Tom Strader
Stubblefield: 'The crowd is always changing, but it is always very diverse from a mix of college students to older music fans and Madison music lovers.'
Last weekend marked the final night of live music at the King Club before its temporary closing and renovation in advance of its reopening as weekly show led by drumming legend Clyde Stubblefield.
Known himself as the Funky Drummer, Stubblefield has opened the work week in downtown Madison for some 19 years with this show, keeping busy on stage and in contact with the city's musicians. Among the places he has played are O'Cayz Corral, In Cahoots, Slammers, and The King Club, a space that has been his muscial home for nearly a decade. "The Monday night show has never been an 'open jam,'" explains writes about his adventures playing the weekly gig.
Last week, Husk announced that Funky Mondays is making its way to reopens as Woof's later this winter. The band's first night there will be on Monday, January 21, with the music running from 10:00 p.m. until bar time.
This is only one of many changes for the show that's about to embark on its third decade, though. "Over that many years, it's changed frequently," says Stubblefield. "Different audiences, different band members. The crowd is always changing, but it is always very diverse from a mix of college students to older music fans and Madison music lovers. I love the band I have right now. They're one of the hottest combinations of musicians I've ever played with."
In addition to Stubblefield on the drums, the band consists of: Charlie Brooks, Carolynn Black, and Karri Daley on vocals; Steve Skaggs on keyboards, Husk, Joe Wickham on guitar, Dave Goplen on bass, Alex Leong on trombone, Pete Nelson on trumpet, and Paula on the congos. "Each week we either kick ass, or have fun trying," declares Skaggs.
A closer look at Funky Mondays can be found in an article in the Fall 2007 edition of Curb magazine published by UW-Madison journalism students.
Stubblefield continues to have fun at Funky Mondays, meanwhile, and promises "more of the same, always good music and always a lot of fun and dancing."