Bootsy Collins

Saturday Night: George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars at House of Blues

George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars House of Blues May 4, 2013 George Clinton has strong ties to the city of Houston, which has been evident with the bounty of shows he's thrown our way over the past several years. It was only a matter of time before he brought his circus back to House of Blues, ... More >>

World Beat: The Music of iFest

Performers from New Orleans to Zimbabwe enliven this year's Brazilian-themed Houston International Festival.

Officials Promise iFest's Security Needs Will Be Met

With nerves on edge after Monday's Boston Marathon explosions, officials at the Houston International Festival and City of Houston say they are up to the challenge of meeting the security needs of an event that organizers believe will bring some 200,000 people to the streets of downtown Houston this ... More >>

Acts You Shouldn't Miss at iFest's First Weekend

Rocks Off asked our staff members who will be covering the Houston International Festival for us this weekend to give us one or two choices for artists they don't want to miss. Forro In the Dark Bud Light World Music Stage, 2:30 p.m. Saturday/Center Stage, 6:30 p.m. Saturday As one of the first ac ... More >>

Top 5 Most Sampled George Clinton Songs

Unpaid royalties have long been a problem in the music industry. Artists, songwriters, and producers miss out on millions due to the misappropriation of funds at the hands of shady labels and music executives. One of the most recent instances of this is the ongoing dispute between pioneering funk ... More >>

iFest Bringing Bootsy, Baby, and a Boatload of Brazilians

This was a surprise. The Houston International Festival, sort of like ACL goes to the museum, just announced its 2013 lineup about half an hour ago, right out of the blue. Get ready to get funked up in Sam Houston Park rather than outer space. Topliners include funk warlord Bootsy Collins, New Orle ... More >>

Christmas Past: The Lost Sinatra Group Christmas Episode

While we celebrate the holidays, Rocks Off is resurrecting a few of our best Christmas-themed blogs from the past few years. (Wait... resurrecting is Easter. Never mind.) This blog originally appeared December 22, 2010. Through the magic of Christmas, Rocks Off has received a copy of the transcript ... More >>

Jody Seabody & the Whirls: Death In an Alt-Rock Band

Losing a band member can't ever be an especially pleasant experience, but the sudden death of one of your musical comrades, someone you've been playing with since high school, is almost unfathomable. But that's what happened to Katy alt-rockers Jody Seabody & the Whirls last fall, when bassist Matt ... More >>

Shot In The Dark: Angels & A-Holes

When you're in the photo pit taking pictures for a publication such as Rocks Off, you can become the unwanted center of attention from both the audience and especially the artists. Most of the time you are only a few feet away from the performer, and often in their direct line of sight. They can and ... More >>

Last Night: Experience Hendrix Tour At Arena Theatre

Experience Hendrix Tour Arena Theatre March 22, 2012 It was a guitar-gasm of monstrous proportions at the Arena Theatre when string shredders, bass thumpers, keyboard squealers, and one very, very hardworking drummer paid tribute to the musical legacy of Jimi Hendrix in a 3 hour show that expertly ... More >>

Dweezil Zappa: Jimi Hendrix "Rings True To Every Generation"

As far as the estates of deceased classic-rock artists go, few can hold a lighter to the efforts of Jimi Hendrix's in terms of keeping the artist and their music alive. In recent years, Experience Hendrix, LLC -- run by Jimi's half-sister Janie -- has churned out a number of products to satiate bot ... More >>

The Space City Beat Battle & The Best H-Town Producers Ever

Despite a venue conflict, the championship edition of the Space City Beat Battle will go on Saturday evening at the Mercury Room. If you've never been to one it's almost like watching a ritualistic rite of passage where cocksure arrogance and chest pounding reign supreme. Sample based producers who ... More >>

The 10 Greatest Rock Bassists of All Time

Me (right), God help me, and Billy Sheehan circa 1990.​Last week, Neph Basedow wrote her list of the 11 greatest female rock bass players and she took a little heat for it, including some from me. But, she also got a lot right. At the very least, she highlighted the most under-appreciated musi ... More >>

The Song Stylings Of The Modern Presidents

For reasons better not gone into, Rocks Off has been running around YouTube searching for presidents singing, rapping, and otherwise making music, and YouTube delivered as usual. It's like the Web site is a kind of third-rate God that answers every prayer, but only with penis jokes and Rick Astley, ... More >>

Last Night: Bootsy Collins At Warehouse Live

Photos by Groovehouse​Bootsy Collins & Funk U-Nity Warehouse Live June 16, 2011 See more fabulous funksmanship in our slideshow. Funk is good for the soul. There's no denying it. After 12 hours at the office Thursday, Aftermath entered Warehouse Live clenched tight as an oyster. A whopping t ... More >>

Minister of Funk

Bass god Bootsy Collins is back as mayor of The Funk Capital of the World.

Out Today: Steve Earle Is Alive, Bootsy's Aged Funk, And The Late Poly Styrene's Last Disc

​Yep, it's the third week now that we have been listening to the new Foo Fighters album, Wasting Light. We even acquired it on vinyl this weekend, so we are doubly screwed. Now we just need it on cassette tape and one of those toothbrushes that play music in your skull like you are schizophren ... More >>

Upcoming: Bootsy Collins, Dave Alvin, Wanda Jackson, Etc.

​Amplified Heat: Sat., May 21. Continental Club. Avett Brothers, Langhorne Slim: CHANGED Fri., May 20. Verizon Wireless Theater. Band Of Mercy, Titan Blood: Thu., May 12. Mango's. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Paul Wall: Sun., May 22. Arena Theatre. Boney James & Regina Belle: Thu., May 26. Arena ... More >>

Out Today: Glee Warbles, Gorillaz Fall, Kinks Ride Again

​It's been a week since the Foo Fighters' album, Wasting Light, hit the stores, and Rocks Off has probably averaged at least one or two spins of the solid disc per day. Right now, we are actually on track four. Will anything top Light this week? That remains to be seen. Next week will bring ... More >>

The Lost Sinatra Group Christmas Episode

​Through the magic of Christmas, Rocks Off has received a copy of the transcript of the "Sinatra Group" sketch that was filmed in an alternate reality last weekend, one in which Phil Hartman never died, and Saturday Night Live is currently in one of its funniest seasons to date. What else cou ... More >>

Creepy, Inappropriate and Otherwise Weird Christmas Albums

​ Christmas is 22 days away, so you still have time to put in some online orders for delivery. And, coincidentally enough, we're going to bet that whatever holiday album you've been playing for the past few years is starting to get a little stale. You can only enjoy the velvet crooning of Bing Cro ... More >>

R&B Queen Erykah Badu's Egyptian Mystique

Ankh-ology

Buckethead

Guitar hero shreds the strings faster than you can say, “Is that a bucket on his head?”

Art Capsule Reviews

A picture of our opinions on local exhibitions

Art Capsule Reviews

A picture of our opinions on local exhibitions

Art Capsule Reviews

A picture of our opinions on local exhibitions

Drenched In Blog: Superbad Tracks

Dance Hall Days

Fitzgerald's Hits the Dirty 30

Buckethead

Sunday, March 5, Meridian, 1503 Chartres, 713-629-3700.

If It's Not Scottish, It's Crap!

Wack puts this whole Franz Ferdinand thing into context

Victor Wooten

Wooten opens for the Dave Matthews Band Monday, September 5, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2025 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, 281-363-3300. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are also on the bill.

Tom Joyner's Classic Soul Tour

Friday, March 22

What the Funk?

Funk Historians

Battling Bootsy

Mr. Collins balks while the folks at Fitzgerald's talk

What's Bootsy Doin'?

James Brown is the hardest working man in show business, but Bootsy's the busiest

Twilight of the God

One final round (maybe) for the last romantic, Frank Sinatra