Grandfather of funk: George Clinton electrifies Lehman audience

George Clinton revs up the crowd at Lehman. Photo by Karsten Moran

By Adam Wisnieski

As George Clinton walked on stage at Lehman Center on Saturday night, he brushed aside his iconic neon hair and looked over the crowd sitting comfortably in their seats.

“You better get up,” he said.

It didn’t take long. A few moments later, keyboardist Danny Bedrosian played the familiar opening to the 1978 classic “Flash Light” and the place erupted. Fans poured into the aisles and danced their way to the front of the stage. The show was 68-year-old Mr. Clinton’s first-ever performance in the Bronx, hard to believe since he’s played most of the globe during his 40-year career as leader of legendary funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic.

For most of the night, the audience danced and sang along with the 20-plus members of Mr. Clinton’s rotating band. It wasn’t until an hour into the show when Mr. Clinton walked off stage for “Maggot Brain” that the audience was allowed to rest. Michael “Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton tore through a guitar solo as the audience sat back in awe. If not for the fuzzy hats and neon bright Funkadelic shirts seen throughout the crowd, you could have easily thought the wide-eyed audience was watching the sorrowful climax of an opera.

When the full band returned for “Up on the Down Stroke” and “Red Hot Mama,” there was no way you could make that mistake. Gary Shider marched around stage in a towel diaper and backup singer Kim Manning wheeled around on roller skates. Mr. Clinton stood center, his multi-colored hair glowing in the lights, simultaneously orchestrating the band and the audience with his hands. When he wanted everyone to chant, “Pfunk will shine in twenty-o-nine,” he got a strong response.

“He’s one of the only people that when you look at, you can’t help but smile,” said Diana Cousins, a Riverdale resident.

The show might seem unusual for Lehman Center, but it reflects the direction Executive Director Eva Bornstein wants to take it in, she said.

“I changed the direction of the center because of the demographics of the Bronx,” said Ms. Bornstein, who introduced the band on Saturday night.

Since becoming the executive director in 2005, she’s tried to bring in a variety of events that cater to the diverse communities of the Bronx. The fall season has pop headliners like Clinton alongside dance acts from South America and Europe, orchestras, salsa bands and gospel choirs.

You probably won’t see dancers from the Moscow Classical Ballet, who perform The Nutcracker Sunday, Nov. 29, giving high fives to fans after the show like George Clinton did, but it should still be a good time.

Upcoming events at Lehman

Sunday, Nov. 15
6 p.m.

Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company.

Saturday, Nov. 21
8 p.m.

Street Beat

Sunday, Nov. 29
6 p.m.

The Nutcracker by the Moscow Classical Ballet

Saturday, Dec. 5
8 p.m.

Navidad Para El Pueblo

Sunday, Dec. 13
3 p.m.

A Bronx Messiah, with the Bronx Opera

Saturday, Dec. 19
4 p.m.

Cantata Navideña 2009, Ricardo Rodríguez and Daniel Calveti

This is part of the November 12, 2009 online edition of The Riverdale Press.

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