Funk Night : John Gros Band co-headlining Swatkins and the Positive Agenda

8pm-10pm : John Gros Band

Born in New Orleans, John “Papa” Gros has spent more than a quarter-century championing the music of the Big Easy. He’s played it all — New Orleans funk, rock & roll, jazz, blues, Americana, pop/rock, and he swirls those styles into a genre-bending gumbo that pays tribute to his influences while still pushing ahead into new territory. Like Allen Toussaint and Dr. John, Gros is a proud local who carries on the tradition of New Orleans music, both honoring its past and helping to shape its future.  johnpapagros.com

10:30pm-12:30am : Swatkins and the Positive Agenda

Swatkins is a joyful prophet of positivity. Together with his band, The Positive Agenda, he plays feel-good funk made by and for real human beings. Steve Swatkins is part of the new generation of performers making raw, fresh soulful music without relying on computers or backing tracks. This multi-instrumentalist is a master of the talkbox, an old-school analog effect using his larynx to shape the sound of his keyboard synthesizer sent through a vinyl tube. Think of the funky robot voice from “California Love” or the hair-raising harmony intro to “24 Karat Magic.” Now picture a throwback dance party with a killer live band playing the deepest grooves imaginable, and you’ve got a taste of what The Positive Agenda is all about.  swatkinsmusic.com