Its name implies its sound.
“We have to play funk music,” said Funk You drummer and vocalist Will Clark of the band set to rock the Sharon Jones Amphitheater on the Savannah River May 28 for its 10th anniversary concert tour.
But Funk You plays more than just that, and band members said people shouldn’t judge its style from its name alone. The band’s sound includes rock, jazz and a touch of reggae with influences from James Brown, Snarky Puppy, Prince, Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd among others.
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“We collide genres,” he said.
With its roots in Augusta, the band played its debut concert in the last few days of 2010. Originally the group featured six members. Over the years, that has changed to include three additional horn players, said William Foster, who plays the keyboard and synthesizer.
Some of the Augustans have moved to other cities in the Southeast including Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Charleston, S.C. and Athens, Ga., but the band still considers Augusta as its home, Foster said.
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The pandemic didn’t put the group’s entire 2020 on the shelf. Funk You still had a few concert dates in 2020, and members have spent time preparing for a new album that should be coming out in the fall, said guitar player Evan Miller.
Recent concerts have sold out, and band members are looking forward to a big crowd at the Sharon Jones Amphitheater.
In addition to Funk You, Bodega Cat and Coach will take the stage beginning at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $25 and are available at etix.com.
North Augusta is one of several concert stops the band has on its schedule over the summer months. The group will play at Sweetwater Brewing Co. in Atlanta June 11, the Peach Music Festival in Scranton, Pa. Independence Day weekend, the Holla Yella Music Festival in Elijay, Ga. Aug. 7.
The Funk You 10th anniversary concert kicks off the Sharon Jones Amphitheater Summer Concert Series. Other concerts include 20 Ride at 7 p.m. June 18; Coach, Pure Indigo and Easily Amused in a free concert at 7 p.m. June 19; and Town Mountain in a free event at 7 p.m. July 29 at the nearby Southbound Smokehouse.
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Moon Taxi will round out the season with a performance at 7 p.m. Sept. 23 at the amphitheater.
For more information on the concert series, visit fwbpro.com.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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