George Clinton has been encouraging music fans to free their minds for well over 50 years now. But even his mind is a bit blown by the prospect of this weekend’s “Symphonic PFunk: Celebrating the Music of Parliament Funkadelic.”
As the title indicates, the show on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Detroit Opera House will set Clinton’s Parliament, Funkadelic and solo favorites in an orchestral setting, with arrangements by “Dancing With the Stars” musical director Ray Chew. LaBelle alumnus Nona Hendryx, Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid and Rahsaan Patterson will make guest appearances, and Clinton, who made most of his legendary brand of funk in the Detroit area, will be in the house and might “get up there and jam with them when I feel it.”
“This was always my dream,” says Clinton, 84, “to carry on to that point of respectability and to always try to prove that we were worthy of that. It is all worthy of that. I go back to Motown itself. … All that music needs to be classical, orchestrated and cataloged, curated for the next 100 years. I think we did our part in creating something that lives up to that … and we kept it going.”
Chew — whose wife, Vivian Chew of New York-based Chew Entertainment, is producing the event — promises the two-hour show (with intermission) will feature plenty of funk classics such as “Flashlight,” “Atomic Dog” and “Cosmic Slop,” among others. “He enjoys creating arrangements that will accommodate the orchestra, but still get attendees off their you-know-what and jam,” she said.
“The idea’s wonderful, bringing the music … to a wider audience,” Chew says. “I’ll be true to the music and be authentic to what it is. We’re not inventing any new notes. There are plenty of notes already there that are exactly what the (composer) wanted. But doing it (with an orchestra) widens the vocabulary, widens the appeal, and it’s gonna be fun, man. It’s a labor of love.”
Chew Entertainment is also working with Clinton for a relaunch of the famed Mothership stage prop, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The original resides in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, while the new version is expected to hit the road for P-Funk concerts by spring or summer.
“Symphonic PFunk: Celebrating the Music of Parliament Funkadelic” takes place at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31 at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway St., Detroit. 313-237-7464 or detroitopera.org.
Other music events of note this weekend (all subject to change) include …
FRIDAY, JAN. 30
• The Detroit Symphony Orchestra Pops presents “Epic Film Scores” from “The Godfather,” “Gladiator,” “Psycho” and more through Sunday, Feb. 1 at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.
• The Minneapolis rap duo Atmosphere brings its Winter Carnival Tour to the Fillmore Detroit, 2115 Woodward Ave. Doors at 6 p.m. 313-961-5451 or thefillmoredetroit.com.
• The Ark’s 49th Ann Arbor Folk Festival begins at 7:30 p.m. with Greensky Bluegrass and Junior Brown at Hill Auditorium, 825 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor. For an interview, visit theoaklandpress.com. On Saturday, Jan. 31, Amos Lee, Dawes, the Crane Wives, Jon Muq, Rabbitolgy and emcee Ryan Montbleau perform at 7 p.m. 734-761-1800 or theark.org.
• The Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit presents “Harlem Renaissance Remixed for Friday Night Live!” at 7 p.m. at the Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-833-7900 or dia.org.
• The appropriately named Dark Winter Tour with Lord of the Lost and the Birthday Massacre stops at Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit. Doors at 6 p.m. 313-961-8961 or saintandrewsdetroit.com.
• Portland future funk producer Yung Bae takes the stage at El Club, 4114 W. Vernor Highway, Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-757-7942 or elclubdetroit.com.
• Sprints, from Ireland, rocks at 7 p.m. at the Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff, Hamtramck. 313-462-4117 or sanctuarydetroit.com.
• Singer-songwriter Joe Stamm plays solo acoustic at 8 p.m. at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.
• SongBox, the duo of Jim Cohen and Eric Winer, puts some power pop in front of the crowd at Eastern Palace Club at 7:30 p.m. 21509 John R Road, Hazel Park. 248-850-8165 or epchp.com.
• The Mason Bays Group settles in through Saturday, Jan. 31 at the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, 97 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe. 313-882-5399 or dirtydogjazz.com.
• The trio Hearts and Mind plays at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. and again on Saturday, Jan. 31 at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.
• The Cookers play jazz at 8 p.m. in Aretha’s Jazz Cafe inside the Music Hall Center, 350 Madison Ave., Detroit. 313-887-8500 or musichall.org.
• The Cadieux Cafe is on the tribute tip this weekend, with Super Crunch (Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead) at 8:30 p.m. and, on Saturday, Jan. 31, the Allman Brothers Band tribute Revival at the same time. 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.
• The Kerrytown Stompers play a Swing Happy Hour at 5 p.m., followed by trumpeter Dwight Adams and his Quartet at 7 and 9 p.m. at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.
• Virtual: No Static plays live at 7:30 p.m. and again on Saturday, Jan. 31 from the Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club in New Hampshire, streaming via veeps.com.
• Virtual: Get your Phish fix at 8 p.m. and again on Saturday, Jan. 31 from Riviera Maya, Mexico, via nugs.net.
• Virtual: Lettuce jams at 8 p.m. and again on Saturday, Jan. 31 from the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, streaming via nugs.net.
• Virtual: Taper’s Choice will be live at 8 p.m. from Admore, Pennsylvania, streaming via nugs.net.
SATURDAY, JAN. 31
• Umphrey’s McGee jams once again at the Fillmore Detroit, 2115 Woodward Ave. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-961-5451 or thefillmoredetroit.com.
• Taiki Nulight and Casey Club man the decks at the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Doors at 9 p.m. 313-833-9700 or themajesticdetroit.com.
• MC Davo & Sabino throw down at Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-961-8961 or saintandrewsdetroit.com.
• Flint troubadour Christian Anderson makes the short trip south to play at 8 p.m. at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.
• The indie rock duo Antarctigo Vespucci headlines at El Club, 4114 W. Vernor Highway, Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. Golden Apples also performs. 313-757-7942 or elclubdetroit.com.
• Detroit rock troupe Dogsneeze plays a farewell show at 8 p.m. at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. Joe K. & the Family Band, Danny VanZandt and Crying at Work are also on the bill. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.
• Local singer-songwriter Michelle Held celebrates the release of a new single at 7 p.m. at La Maison de La Paix, 671 Edison St., Detroit. Jo Serrapere opens. facebook.com/groups/lamaisondelapaix.
• Antighost, Breathe in Stereo, the Dartmoors and One Exit Down stack up at 7:30 p.m. at the New Dodge Lounge, 8850 Jos Campau, Hamtramck. 313-638-1508 or thenewdodgelounge.com.
• Captured Detroit plays tribute to Journey at 8 p.m. at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.
• FJ also salutes Journey, as well as Foreigner, at 8 p.m. at the Flagstar Strand Theatre, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac. 248-309-6445 or flagstarstrand.com.
• Tributes to Metallica (Prowler), Slipknot (Tattered & Torn) and Pantera (Domain Detroit) team up at 7 p.m. at the Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Road, Westland. 734-513-5030 or tokenlounge.com.
• Lou Fighters, a tribute to Foo Fighters, learns to fly at 7 p.m. at the Diesel Concert Lounge, 33151 23 Mile Road, Chesterfield Township. 586-933-3503 or dieselconcerts.com.
• ThunderBeard gives ZZ Top its props at the Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens. Doors at 7 p.m. 586-630-0120 or theemeraldtheatre.com.
• The popular metro area cover band Your Generation is in concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Macomb Center, 44575 Garfield Road, Clinton Township. 586-286-2222 or macombcenter.com.
• Trumpeter Russ Macklem leads his Detroit Quintet at 7 and 9 p.m. at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.
• Virtual: Rapper Cardi B is the musical guest on this week’s episode of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” 11:30 p.m. on WDIV, Channel 4 in Detroit. Alexandar Skarsgard hosts.
SUNDAY, FEB. 1
• Brooklyn indie pop upstart Del Water Gap headlines at the Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St. Doors at 7 p.m. Hannah Jadagu opens. 248-399-2980 or royaloakmusictheatre.com.
• Drummer Louis Jones III and his ensemble, featuring Allen Dennard, close out the weekend at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.
• Annie Capps and Lauren Crane host an Empty Chair open mic night at 7 p.m. at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org.
• The Dearborn Big Band plays a free show at 3 p.m. at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn. 313-943-2354 or dearborntheater.com.
• Vocalist Sandra Bomar and her Quartet perform at 6 and 7:30 p.m. at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.
