Funkatopia Live
Music
About
Podcast by Funkatopia
Episodes
- 2026 Prince Celebration Schedule Discussion
Michael Bland and Mr. Christopher discuss the 2026 Prince Celebration schedule on Funkatopia Live. The episode covers differences between VIP and General Admission, events, speakers, transportation, hotels, and single-day ticket options.
- Q&A Session with Michael Bland
Funkatopia Live hosts a Q&A session with Michael Bland, discussing his life, experiences with Prince, and more.
- Free 4 All - Prince's 10 Year Transition Minneapolis Review
Michael Bland and Mr. Christopher review Prince's 10 year transition anniversary events at Paisley Park and discuss candid conversations with the Prince Estate regarding release cancellations and other estate matters.
- 40 Years of Prince's Parade with Dr. Fink
Dr. Fink, keyboardist for Prince and the Revolution, discusses the album Parade with Funkatopia's Mr. Christopher on the album's 40th anniversary. The discussion covers track-by-track analysis, instrumentation, lyrics, and notable players.
- 03-17-2026 Mayte, Gilbert Davison, and Kirk Johnson
On Funkatopia Live, hosts Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland are joined by Mayte Garcia, Gilbert Davison, and Kirk Johnson to discuss the cancellation of Prince
- Interview - Ella Feingold
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),…
- Interview: Soulive (Alan and Neal Evans)
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, recordi…
- Interview: Cassandra O'Neal
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 mis…
- Mr. Christopher's Rumor and Conjecture Show
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 t…
- 2026 Grammy Getdown Free 4 All
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…
- 01-20-2026 Free 4 All w/ Michael Bland and Mr. Christopher
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.
- 01-13-2026 Free 4 All
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…
- Interview - Sam Jennings - The NPG Music Club Discussion
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…
- 12-16-2025 - Free 4 All
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 f…
- 12-02-2025 - Around the World in a Day Unboxing
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 ha…
- 11-25-2025 - Jellybean Johnson Celebration
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.
- 11-11-2025 Free 4 All
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.
- 11-04-2025 Free 4 All - 4th Day of November
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…
- Interview: Lisa Coleman (Interview Only)
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 muc…
- 10-21-2025 - Free 4 All: What Do U Want From the Estate?
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland discuss what the Prince Estate is planning to release. We also discuss the user wish list and expectations around releases and what they want to see. A very lively discussion filled with hopeful, but reali…
- Danny Bedrosian - Prince's Controversy - D'Angelo
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with Parliament Funkadelic's keyboardist Danny Bedrosian to discuss his new book covering P-Funk's 1975 where they dropped Chocolate City, Let's Take it to the Stage, and Mothership Connection. Th…
- 09-30-2025 Purple Artifact Show
Mr. Christopher and NPG legend Michael Bland welcome Eric Rogers of the Paisley 5 & Dime, an online purple auction house and community that specializes in Prince memorabilia and artifacts. We'll show and discuss some of the most rare items…
- The 20 Best Debut Albums Free 4 All (09-23-2025)
Mr. Christopher and NPG legend Michael Bland to showcase their 20 favorite debut albums from a wide variety of music styles. Funk, neo-soul, rock, and more are all celebrated in this temporary visit into the music minds of the Funkatopia L…
- Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland Free 4 All - 09-16-2025
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland discuss the remastering of Around the World in a Day and discuss other purple topics, plus a surprise guest appearance by celebrated Prince photographer Steve Parke.
- Free 4 All w/ Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland (09-09-2025)
Funkatopia hosts Mr. Christopher and NPG legend Michael Bland have an open discussion about the challenges with new Prince releases in a posthumous world. From rabid fans to misinformation to what you can probably actually expect. Plus, we…
- Interview: Tommy Barbarella
NPG keyboardist Tommy Barbarella joins Mr. Christopher and NPG drummer Michael Bland to catch up on music history, learn new stories about each other, talk about gear, and so much more.
- Interview - Photographer Allen Beaulieu
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with celebrated photographer Allen Beaulieu, the man responsible for the infamous photos of Prince's most genius eras including 1999, Dirty Mind, Controversy, and many others. Note, that this is a…
- Interview: Jesse Johnson - The Final Interview
Jesse Johnson does his final interview ever (?) with Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland talking for over 3 hours on a variety of topics including playing inside of Paisley Park, new music, COVID, conspiracy theories, iPhone vs. Android, and…
- Interview: Guitarist Mike Scott
Guitarist Mike Scott sits down with Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland to discuss his humble beginnings and his decision to stay in Minneapolis which led to his work with Prince, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, and beyond.
- Interview: Maya McClean
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with Maya McClean. While she was mostly known for performing with her sister with Prince as The Twinz, she now shares her journey to becoming a spiritual life coach, life on her own, working with…
- Interview: Jerry Hubbard
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with the legend behind the scenes Jerry Hubbard. He has been a solid pillar in the Minneapolis music scene from childhood. He's played with Prince, The Time, The Family, Jesse Johnson, was on Mich…
- Interview: The Time Band
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with the Time Band featuring Jellybean Johnson, Monte Moir, Tori Ruffin, and Ricky Freeze Smith to discuss their history with Morris Day and the Time, their Masterclass, and plenty of behind the s…
- Interview: Mohini Dey (Interview Only)
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland welcome Indian bassist Mohini Dey to chat about her current touring schedule, her past, her upbringing, childhood challenges, religion, space in music, cathartic performances, and much more.
- 2025 Prince Celebration Recap
Mr. Christopher sits down with Funkatopia co-host NPG drummer Michael Bland to discuss the 2025 Prince Celebration taking place in Minneapolis and Chanhassen, MN. We discuss the new music coming, the Celebration panels, unreleased music he…
- Interview: The Family (St. Paul Peterson, Jerome Benton, Jellybean Johnson, Susannah Melvoin, and Eric Leeds) PLUS Morris Hayes & Tony M (NPG)
Join Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland as they sit down with all of the members of The Family including St. Paul Peterson, Jerome Benton, Jellybean Johnson, Susannah Melvoin, and Eric Leeds. We discuss new FDeluxe music, the Prince Celebra…
- Free 4 All with Philip Lasiter, Shelby J, and Damon D
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit with Philip Lassiter and Shelby J to discuss his new album Soul of the World and debut a new track. Plus Damon D joins to talk about his Minneapolis dance class. Then Mr. C and Michael chat about the u…
- Interview: Fred Wesley
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit with the iconic trombonist Fred Wesley who was an integral part of the sound of James Brown, Parliament Funkadelic, the JB's, the Horny Horns, and many collaborations from Abraham Inc. to Van Morrison.
- Intervew: Cory Wong
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with funk maestro Cory Wong to discuss his history, Prince's influence, the Fearless Flyers, Vulfpeck, ADHD, working with Michael Bland, and so much more.
- Interview: Tower of Power Drummer David Garibaldi
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland welcome Tower of Power drumming legend David Garibaldi to discuss his time with Tower of Power, his near death experience with a train, the true story behind the 777-9311 drum track, his retirement, and wh…
- 40 Years of Prince's Around the World in a Day & 9 Years After Prince's Transition
Mr. Christopher and NPG drummer Michael Bland discuss the 40th anniversary of Prince's Purple Rain follow-up, Around the World in a Day. We also discuss how we've dealt with the loss of Prince 9 years later. Plus plenty of rabbit holes.
- Interview: Bassist Mononeon
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with bass gawd MonoNeon to discuss his upbringing, his wardrobe, the sock, Prince, the album he worked on with Prince (Black is the New Black), inspirations, and much more. Tune in and vibe out.
- Pre-Interview Show: Discussing MonoNeon (For a Little Bit)
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down to discuss the interview with MonoNeon and of course, in their usual style, it diverges into a full blown show that has very little to do with MonoNeon and all about Prince's legacy and whatever e…
- Discussion: Celebration 2025 Early Bird Special
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland discuss the newly released information on the Prince Celebration 2025. We talk about the pricing, the bands, the events, the hotels, transportation, and more. Including a visit from a special guest.
- Interview: Thomas Dolby
Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with music luminary Thomas Dolby. We talk about his breakout success in the 80's, From his side projects, his hits like Hyperactive and She Blinded Me With Science, chilling with Michael Jackson,…
- Funkatopia Free 4All with Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland
Mr. Christopher and Funkatopia co-host Michael Bland discuss Prince, the Prince Celebration. Joni Mitchell, Meshell Ndegeocello, and tons of New Power Generation questions for Michael.
- Interview - Matt "Dr." Fink
Prince and the Revolution keyboardist Dr. Fink joins Mr. Christopher and NPG drummer Michael Bland in an extremely loose and rare interview discussing Rick James, drugs in the 80's, working with P. Diddy, Revolution memories, arrests, tour…
- Michael Bland Free 4 All: Netflix Prince Doc, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Record Store Day and More
Michael Bland returns to Funkatopia Live to discuss more on the cancelled Netflix Prince documentary, the 2025 nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, plus other highly notable bands that still haven't been nominated. PLUS. we also…
- Interview: Patavian and Danny Bedrosian of Parliament Funkadelic
Mr. Christopher sits down with Patavian and Danny Bedrosian of George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic as they release Patavian's new album The Red Balloon. Patavian is the granddaughter of funk icon George Clinton and is married to long time…
- 40th Anniversary of Jesse Johnson's Revue with Jesse Johnson
Jesse Johnson returns to Funkatopia to help Mr. Christopher celebrate the 40th anniversary of Jesse Johnson's Revue. Jesse breaks down the history, the stories behind each track, instruments being used, and so much more including his take…
- Michael Bland Free 4 All
NPG drummer Michael Bland returns to Funkatopia to discuss the cancellation of the Netflix Prince documentary, Kendrick Lamar's Superbowl performance and more.