Edmonton based blues/ funk band the Boogie Patrol always bring the party with them wherever they go. So they already had a hot, sweaty and frothing dance floor by the time I arrived to their show at the Slice, Friday, May 12. I arrived in the middle of a whole lot of funk filled jamming on “Whole Lotta Gravy” from their new Cd “Man on Fire,” just in time for them to take a set break. Long, funk fuelled jams were the hallmark of the show.
The band, frontman / harp wizard Rott’n Dan Shinnan, guitarists Yuji Ihara and Chad Holtzman , bassist Nigel Gale and drummer Emmet Van Etten were tight, tight , tight, effortlessly switching time tempos mid song. Holtzman and Ihara seamlessly took turns playing hot leads and funky breakdowns VanEtten and Gale were locked in with each other whole Rott’n Dan blew mind and ear bending harps while howling like he was alternately possessed by the spirits of James Brown and Joe Cocker.
I’ve been looking forward to this show for weeks ever since getting a copy of their new CD “Man on Fire,” and I was not disappointed. I caught most of their three set though they seemed like they were ready and willing to play until dawn.
They ended set two with an extended jam of “Shaker Down Below” from the new Cd, which had most of the room shaking what their mama’s gave them.
Their sets included much of the new Cd, some old favourites and funky covers including a medley of James Brown in set three including “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.” They also played a funky version of blues classic “Shake Your Moneymaker.”
