FUNK-KIN
At Johnny D's Uptown Club in Somerville, MA - 6/01/01
At 9:55pm, P-Funk descendant band, FUNK-KIN, hit
the stage with some funky shit called "It's On", which sounded better with some extra-funky rhythm guitar by Nate
Shider.......Tim Shider's bass was still funky as ever!! "Tight Shit"
sounded better than the CD version, with a more funkier, rock feel to
it.....the long instrumental breakdown featured some smokin' lead guitart
wailing by Charlie Rivers!! "Super Stupid"
was good, with the bass & guitar solos. "Know About the Funk" was
followed by a smokin' version of "Red Hot Momma", thanks to the
guitar players & Nowell Haskins's drumming! "Pushing That Funk"
(using the melody of P-Funk's "Mothership Connection") was good, but
"Off Da Hook" was funkier with a rock feel.......Funk-Kin should have
recorded this version for their debut CD! The first Funk-Kin set ended at
10:50pm.
At 11:35pm, Funk-Kin started their second set with
something from one of their older shows....."Cosmic Slop", done in
a higher key (just like OLD times)!!!! Keith Thomas was just funky on lead
vocals! (that was the song where one Dr. Brookenstein walked among the fans,
wearing a purple diaper and sporting a pacifier & rattle!!) "It's
On" and "Tight Shit" was good, but I loved the improvisation on the medley "Take Your Dead Ass
Home/Let's Take It to the Stage/Rumplesteelskin".....it was some hardcore
funk-rock type of shit with some smelly bass & smokin' guitar riffs!!! The
band even threw in a little of George Clinton's chant from "We Can
Funk".........a variation of "We be funkin' over here.....and over
there ain't shit!" In addition, the band threw in a line from an old
Funk-Kin show......."Might Wanna Get Laid Back Tonight".....that line was part of the song (by the same name) that
Funk-Kin did when they first started hitting the New York City clubs (like the
Wetlands)!"Funk With a Capital
'G'" sounded good, but it really lacked one ingredient......Gregg Fitz on
the keyboards! Without Gregg, it sounded a little incomplete......even with the
powerful lead guitar wails of Charlie, the monstrous bass riffs of Tim, and the
funky rhythm guitar sounds of Nate! Since I
stopped taking notes, I cannot remember what happened between "Funk With a
Capital 'G'" and the encore song, "Funk Done Gone
Hip-Hop"....but I remember the backing vocalist Twin playing the bass
guitar while Tim was singing in the audience!! Twin is actually very good! The second set was over at 12:45am.
Submit suggestions or comments to david.brooks@brookenstein.com