Funk Fest: Stacking Stylez 2024 is hosted by A Trike Called Funk and supported by the Wake Up the Night Grant.
A Trike Called Funk’s Funk Fest is a free, family-friendly event that will feature local creatives who will put their own spin on what it means to “make it funky” in their respective mediums. A Trike Called Funk’s resident DJ EdWord plus Dorchester native DJ Safire will spin music throughout the event with Trike’s MC and Dance Lead A-A-Ron inviting people to jump in and get down on A Trike Called Funk’s large checkerboard dance floor.
The first hour will feature Funk music-inspired vegetarian wraps and patties from Rhythm and Wraps plus refreshing all natural juices by LymeLyfe–both black owned and operated local businesses–for free on a first-come, first serve basis. The first hour will also feature live painting on each side of A Trike Called Funk’s large-scale, free-standing frame. One side will be a wild-style “Funk Fest” piece by Sobek and the other side will be a piece by GoFive paying tribute to a dearly departed Popper, Domino, who passed away in 2018.
The live painting will run into the second hour, which will include Popping Showcase and dance battle featuring local dance leaders and their groups including Stiggity Stackz, MegaTron and members of SlaughterHouse Kingz, Beast Mode and members of The Flavor Continues, as well as Poppin’ Groove and members of the All City Rockers. And the third hour will feature a special live music performance of modern Funk performed live by keyboardist Yukihiro Kanesaka Carmichael aka U-Key.
Between the live painting, Popping showcase and dance battle, and the live Funk performance segments there will be generous amounts of open dance / community cypher time when all participants take turns dancing together to classic electro-Funk tracks, celebrating the legacy of Funk from the airwaves to the dance floor. In the spirit of James Brown’s “Funky Good Time” and George Clinton’s “One Nation Under a Groove,” A Trike Called Funk’s Funk Fest will unite nine local artists and 50+ community members to celebrate the past, present, and future of the Funk here in Boston.