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George Clinton &
the P-Funk Allstars



Review 07/03/97
From: Clement Pappas

Smokin Grooves at PNC Bank Arts Center                                     

All I can say is, this show SUCKED man.  I've seen P-Funk 11 times in the  
past 2 years or so, and this was easily the worst.  Mostly, the crowd was  
to blame, virtually no funkateers, and the ones who were there seemed      
rather tame.  Myself, I waited all show just to see the P, (though some of 
the other acts were decent) and I was riled up, but I felt like the only   
one in the whole joint makin some noise, I hate that!                      

Anyways, they came out with (Not just) Knee Deep, one of my personal      
favorites which no one else seemed to know or pick up on.  Garry Shider   
was the first to get upset with the terminally unfunky crowd after        
pressing them for some kind of response through most of the tune.  George 
turned to him about 3/4 thru Knee Deep, and goes "Wait a minute, We're    
gonna give um a chance"-  George then went off on Rythm & Ryhme to no     
avail, so he jumped in the crowd!  Anyway, the crowd wasn't warming up, in
fact it was getting worse, people were actually leaving. (I guess all the 
13-17 year olds were really only intersted in having Cypress Hill tell    
them how much weed to smoke every day, that definitely drew the largest   
crowd response of the night)  The mob then went into Give up the Funk     
(Tear the Roof off the sucker) - one of the more tame versions I've ever  
heard, with little or now crowd interaction. Then they brought the pace   
down with Shonda's Underground Angel and Louie Kababbie's Booty- no one   
even laughed for "the hardest working man in show Business TONIGHT", as   
they now seem to refer to him.                                            

At this point, it seemed to me they just went through the motions, I was  
right up front, and those dudes didn't even care, they were just playin,  
so they could hurry up and go back to the their trailer. Garry was visibly
pissed off.  It was really disrespectful that they even lowered the       
Mothership- with no one even getting pumped up, and mob not even caring   
anymore.  The show ended with Atomic Dog and Music for your Mother (always
a good one!) It was just eerie, I've never been to such a tame show in my 
life, and it really deflated the whole experience.                        

Another bone I have to pick is that it could've been cool to see some     
collaboration with the Pharcyde or Cypress, but there really wasn't any   
time for it.  Also, the security at this venue was ridiculous- they made  
you get wrist bands for beer, and they still carded you every time you    
went to buy one, they had 5000000 people guarding the enclosed pavillion  
area, even after PFunk told everyone to come down to the stage, they even 
had dude's in the parking lot telling us which sidewalks to use, and dope 
dogs everywhere sniffin for any kind of fun activity.                     

Sorry this has been more of a gripe session than a review, and there      
haven't been too many comments on the actual music, but I couldn't really 
even concentrate on it at the time.                                       

I guess I knew going in that this show wouldn't be the usual 4-6 hour     
funkstravaganza we're all used to, but I needed a hit of the funk pretty  
bad, and I couldn't even get nickel bag at this show.  Bottom line, it was
more depressing than staying home all night.  My advice-- don't even go if
this gig comes to your town, wait for the P to show up on their own- It'll
be much louder, longer, funkier, funner, and generally better with far    
fewer noses in the crowd.                                                 

PS - Somebody let me know if they actually thought this was a good show,  
or if the Jones Beach or Philly shows were any better!  Also, they        
apparently were given the keys to the city of Plainsfield NJ on Friday,   
(where George, Garry, and most of the mob were from), and played during   
the day- anyone go to this one!                                           

Clem