Clinton blends funk, rock to delight crowd at Axis

With a 23-person army at his back, George Clinton attacked Axis, 419 N. Walnut St., with a ferocity Wednesday night, rocking the packed crowd for almost four continuous hours.\nThe members of Parliament/Funkadelic, including a slew of guitarists, keyboardists, drummers, singers, emcees, two bassists, a dancer and a host of others, rotated on and off stage, continuously changing lineups and styles but never giving the crowd a moment to rest.\nBut nothing compared with the pure mayhem that ensues every time Clinton took the stage. The crowd, which was not segregated by race, age, gender or greek affiliation, danced side-by-side and chanted for Clinton throughout the night.\nDr. Funkenstein was more than happy to oblige. While the show started off slowly, with almost a soul-like feel, it quickly picked up pace. The band, and especially its slew of talented guitarists, engaged in a number of over-the-top hard rock guitar solos, always throwing in enough funk to keep booties throughout Axis shaking.\nBut the true grit and strength of Parliament/Funkadelic shined through the final hour of the show. While most of today's rock and rap musicians would be worn down after three hours of jamming, this collection of musicians, many of whom are well over 40, only kicked it up a notch as the p.m. turned to a.m.\nThe highlight, both in terms of energy, recognition and dancing, was the always popular "Flashlight," a crowd pleaser which Clinton and company got into around 1 a.m. Funked out to around 15 minutes with added sing-along choruses, this piece stood as the highlight of everything Clinton and Parliament was capable of achieving.\nWhile the $23 price might have seemed a bit outrageous to some, few in attendance would have agreed. Axis stayed packed throughout the four hours, with the only early departures from stragglers who had obviously lost their breath a little too early. \nWithout a doubt in almost any mind, the Clinton show is a true highlight of live music and what it is capable of. If Bloomington is lucky, perhaps Clinton shall grace it with his presence again very soon.