Thursday, January 29, 2009   "Does the world really need another
funk band?  In this modern age of bluetooth-enabled blenders and
ginseng toothpaste, the idea of a group of young men dedicating
themselves to pursuit of the funk seems quaint, if not quixotic.
Is fame and fortune their motivation? Unlikely. For funksters,
Fate’s a fickle mistress, and history is littered with her
rejected suitors. The foothills of Funk Olympus can be
treacherous terrain, with shelter (both economic and critical)
scarce.  But all is not soured wine and wilted roses. Witnesses
to the quartet’s combustible performances report a rather
elevated level of joy in the air, a certain carnival quality
involving spontaneous finger-popping, palm-slapping and sole-
stomping. Could this intoxicating fragrance of fun be the
addictive additive that drives their devilishly dedicated
desires?  Imagine, if you will, a random Ratskeller, canteen or
speakeasy bouncing to a syncopated, stuttering sound. Fatback
drums shake sweat from the walls, dance