Funk music pioneer William “Bootsy” Collins and premiere funk music scholar Dr. Scot Brown from UCLA will visit the IU Bloomington campus on Tuesday, March 20. Hosted by the IU Archives of African American Music and Culture, Collins and Brown will participate in a free public event, “Funkology: A Conversation with Bootsy Collins and Dr. Scot Brown,” from 5-7 p.m. at the IU Cinema. Tickets are not required, but seating is limited; doors will open at 4:30 p.m.
“Funkology” will open with a performance by the IU Soul Revue, directed by James Strong, who will set the tone by performing hits associated with Collins’ own music catalogue as well as his affiliation with legendary funk architect James Brown and funk innovator George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic. Music scholar Dr. Scot Brown, a professor of History and African American Studies at UCLA, will offer a brief historical overview of funk music with particular focus on the contributions of Ohio musicians from the Dayton-Cincinnati region. Dr. Brown will then engage Collins in a wide-ranging conversation about his life-long dedication to “the One” (the definitive rhythmic accent on the first beat of the measure, the hump, groove, joint, governing pulse and attitude of the funk universe), along with his role as a primary force in the music genre for nearly 50 years. The conversation will be followed by a reception and light buffet in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.
A related “Funkology” exhibit will be on display in the Neal-Marshall’s Bridgwater Lounge, beginning March 5. Utilizing items from the collections of the Archives of African American Music and Culture, the exhibit will provide an exploration of funk music, with a particular focus on connections between Indianapolis, IN and Dayton, OH, including the influence of Bootsy Collins and his collaborations with many notable funk bands and musicians from the region.