George Clinton concert

Most of all we need the funk.
And trust me, last night I got all the funk I needed when George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic landed in Charlotte.

Clint and the P-Funk mob (all 14 of them) jammed for about three hours on a small stage at the Neighborhood Theatre in the North Davidson district, or NoDa as we call it in the Queen City.

First, they told us to free our minds and our (butts) would follow. Harken back to 1975 when they first landed the Mothership. And many in the crowd did there best. I could tell by the smell of whatever they were puffing and passing.

There was a mix of eclectic NoDa regulars and out-of-town funkateers, who knew every word to every song. Some of them knew the names of all the band members, even the relatively new ones, like the guy dressed as Sir Nose. He had ripped abs, so I’m guessing he was in diapers when the original Sir Nose was introduced in the ‘70s.

And speaking of diapers, yes Gary Shider (Clint’s right-hand man) still wears one on stage. Gary, you know you’re my dog, but when you’re almost 60, it’s not a diaper. It’s a Depends. (That line brought to you by editor Glenn Burkins).

But he’s just as funky as he ever was on guitar and vocals. They all were.

The group, which had 13 top ten hits between 1967 and 1983, played some of everything: "Flashlight," "Funkentelecky," "Cosmic Slop," "Maggot Brain," "Atomic Dog," "Knee Deep."
The songs went on and on. Just when you thought it was the finale (they played every song like a finale) they’d strike a familiar chord, and the fans would go nuts again.

Clint, who is 67, still has his stage legs. He must be taking good care of himself, maybe even gave up smoking. Then the joint made its way on stage.
Guess not.