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George Clinton extending “One Nation Under a Groove Tour” to the Fox Theatre on Thursday, July 25 Tickets on sale Friday, April 12
ATLANTA (April 8, 2018) – Capping over 50 years of touring and recording, George Clinton is set to embark on his final tour – “One Nation Under a Groove” – with the legendary Parliament Funkadelic before he retires. He will make one last stop at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre on Thursday, July 25.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m. at FoxTheatre.org, the Fox Theatre Ticket Office, and 855-285-8499. Ticket prices start at $35, plus applicable fees. Single-event access to the Marquee Club presented by Lexus will be available for purchase on top of the show ticket. Marquee Club passes are $55 per person and include an enhanced pre-show through post-show experience with complimentary food and non-alcoholic beverages.
After joining Red Hot Chili Peppers for a nine-city tour of Australia Feb-March, George and P-Funk follow up with their own Australian headline tour in April where they will hit the legendary Bluesfest stage in Byron Bay, and a stint in Japan at Billboard Live. Starting after Memorial Day weekend, the group will hit the road in North America with the “One Nation Under a Groove Tour”. Joining P-Funk to send this icon of American pop culture off with a BANG are Galactic, Fishbone and Miss Velvet & The Blue Wolf – all of whom are taking time out of their own busy schedules to hit the road with the Grammy-winning, once- rainbow-dreaded pioneer of Funk, Hip Hop and Rock & Roll.
Parliament Funkadelic has been a touring force for decades, and the current lineup including veterans Bennie Cowan (trumpet), Greg Thomas (sax), Lige Curry (bass) and Blackbird McKnight (guitar) have been with George for 30 plus years. Parliament Funkadelic also now includes many younger generations of Clinton's family who are set to move the legacy forward into the 21st century. This blended-family business has no plans of slowing down, even with their helmsman moving on. “It’s always been about the music and the band" says the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, "That’s the real P-Funk legacy. They’ll still be funkin’ long after I stop.”
The "One Nation Under a Groove Tour" is the latest blockbuster package tour created by Universal Attractions Agency, George and P-Funk’s booking agency. The tour was conceived around the anniversary of the iconic Album and single of the same title. "We had been kicking this idea around for a long time" recalls Nick Szatmari, George's agent at UAA. "It just felt organic and authentic, especially with the current social climate and the powers that be trying to divide everyone; it has always been a call for unity and togetherness through music. When George announced his retirement it just all clicked. It’s surreal how it all came together, and we are very fortunate to have the support of Galactic, Fishbone, and Miss Velvet & The Blue Wolf on this historic tour".
UAA and its co-owners, Jeff Epstein and Jeff Allen, are gearing up to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the company's founding in 1945 with "One Nation Under a Groove" as the flagship tour for this year among many shows they are rolling out for the 2019-2020 season "We are excited and honored to be sending one of the most iconic touring artists in history into his well-deserved retirement with a bang, and quite a bang this will be. It is a fitting culmination of our years of work together" says Jeff Epstein.
Billboard summed up the historic nature of this moment perfectly in their coverage of the retirement announcement; "If you want to watch the original master of funk do his thing, you’ve got one more year. Parliament/Funkadelic frontman/producer George Clinton is set to retire from touring in 2019."
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About the Fox Theatre The Fox Theatre is one of Atlanta’s premier venues for live entertainment. Listed as No. 1 non-residency venue worldwide for the decade by Billboard Magazine, the Fox Theatre was most recently named as one of the 2018 “Top Stops Worldwide” by Venues Now magazine and landed in the top three of Pollstar magazine’s 2018 Worldwide Ticket Sales. Other notable accolades include nods for 2017 “Theatre of the Year” by the International Entertainment Buyers Association, Rolling Stone magazine’s “The Best Big Rooms in America” as part of their “Venues That Rock” series (2013) and the 2011 “Outstanding Historic Theatre of the Year” award by the League of Historic American Theatres. For the past decade, the Fox Theatre has consistently ranked in the top three non-residency theatres in North America for gross ticket sales by industry trade magazines, Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Now. The Fox Theatre has the No. 1 social media presence for any theatre or performing arts center in North America (2,000-5,000 seats) and for any Georgia venue according to the “Social Media Power 100” compiled by Venues Now magazine. With 4,665 seats in the theatre, the Fox hosts 250 performances a year, from rock concerts and Broadway productions to ballets, comedy and movies, attracting 500,000 visitors annually. In addition, the
Fox hosts wedding receptions, trade shows, corporate meetings and association functions in its fabulous ballrooms, lounge and outdoor terrace.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization, the Fox Theatre stands today as a fiercely protected landmark and a nationally acclaimed theater and is celebrating its 90th year in 2019. The Fox Theatre proudly acknowledges its partners for their generous support: Coca-Cola, Lexus, Georgian Terrace Hotel, Georgia Natural Gas, Atlanta Beverage-Yuengling, Regions, Grady Health System and Whole Foods Market. Tickets for all events are available at the Fox Theatre Ticket Office, online at FoxTheatre.org or toll free at 855-285-8499. For group sales information contact the Fox Theatre at 404- 881-2000, or visit the Fox Theatre website at foxtheatre.org. Please stay connected with the Fox Theatre on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and by using the hashtag #AtTheFox.
About the Marquee Club Presented by Lexus The Marquee Club Presented by Lexus is the Fox Theatre’s premium membership club. Adjacent to the theatre, the Moroccan and Middle Eastern-style club is 10,000 square feet of interior and exterior space; five stationary bars; three rooftop environments, including the climate-controlled Conservatory, patio covered Arcade Terrace and the outdoor Rooftop Terrace. Open only during public events at the Fox Theatre, the Marquee Club offers pre-show through post-show access for club guests. Additional amenities include priority pre-sale ticketing notifications, access to private restrooms, concierge guest services and self-parking access to an adjacent lot for some memberships. Single-event access passes for non-members are limited and available on a first come-first serve basis. For more information or to purchase a membership, please call Fox Theatre’s Corporate Partnership, Premium Seating Office at 404-881-2127 or visit FoxTheatre.org/MarqueeClub. Share your Marquee Club Presented by Lexus experience on Instagram at @FoxMarqueeClub and by using the hashtag #FoxMarqueeClub.
About George Clinton Recording both as Parliament and Funkadelic, George Clinton revolutionized R&B during the ’70s, twisting soul music into funk by adding influences from several late-’60s acid heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and Sly Stone. The Parliament/Funkadelic machine ruled black music during the ’70s, capturing over 40 R&B hit singles (including three number ones) and recording three platinum albums. Inspired by Motown‘s assembly line of sound, George Clinton gradually put together a collective of over 50 musicians and recorded the ensemble during the ’70s both as Parliament and Funkadelic. 1978-79 was the most successful year in Parliament/Funkadelic history: Parliament hit the charts first with “Flash Light,” P- Funk’s first R&B number one. “Aqua Boogie” would hit number one as well late in the year, but Funkadelic‘s title track to “One Nation Under a Groove” spent six weeks at the top spot on the R&B charts during the summer. The album, which reflected a growing consistency in styles between Parliament and Funkadelic, became the first Funkadelic LP to reach platinum (the same year that Parliament‘s “Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome” did the same). In 1979, Funkadelic‘s “(Not Just) Knee Deep” hit number one as well, and its album (“Uncle Jam Wants You”) also reached platinum status. Clinton began his solo career with 1982’s “Computer Games”. Several months later, Clinton’s “Atomic Dog” hit number one on the R&B charts; it stayed at the top spot for four weeks, but only managed number 101 on the pop charts. Clinton stayed on Capitol for three more years, releasing three studio albums and frequently charting singles in the R&B Top 40. Clinton’s visibility and presence has become familiar to a wider audience thanks to appearances in movies “The Night Before”, “House Party”, “PCU”, and “Good Burger”, hosting the HBO original series “Cosmic Slop”, and doing commercials for Apple computers, Nike, and Rio Mp3 players. Clinton also composed the theme songs for popular TV programs “The Tracey Ullman Show” and “The PJs”. Clinton has received a Grammy, a Dove (gospel) , and an MTV music video awards, and has been recognized by BMI, the NAACP Image Awards, and Motown Alumni Association for lifetime achievement. Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Parliament Funkadelic’s story of late is that of the Phoenix rising from the smoke. The band’s agent, Nick Szatmari of Universal Attractions, has been working with them since his arrival at UAA in 2008 and has spent the last decade helping the group build their business from spot dates in small clubs to sell-out routed tours in large theaters and clubs, propelling P-Funk back into the major touring circuit in 2019 where they will be playing arenas, amphitheaters, and major venues across the country. "It has been a decade of grinding it out on the road, 100, 120, 150 dates a year in clubs re-proving his value in the box office. George Clinton is an absolute road warrior, and his health and stamina have increased over this time. Following the massive success of the Mardi Gras Madness Tour which ran for 3 years, the One Nation Under a Groove Tour is the fruit of so much hard work, not only by all the agents and staff at UAA, the P-Funk crew, and especially the band, but most of all George. All the credit ultimately goes to him for leading this charge. Now P-Funk is set to take this progress into the next generation and keep it going." About Galactic Galactic’s first new studio album in more than three years, ALREADY READY ALREADY – released on their own Tchuop-Zilla Records – sees the renowned New Orleans based instrumental outfit taking a distinctly contemporary approach towards their own progressive sound, interpolating modern rhythms and electronic instrumentation within the house-shaking framework of the Crescent City’s funk pop ‘n’ roll. Produced by the band’s Robert Mercurio and Ben Ellman, the new LP finds Galactic once again enlisting a diverse array of vocal collaborators to assist in their musical exploration, each of whom lend lyrical flavor and individualistic personality to the band’s multi-faceted sonic grooves. Bookended by a high- powered pair of trademark Galactic instrumentals that give the album its title, ALREADY READY ALREADY. The album is a short, sharp blast of undeniable creative muscle, from the stripped-down kick/snap verses of “Going Straight Crazy,” featuring New Orleans singer (and YouTube sensation) Princess Shaw, to punk cabaret artist Boyfriend’s quirky speed-rap on the breakneck “Dance At My Funeral.” As ever, Galactic’s omnivorous musical interests make easy classification utterly impossible – ALREADY READY ALREADY is as all-encompassing and universal as the band’s moniker established long ago.
About Fishbone Combining equal parts of deep funk, high-energy punk, and frantic ska, the Los Angeles-based Fishbone was one of the most distinctively eclectic and influential alternative rock bands of the late '80s. With their hyperactive, self-conscious diversity, goofy sense of humor, and sharp social commentary, the group gained a sizable cult following during the late '80s. Led by vocalist/saxophonist front-man Angelo Moore, the band formed in 1979 while the members were still in junior high; the original lineup comprised Moore, Chris Dowd, Kendall Jones, Walter Kibby II, and brothers John Norwood Fisher & Philip "Fish" Fisher. After performing in local clubs during the early '80s, the group signed with Columbia Records in the mid- '80s. Their first release was the 1985 single "Party at Ground Zero", followed by a self-titled EP, Fishbone produced by David Kahne. In 1987, in support of their first full-length album, In Your Face, the band performed "Jamaica Ska" in the Annette Funicello/Frankie Avalon reunion movie Back to the Beach. The current line-up performed on Lollapalloza 1993 tour, and has shed its influence on chart- toppers, Red Hot Chill-Peppers, Sublime and No Doubt amongst other contemporaries. About Miss Velvet & the Blue Wolf MISS VELVET & THE BLUE WOLF chose Detroit’s iconic United Sound Studio (home to music legends like Earth, Wind & Fire, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic) to record their debut album BAD GET SOME (released Oct. 27th 2017) to rave reviews both internationally and at home in the Huffington Post. Produced and music-directed by Isotopia Records, the album features native New Yorker Miss Velvet on powerhouse vocals. The talented Blue Wolf Band, Constance Hauman (keys and producer) Nick Carbone (drummer and producer), James Jones (bass), Henry Ott (guitars), TJ Robinson (trombone and congas), Trevor Neumann (trumpet), and Dan Levine (trombone) infuse their unique and infectious blend of rock, soul and funk throughout the album, inspired by the jaw-dropping vocals of front woman Miss Velvet. With their debut single DARE, Miss Velvet and the Blue Wolf take the listener on a journey back to the days of psychedelic rock and epic rock vocals. About Universal Attractions Agency In business since 1945, Universal Attractions Agency's celebrated history includes launching the career of the legendary soul singer James Brown and representing him for more than 40 years. In 2007, Jeff Allen and Jeff Epstein bought the company and have spent the last decade growing the agency into an industry powerhouse. UAA now boasts a staff of over 30 employees, Offices in Midtown Manhattan and Los Angeles, and a sizable roster of exclusive artists and tours including MC Hammer, One Nation Under a Groove, George Clinton’s Farewell Tour (Galactic, Fishbone) Sesame Street Live - “C” is for Celebration, Lost ‘80s Live (ft. A Flock Of Seagulls), UB40, RBRM, Salt-n-Pepa, Naughty By Nature and numerous others. UAA has proven itself as an industry leader among talent agencies, continuing to help direct the careers of some of the most prominent artists, comedians, and entertainers of today. Of particular note, UAA’s “I Love the ‘90s Tour” was named one of the top 50 grossing tours by Pollstar magazine two years in a row. The success of the tour helped transition UAA from a boutique agency to a bi-coastal force, rivaling the music departments of major agencies worldwide. UAA artists successfully tour at all levels of the business, clubs, theaters, arenas and amphitheaters, and UAA has a proven track record of increasing the quality and volume of work for their clients.