Enigmatic funk bassist/quilted fart purveyor MonoNeon performed the national anthem ahead of last Thursday’s game between the NBA‘s Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies in his home town of Memphis, TN.
The colorful bassist, once described by Eddie Murphy as “Jimi Hendrix and Basquiat and Skittles, all combined,” set up at half court with a bass and a microphone in a quintessential MonoNeon garb—a sweatsuit made out of a patchwork quilt, an intricately crocheted ski mask, and an oversized pair of orange sunglasses—to treat the unsuspecting FedEx Forum crowd to a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” unlike anyone has heard before.
Related: MonoNeon Details New Fender Signature Bass, Special Edition Fart Pedal [Photo/Video]
In the extraterrestrial hands of MonoNeon, the opening stanzas of the national anthem become a syncopated, slap-bass groove, and his vocal delivery flips the song’s typical grandiosity on its head in favor of nonchalant charisma—a hat tip of sorts to Marvin Gaye‘s famous “Star-Spangled Banner” at the ’83 All Star game. Leading into the anthem’s final lines, MonoNeon lets the groove spill out into a sprawling, arpeggiated chord, allowing his funky anthem to land on wisps of lush jazz harmony.
In the wake of his performance, the Grizzlies analysts on Grind City Media‘s The Chris Vernon Show podcast had a lot to say about the quilted bassist and his re-imagined “Star-Spangled Banner”. While the episode’s panelists had mixed feelings, Vernon was entirely sold. “Look, I’ve been to a million sporting events and seen national anthems,” he said, “and almost never do I get stopped in my tracks and intrigued by something. I could not take my eyes off of this. I didn’t know what was going on. … I’m like yo, this guy is unbelievable! … I want that guy at every game.”
Below, watch MonoNeon perform an incredible rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of Thursday’s Warriors vs. Grizzlies game and check out the clip about the performance from The Chris Vernon Show. For a full list of upcoming MonoNeon tour dates, head here.
“MonoNeon’s Quilted National Anthem” – Warriors vs. Grizzlies – 3/9/23
The Chris Vernon Show Talks About MonoNeon National Anthem
[Originally published 3/10/23]
The post MonoNeon Funks Up The National Anthem At Grizzlies Vs. Warriors NBA Game, Analysts React [Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
