Funktion: So Good It'll Flip Your Lid

In the music-journalism world, we’re obsessed with fads. We love passing trends and emerging styles and we love-- love-- being the first person EVER to be into a new band. We love it. So what do we do, then, those times when we don’t want to be “trendy?” Some of us were never meant to be cool in the first place, and simply aren’t equipped to keep up with the ebb and flow of the scene-- whether it be local, national, whatever.

But every once in awhile a band comes along that transcends the need to be everywhere at once and have their name on every flyer in town. These bands are usually a little older-- sorry, more mature-- with gigging savvy and true musical chops. Timeless influences, true musicianship, propensity for evolution as well as that sought-after Originality: these are the rudiments for a veteran band. These are the bands on which any music scene-- in any place-- is built. These are the bands on which younger, more transient bands (the college-radio-played, namedropped venue/critic darlings) come and go, passing over the surface of a scene, forgoing stability for flashpaper fame. But when there’s a band that does stick it out, that manages to retain an identity while continuing to interest their audience, and becomes part of the musical identity of a city, it’s a magical thing. Right now, in Kalamazoo, that band is Funktion.

With several years of shows, minor lineup changes and countless shows under their belts, Funktion is looking pretty good these days. With a tireless gigging schedule, these boys have made their presence known nearly everywhere in southwest Michigan and throughout the Midwest, and though they only played one hometown show in October (which, as of press time, had not occurred), you can usually find them onstage somewhere in Kalamazoo at any given time, and they will be all over Michigan (and beyond) in November and December.

And if you’ve never seen Funktion play… you’re missing out. Funktion has an incredible ability to light up any room they play. Their watertight funk is the ultimate blend of skill and soul, and is sure to rock you inside and out. When they play their home-base venue Union Cabaret & Grille in Kalamazoo, it’s not uncommon to find the otherwise-stuffy “nice bar in town” packed full of people ready to jam, and the four- or five-foot walkway behind the bar transformed into a makeshift dance floor. And if you don’t find yourself at least nodding along, if you don’t feel at least a little loose and funky in your neck and shoulders, and if you’re not kicking up your heels after a Soft Parade or two, then… I don’t know what to tell you.

With a blend of classic New Orleans jazz, ’60s funk and soul, and the rawness and presence of modern-day hip hop and rock, there’s still a magic ingredient in Funktion’s music that makes it irresistible to love, which I am yet to determine. I think it’s drummer Sean Reisig’s flawless urban-jazz flow (think ?uestlove in a super funky mood) or Andrew Schrock’s butter-smooth croon (or how he can still turn it out on a rap from time to time) or, quite possibly, Neal Conway‘s chillingly-smooth basslines. whatever it is, whether or not they choose to remain on the local scene in the future, this is a truly timeless band.

So what the funk are you doing this weekend? These cats are getting their jive on at a variety of venues in November, so grab your flyest chick or daddy-o and go out and swing. Don’t forget your fedora (is it still ironic if you’re actually wearing it to a jazz-y show?).