In the same city, on the same stage, separated by just under two weeks, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic and Lettuce delivered huge sets to enthusiastic Chicago funkateers. As usual, P-Funk created an absolute spectacle (rendered here in video and Adam McCall's superb photography), invoking their decades-in-the-making mythology to evangelize the power of the funk.
Lettuce, on the other hand, went easy on the theatrics but delivered uncut, bone crunching, booty shaking funk nonetheless. While you may have known every P-Funk song by heart, Lettuce grooves may have reached straight through your chest and induced cardiac arrest. Could it be possible that Lettuce out-funked P-Funk a mere thirteen days later? The video below certainly makes a case for it.
Of course that's not even a real question. Clinton invented the form, Lettuce are perfecting a version of it for the modern era. There's plenty of reason to celebrate the fact that both of these acts are on the road.
It seems like the future is in good hands as well. Check out the full set from newcomers The Nth Power, who primed the crowd for Lettuce on December 12th at Concord. They lean a bit more soul and gospel than the others, but create some spine tingling moments of their own. Chicagoans The Heard opened up the evening. Check out this revealing and far-ranging interview with their sax player, Lucas Ellman from our friends at Soundfuse.
