DRUGZ & da 4:20 FUNK MOB
At the Wetlands in NYC - 3/25/01

 


 

To say that this night was a chaotic night would be an understatement! A super LONG line was forming by the time I got to the Wetlands......compounded by the fact that I didn't have a ticket for the show (my name wasn't on the guest list). Thanks to the Wetlands policy of turning away minors (for this 18 & OVER show), I bought a $20 ticket from one of the minors. The Wetlands was packed like a large can of sardines and everyone was feelin' extra funky!!! All the important people were there: Stozo, Gina Hall, Sa'd Ali (related to the P), Sheila Brody, Gary Sullivan (drummer for the WOO Warriors), and L.A.W. (affiliated with Enemy Squad).


Drugz (headed by the funky fool, Michael "Clip" Payne) started their set at 10:45pm with the Andre Foxxe song "Black Beach"!! Sweet, wet guitar licks by Andre Foxxe stunk up the room! "America" featured a funky drum (by Robert "Chicken" Burke) and stank, ass-shakin' guitar groove (by Andre) intro......the bass riffs by Lige Curry were smokin' and Garry Shider's falsetto vocals were sweet on the ears!! The sound was pretty trippy......YEAH, THE DRUGZ WILL HAVE YOU WACKED OUT YA FUNKY MIND!! Joe Eppart, another funky guitarist, was great on lead vocals for "Billy". "Don't Mess With Me" featured some funkatizing bass and guitar.....some great drumming was featured, but Clip's vocals were too low. Burning guitar funk (possibly by Adam Widoff) prevailed on the War-influenced song, "Never Ever"!! Toshi Reagon was the funky guest lead vocalist on the mellow "It's a Cold-Hearted World". "Camaro" featured three guests from a group called WOODEN (I hope that's correct!)......one guitarist, one bassist & one lead vocalist. The scratch guitarisms was hot enough to melt the woofers & tweeters!! "Momma" was a funky little ditty which had moments of sparse but funky instrumentation and moments of hardcore funk-rock!

Adam Widoff's guitar solo was phenomenal but I was really digging on Lige Curry's funky and tasteful bass during the low-key parts of the song and his full-assault lethal bass attacks during the funk-rock portions!!

"Strung Out" was some burned-out slow funk with Garry Shider at his vocally best! S'more funky guitarisms by Garry, Andre, Adam & Joe was the order of business on "Miss America", with irresistible vocalizing by Joe. "Freedom Came" closed the set at 12:15am.




At 1:00am, the 4:20 Funk Mob started their funky set with a long intro to the Parliament psychedelic-laced funk-rock of "There's Nothing Before Me But Thang" with Clip repeatedly announcing"All Aboard the Night Train". The song tore some major ass with smolderin' bass grooves by Lige Curry & electrifying guitar slayings by Flash, Andre Foxxe, Garry Shider & Tim Moore!!! "Funky Woman" featured some hot lead vocals by Clip
, smokin' guitarisms by Tim Moore, and some amusing keyboard riffs by Gregg Fitz (a la Bernie Worrell)!!! The most electrifying part of the song was the lethal action of lead axe-slayer Ron Smith (of Enemy Squad).......you could just see his guitar catching afire!!!! As a matter of fact, both songs had the club sizzling & roasting at a temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit!!!!! One unfortunate fan passed out from the intensity of the high-powered grooves!! The walls of the Wetlands were practically glowing red!!!!! OUCH!!!!!
"Underground Angel" was the music to Flash's HOT & sadistic lead guitarisms that set the speakers afire!!

George Clinton braved the blazing conditions and walked onstage..........he did his answer to the chant "Whatcha gonna do, George?" and performed his "Rhythm & Rhyme", "Radio Friendly DJs Spin For The Funk" and "Ain't Nuttin' But a Jam Y'All" songs!!!!!!! Sheila Brody joined George onstage for the "Rhythm & Rhyme" portion". Garry Shider added some extra lead guitar funk to the comparatively mellow mix.




"Red Hot Momma" featured excellent drumming by Gabe Gonzalez and an interesting breakdown that repeatedly from a quiet funk mix to a loud, blazing rock extravaganza. "Funky Dollar Bill" was another funky song that featured some off-the-wall keyboardisms by Gregg (a la Bernie Worrell)!!
"I Got a Thang, You Got a Thang, Everybody's Got a Thang" featured a funky guitar meltdown a la "Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow"! Gabe ALMOST went to hyper-drive on drums (like the wild drumming that Tiki Fulwood did on the Funkadelic debut album).......ALMOST!! DAMN!!! "You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks" featured some funky piano and tight bass grooves!!! The 4:20 Funk Mob set was over at 2:20am.......DAMN, THE WETLANDS WAS BARELY STILL STANDING AFTER THE PUNISHING FORCE OF THAT SHOW!!!!



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