Parliament George and the Psychedelics? Mayor gets playful lesson on hipness

When Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic headlined the Cherry Blossom Festival Street Party in April, Mayor Robert Reichert introduced the group to the thousands in attendance.

On Wednesday, however, Reichert had a hard time remembering the name of the band that helped redefine soul, rock and funk music over the last several decades. The mayor mentioned the band during a discussion about a proposed alcohol ban at Rosa Parks Square. The downtown park was blocked off during the street party, while people in attendance mingled and listened to the concert on the streets near the park, Reichert said.

But when he called the band “Parliament George and the Psychedelics” and then “George and the Psychedelic Parliament,” it elicited chuckles Wednesday from those in the crowd and some of the mayor’s colleagues.

After Commissioner Gary Bechtel corrected him, Reichert apologized for his lack of hipness.

“Sorry, sorry, you can tell I ain’t with it,” said the mayor, who added that a cue card kept him from messing up the band’s name on the evening of the performance.

“You needed a flashlight,” Bechtel said in reference to the one of the group’s greatest hits. “Some of y’all might have picked that up.”

This story was originally published July 7, 2017 at 2:46 PM with the headline "Parliament George and the Psychedelics? Mayor gets playful lesson on hipness."