Damn, whoever came up with the lineup of old-school R&B performers for this musically malodorous show must be seriously in need of some good funk. Just take a look at the bill: the S.O.S. Band, Heatwave, Rose Royce, the Dazz Band and the Bar-Kays. This isn’t just a funk show, it’s a movement. Don’t be surprised if audience members approach the stage as if it were a shrine — dropping off gifts like Crown Royal bags full of loose change, half-empty bottles of Night Train and S-Curl hair relaxer kits. Hey, some members of the crowd may even decide to follow the funk around the country — like Deadheads, except in Coupe de Villes instead of VW buses.
This article appears in Jul 4-10, 2002.