Funkatopia Live

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland dive into brand new music from artists around the globe reviving the celebrated Soundstage segment. Plus we discuss the latest music news, and other rabbit holes.

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland welcome drummer Les Cleveland (Prince, Larry Graham, Patti LaBelle, Lil Kim, Anita Baker) to discuss his journey and new album Emerald City. They also being another iconic Free 4 All to discuss the 250th birthday of the U.S., the World Cup, and when musicians and artists should hang it up.

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with the Minneapolis Funk All stars featuring appearances by St. Paul Peterson, Elisa Fiorillo, Dr. Matt Fink, Oliver Leiber, and Jerome Benton. We discuss their latest new single Gotta Keep the Funk Alive and dig a little into each legendary player on stage to give them their flowers and learn a little about the historic contributions to the Minneapolis...

Mr. Christopher recaps the full week of the Prince Celebration 2026 and beyond with NPG Legend, Michael Bland. Join the crew as we talk about the new upcoming Prince album Timeless, new box sets arriving, a dozen unreleased tracks, panels featuring Bootsy Collins, Morris Day, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Lisa Coleman, and more. Plus the review of a full purple star studded concert with NPG and Revol...

Mr. Christopher takes one last glance at the Prince Celebration welcoming special guests Ma and Nandy McClean (aka The Twinz) to discuss their participation at the NPG/Revolution performance at the Armory, and Maya's Awakening event at Paisley Park. Plus, at the top of the show, special guest Dr. Fink stops by to share info about his event with the Minneapolis All Stars in Los Angeles.

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland talk about the curse of A.I. in art and music, the music business in general, the changing of the music genre guard, the upcoming Prince Celebration, and other events and topicality.

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland walk through the intense 2026 Prince Celebration Schedule. Get ready for information overload deconstructed and crafted for actual human consumption. We cover day by day explaining the difference between VIP and General Admission, the events, the speakers, the transportation, the hotels, and so much more. We even discuss the off the track events going on for folks...

Join Mr. Christopher as he enjoys a Q&A session with Michael Bland to find out what we all want know. Discover stories of his parents, his favorite cereal, his favorite cartoons, girls on the road, Prince's practice sessions, Nick Jonas, UFO's, and SO much more. It's a roller coaster.

The dynamic duo is back as NPG legend Michael Bland joins Mr. Christopher who returns from his Minneapolis journey to recap the 10 year anniversary of Prince's transition and the events at Paisley Park and beyond. A very candid conversation regarding his lengthy discussions with members of the Prince Estate. Mr. Christopher makes an argument for their efforts and challenges amidst a tidal wave of...

Funkatopia's Mr. Christopher welcomes Prince and the Revolution keyboardist Dr. Fink as they dissect Prince's album Parade on the eve of its 40th anniversary. They dive into the album track by track analyzing instrumentation, lyrics, players, and stories. It's a broadcast worthy of one of Prince's greatest albums.

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland are joined by Live 4 Love (Mayte Garcia, Gilbert Davison, and Kirk Johnson) to discuss the cancellation of Prince's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the 10 year anniversary of Prince's death, LA events, and other insightful topics.

Funkatopia Live sits down with guitar icon Ella Feingold who discusses her upbringing, being mentored by Spanky Alford, how funk inspires her, and her Grammy award winning touches with bands like Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .paak), Erykah Badu, Queen Latifah, Charlie Hunter, Janet Jackson, and others. And also how her Instagram attracts the cream of the crop including The Smith's Johnny Ma...

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with Al Evans and Neal Evans of Soulive to discuss the band's newest album Flowers. We discuss NPG's impact on Neal, the beginnings of Soulive, the genius of Van Hunt, the future of music, recording in Iceland, and so much more.

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with keyboardist Cassandra O'Neal to discuss her career which includes NPG, Macy Gray, Mary J. Blige, Jay Z, and so much more. It's an incredibly loose and fun interview that you don't want to miss.

Mr. Christopher takes a deep dive into the latest news regarding the restrictions placed on Prince's band the New Power Generation limiting them from using the band name and also playing shows focusing solely on Prince. He also discusses the potential implications for tribute bands. He also discusses the upcoming 10 year anniversary of Prince's passing and what, if anything, may be coming. Plus a...

Mr. Christopher and NPG legend Michael Bland discuss the 2026 Grammy Awards covering the major highlights including political statements, D'Angelo, Roberta Flack, Jellybean Johnson, and more. It's a breakdown as only the Funkatopia dynamic duo can do it.

Mr. Christopher and NPG legend Michael Bland discuss the battle between Apollonia and the Prince Estate, the loss of Earth's gravity later this year, Madhouse 8, Questlove, and many other ridiculous tidbits.

Join Mr. Christopher and NPG legend Michael Bland as they launch 2026's first Free 4 All of the year. We look back on NPG Music Club, a discussion about Prince in the AI world, recent passings, the ongoing Stranger Things effect and missed opportunities, and much more randomness and rabbit holes.

Mr. Christopher sits down with one of the masterminds of the NPG Music Club, Sam Jennings. They discuss what worked, what didn't, the challenges, and how a re launch could solve so many problems that the Prince Estate is experiencing with distribution and meeting a rabid fanbase and their expectations. Unrealistic or not.

Join Mr. Christopher and NPG/Soul Asylum drummer Michael Bland as they discuss the 50th anniversary of Parliament's Mothership Connection, the 11th anniversary of D'Angelo's Black Messiah, and also chat about their first vinyl memory and first album bought with their money. Plus tons of other topics including what it must be like to be famous and under total scrutiny, overtone singing, and the mag...

Join Mr. Christopher as he unboxes the Deluxe edition of Around the World in a Day alongside NPG drumming legend Michael Bland. It's a first-hand reaction as Mr. Christopher avoided reading or viewing all online reviews and unboxings to have a complete surprise. We also discuss Record Store Day and the Because Sound Matters Purple Rain vinyl release.

Join Mr. Christopher and NPG legend Michael Bland as they reflect on the life of Jellybean Johnson who recently transitioned. Also, a brief discussion on the remastering of Around the World in a Day and expectations and early reactions.

Join Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland as they discuss the Grammy nominees, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, bands that are still not inducted, and other random topics.

On the 4th day of November, we need a purple high. Join Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland as we discuss the Save the Date announcement from the Prince Estate for the 2026 Prince Celebration and what we might be able to expect, the Diamonds and Love bootleg drop, public feedback from the Purple Rain Broadway play, amusement parks, and much more.

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland welcome celebrated Prince and the revolution keyboardist Lisa Coleman,. We discuss her early days, Joining Prince's band, writing issues, problems on the road, the amazing Wendy and Lisa albums, and so much more. It's a purple-licious show, but with the focus on the ladies.