye they saw that i was thouroughly entertained by their talents and by what they had created. there is an instance when you connect with them. a one on one momment. there were moments when me and performer connected cause of a joke we both knew staute land didn’t catch that was about their lack of funk!!! but the best part was that these people were exposed to this funk. let them see how we do it, how we feel it, how it just aint dancin when we move to the beat. da’beat, dat funk is so much more… thats why i had to cut up a little towards the end when it got funky… i went up to the balcony to see the $15 ticket view and it aint bad. am definitely tryin to go back…(chicago & riverdance too) |
P-FUNK ALLSTARS Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood , CA December 10, 1997 the first thing i noticed about this crowd was the lack of females! ofcourse i got my freak on, but there still could have been more. this was a funkadelic show, hardcore funk music. i have never seen the band this loose, playful, and just tryin’ stuff! at the end for about 5 minutes after the house lights came up, george was conducting the band doing tight 4 note bursts, ala prince and james brown. me and lashonda sang underground angel again too (with her cute brown ass). during one song, greg thomas of the p-funk horns started an old parlet riff and by the third note i was on it so tough that when he finished he smiled and pointed at me. could have went backstage and maybe even on the bus, but i was tired. i was (as always) front row at the stage but i couldn’t hear the drums, like they weren’t being sent to the house speaker system… i got one of frankie waddy’s drum sticks he thru into the crowd… talked to carlos (sir nose) after show, hollered at baby payne… |
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals Sun Devil Stadium, November 30, 1997 i have never seen so many steeler fans in my life!!!! it was like a steeler home game. even the usher said he never seen it like this before. black and gold everywhere. and lots of pretty girls, lots! it was one big steeler party and everybody was so cool. the night before the game i went to the stadium and it hit me that the last time i was there was superbowl XXX. and the night i got there then i also went to see the stadium. lots of good memories of the greatest football game of my life… and a damn good one that day too!! |
SMOKIN’ GROOVES TOUR Universal Amphitheatre, Universal City, CA July 31 1997 this show was a whole lot better- as i walked in i was personally greeted by smiling policemen and security who remembered me from the license plate fiasco yesterday, that made me feel good. the crowd was also a touch older and more funky. they still didn’t get into the brand new heavies but me and siedah had our own little party going- cypress hill ripped again and it was cool to be that close to a pretty decent moshing session. them boys was banging. p-funk came out tonight and played a funkadelic show. i can’t remember the songs, but they were the usual warm-up funkadelic songs they do early in a full show. i want to commend the band on the fact that they can play two totally completely different shows like that back to back. i also want to commend the light guy who said the band is tighter without george. i love you george, but i noticed that a long time ago- anyway, it was cool cause they played knee deep when the mothership landed (what i wood play). me and george’s grand-daughter lashonda rapped little angel together again- i even gave her a cue, she caught it and smiled… the backstage party was a trip. i shook a few hands, took compliments on my jersey, drank a diet coke, and mostly observed the hollywood after concert backstage scene- some of the most attractive girls i have ever seen…and it was just like they say it was…dying to meat a star- this is the stuff i used to dream of- being backstage of a major concert and just chillin’ with parliament/funkadelic- and special props to over-10 void and clip’s son for getting me there- |
SMOKIN’ GROOVES TOUR Universal first off, they didn’t let me take in my PFUNK1 license plate… secondly, the crowd was mixed, funky and cute, but very young- lotsa’ high school kids worried more about being/looking cool than having a good time. lotsa dope smokin’. the roots were a drummer, bass player and a guitar/keyboardist with two lead rappers. they mostly played a nice, slow, bassy groove, under a semi-reggae type rap style. they were a good opener… the brand new heavies with siedah garrett was good too. they were a full band that played a bassy, jazzy, funky, moving groove… i think the crowd was more into programmed beats cause they had no reaction to the live music played by a band. erykah badu said the atoms in her body spin on the same axis as the earth- if this is true i like her, if not…she was alright- cypress hill stole the show. they had the most energy and a well put together performance. they also connected well with the audience. i like the giant skeleton smokin a joint. the p-funk allstars started off with flashlight, a song they usually do a hour into the show. the show tonight was a popular hits show- flashlight, knee deep, atomic dog, etc. this was the second time i attended a mothership show (spaceship descends from the sky bringing funk to the funkless). i didn’t like the fast start or playing the dog when the mothership landed. im used to 3 hour p-funk shows, this lasted 1 hour, so you know how i felt |
ZAPP FEATURING ROGER Billboard Live, West Hollywood, CA June 26, 1997 hollywood concert crowd, diverse, fun, cute…real cute- this was my first time at billboard live. parking $6 around the corner, relatively small standing area in front of stage, high balcony, downstairs VIP section, very dark. Not as lush or rich as the House of Blues, but for $12.50 i complain not. Cliff Winston from KJLH was MC and he was funny. I didn’t quite understand the warner bros, benson and hedges, kjlh connection- they were really pushing benson and hedge’s product, they even had gorls going thru the crowd to get people to sign up to get in the raffle. what was that info for? were they targeting the smokers? hmmmmm… anyway, the opening acts were a latin-salsa band “johnny palanco” and a black female pop-r&b type group “fosha” or something, they were cute- i keep forgetting roger’s show is 40% musician, 60% performer. costume changes, fat guys in lighted underwear, elvis impersonation, he rode on a guys shoulders thru the crowd, he puts on a real “show”. his music is good, he plays all of his hits- but they are short. he played biggie’s hypnotized and dre’s california love … |
MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO House of Blues, Hollywood CA June 3, 1997 I love the House of Blues crowd. Cool, funky, cute, diverse. The place ain’t so bad either. Valet park, $10. When the upstairs balcony swings out, they play a nice litte audio show. A latin funk-band opened, they were good. MeShell opened with God Shiva, maybe my favorite. The band was tight and followed MeShell’s every move. She let them jam and everybody took nice solos. I could have sworn the keyboard played “knee deep.” Anyway the music was good and then Chaka Kahn showed up. She sang and MeShell really enjoyed it so she let the band get funky. She played past midnight, which was the next day, my birthday. |
P-FUNK ALLSTARS Galaxy Theatre, Santa Ana, CA November 22, 1996 Orange County in the muthaFUNKin’ house. Us middle-class, educated folks got funky this night. All the funky white gorls in OC showed up and we simply partied. When the show started I was surronded by solid ring of these gorls. We were all at the front of the stage and ready to go, and so was Parliament / Funkadelic. The crowd started chanting dem funky refrains; the 80% white funk crowd with that OC discipline- the chants were tight, we grooved. This pumped the band up and they came out livelier than usual. This was a Funkadelic show vs the Parliament show yesterday. |
P-FUNK ALLSTARS Universal Amphithetre, Universal City, CA November 21, 1996 At first I thought the crowd was stuffy, but I was wrong, they were late. I was front row center for most of my first “Mothership Show”. The show seemed a little more orchestrated. They played “Funkentelechy” and “Cosmic Slop” (my favorite). George’s grand-daughter LaShonda was cute as hell!! I told her and she smiled during “Underground Angel”. I started the chant “Tear it Up” during “Funky Kind” and we got really funky. When the Mothership landed, George came out and they broke into “Knee Deep”. It surprised me even though this is my favorite non-live song. And the crowd went wild, it was good. Folx was sweatin’ and partyin’ everywhere! It was funky. The show was shorter, around 2.5 hours, and Rick James came out at the end. I got a pass and hung out backstage a little after the show, it was cool. |
P-FUNK ALLSTARS Aladdin Theatre, Las Vegas, NV November 9, 1996 This show started at midnight on a Vegas fight night. Gangsta Paradise. Ofcourse i was front row center. It was late and folx was overdressed and sleepy. A few of us was partyin’ though. The show was Ok, nothing major. I ran into Micheal “Clip” Payne on my way out, I loaned him cab fare. He was cool, he took me back stage and repaid me plus $5. I owe him 5. |
Pre-season: Lakers vs Suns Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA October, 19 1996 Me and Ingram went to the Forum on got our tickets on the way in. Learned something from him; get the cheapest Loge seat. This is the cheapest ticket that gets you get past the last usher to the floor. We had good seats and it was good (and weird) to see Sam Cassell and Robert Horry in the Suns uniforms. These were my boys cause I like and follow Houston in the play-offs. I remember Cassell as a rookie. Horry was fearless on fast break defense and tip dunkin’ on a brutha. I applaud you boys once again. Laker highlight was seeing Shaq shoot a free throw. It was horrifying. I see why he shoots so bad now. It was like he was throwing it at the bucket. He can do nothing but dunk and D. He has no moves. But all the same, i love him and what he’s doing and how he’s doing it. |
MeShell N’degeocello Galaxy Theatre, Santa Ana, CA October 5, 1996 I have never seen a crowd with more atitude. Orange County stiffs mixed with angry homo and bisexuals. Alot of black women with short hair with the atitude to go with it. this one walked by me and said “Excuse you!” I was like DAMN!!! Eye wore my sweats and my PFUNK1 jersey and these folx was dressed for the opera. I chilled in the pit with the rest of my kind while my friend/date Andrea sat up with her kind. She was over dressed too. The warm-up act was cool. Didn’t get the name. Some guy produced by Wendy and Lisa. They were there too. In fact, it was so quiet between songs that I told Wendy that i liked that bass. She smiled. Meshell was cool. By the time she came out i was into it and the crowd might have been…couldn’t tell. She played all the hits from her two albums except for “make me wanna holler.” Her band is really, really tight. Clean, clean, crisp sound, sharp. She had back-up on bass so she could play keyboards and/or sing. Very smooth. The songs were masterfully changed to enhance the live sound and just to jam. I like the way she lets the rhythm get going, lets the beat set the pace. They start the song jammin’ and keep it going. She got funky, but not out of control. I like that loss of control, thats P-FUNK. She had two back-up singers, lead guitar (who sang a song), bass back-up, keyboard, drummer and uh, thats it i think… Good show, but i bet the one at the House of Blues with the hollywood crowd was better. |
P-FUNK ALLSTARS Visalia Convention Center, Visalia, CA August 22, 1996 Parliament/Funkadelic is the best band live even when they ain’t. Visalia is a small semi-rural town and the crowd at this show was too. Small and semi-rural. After looking at the schedule and seeing the Mob had a show in Detroit, three in DC and one in Santa Cruz, I realized why the P-FUNK ALLSTARS weren’t up for this. I noticed it right off when they started with “Maggot Brain.” No Bootsy, no Bernie, no Mothership- but it was still good to see Parliament/Funkadelic do their thang. It was good seeing them and the untrained fan would never have known. George’s new album was playing before the show and the crowd, mostly young-white 18-25, came in and sat at the tables along the sides of the auditorium. I went to the front of the stage to check it out and to stake out my spot. The floor was wide open, the music was playin’ and i was dancin’ (solo) when this lady with the shows PR asked me if I would trade my PFUNK1 jersey or my license plate for an introduction to George. I hope i didn’t laugh in her face cause i was border line offended. Call it ego, wutever. It was like she didn’t recognize who I was. But I am nobody. What she did was remind me that I am just a devout fan with top quality P-FUNK gear, the real stuff. I guess it was a compliment, huh? The band came out and I greeted them individually by Mr McKnight, Mr Payne, and so on. Highlights of the show included that cute brown gorl that i think was George’s daughter. She rapped the refrain to “Underground Angel.” She was really cute and brown. Oh, she did the rap good too. They sang “Swim” and it was cool to hear the new stuff, even though they didn’t do my favorite “Mathematics”. Another thing, first- I love you George, I swear. But you be picking the wrong chants for the beat. Thats why i changed a couple of them. Yep, thats right. George had his mic turned down and wanted to chant “If anybody gets FUNKed up…” over (name of song, i forget). So I kept singing the woh-ahh-hay, woh-ahh-ahh part loud enough so that he pointed the mic at me, smiled and followed. The crowd followed after that. It was cool cause this was like the firt chant and i was leading it, from the floor. I love Parliament/Funkadelic and to lead a chant like that was a honor for me. I feel like i am a part of the band (i know I am down with the P-FUNK) but realize that I am not. So when I get close to the band it makes me feel really good. Like after the show when Sir Nose (Carlos) was out signing autographs. He recognized me, we shook hands and he gave me a hug. He said that my PFUNK1 plate that i gave him awhile ago was in the prop trunk with the Mothership. That made me feel really, really good. |
Long Beach Jazz Festival Rainbow Lagoon Park, Long Beach, CA August 10, 1996 I am a social person, I am into people. I felt funny writing this because of the 3 reviews I’ve written so far, its been the audience that has moved me. So about this crowd… The crowd was 93% black, mainly in the 26-36 age range, very good looking, very well mannered, polite, very fun. These people had flavor too, you felt that you were part of something living. Not like at Sarah, that crowd wasn’t into interacting and dry- Alanis’ was a little more playful and interactive, but less flavor. Well dressed (as all black crowds are), but a decent mix of everything from evening dressses and heels to shorts and t-shirts. I was in shorts and tank-top, tennis shoes, I was gonna be comfy. I don’t dress and the level of attire at black events makes me uncomfortable sometimes, but not here. These are the people I want to hang-out with, but not necessarily in a “jazz” atmosphere. Maybe something a little more funky. We were on the lawn way-off to the left of stage. Me and my “best friend by far” Andrea went. This is her thang, her people, her scene. I could barely see the stage, buts that was cool cause the music wasn’t the point. The point of this “Festival” was to hang-out and chill with good, live music and good people. It was like a big picnic. Folx playing cards, dominos, eating, talking. In fact, I have never seen so many people carrying so much stuff ever!!! It was like an Exodus. People had carts and luggage totes, chairs, tables, coolers, you name it- people brought it. All just to chill, and that was cool. Performers were Les McCann, Roy Ayers, Special EFX, Stanley Turrentine, Ramsey Lewis, Ernestine Anderson, and Bob James. |
Sarah McLachlan with Paula Cole and Suzzane Vega Starlight Bowl, Burbank, CA August 2, 1996 Again, i was trippin’ on the crowd. 98% white and I have never seen a more quiet, orderly crowd in my life. Even in the parking lot it was like a library. And don’t even think about talking during the concert!!! THIS IS NOT CRITICISM!!! Its just that eye’m used to them funky, loud, crazy events and this was new to me. I am very glad that I had a chance to see how “they” do it. The Starlight Bowl used “stack parking”. That means cars were parked so that there are no exit lanes. With the orderliness of this crowd that was no problem. Everybody left on time and was very, courteous. The sound system was very, very good. You could hear the performers lick their lips. The system and the quiet crowd made it intimate, nice. Our seats, Andrea went with me, were a quarter the way up the upper lawn slightly right of center. I could see the girls, but not their faces. Paula Cole came on first. Barefoot, jeans. Very pretty voice. Sounded a bit like Alanis, then i noticed THEY ALL kinda sounded alike. She said the “F” word. Her songs were playful, but sad. She played the piano with just a drummer for a while and then they got into a beat-box-scat type thing for about a minute. She was jammin’ and dancin’, but the crowd didn’t like that open display of rhythm. She finished her show banging on the bass drum with the drummer also jammin’. It was good, funky energy. Her voice moved me. She sang about bad love experiences and I felt them, but it was the voice. i liked her. Suzzane Vega played guitar with a bass, and a drummer back-up. Her highlight was her last song that she sang acapella. I forget the name of it, I think it was Lucas. I remembered the song and sang the do-dut, dut-dut, do-dut part. The crowd sang but you could tell they didn’t want to. Then came Sarah. I first heard “Fumbling Towards Ectasy” playing in a record store, I liked it, so I picked it up. I immediately liked this CD and eventually liked it so much that eye thought I had a problem!! Why was I into this white gorl’s music so deeply? Was it a white gorl thang? I don’t have the problems or am into the stuff she sings about, but I love her music and I love her voice. I now have Solace, Touch, and the Freedom Sessions CDs. She is a major part of the musical me. I listen to her when i need to cool out, when i’m tired i look forward to putting her on and getting into bed. I let her in my head and i take her with me when i’m doing really deep thinking about myself. Sarah is special. The Show: Sarah played numerous guitars, with a bass, keyboard-drum machine back-up. She did a couple of piano solos also. She sang a jazzed-up “Elsewhere” with Paula Cole and they were good. She sang “Good Enough”, which moved me, “Posession”, “Mary”, and the “Terms of Endearment” song. She sang more, but these I remember. She also put a deep bass rhythm and a loop of her voice in a couple of songs to give a more rhythmic, funky sound. It was a high quality show. I enjoyed the show and seeing Sarah. I felt tingly actually getting to see her cause it was very special to me.It was shorter than what i’m used to (P-FUNK is 3.5hrs) so it left me wanting more. Sarah did not let me down, I was impressed with her music and her voice. |
ALANIS MORISSETTE Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre June 20, 1996 I forgot i had been to Irvine Meadows before with Jackie. I started to remember |
subjective experience