“Our guitar player is gonna teach our bass player this song.
One minute interlude,” said tenor sax-playing, shuffle-dancing, aviator
bespectacled front man Aaron Stinson after inviting audience member Jimmy Stone
onstage.
The rest of the band started a huddle in the back of the
stage while Stinson walked up to the front and started playing the Jeopardy song.
Patrons of the Union Cabaret waited in silence, not sure what to expect. Stone
calmly walked up to the microphone, gave the band a cue, and launched into the
iconic hook of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On,” as the members of the crowd
burst out into stunned laughter and applause.
It was so good that it had to have been rehearsed, but it
was all spontaneous.
This was the vibe that the All-American Funk Parade gave
off during their show on February 2nd: one of pure fun(k), energy,
and silliness.
Their set-list was marvelously constructed. Their first set
was comprised of instrumental originals that meshed nicely with dinner, and as
the night wore on, the band complemented the evening like a nice three-course
meal. They launched into their covers of well-known pop songs such as Adele’s “Rolling
in the Deep” and Nelly’s “Hot in Here.”
Other gems of the night included a somewhat surprising
rendition of “Hava Nagila,” to which Stinson dedicated to “all [his] Jewish
friends.” About halfway through the song, however, Stinson perfectly
transitioned to the Sir Mix-a-Lot classic, “Baby Got Back.” It was moments like
these that made the show perfect, and the audience went increasingly wild with
each seemingly spontaneous absurdity.
While the band is based out of Lansing, an amazing number of
people showed up to support the band, and they did not disappoint. After
performing R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly,” Stinson announced to the crowd, “I
still have the dream of becoming a Space Jam cover band. It would take a group
of extremely disciplined musicians,” to which everyone hollered. Before heading
into the next piece, he added,” Which we’re not.”
It is moments like these that make the All-American Funk
Parade a fantastic group to see live, and they provided the energy all
throughout the night to keep the crowd going. The pure wit and musicianship
that they displayed makes them a must-see band. It was a laugh-a-minute show,
and they made sure it was a great time for both them and the audience.
Parade performing "Leave a Nickle on the Nightstand" at the Union
I think this piece does justice to the spontaneity of jazz music. This is exactly the sort of one night only experiences you get at the Union. The piece flows well and is easy to read, and makes we wish I had been there.
ReplyDeleteThey do seem quite goofy--and your listing/ knowledge of their songs was a welcome addition to the article. I usually struggle with rememebering song titles, myself.
ReplyDeleteHowever, even knowing this was one of your top-5 shows, I wasn't a fan of the "marvelously constructed" or "made the night perfect." I dunno, maybe it feels like a cop out.