Last Night: George Clinton @ Ardmore Music Hall

From the moment funk legend George Clinton and his considerable, generation-spanning entourage stepped onto the comparatively tiny stage of Ardmore Music Hall on Wednesday night, there was a palpable current searing through the steamy air of the sold-out room. Decked out in a chic paisley shirt and black fedora, Clinton peacocked his way across the stage, regaling us with both household-name and lesser-known recent songs from his vast catalog.

The Mothership brought even the seated audience members to their feet with spirited versions of “One Nation Under a Groove,” “Flashlight” and “Atomic Dog,” to name only a few. The ensemble also peppered in songs from the latest release, “First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate.”

Though the energy was predominantly buoyant, one could not help but feel somewhat melancholy as a result of the recent passing of longtime Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, whose spirit was felt most profoundly during “Maggot Brain,” one of the most impassioned and emotional songs in the Funkadelic catalog. Guitarist DeWayne “Blackbyrd” McKnight did original Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel proud on that one, turning it into the alluring, goosebump-raising highlight of the evening.

First up an energetic opening set by local band Johnny Popcorn.