Funkizon swaps jazz-fusion for rock as Erratic Z

Make no mistake: The funk is still on. That’s right, The Funkizon is still holding it down and keeping it jazz-funky Thursday nights at the Waterfront Bar & Grill in Bangor, but guitarist Anthony Drouin, bassist Roderick Pinkney and drummer Caleb Wheeler have found time and inspiration enough to start up another, altogether different musical outfit.

Along with keyboardist Benjamin Walker, the twentysomething virtuosos make up Erratic Z. And while the group is certainly soul cousin to their other band, it has a sound that’s a little less jazz-fusion and more rock-combustion.

Still, the bands do share a common goal: making people move.

“The ultimate goal is to have people dancing,” explains Pinkney. “Whether you have five or 500 people, if they’re dancing, you know you’ve done your job.”

And you can catch the Erratic Z working to do just that Saturday, July 31, at Little Anthony’s, 131 Cottage St. in Bar Harbor. The music starts at 9:30 p.m.

Funneling together a broad range of influences – a little James Brown here, a dash of Steely Dan there, maybe a bit of Soul Coughing and Jamiroquai mixed in, and seasoned with a sparing amount of jazz – Erratic Z plays melodic piano- and guitar-driven originals, as well as some covers from the ’60s and ’70s.

In working to create this retro-eclectic sound, Drouin says he’s back in touch with his early guitar heroes. “For me, it goes back to Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, guys who have great sense of rock ‘n’ roll,” he explains.

And in the coming months, Erratic Z will have twice the opportunity to get the rock out when the band teams up with swampy blues-rock singer and guitarist Eric Green for some gigs, serving as an opening act as well as Green’s backing band.

While there is no Erratic Z Web site, the official Funkizon site is now up and running at www.funkizon.com. For more about Saturday’s gig, call Little Anthony’s at 288-4700. For information about Erratic Z’s future dates with Eric Green, log on to www.greenandbosse.com. George Bragdon can be reached at gbragdon@bangor

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