The funk band Marvelous Funkshun, based in Winston-Salem, will take the stage at Appalachian Mountain Brewery's annual Flannel Fest on March 7. The event marks one of the first outdoor music gatherings of spring in the High Country, featuring additional acts like Proto Giraffe and the Hustle Souls. The band's influences span funk, jam, and fusion genres, drawing from artists such as The Meters and Jimi Hendrix.
Marvelous Funkshun, hailing from Winston-Salem, is scheduled for two notable performances in Boone this year. On March 7, the group will play at 4:30 p.m. during AMB’s Flannel Fest at Appalachian Mountain Brewery and Cidery, an early spring outdoor event. The full lineup includes Proto Giraffe starting at 2 p.m. and the Hustle Souls at 7 p.m. Later, from June 19 to 21, they will appear at the Boonerang Music and Arts Festival in downtown Boone; details are available at boonerangfest.com.
The band consists of Sam Robinson on guitar, Will Bagley on bass, Zach Landon on drums, and Durell Randolph on pedal steel guitar. Randolph is the cousin of pedal steel legend Robert Randolph. Robinson's musical journey began with piano lessons and a childhood guitar, but he found deeper inspiration in the 1990s alternative rock, hip-hop, and grunge scenes. "My dad gave me a guitar when I was a little kid, and I wasn’t super interested in it until the alternative rock thing broke out," Robinson said. He cited influences like Nirvana, Green Day, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, D’Angelo, Tupac, Biggie, Phish, and Widespread Panic.
Further exploration led him to the Allman Brothers Band, Derek Trucks, and blues artists like Buddy Guy, eventually sparking an interest in funk through The Meters' songs in live sets. Robinson noted the overlap between jam and funk styles: "I think you could make the argument that jamband music focuses the listener more on harmonies and the exploration of the notes, whereas funk music focuses the listener on the beat, but it’s hard to have music without both harmony and rhythm."
Other key influences include Cory Wong, Parliament/Funkadelic, Herbie Hancock, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band often features a Jimi Hendrix tribute, with Robinson favoring the Band of Gypsys album: "There is something about the Hendrix guitar style of combining all that blues and old school R&B with the simple pocket that just makes me feel good."
Their live shows blend funk, improvisation, gospel elements from Randolph's background, and fusion touches, influenced by Umphrey’s McGee and Phish. "For Marvelous Funkshun, we take all of our influences and let the music happen organically," Robinson explained, describing their sound as more fusion than traditional funk.
Robinson has personal ties to Boone, having lived there briefly about 21 years ago. A tragic car accident claimed his friend Andrew Lane on Poplar Grove, inspiring the band's song 'Memoria' from their first EP, which incorporates 'Amazing Grace' and 'When The Saints Go Marching In.' An endowment scholarship in Lane's name supports juniors or seniors at Appalachian State University majoring in Hospitality and Tourism Management with culinary interests. Despite the loss, Robinson cherishes the lasting friendships formed in the area.
The band's latest release is the album Instru-Mental, with more information at www.marvelousfunkshun.com.
