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The phrase “less is more” doesn’t apply to Major Funk. “More is more,” says Adrian Burrill, the band’s trumpet player. “More is always more.”
That’s why when Major Funk goes on the road with its Disco Dance Party this fall, it’ll do so with a crew that includes 13 musicians, two dancers and a couple of DJs. Longtime fans of the band will know that, on the average day, there are very few stages in the North that can fit all the members of Major Funk—that’s why the Major Funk Orchestra, as its being billed for the shows, needed some serious venues for the events.
The (sold out) Whitehorse show, which has been almost a year in the planning, will take place at the studio for the Screen Production Yukon Association (SPYA), the former Yukon Convention Centre, on Oct. 3. The Whitehorse event is co-presented with the Yukon Arts Centre.
It will then travel to Haines Junction for a show at the St. Elias Convention Centre on Oct. 4 and finish with a finale at Gertie’s in Dawson City on Oct. 11.
Working with a rotating cast of musicians is nothing new for the longtime Whitehorse band—plenty of people have come and gone from the lineup over the years, say Burrill and bassist Etienne Girard, as they prep for a rehearsal at SPYA in late September. There’s a magic that happens when Major Funk collaborates with new artists. It’s part of what keeps things fresh for the band after all this time, and part of what pushes them to continue developing as musicians rather than sticking with a formula that works and letting the rust settle in. However, landing on the right mix for this particular party did take some time to figure out.
The band has long wanted to do a big, blow-out disco party because, at its core, Major Funk is about dancing.”
The band has long wanted to do a big, blow-out disco party because, at its core, Major Funk is about dancing, says Burrill. The beauty of disco is it’s the ultimate danceable genre, and one that marries well with the brand of funk the band has been playing for years.
The challenge came in figuring out arrangements for string instruments and landing on the perfect musicians to play them. The result is that Major Funk (comprised of Burrill, Girard, Selina Heyligers-Hare, Brent Gallant, Toby Moisey and Anders Grasholm) will be joined on the tour by Sarah-Jane Poirier, Katie Avery, Ellorie McKnight, Andrew MacKelvie, Michel Vallieres, Lindsey Walker and Anneky Kenny-Robichaud. This gives the band a full string section, additional horns, guest vocalists and percussion.
Burrill says the band had a dry run earlier this year, at an event for the Association franco-yukonnaise, where they tested the strings. Since then, they’ve developed a performance plan for the mix of disco standards (think Sister Sledge and Chic) and disco-ified versions of original Major Funk pieces they’ll play as part of the show.
Each Disco Dance Party will include two sets, with dancers Valerie Herdes and Marcy Mills dancing to a number of songs. Afterwards, DJ Jon Gelinas and DJ Katabatik will spin records to keep the party going. Whitehorse artist Tara Kolla is transforming the SPYA event space into a “glittery paradise,” Burill says, so people should come dressed to match in their disco finest.
Overall, the night will be a celebration of the same reasons the band began, says Burrill. All of the musicians in Major Funk come from different musical backgrounds, with the shared goal of bringing something positive to Yukoners during a long, dark winter. Plus, he says, it’s pretty gratifying to work hard and see a crowd of people really letting loose in front of you as a result.
To buy tickets for the Haines Junction show, visit Major Funk’s website. Tickets for the Dawson show are only available at the door.
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