Big Sam’s Funky Nation
DJ Harry Duncan
This event is 21 and over.
$17.00 – General Admission (Advance)
$20.00 – General Admission (Door)
*plus applicable service fees
The general on sale begins Friday, March 29th noon!
Tickets available at The Independent box office (628 Divisadero, SF) with no service charge.
All doors & show times subject to change.
When you think of New Orleans, the city’s foremost flambeaux-lit traditions of Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, voodoo, Po’ boys, beads, gumbo, and second line undoubtedly come to mind. You can also count Big Sam’s Funky Nation amongst those NOLA treasures.
Known for a boisterous blend of funk, jazz, rock, and hip-hop, nothing short of seismic live “experiences,” and a whole lot of Southern charm, Big Sam’s Funky Nation might very well be The Big Easy’s best kept secret.
No other place could birth such an undeniable, unpredictable, and downright unique collective.
“By playing on these streets, you learn how to work your craft and entertain an audience,” exclaims Sam. “You can go to Julliard and Berklee all you want, but they won’t teach you how to rock a stage. It comes naturally in New Orleans. I’ve been here my whole life and rocking these streets. Even during Hurricane Katrina, I drove nine hours from San Antonio every weekend for two years just to play live. The sound out here is unlike anything else in the world. It’s not just a figure of speech—there’s music going all night, literally.”
Against the backdrop of Crescent City, the group released five fan favorite albums and quietly developed a devout following. Powered by jaw-dropping technical talent and uncontainable energy on stage, their performances have become the stuff of legend. Big Sam ensures you’re not just a part of the crowd, but “a part of the show dancing and singing along.” Beyond standout sets at the likes of Voodoo Music + Experience and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the boys have performed at Bonnaroo, SXSW, and Austin City Limits, to name a few.
As much as Big Sam’s Funky Nation represents the beating heart of New Orleans, they ultimately do so for funk music as well.
“When you see us live or listen to our records, we’re all going to have a good time,” he leaves off. “That’s what funk is all about. That’s what New Orleans is all about. That’s what Big Sam’s Funky Nation is all about. If you come to a show, you’re going to party. That’s what we’re here for.”
Psyche rock, disco-funk, blues and soul collide for a live show made to keep people moving.
The HA, aka, The Human Assembly is the musical collective led by frontman and songwriter Brooks Dierker. In the summer of 2020, Dierker joined forces with Bay Area producer, Charles Gonzalez (Novio Electrico, Cuckoo Birds), recording genre bending tracks dosed with grit and heart. “Nervous Habits”, the latest single from their forthcoming EP, “Altar of the Fog” was released in September of ’22.
Harry Duncan, longtime Bay Area-based producer of black music concerts also produces and hosts In The Soul Kitchen, the award-winning, weekly radio show broadcast live on KCSM, the Bay Area’s jazz station.
Respected industry wide as an innovator, Duncan serves up his own freestyle Roots & Rhythm mix: a rich, danceable musical stew of soul, funk, blues, roots reggae, ska and jazz plus African, Latin and select World music when spinning live and while In The Soul Kitchen.
This music mix gives audiences, artists and promoters a welcome alternative to the kinds of in-house music usually played at festivals and concerts.
Duncan has appeared with a wide variety of artists including:
Aretha Franklin, Tedeschi-Trucks Band, The Roots, George Clinton and P-Funk,, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, India Arie, Tower of Power, Los Lobos, Boz Scaggs, Trombone Shorty, Dr. John, Galactic, Irma Thomas, The Original Meters, Rebirth Brass Band, The Soul Rebels, Dumpstaphunk, N. Mississippi All Stars, Cory Henry, Alice Smith, Lizz Wright, Cody ChesnuTT, Antibalas, Femi Kuti, Bombino, Steel Pulse, Fishbone, Ziggy Marley, Madness and The Specials.