Trip to the Funk Capital

Written by Ryan ‘Boog’ Erwin

My Trip to the Funk Capital of the World

It was hot, boy it was hot!  7:15 pm outside the Neighborhood Theatre I anxiously awaited the show.

There I stood alone, 23 years old amongst a long line of old fades, true funkateers.  “I saw Bootsy for the first time in 1979, yea, I saw him in 76’” they bragged back and forth finally turning to me to ask “how old is you?” “23” I replied with a little attitude for I knew where this topic was headed and surely he asked “what you know about Bootsy?” I reply “And what makes you think I’m not a Funkateer!”  They all laughed realizing from my answer that I understood the magnitude of the funk.  7:30pm sound check was over and the doors opened. Excited I shuffled through the crowd grabbed my ticket and was prepared to be seated.

As I walked in, the stage was lit up with neon lights and as I looked around I saw an array of stove pipe hats and star studded shades it was apparent they were ready for the mothership. I sat beside a  gentleman from Greensboro and carried on a short convo about Funk and explained that this was my first concert. He explained that I had picked the best show to have a first experience with and insisted that the feeling Bootsy was going to put on us was unimaginable.  At that point I was becoming impatient waiting for Bootsy to hit the stage but Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band kept me chilled with their funky sound. Then suddenly a quick flash of light drew me towards the front of the stage and a man in a black stove pipe hat, black cape and Mardi gras mask asked, “Who did ya’ll come to see?” BOOTSY!!!!  The crowd roared and with another flash of light there he appeared! Bootzilla baby!!

With a red star studded cape and a red feathered wig looking like he had flown in from another galaxy. He turned around slow and with a big yabadabadoba baby Boosty fired up the stage. Bootsy! Bootsy!! Bootsy!!! Boosty!!!! The crowd screamed.  Bootsy was on fire!! And the man from Greensboro was right about that Bootsy feeling it was like the wings of a space angel had been wrapped around the crowd pulling young, old, black, and white together!! We were all One Nation Under A Groove that night and not once did the funk or our feet let us down!