Urban Classic Presents: Pure Funk

Urban Classic brings Pure Funk to the Main Stage Showroom at Crooners Supper Club on Friday, October 30. It's a high-energy celebration of the sounds that shaped funk, paying homage to the Ohio Players, Sly Stone, James Brown, Average White Band and Stevie Wonder. The show runs an hour and a half and is open to all ages.

Musical direction comes from Michael Bland, who's also on drums. He's an American drummer best known as a member of Prince's The New Power Generation from 1989 to 1996. He played with France Gall between 1995 and 1997, joined Nick Jonas & the Administration in 2010, played drums on Vulfpeck's Hero Town in 2017 and is the current drummer for Soul Asylum. For this show, he's put together a dynamic ensemble of national and international touring musicians.

Joining him on stage are Tommy Barbarella on keys; Ashley Commodore, G Sharp and Jay Bee on vocals; Derrick Holleman and Mychael Gabriel on guitar; Ron Long on bass; Scott Agster on trombone; John Bertsch on sax; and John May on trumpet. With a full horn section and three vocalists, the band is built to handle the big, layered arrangements of the artists they're covering.

The show runs from 7 PM to 8:30 PM, with doors opening at 6 PM. Tickets are $45 to $55, and the venue is Crooners Supper Club, 6161 Hwy 65 NE, Minneapolis, MN 55432.