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Fridays From The Funky Uncle: Moored Mardi Gras Float Becomes Livestream Lifeboat For New Orleans Musicians

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[Update 2/3/20]: This week’s edition of Fridays From The Funky Uncle will feature George Porter Jr. and Runnin’ Pardners. The performance marks Porter’s second Funky Uncle performance in as many weeks following last week’s collaboration with fellow The Meters co-founder Leo Nocentelli. Tune in to the full livestream show for free on Friday, February 5th at 7:30 ET via the Fridays From The Funky Uncle YouTube channel.


[Originally published 1/28/21]: George Porter Jr. and Leo Nocentelli, co-founders of the foundational New Orleans funk band, The Meters, will come together for a rare livestream collaboration this Friday, January 29th at 7:30 p.m ET as part of Fridays From The Funky Uncle, a weekly webcast series that takes place in the shelter of the Mardi Gras float/rolling stage affectionately known as the Funky Uncle Lounge and supports the many members of the vibrant New Orleans music scene who remain out of work as the pandemic continues to preclude regular live gigs. The Funky Uncle Lounge itself finds a silver lining in the series as well, with Mardi Gras parades officially canceled city-wide this year.

Related: George Porter Jr. Talks Art Neville, Allen Toussaint, & The Hindsight Of The Meters [Interview]

Produced by Bougainvillea Productions and the Soul Project NOLA , the donation-based series raises money for the Funk Fund, which is distributed to local musicians and entertainment workers impacted economically or medically by COVID-19. Per the series website, Fridays From The Funky Uncle has raised more than $255,000 over 43 weeks—starting in early April, 2020—and helped 392 members of the coronavirus-stalled New Orleans entertainment community. Past performers have included a who’s who of New Orleans staples like Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Papa Mali, Erica Falls, Khris Royal & Dark Matter, Nigel Hall, New Orleans Suspects, and more.

Leo Nocentelli and George Porter Jr. – Fridays From The Funky Uncle – 1/29/20 – Full Show

[Video: Fridays From The Funky Uncle]

In the vein of classic variety shows like Soul Train, the ninety-minute webcasts also feature artist interviews and other additional content. The Fridays From The Funky Uncle series streams for free on its website as well as its Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch channels. Watch a brief video about the mission of Fridays From The Funky Uncle below:

About Fridays From  The Funky Uncle

[Video: Fridays From The Funky Uncle]

In addition to accepting donations, Fridays From The Funky Uncle raises funds via weekly collaborations with noted New Orleans painter, Frenchy. Each week, Frenchy live-paints the performances and auctions the pieces off to viewers in real-time, donating 60% of the proceeds to the Funk Fund. As of this writing, 28 of Frenchy’s Fridays From The Funky Uncle paintings have sold, and his contributions to the fund alone have exceeded $50,000.

Born Randy Leo Frechette, Frenchy paints with soul and celebration as he travels the world capturing live music performances, festivals, fundraisers and sporting events with style and finesse. From his palette comes vibrantly colored brush strokes inspired by rhythms and melodies, giving emotions a shape in real time. While he was born in New England, Frenchy has been both inspired and embraced by the talent-rich city of New Orleans, LA since relocating there in 1997. Frenchy’s artistry in motion has garnered the attention of both the NFL‘s New Orleans Saints (who requested Frenchy as their official team artist from 2001–2007) and the NBA‘s former New Orleans Hornets (who brought him in to paint courtside for every home game from 2004–2006). In 2015, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival selected Frenchy as the event’s official artist.

Tune in for free on the Fridays From The Funky Uncle website on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. ET to stream to for weekly performances.

The post Fridays From The Funky Uncle: Moored Mardi Gras Float Becomes Livestream Lifeboat For New Orleans Musicians appeared first on L4LM.

Source: L4LM.com