09-01-2026 - Calabama Gate

Funkatopia’s Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland welcome the iconic Sue Ann Carwell as she shares her stories of the earl days of Minneapolis with Prince, Jesse Johnson, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and more from the true Minneapolis roots. Then she talks about her amazing career that had her performing vocals and arranging for artists including Rod Stewart, Bette Midler, Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and so many others. It’s a treasure trove of stories that you won’t soon forget.

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland welcome 24-7 Spyz founder and guitarist Jimi Hazel. We chat about the origins of Spyz, the past members, new music, Jef Lee Johnson, Jesse Johnson, the black rock movement, and so much more.

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down with soul icon Sandra St. Victor to talk about her illustrious career starting with The Family Stand and then an incredible solo career that allowed her to work with legends like Curtis Mayfield, Prince, Chaka Khan, Lalah Hathaway, and so many more, It's an incredible interview packed with over 2-1/2 hour of unheard stories, memories, and celebration.

Another evening focusing on Funkatopia cohost and NPG drumming legend Michael Bland as we ask questions from the audience and beyond. More Prince stories! 80's! Album covers! Madness!

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland reunite after a 2 week hiatus to discuss Michael's post about the Prince Estate that caused some waves, more AI chat, new music, and more. Note: Some video components included that won't translate well to audio, but they're not long. Just hang tight.

The dastardly duo of Mr. Christopher and NPG legend Michael Bland chat about some iconic album and TV show anniversaries, musical memories, traveling with Prince, and much more.

Mr. Christopher does a last minute show (literally) to discuss the tough week for Prince fans including a Jon Bream review of the state fair, a scathing Rolling Stone review of Timeless, and an admission from the Estate that horn tracks were added to the song Calabama on Prince's new album. Should we be upset? Was it warranted? What started out as a quick show ended up taking on a life all its own.

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland discuss the passing of Dolly Parton, Prince's new album Timeless, the struggles of artists and live music festivals, and so much more.

Mr. Christopher and Michael Bland sit down for another iconic Free 4 All to discuss Michael Jackson, Prince in AI, Prince's new Timeless album global party, TickBang, and more.

Mr. Christopher welcomes Minneapolis legend André Cymone to discuss his new album The Resurrection of Funk, AI, Spotify vs. Bandcamp, Prince stories, and much more.