With banana slurpees in hand, under the yellow light of 7/11, I was introduced to the members of the Funkyard, a local band from Phoenix. With Mike M. on the Keyboard, Stanko playing bass, Matt on guitar, Mike B. on the drums and Andrew as the D.J, they produce an eclectic creation of funk, free style hip hop, and blues. Playing on Wednesday night's Battle of the Bands at the Clubhouse on Broadway and Dorsey, competition was the last thing on the guys' minds.
The small crowd watched in awe as the band jumped from Mike M. screaming the blues, to Matt and Stanko's synchronized Latino dance steps. The audience seemed entranced by such a different style of music following the oh-so-typical 'let's scream down the microphone and call it music' band. As one girl started dancing crazily in front of the band, arms flailing as if to catch the smoke engulfing the stage, others simply bobbed heads and shoulders, laughing at the witty lyrics of Matt as he free styled. And as for the 'non-fans', sitting against the wall, there to support another band, even their bodies seemed to contract that certain groove while their feet jigged to the beat.
When asking the guys why they chose funk as their main style of music, Matt immediately piped up "Because it's awesome." They are mainly influenced by classics such as Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye (Mike M.'s all time favorite), but they all love anything mo-town. They all agree the number one goal of the band is to get people to dance. "When I see people start dancing around," stated Matt, "It makes me all warm inside."
With the recent abundance of local bands around the Tempe Phoenix area, I asked Mike if the Funkyard has any specific rivalries. "We're pretty much cool with anyone. We want to bring people together with our music, if we form a rivalry we're just causing a separation." I asked if their desire is to become something much bigger than a local act. Laughing, Mike M. replied, "We're not cool enough to be that big!" Stanko added, "It would be cool. We wouldn't stop it from happening, but the main thing is the more dancing the better. We will never change our style."
Toward the end of the night, after praying the towel that the lead singer of the next band was wearing didn't drop off, I asked Joe McGovern, a fan of the Funkyard, what he thinks of the guys. "They rock. They have a certain groove different from most local bands who seem taken over by the same (pretends to growl into a microphone) 'ughhhhhhh' shit. I'm taken by them."
So with a new style of music capturing a few more fans every time they play, the Funkyard boys certainly have the right attitude. They don't take themselves too seriously, have a good time performing, and treat the audience like friends, making sure they have a good time too.
Reach the reporter at carley.partridge@asu.edu
