Page 14 February 2019 The Parrot E-pub at: www.swflparrot.com

Celebrating 10 YearsOf Funk Fest

By Samuel Burnley

It is widely accepted that James Brown, referred to as the “Godfather of Soul,” pioneered the style that would come to be known as Funk in the mid-1960’s, when he instructed the musicians in his band to emphasize the downbeat rather than the upbeat; and in the process, invented a whole new groove. Decades later, Matthew and Nick Nemec unwittingly created the event that would come to be known as Funk Fest Punta Gorda in the late-2000’s, when they scheduled a show for Here Come The Mummies after being turned on to their music.

Over the last decade, Funk Fest has evolved into an annual event drawing 4500 people over two days of music.

“It’s a two-day festival, people come for three or four days—it’s a lot easier now with Allegiant,” said show creator, Matt Nemec. “And with the emergence of the new hotel here (Springhill Suites, literally overlooking the festival grounds), it makes it a lot easier for people to come and stay.”

“They’re coming from all over the United States,” added Matt’s son and business partner, Nick Nemec. “Some people are even coming from out of the country. We already have Alaska purchases, and Georgia, obviously a lot of Georgia. They come from all over, so it’s hard to pinpoint all the time, but all the hotels are sold out all the time.”

In the mid-2000’s Matt and Nick had been collaborating on bringing bands to town as a means of promoting commerce in downtown Punta Gorda, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley. The first funk show was hardly the destination

concert that so many now look forward to each February or March. Matt simply liked the band and wanted to introduce their music to others.

“We put a little stage out in the City Marketplace (the empty block bordered by Marion, Taylor, Retta Esplanade and North-bound 41, which is still home to Funk Fest),” ex-plained Matt.

“Yeah,

it was just in the grass portion,” Nick chimed in. “All that concrete was backstage, so it was just in that little corner of grass, that’s how big it was.”

“There were still buildings that were knocked

down (from Charley) in the back-ground,” Matt

continued. “It was cold as hell, and like 500 people

showed up. And we were

like, man, how did this

happen? But it

was so successful, we never thought 500 people would show up, so we did another one in March.”

The Nemec’s had thought it was going to be a one-time deal: bring in Here Come The Mummies, let everyone have a good time and that would be that. But when attendance doubled the second time they brought The Mummies to town, they realized they had a hit on their hands. Local band Zombie University was tapped to play as an opening act. It was Nick’s father-in-law, Ron Bates, who suggested the name Funk Fest, because with bands like Here Come The Mummies and Zombie University on the bill, they didn’t want to scare off the uninitiated.

“It was totally organic,” said Nick. “This festival is not like your typical festival where we’re coming out of the gate spending a million bucks to blast it out. It was totally organic. Our great local talent, local bands played and really helped us groom it into what it is today.”

The term funk itself has similar organic origins. Funky refers to a strong odor, like musty or earthy. The term funky began to be applied to jazz in the early 1900’s as improvising musicians egged each other on by saying put some stank on it.

Mummy Cass, guitarist and vocalist of Here Come The Mummies, said it perfectly when asked, why funk? “Funk has a hint of rot at the center, just like us. Just like the best ladies’ perfumes,” he said. He’s right on all counts. Just look up ambergris, an ingredient of perfume if you’re not familiar. And if you’re not familiar with funk music, it emphasizes heavy, groovy bass lines and drum rhythms, percussive guitar, electric keys and organs, and thanks to its evolution from jazz, soul and R&B, funk usually includes killer horn sections. Funk Fest February 15-16

Nick and Matt Nemec

The Parrot E-pub at: www.swflparrot.com February 2019 Page 15

Here Come The Mummies

It may be hard to articulate what funk sounds like, but it is easy to identify when you hear it. It’s often accompanied by the thought or feeling, damn, that’s funky. Funk was conceived to make you dance, party and get down. Try standing still at this show. Just try.

Yes, The Mummies Are Coming

Here Come The Mummies are the grand marshals, the house band of Funk Fest Punta Gorda. They have been a headlining act for every iteration of the show. Matt Nemec was on to something when he decided to bring them to Punta Gorda all those years ago. While the identities of The Mummies are a closely guarded secret, it is absolutely no secret that inside those fetid rags are world-class musicians that have been hard at work for nearly two decades—er, five millennia—bringing funk back into prominence it hasn’t enjoyed since the 70’s and 80’s. They have a prolific catalogue of recordings that includes 9 full-length studio albums, four EP’s and three live albums. Their latest release, 2018’s All Excess, is a live album of new material. Their live performances are always a spectacle, and their energy is as infectious as the diseases they carry. They are sure to have a few surprises under their bandages in honor of Funk Fest’s tenth anniversary.

“Baby, time flies when you’re havin’ fun,” said Mummy Cass, “and like us, Funk Fest keeps growing and gettin’ wilder. We love it! Funk Fest Punta Gorda is one of our longest-standing engagements of the modern era!”

During their gradual rise to complete anonymity, Here Come The Mummies have played with a who’s-who of musical

luminaries. “We’ve been lucky enough to be on the bill with Mavis Staples, Parliament-Funkadelic, Al Green, Cheap Trick, and KC and the Sunshine Band. Legends all. Pinch us,” Mummy Cass explained. When asked who they were looking forward to seeing at Funk Fest this year, Cass said, “Baby, we’re looking forward to ALL of the other acts this year.”

“Especially Lettuce!” exclaimed saxophone player and vocalist, Midnight.

The Mummies advice regarding their Tenth Anniversary performance at Funk Fest Punta Gorda? “Bring protection Punta Gorda,” Mummy Cass said, “for the sun during the day, and to get down at night.”

Onward and Upward

Despite such humble beginnings, and its location in Southwest Florida, Funk Fest Punta Gorda has snowballed in recent years into an event that draws truly top-notch talent. Through their production company, Edgewater Events, Matt and Nick Nemec are literally putting Punta Gorda on the map, with Big Orange Music Festival and Peace River Revival rounding out the musical offerings. Over the last three years, this trio of festivals has given the Nemec’s the clout to secure bigger and better acts including local and regional up-

and-comers, famous musicians with side projects, giants of the festival circuit and independent music scenes and downright music legends.

The excitement coming from Matt and Nick Nemec for this year’s show is undeniable, and it is with good reason. “This is the lineup we’ve always wanted,” Nick said. “We always wanted to push the envelope. So, this year being the tenth anniversary, we said ‘let’s go for it!’”

“You gotta come to this.” Matt proclaimed. “I don’t know how else to say it, you gotta come to this. And it’s all because of this guy,” he said proudly, pointing to his son, Nick.

And they’re both right. You gotta come to this, if for no other reason than to one day say, I saw these guys in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Headlining Funk Fest, along with Here Come The Mummies are two bands that represent somewhat of a miracle in booking music. Or as Matt put it, “two of these bands shouldn’t even be here. Am I wrong?” he laughed (he is not wrong). “Two of these bands should not even be here. It’s unbelievable what is happening in Punta Gorda. It is absolutely mind blowing what’s happening here in Punta Gorda.”

Both Lettuce and Papadosio

are staples of the music festival scene, appearing on the lineups at such mega-festivals as Bonnaroo, Wanee, Suwannee Hulaween, Electric Forest and Summer Camp. If you have never heard of Lettuce or Papadosio, chances are you haven’t heard of these festivals either. By

comparison, last year Funk Fest Punta Gorda sold about 4500 tickets between Friday and Saturday and plans to match those sales this year. These other festivals sell 20,000, 40,000, 60,000 tickets. But it’s not just festivals that these bands are rocking. They each tour extensively, crisscrossing the country and regularly selling out giant venues like Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado and The Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia and every smaller concert venue along the way. And they didn’t become heavyweights over night either. Lettuce formed in the early ‘90’s and Papadosio has been together since the early 2000’s.

New Heights of Funk

The original members of Lettuce met as teenagers in 1992 at a summer program at Berklee College of Music in Boston, citing a shared love of legendary funk bands like Earth, Wind and Fire, and Tower of Power (who played last year’s Funk Fest) as crucial to their formation. When they reconvened as undergraduates, they began to play clubs around town. This led to their first album, Outta Here (Get it? Lettuce Outta Here), in 2002.

“What makes a band a band, is respect for each other,

Page 16 February 2019 The Parrot E-pub at: www.swflparrot.com

ourselves and our collective and individual talents,” said Lettuce bass player, Erick “Jesus” Coomes. This respect for each other’s space resulted in a multitude of side projects from the band. Follow-up albums to their 2002 debut have come infrequently, in 2009, 2012 and 2015. This fluid development has not only allowed Lettuce to mature at its own pace, but it has enabled the very existence of all the members’ other projects, complete with their own recordings and touring schedules. Over the two-plus decades the band has been together they’ve played coast-to-coast and around the world, selling out shows and being tapped for bigger stages and festivals.

Nick Nemec said, “if Tower of Power are the old-school legends of funk, Lettuce are the new-school.” Four of the current six members of Lettuce are original members from way back in 1992. All that time together has given them plenty of time to perfect their craft.

“We are always looking for the beat of the moment—that is timeless,” said Coomes. “We make a combined effort to stay in the moment and ‘on the one’ (as in the first beat of the measure, which is exactly what James Brown preached to his own band) with each other and all of life. We plan to feed off the energy of the crowd and find the most beautiful pocket in which all can love, move and groove.”

It would be hard to explain on paper just how tight of a band Lettuce is, and, well, how funky. You’ll just have to hear for yourself. Missing Lettuce in Punta Gorda would be a serious mistake. And the members of Lettuce want to see you as much as you should want to see them.

“The way the show and the music makes one physically feel, makes us continuously keep coming back for more,” Coomes explained. “That, and the feeling one gets when seeing the genuine expressions of joy on people’s faces as the music and energy takes them over.”

Therein lies the power of a live music performance. It is a shared experience between the musicians on stage and the audience in the crowd. “The best thing about a festival is, everyone is festive,” observed Coomes. “We are bringing the love, unity and respect. Also, we want to have a good time and dance together,” Coomes said. Don’t let him down.

Lettuce’s most recent release is 2016’s Mt. Crushmore, an EP of unreleased songs from their 2015 full-length album, Crush. If you’re curious as to what Lettuce sounds like, check them out at lettucefunk.com.

The Future of Music PerformanceWhile Lettuce will undoubtedly be a treat for your ears, Papadosio is bringing a treat for the eyes as well. In what may be a first for Punta Gorda, festival-goers at Funk Fest Tenth Anniversary will witness a music performance and intelligent light show that represents the cutting edge of technology where

it intersects art. This is what’s happening at all those festivals with tens of thousands of people, watching hundreds of bands over three to five days. With very good reason, Nick Nemec sounded like a kid who was headed to Disney World the next day as he attempted to describe what Papadosio has in store for us all.

The band Papadosio is a five-piece group originally from Athens, Ohio, but now based in Asheville, North Carolina. They describe their own music as ‘space-rock.’ Like many of the bands on the festival circuit (Lettuce included), it would be easy to lump them into the category of ‘jam band.’ The lineups at the giant festivals are incredibly diverse, running the sonic gamut from every manner of rock, funk, jazz, blues and R & B, to bluegrass, new grass and Americana, to electronic dance music. One common thread that seems to unify these eclectic lineups is the improvisational aspect, the jam. These acts all leave space in their music for improvising, for stretching it out, going with the flow and allowing the audience, and the musicians themselves, to get lost in the music. These moments are what give live music its transcendental potential.

Papadosio’s music is gorgeous. At times it’s breathtakingly open and ethereal, even orchestral.

At others it’s hard driving, edgy, and yes, even funky. Their live shows develop as organically as the band itself. “Our songs have evolved with our musical palette, I think,” said Sam Brouse, one of Papadosio’s keyboard players and vocalists.

Comprised of two keyboard and synthesizer players, guitar, bass and drums, plus a multitude of electronic equipment like samplers and drum machines, one apt description of Papadosio is livetronica. The term refers to bands who incorporate electronic elements into their music, but unlike purely electronic acts like DJ’s, they play actual musical instruments, and use the electronics in real-time to create unimaginable layered sonic landscapes.

This ambitious music is complemented by their equally ambitious visual display. Lighting designer, Dustin Klein, attempted to explain. “Papadosio will be bringing a unique visual experience to Funk Fest,” said Klein. “The light show features a mix of visionary art and animation, plus live generative video content, that actually lets you see which musician is playing in real time,” he said. If you’ve haven’t been to a big concert lately, you are in for a real treat. It would be impossible to describe what lighting designers are able to do these days. The evolution in terms of technology, control and just the pure art of concert lighting is absolutely staggering. Lighting designers truly are unseen members of the band, as their contribution is a huge factor in terms of total enjoyment and the overall experience of the crowd. “Like the music,” Klein continued, “the lights play along, leading to a new experience at every show. This light show travels with Papadosio, and will only be on during our set,” Klein said. “We are excited to bring our production to Funk Fest!”

That is one reason to be happy

Lettuce

The Parrot E-pub at: www.swflparrot.com February 2019 Page 17

with general admission tickets rather than VIP. You’ll get the full picture, and full effect, of these lights a little further back from the stage.

Papadosio has created a huge name for themselves and a cult following of fans through relentless touring, playing over 150 shows per year. They have also spent their fair share of time in the studio. Beginning with the first in 2007, Papadosio has released nine albums, including the brand-new album, Content Coma, this past September. The record addresses the human population’s current addiction to the internet and social media. The tracks are layered with progressive sonic structures, highly technical beats, and light and catchy melodies.

Throughout it all Papadosio emphasizes connectedness. “Being a part of the community that we have created is really special,” Brouse said. “Our fans mean the world to us, and their support has allowed us to do what we love and experiment a lot. The most rewarding thing for me is to give the fans a great experience and great music to listen back to.” Brouse said, ‘listen back to’ because every show that Papadosio has recorded since 2013 (that’s over 250) is available to stream and download at their website, papadosio.com.

Papadosio’s music, combined with their visual display, has the power to take you to another plane of existence. This is the only reason you need to buy a ticket to Funk Fest this year. Seeing this one set will be worth the entire price of admission. Or, as Brouse promised, “We are gonna rock ultra mega hard!”

Beyond the FunkIn addition to the phenomenal musical offerings, the Tenth Anniversary of Funk Fest Punta Gorda promises to be quite an experience altogether. “So, it’s not that we just concentrate

wholly on the music,” Matt promised. “We concentrate on the whole experience. And this year more than any of them we’ve really rallied. It’s going to be a lot nicer.”

One of the centerpieces for the anniversary is a reimagined VIP experience. Gone are the tables and chairs under the big-top. “We’re putting a bar in the center and we’re turning it into a lounge with lots of leather couches,” Matt explained. “And we’ve got a 3D-mapping system and it’s going to feel like you’re under water. So, for the people who buy VIP, we’ve got a really, really cool experience for them.”

And the anniversary experience isn’t limited to those VIP’s. The food trucks and vendors on hand this year promise to be a step up from years past. “You remember The Philadelphian, in Port Charlotte? He’s got a food truck with Philly cheesesteaks, the original guy,” Matt said. “He’s going to be there. Tripping on Pizza, which is Pioneers Pizza, they’ve got a pizza truck. They’re gonna be there. We’ve got Skyline Chili that’s gonna be there. So, it’s not the same food trucks that you see all the time. To me,” said Matt, “it’s another angle of enjoyment that you can try something new.”

You can also buy something new. “We’ve got 15 different

vendors from all over the place,” Matt continued, “so the vendor village is going to be super nice and different from years before.”Between the music, the lights, the food (and booze), the merchandise and the people watching, the Funk Fest Punta Gorda, Tenth Anniversary, is shaping up to be a worthy milestone in the event’s storied history. And throughout all the years and successes, Matt and Nick Nemec have not lost sight of the reasons they started doing it all in the first place.

“It’s all been about connecting with the people that live here and the people that come to the shows,” said Matt.

“We hope that this helps their commerce, that this helps promote their business and they get more bar sales and more dinner sales,” Nick said. “I hope that happens. I hope the hotels are all sold out. That’s the reason, so ultimately that is the goal too.”

“At the end of the shows, I’m always at the gate, shaking hands with people, saying ‘thanks for coming, man, see you next year.’ I always do that,” concluded Matt. “And for me it’s, ‘thank you for coming to my party. Thank you for coming to my house.’ I try to treat people the exact same way. If you come to a party at my house, I’m

Papadosio

walking you to the door.”

This is a party you owe it to yourself to attend. Whether you are a Funk Fest veteran, or are considering attending for the first time, this is the year to be there. Whether you think Lettuce is a watery leaf with little-to-no nutritional value, or the greatest band since Bread, who knows when or if you’ll get another chance to see them right in your own backyard. Whether you think Papadosio’s light show is an eye-popping, mind-melting display of psychedelia, or a great way to torture the cat, it’s going to be a sight to behold. Whether you suspect Here Come The Mummies are Grammy Award-winning musicians who value their privacy, or grown men who are too old to play dress up and it’s not even Halloween, you won’t believe how downright fun their show is and what a big smile it will paste on your face. Don’t give yourself any excuse to miss this show. Plan NOW to be there. Anybody with a pulse—and at least eight dudes without one—are going to be in the middle of little ol’ Punta Gorda on Saturday night, February 16, gettin’ funky.

Mummy Cass said, “everybody’s welcome at our party. Race, color, creed, orientation. Just c’mon, baby, and have a good time!”

And PLEASE, don’t forget to give Matt and Nick a great big THANK YOU on the way out.

You can find more information, purchase tickets, read about all the other great bands and hear samples of their music at funkfestpuntagorda.com.