By TommyB (24.147.158.227) on Thursday, April 10, 2003 - 12:54 am:

I just got back from Boston and seeing the Funk Brothers tonight. What a night!! This was the best concert I've ever been to in my 50+ years! I sure hope everyone gets a chance to see them over the next few weeks because you just won't believe how great the show is! These guys were having a blast the whole time and the place was overflowing with people who just loved everything they did. They sounded so awesome. It's just so great to hear these songs played the way they were recorded and the various singers were excellent. I just can't say enough positive things about this show. There are about 8 of the original Funk Brothers and the rest were musicians from the Philadelphia International label. There was also one local guy from Boston playing with them. Joan Osborne, Darlene Love, Maxie Priest...they were just great and you could see that everyone was having a great time. The audience response was overwhelming and I think the Funk Brothers appeared surprised at how warmly they all were received. You could see they were very surprised that the crowd went wild at the end of the first song!
Mavis Staples wasn't there, as billed, but they had John Ingram and a female singer (I didn't catch her name) from Philly Int'l and she was great. Joan Osborne, Darlene Love and Maxie Priest were just great and paid great homage to their songs, being very faithful to the original version. They played a bunch of songs that weren't in the movie too...I couldn't believe it...they even played and Needle In A Haystack by the Velvelettes and Here Comes Da Judge by Shortly Long! Oh man, this show was just amazing. What a sound...these guys were right on the mark with their playing. It was mostly music but there was a couple spots where they talked and told stories...Jack Ashford told most of the stories and they were great. Darlene Love sang my all-time favorite Martha & the Vandellas song, My Baby Love Me. She has such a powerful voice and she had such a big grin the entire time she was singing, she was enjoying herself. You could tell that this was a show they were doing because it was fun. With Boston being their first show on the road, you could see that they were very surprised at how warmly they were received. The crowd just loved everything they did! Run to see the Funk Brothers and their guest artists at a city near you, this is the show of a lifetime!

By Sue (205.188.209.38) on Thursday, April 10, 2003 - 01:06 am:

Thanks for the review Tommy ...that other Philly singer would be Carla Benson, and she is great.

The "Function at the Junction" bit is a medley of it with "Here Come Da Judge" where they have the audience be the jury ...

By STUBASS (152.163.188.68) on Thursday, April 10, 2003 - 01:30 am:

TOMMY: NOW YOU'VE REALLY GOT ME AND MY BROTHER ALL EXCITED!!!...WE'LL BE THERE...EN MASSE HERE IN L.A.!!!...THANKS FOR THE REVIEW...SOUNDS FANTASTIC!!!...STU(GROOVINONTHE23RD)BASS

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, April 10, 2003 - 10:46 am:

Here's the latest blurb from BILLBOARD magazine regarding the Funks:

http://billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1861484

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By TonyRussi (68.210.2.125) on Thursday, April 10, 2003 - 11:51 am:

Wow!Thanks Tommy for the review...the Funk Brothers & Darlene Love...what a show!I hope Martha Reeves does some shows with them and wouldn't it be great if the Velvelettes were a guest artist?We would be in musical heaven!

By STUBASS (152.163.188.68) on Thursday, April 10, 2003 - 12:04 pm:

NICE KEV: I DON'T KNOW...PERHAPS I'LL START WORKING ON "I"LL BE DOGGONNE" IF MY VOCAL CHOPS ARE STILL THERE!!!...ON SECOND THOUGHT...TOMATOES ARE IN SEASON...AND I'D HATE TO SEE THAT TYPE OF MESS ALL OVER THE WILTERN STAGE!!!...STU

By 1wicked (24.126.64.120) on Thursday, April 10, 2003 - 01:07 pm:

Geez....if I could just manage to transport my shower down to Virgin's L.A. studios....

By STUBASS (64.12.97.7) on Thursday, April 10, 2003 - 02:00 pm:

GREAT NEWS ALL: LINDA BROWN FROM THE RECORDING ACADEMY (NARAS) HAS ACCEPTED MY INVITATION TO THE L.A. PERFORMANCE, AND ALONG WITH HER FRIEND...RECORDING LEGEND JOHNNY RIVERS... WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE WITH US AND THE GANG!!!...SHE TELLS ME THAT JOHNNY IS A BIG "FUNK BROTHERS" FAN...AND TOOK LINDA TO SEE THE MOVIE...AND IS ALSO A HUGE JOAN OSBORNE ADMIRER!!!...LINDA IS THE COORDINATOR AT NARAS FOR OUR REQUEST TO BESTOW UPON THE "FUNK BROTHERS" A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD"...THINGS ARE DEFINITELY LOOKING UP!!!...STU

By STUBASS (64.12.97.7) on Thursday, April 10, 2003 - 02:14 pm:

1WICKED: IF THATS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GET YOU TO TAKE A SHOWER...SING ON MY FRIEND...SING ON!!!

By SteveS (68.41.246.95) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 01:02 am:

Review of the Funks concert in Boston Herald:

http://www2.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/funk04112003.htm

By Sue (205.188.209.38) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 01:10 am:

Great stuff ...jeez I'm getting anxious to see this ...

By Reese (12.15.169.254) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 10:57 am:

I also attended the Boston concert and I second every thing that Tommy B said. The concert was incredible. For a while , I was a bit worried that the turnout would be low. I saw very few advertisements for it. The doors opened at 7pm. I got to the club at 6:30 expecting to see a long line, and there wasn't one. I was actually the first one there. But the place did fill up by showtime.

Needless to say, when the doors opened, I ran right to the front of the stage, and there I stayed for the entire show. I was able to observe all the musicians very closely. Plus Darlene Love sang MY BABY LOVES ME and MY GUY right to me. I could have died.

Darlene, Joan Osborne,and Maxi Priest were great, But the stars of the evening were most definitely the Funk Brothers. It was such a thrill to see these living legends right before my eyes. And I actually felt happy for them. People were calling them by name and you could see the joy that they were experiencing with the recognition.

It was also great for me to meet so many enthusiastic fans. For some reason, everyone in my section was a bass player. As a non-musician, I actually felt a bit left out, but they included me in their group and designated me as "the nice guy."

One last note: they were selling the DVD of the film. If you bought it early enough, you got a wristband that let you backstage to have it autographed by the guys. So if you have a chance to meet them, don't blow it.

And definitely don't miss the show if it comes to your area.

By Caleb (64.157.77.56) on Saturday, April 12, 2003 - 08:42 pm:

Any comments on the New York gig last night.I know there in Philly right now.

By John Im in heaven Lester (66.65.121.65) on Sunday, April 13, 2003 - 06:52 pm:

Hey all you Englanders....eat your heart out.

I couldn't wait for the Funks to come to the UK so I went to see them in New York......and they were wonderful. They were introduced by Scottie Regen too. I met them AND got to talk to them AND got my CD and autograph book signed. I was in heaven.

And talk about knock me over with a feather. After Where Did Our Love Go and Baby Love, Carla Benson sung Needle In A Haystack! Whoopeee!

The Funks promised me they would come to the UK....so you all have a treat in store.

By cuznbrucie (68.44.250.72) on Sunday, April 13, 2003 - 07:57 pm:

I was with the *FUNKs* last night in Philadelphia at the beautiful Keswick Theater........in the Front Row!!!! I've known Bob Babbitt for 39 years and it was truly gratifying to see the love and excitement going to him and the other FUNKs during this sold out show........
Everything that the people here have said about the Boston & New York shows is true and it was very exciting..........quite nostalgic when Jack Ashford comes out to front stage near the end of the show and they have large B & W photos of the deceased FUNKs on the stage in the spotlights as they played the final songs........Allan Slutsky has done a masterful job in lining up the fantastic background singers (Delbert nelson, carla Benson, & Johnny Ingram) as well as the horn players including Mike Pedicin, Jr. and augmenting the keyboards, from here in South Jersey, Demetrious Pappas...........and putting this whole show together.......it was a night that i will remember the rest of my life!!! DO NOT MISS this show if it comes within 300 miles from you!!!!