Funk legend George Clinton brings P-Funk farewell tour to Oakland's Fox Theater
SAN FRANCISCO -- George Clinton and his Parliament-Funkadelic crew brings the funk maestro's ongoing farewell tour to the Fox Theater in Oakland Saturday with support from LA greats Fishbone and New Orleans band Dumpstafunk.
Though he came after originators James Brown and Sly Stone, George Clinton has undoubtedly earned the title "Godfather of Funk." Colorful, subversive and groundbreaking, Clinton fused rock and R&B in the '60s, set the dance floor on fire with funk classics in the '70s, helped usher in computer-driven new wave and was a cornerstone of hip-hop since the '80s.
He started in the '50s as a vocalist in New Jersey soul group the Parliaments, but Clinton soon relocated to Detroit to try to jump aboard the Motown gravy train. Though he did some songwriting work for the soul label, his sensibilities were far grittier than what Berry Gordy was aiming for to remain "the sound of young America." For his group Funkadelic, Clinton took cues from high volume acid-rock era giants Jimi Hendrix and Cream (not to mention the influence of Detroit rockers the MC5 and the Stooges) to bring together soul grooves, psychedelic guitar and an outrageous stage show. But despite the crew's outlandish theatrics, Clinton also proved to be an astute sociopolitical commentator, addressing serious subject matter on the seminal albums Maggot Brain and the sprawling double LP America Eats Its Young.
By the mid '70s, Clinton was leading both Parliament and Funkadelic from underground status to chart success and extravagant arena productions that put the group on the same strata as Earth Wind and Fire. Clinton's excellent ear for talent also brought some of the best players in the business to his outfits including the late psychedelic guitar giant Eddie Hazel, keyboard scientist Bernie Worrell, and former James Brown sidement like Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley. The subversive ringmaster and self-proclaimed Maggot Overlord shepherded his Parliament Funkadelic disciples to create classic hits like "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)" "Flashlight" and "Not Just (Knee Deep)," which would some of the most influential and heavily sampled music of the decade.
Combining humorous, satirical lyrics and space-age concepts with ferocious grooves, Clinton has remained an influential original throughout his career. Even as his solo star waned after early '80s hits "Atomic Dog" and "Do Fries Go With That Shake?" Clinton's songs were soon being sampled relentlessly by hip hop's new guard (Dr. Dre and N.W.A, Digital Underground, De La Soul and Tupac to name just a few).
Though his live performances during the 2000s added loose-limbed improvisational element that took away from the bite of his funk, Clinton has returned to performing and recording with a vengeance since breaking a longtime addiction to crack cocaine. The funk maestro detailed his triumphs and tragedies in the revealing memoir Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard on You? that came out in 2014 to glowing reviews. More importantly, Clinton and his collaborators issued the first new Funkadelic album in over three decades two years later.
A sprawling three-disc release that touches on the classic Funkadelic sound (soaring corrosive guitar solos, tongue-twisting vocals and scatological humor), First Ya Gotta Shake The Gate finds Clinton adding modern elements of hip-hop production and Auto-Tuned vocals to the mix. In 2018,Clinton announced earlier this year that he would retire from touring the following year after continuing his modern renaissance with the first album under the Parliament banner in nearly four decades -- Medicaid Fraud Dogg -- a sprawling 100-minute opus that tackles the nation's struggle with pharmaceuticals and social media while still indulging in the funk overlord's habit of "sayin' somethin' nasty."
The funk icon was also featured prominently in the latest season of Mike Judge's animated Cinemax show Tales from the Tour Bus, which featured the twisted escapades Clinton and his band got caught up in during the '70s (the band leader also served as a consulting producer and provided this season's revamped theme song). Clinton has suggested that P-Funk will continue on without him when he finally retires from the road, continuing to bring his music to audiences live.
The timeline of his retirement has changed since his original announcement. Clinton and company appeared at what was thought to be the band's final Bay Area appearance at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga in the summer of 2019, but since the pandemic derailed more touring plans, he has since returned to the region with the band several times despite passing his 82nd birthday. The current "Just For the Funk of It! Final Tour?!?" brings P-Funk back to Oakland for this post-Thanksgiving show Saturday night at the Fox featuring support from Fishbone and Dumpstafunk.
They might not be the biggest band to emerge from Los Angeles during the early '80s, but pioneering ska/punk/funk outfit Fishbone remains one of the most influential and eclectic acts to call LA home since first coming together in 1979.
Formed by a group young Black teens who were brought together by their school district's busing program, founding members the Fisher brothers (Norwood on bass and Phillip "Fish" Fisher on drums), singer/trumpet player "Dirty" Walt Kibby III, keyboard/trombone player Christopher Dowd and guitarist Kendall Jones were all from South Central Los Angeles. They met the group's future frontman and saxophonist Angelo Moore when they were sent to Moore's native San Fernando Valley during junior high school.
The band's brash mixture of punk, ska and funk influences quickly helped Fishbone build a following as the group played punk venues around LA and established a reputation for high-energy stage performances as it became a fixture of the SoCal club scene in the early '80s. Signed to Columbia Records, the group's eponymous EP in 1985 became an underground hit and earned significant airplay with the infectious anti-war single "Party at Ground Zero" and the radio roll call tune "? (Modern Industry)" that name checked the call letters of several Bay Area stations.
While the band's first full-length album In Your Face didn't further elevate the band in the mainstream, it showed a growing political consciousness in the lyrics and polished the band's amalgam of styles. A spot opening for the Beastie Boys on the Licensed to Ill tour helped introduce Fishbone to a far wider audience.
They made a creative breakthrough with Truth and Soul in 1988, introducing heavier guitars on the crushing cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Freddie's Dead" and the hardcore frenzy of "Subliminal Fascism" while showing of their funk chops with the explosive "Bonin' in the Boneyard."
The band's next album -- The Reality of My Surroundings in 1991 -- stood out as their most ambitious yet and seemed to signal the breakthrough they had been working towards for a decade. With the addition of former Miles Davis musical director John Bingham on guitar and keyboards (who joined during the Truth and Soul tour), the band further established its status as arguably the best live act of the era.
After the release of the more metallic Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe in 1993, the band joined the third edition of the Lollapalooza with Primus, Alice in Chains, Tool and Rage Against the Machine and appeared poised for even greater success when guitarist Jones had a mental break and quit the band.
When Norwood Fisher tried to convince the guitarist to rejoin the band, believing he'd been brainwashed by a religious group, the bassist ended up being charged with kidnapping. While the band was able to participate in Lollapalooza and Fisher was eventually acquitted, the incident marked the beginning of a gradual disintegration for the band. Dowd would depart the following year and by 1995, Fishbone had been dropped by Sony. As the end of the decade approached, "Fish" Fisher and Bingham were gone as well.
But Moore and Norwood Fisher would soldier on with a variety of collaborators who helped the band maintain its reputation as a fiery live act, including former Suicidal Tendencies guitarist Rocky George and keyboard player Dre Gipson. Their recorded output became more sporadic, but the group continued to tour regularly and were frequently name checked by the legion of Orange County ska revivalists like No Doubt and Reel Big Fish who were inspired by the band. The crew experienced some renewed interest after their fascinating saga was told in the acclaimed 2010 documentary Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone.
2017 found Fishbone reuniting its classic-era late '80s line-up with longtime stalwarts Norwood Fisher, "Dirty" Walt Kibby and kinetic frontman Moore once again teaming with Fisher's drum-playing brother, guitarist Bingham and keyboardist/trombonist Dowd. Since then, the revitalized group has been tearing up stages and appearing at a variety of festivals over the past year in addition to touring with acts including the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Living Colour and P-Funk.
While Bingham would leave the band again in 2019 (guitarist/keyboardist Mark Phillips took his place) and Phillip Fisher relinquished the drum stool to his previous replacement John Steward late in 2021, the band has continued to bring its explosive, high-energy stage performances to enthusiastic audiences across the globe. The group returned to San Francisco for its first post-pandemic appearances almost exactly a year ago, packing the Bottom of the Hill for two nights. The long hinted at new Fishbone EP produced by NOFX mainman Fat Mike finally materialized this past May with the ska-focused tunes getting a warm reception from fans and critics alike. Opening the show will be Dumpstafunk, the potent New Orleans groove machine led by Aaron Neville's son Ivan that features the double-thumping, two-bass attack of Nick Daniels and Tony Hall.
George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic with Fishbone and Dumpstafunk
Saturday, Nov. 25, 5:30 p.m. $59.50-$89.50
Fox Theater