Maceo Parker
At the TLA, Philly - 1/22/00

 

 

The Maceo Parker set started at 10:15pm, with son Corey Parker having the audience chant "Come on Maceo! Come on Maceo!" Maceo came out to start the first tune, "Uptown Up". Maceo, Ron Tooley and Greg Boyer blew the crowd away with some off-da-hook, funkafied horn solos......especially Ron Tooley!! Wil Boulware performed an electrifying keyboard solo! What puzzled me was seeing the group's manager (I think she's the manager) sweeping the stage behind Maceo, in the middle of the performance! "Pass The Peas" smoked with some FONKAY scratch-guitar licks by Bruno Speight!! Of course, Maceo introduced the concept of the "Ooh Yeah! show", incorporating the Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns's "We Came To Funk Ya". ("give up the funk or we gonna tear this sucka up!") Greg Boyer wooed the audience with his trombone solo on "Shake Everything You Got"! Jamal Thomas kicked ass with heavy bass-drum beats on "House Party"! DAMN!! Rodney "Skeet" Curtis tore down the stage with lethal doses of thumping bass & Jamal performed a bombastic drum attack, during "Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk)". UMMMM.....excuse me.......but did I hear Maceo singing "call my baby pussycat.....p-u-s-s-y"?? (someone clarify this for me, please!)

 

Background vocalist Martha High step to the front of the stage and began showing her soulful vocals to anyone!! WHEW!!!! She sounded as good as Lyn Collins, especially when the band started doing "Think (About It)".......WHEW!!! THE ENERGY SKYROCKETED THEN!!!! Maceo, Ron and Greg performed hot horn riffs with tight-ass drumming by Jamal!! "Doin' It To Death" was excellent with asphyxiating bass strokes by The Jolly Bass Giant himself, Skeet!! "Georgia on My Mind" was next with Maceo imitating Ray Charles with black shades. The show stopped at 12:45am with an encore at 12:55am. The encore started with the jazz version of "Uptown Up". "Got To Getcha" was funky, but "Elephant's Foot" spoiled the groove with its wack-ass lyrics! (That song should be dropped from the shows) "Red Hot Momma" was performed mostly over a groove that sounded like "Shake Everything You Got"......the band's tempo quickly sped up at the chorus.......not the best performance of "Red Hot Momma" (not suitable for Maceo and company).........both Bernie Worrell & Starr Cullars will always be the best at covering that song! The set ended at 1:45am.

 

The song set listing:

·         Uptown Up

·         Pass The Peas

·         "Welcome To The 'Ooh Yeah!' show"

·         We Came To Funk Ya

·         Shake Everything You Got

·         Psychoticbumpschool horn riff

·         Let's Take It To The Stage

·         House Party

·         Sing a Simple Song

·         Tear The Roof Off The Sucka

·         Think (About It)

·         Doin' It To Death

·         Georgia on My Mind

·         Maceo's Groove

·         "The Mothership connection is here" chant from DISCO-TO-GO (by The Brides of Funkenstein)

·         Stretchin' Out in a Rubber Band

 

ENCORE:

·         Uptown Up (jazz version)

·         Got To Getcha

·         Elephant's Foot

·         Cold Sweat

·         Papa's Got a Brand New Bag

·         Let's Get It On rap

·         Dr. Funkenstein

·         Give It Up or Turnit a Loose

·         Make It Funky

·         Soul Power (w/ Corey's rap)

·         Red Hot Momma




Two last things:

1.     Greg Boyer........those glasses may you look wack-a-dee-wack.......take them off! (SIKE!!! You my nigga, man!)

2.     It's still HARD to picture Skeet dressed up like an executive (sans the suit jacket) with a sharp haircut.....MAN!!



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