Parliament-Funkadelic featuring George Clinton at 9:30 Club
Words by Rahsaan “Wordslave” Eldridge
Photos by Steve Satzberg
Cause a P-Funk Party Don’t Stop
Red, White, Black and Blue
One nation under a groove
Funkin’ at the 9:30 Club
‘round tha corner from the capital
Funk from the door
Funk from the stage
Funk on the dance floor
Funkateers all ages
Funk for your ears,
your eyes, and your soul
Your jazz and your boom-bap,
your rock and your roll
Chocolate City pulled up
Middle of the melting pot
Seventy years and counting
The funk just can’t be stopped.
At 9:30 Club on May 14, the music kicked in and a cast of quirky characters appeared in eccentric costumes including feathered boa, angel wings, Atomic Dog jersey, and underwear with “DADDY” written across the back. Above the stage was their giant flag with One Nation Under a Groove, where the 50 stars would typically be on the American flag. It was clear from the beginning this would not be your average party. This was a celebration under the unification of funk: Funkadelic — One Nation Under a Groove.
George Clinton emerged wearing a baseball cap cocked to the side. He clutched the mic in one hand, while the other bounced in the air and he told the crowd to follow. The expectation was set early that full audience participation would be required all night. The audience was dancing, clapping, and scrunching their faces as indication the funk had already taken effect. They threw devil horns in the air and repeated chants of “shit, goddamn, get off your ass and jam!,” letting George and company know they were down for the ride. As the band transitioned into “Aqua Boogie”, George barked out the melody “never learned to swim!” initiating the call and response between him and the other vocalists. “I can’t catch the rhythm of the stroke,” they replied.
Stream “Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)” by Parliament on YouTube:
The Parliament-Funkadelic background singers were high spirited and engaging. The instrumentalists got in on the vocal action as well, some of them even leading at times. The rhythm section was the constant heartbeat that literally rumbled in your chest. The guitars traded rhythm and lead, all shredding masterfully when their number was called. The horn section blasted iconic lines to the back of the room, through the wall, and all the way out to V Street. The keyboard/synthplayer had magic in his fingers, and killer vocals to match. The energy from the stage could be felt from front to back, balcony to floor.
The 83-year-old Clinton took breaks center stage in a chair for a good portion of the show, but was still clearly the maestro of his well-oiled machine. At times, he directed and others he sat seemingly in awe of the talented crew assembled around him. Then he was back up, singing, and barking demands for the audience to keep their hands in the air. Whether seated or standing at the front of the stage, his role remained clear as ringleader of a band of savants and misfits that comprise the modern-day Parliament-Funkadelic collective.
The music was non-stop and well orchestrated with seamless transitions. A rare change in tempo (and personal highlight of the evening) came with “P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up),” which featured several extended solos. Guitar, trombone, sax, piano, and synth all took their turns stretching out over the rhythm section’s solid foundation of “bomp bomp” which grounded the song and built anticipation for the chorus “make my funk the P-Funk!” which we all sang together at the top of our lungs.
“Maggot Brain” brought out the lighters and cell phone flashlights. The guitar solo cut through the smoke (some from the machine, the rest blown in the air from the audience, if you know what I mean!) and penetrated the soul. When the kick drum and bass hit, our collective heartbeat was reactivated and we remembered our breath. We ascended as the bass drum tripled, quadrupled, then rolled into a bounce before finally transitioning into the next song.
Stream “Maggot Brain” by Funkadelic on YouTube:
The tension released into a cover of House of Pain’s “Jump Around”. This moment was telling about the age range of the crowd. The young followed the instructions and literally jumped around, while the more seasoned audience members — whose knees are no longer set up that way — bounced and waved their hands. This part of the evening showcased the Third Generation P-Funk, or 3GP which is comprised of younger artists whose connection to funk manifests as Hip-Hop, R&B, Metal, and Rock & Roll. George even spit some bars! They also gave a nod to Go-Go, DC’s homegrown genre, also a clear relative of Funk.
For three hours George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic kept their foot on the gas with classic after classic and showed us a 70-year evolution of Funk. That evolution was evident not only in the music, but in the diversity of the audience. It was truly a testament to the staying power of Funk. Like George said, “ain’t no party like a P-Funk party, cause a P-Funk party don’t stop!”
Here are some photos of Parliament-Funkadelic performing live at 9:30 Club on May 14, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
