It’s not every day that a legendary group like Parliament-Funkadelic comes to town. George Clinton and his band of funky all-stars brought their “Just for the Funk of it!” tour, which the band says will be their last, to Houston’s House of Blues on August 6th, and put on a show like no other.
As one of the originators of the funk sound, Clinton has been making music since the mid-1950s. Over the years the band has taken on several different names and a roster of rotating musicians, but since the late-1970s the brand has had one consistent brand: Funk.
The show began shortly after 7pm with funk-metal band Fishbone. Fishbone is always a joy to experience live, with frontman Angelo Moore swapping between singing, saxophone, and theremin for the entirety of the show. Playing songs including “Ma and Pa,” “Bonin’ in the Boneyard,” and “Party at Ground Zero,” Fishbone put on a nearly hour-long set that got the packed house moving and grooving.
Shortly after 8pm, Fishbone left the stage and made way for Clinton and P-Funk. Clinton emerged from the wings barefoot and wearing what looked like a kimono of some sort, along with more than a dozen other musicians, singers, and friends, who took up every square inch of the stage.
Playing through a 19-song set filled with all of the classics, including “Flash Light,” “Maggot Brain,” “Mothership Connection,” and “Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples” P-Funk had the entire venue on their feet and dancing.
Like Fishbone, Parliament never disappoints. 82-year-old George Clinton led the band through more than two hours of music, and gave the crowd a show to remember.
George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic finish up their tour on November 25th in Oakland, CA.
I'm a Houston-based concert and automotive photographer. I've been a music fan my whole life, and previously was the director for Coog Radio, the University of Houston's student radio station. I listen to a bit of everything, from blues to rock to EDM, but predominantly metal. Some favorites include Slayer, Iron Maiden, and Metallica. When I'm not behind the camera, you can catch me skating, going to car events, and buying too many coffee table books.
