George Clinton, Fishbone, Dumpstaphunk, Miss Velvet and the Blue Wolf
When: Fri., Aug. 23, 6 p.m. 2019
This tour celebrating George Clinton’s 50 years on the road is being billed as his last. Yep, the mastermind behind Parliament and Funkadelic — two of the most influential acts of the ’70s — is retiring, but not before throwing a massive party before he gets the funk out of here. For those who need a little history, Funkadelic brought black music to white audiences by adding a syncopated beat to psychedelic rock, while Parliament infused science fiction into black culture by blending space-age theatrics with grooves even James Brown and Sly Stone could envy. Clinton’s support acts on this tour are testament to just how many generations have felt his influence. The only surprise here is that there’s no hip-hop on the bill, given how often rappers have sampled the big man over the decades.