Gettin’ FUNKY for Christmas

by Ryan Janke
ryan.janke78@gmail.com

The Sanctuary Events Center is going to get funky this weekend as Post-Traumatic Funk Syndrome (PTFS) takes the stage for three performances Friday and Saturday.

For the performances, PTFS has taken Christmas songs you know and love, and put their own spin on it, bringing a style that will keep you rocking from start to finish. “What’s cool about this band is we do all our own unique arrangements of everything, really,” says Russ Peterson, who plays alto sax in the band.

“We’re a twelve-piece horn band. We do a lot of 60s, 70s, and 80s classic rock with horns – Chicago, Tower of Power, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, all that great Motown stuff, with horns,” says Peterson. “Even if we do a Stevie Wonder tune, we’ll kind of do our take on it. So, we just arranged a bunch of Christmas tunes for the band – what we do well, which is kind of funky, rock stuff with horns.”

PTFS is teaming up with another local musician for the show. “We have a special guest this year – Kelsey Knutson on the violin,” says Peterson. “She’s a local musician, kind of like a rock violinist. [She] plays with a couple of bands in town. She also sings and dances, so she’ll be joining us for some other stuff as well.”

The concert will also mark the release of the band’s new Christmas CD, Have Yourself a FUNKY Little Christmas, a 13-song sometimes soothing, sometimes a get-up-and-boogie mix of Christmas classics like “Little Drummer Boy,” “Let it Snow,” and “Oh, Holy Night.” The title track is PTFS’s own spin on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” The CDs will be available for sale, with ten percent of the sales going to the Boys and Girls Club of the Red River Valley – an organization PTFS has teamed up with for their Christmas shows.

“My wife, Robin Nelson, is the CEO of Boys and Girls Club here in the Red River Valley,” says Peterson. “So, every year, part of our proceeds for our CDs go to the Boys and Girls Club, and people can bring donations to the concert for the kids. This year, we’re asking people to bring board games and Legos. [We’re] trying to get that word out.” Along with board games and Legos, Boys and Girls Club representatives will be accepting donations of cash as well.

The concerts will feature a 21-song set of songs, including some from Have Yourself a FUNKY Little Christmas, as well as other PTFS Christmas originals, and the band’s own spin on other Christmas classics. The set includes Pachelbel/Trans Siberian Orchestra’s “Canon in D”, PTFS Original “We Three Kings,” Rufus Thomas’ “I’ll be Your Santa Baby,” and Chicago’s “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” They will also be performing a “Frozen” Medley – “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” and “Let it Snow,” from the movie “Frozen.”

This year, due to popular demand, PTFS has added two additional shows to the event. “We’ll do Friday night and Saturday night this week, but we’ll also do Saturday afternoon – a matinee – which is an all-ages show,” says Peterson. “We haven’t done that before, but we really wanted to get kids in.” The Friday and Saturday evening shows, which begin at 8 p.m., are 21 and up shows. The all-ages matinee starts at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Alcohol will not be available for the matinee. Doors for all events open an hour before showtime.

Tickets for Have Yourself a FUNKY Little Christmas are $20-30 and available atwww.jadepresents.com, in person at Tickets 300 (located at 302 N. University Drive in Fargo), or by calling 866-300-8300. Seating for this show is reserved.

IF YOU GO:
Have Yourself a FUNKY Little Christmas
Friday, December 21, 8 p.m. & Saturday, December 22, 2 & 8 p.m.Sanctuary Events Center, 670 4th Ave N., Fargo