What do you get when you mix a redneck, a former Buddha and a funk drummer?
Phatican 3.
The groovy Baton Rouge band performs a free show Saturday at 2 p.m. with the alt-country rockers .
The trio is led by organist and vocalist John Smart, who has spent time performing in bands such as Righteous Buddha. Bill Kimbrell calls himself “a redneck who can play guitar.” Tim Ost, a lover of anything rhythmic, plays the drums.
Smart said the band is trying to fill a niche by playing old school funk.
“Funk is a tradition here in h, but there’s not much of it being played anymore,” he said. “We’re fortunate in h to have influences of blues and jazz that mix well when translated to a funk sound. What we’re doing is kind of an algorithm of all of that.”
Though he is self-deprecating, Kimbrell’s guitar licks make him quite the funk maestro. He credits his day job, giving guitar lessons, for his skills.
“I’m fortunate that I give guitar lessons for a living,” Kimbrell said. “They say that practice makes perfect, and I certainly get to practice a lot.”
Ost keeps all the funk in check with backbeats and a background playing in a variety of genres.
“I like things that have passionate rhythms, like Cuban and Latin music,” Ost said. “They blend well with playing funk. The music becomes infectious.”
Aside from Saturday’s gig, the band can be seen Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. at Curbside Burgers in Mid City Baton Rouge on Government Street. The gigs have become more regular, but that hasn’t stopped the group from being creative in their downtime.
Smart said listeners can expect a debut EP in the next few months.
“We’ve been doing a lot of writing,” Smart said. “This trio is such an outlet for creativity that I’m sure our dedicated fans will appreciate our efforts, and that we’ll gain a few new ones upon its release.”
For information on Phatican 3, visit .
PHATICAN 3/ELSAH
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: Tin Roof Brewing Company, 1624 Wyoming St., Baton Rouge
Cost: Free
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