The Purification Project

Later, they dressed and headed to the George Clinton concert. When they arrived, Donna asked Stan to reach into the glove compartment and take out the two mini flashlights. When they got inside Stan understood why. The crowd was predominately White, some looked like conservatives. There were people of all nationalities. Stan thought that this concert should be an interesting experience. There were flashlights shining everywhere. Stan remembered how, in his day, concert-goers carried cigarette lighters.

At show time, the lights dimmed, the crowd began to shout. Smoke filled the stage and when it subsided, George Clinton and the Funkadelic/Parlament band were there like magic. Stan had forgotten how many there were and that they dressed outrageously. George Clinton wore his hair in long multi-colored braids. His boots were covered with fur as was his vest. He resembled some kind of Technicolor Cro-Magnon man. His beard  was scruffy and he wore over-sized sun glasses. The rest of the band was equally colorful. The audience was in a frenzy, intoxicated with anticipation to the point that the sheer energy could be felt like a warm breeze.

The band opened with “Flashlight”. Once the song began, Stan understood why Donna had him bring the flashlights. Beams of light filled the auditorium like a swarm of fireflies. The song, which had never been one of Stan’s favorites, never sounded so great. The whole place was rocking.

After the first song, Bootsy Collins took the mike and introduced two rappers who joined the band for this concert. They were:” Ice Cube” and “ Coolio”.  The introduction brought on thunderous applause. When it finally quieted down, the band broke into a rendition of “Knee Deep”. Fans were dancing in the aisles. It was during that song that Stan, a confirmed non-dancer, found himself dancing with Donna and the others.  Something about the music got into Stan’s pants.

The group played all of Stan and Donna’s favorites including: “One Nation Under A Groove”, “Burn This Mother Down”, “Atomic Dog”, “Do Fries Go With That Shake” and Stan’s all-time favorite, “Mothership Connection”. The concert lasted over three hours and the audience was thrilled. Stan hadn’t enjoyed a concert that much since he and Sherry saw Keiko Matsui and Bob James at the Fox Theater.