By BRIGID PARKER and VIVIAN KOPKA
This weekend looked promising as Beloit students and Grease Balls (the official term for the D’Funk and the Grease Monkey fandom) eagerly filed into C Haus on Friday, Nov. 10. They were ravenous for the grandiose return of Beloit’s favorite music group, D’Funk and the Grease Monkeys, along with opening artists Throes and D.A.R.S.
Since their first time on campus in April 2022, The Grease Monkeys has become a household name on campus, with a large crowd of students gathering, thirstily awaiting their angelic sound each time they return. We clearly can’t get enough of these scallywags, and considering this was their fifth gig with us since their Beloit debut, the feeling seems mutual.
D’Funk and the Grease Monkeys consists of six charming geniuses: Dimitrius “D’Funk” (The Cock Snatcher), Maggie (Nothing Funny About It), Aden (who was born in a very large jar), Andy (THE Bouchie Bandit), Cheldyn (The Wild Card), and Stephon (The Rideshare Driver).
The voice of the band, D’Funk, is expertly uplifted by Maggie on sax (and a bit of cowbell), Aden on bass, Andy on keys and backup vocals, Cheldyn on whatever the hell he’s feeling (this Friday was a bongo, a magic mixing tool, and some beautiful backup vocals), and finally, Beloit’s own Stephon on the drum kit.
The Grease Monkeys, apart from Stephon who lives here in Beloit, spent the past year relocating from their place of conception in Madison to Chicago. The band got together by accident, because a man booked Dimitrius’ group to play with Cheldyn and his friend, Santana, and they decided that they meshed well together after a couple of practices for the gig. Since then, some people joined the band and some people were absorbed by a horse and forced to leave the band (according to the Grease Monkeys). Despite all of the shifts, the band nonetheless still has their jazzy, funky spark.
Although they have a warm spot for Madison in each of their hearts, the move to Chicago is what seems best for them. There were some issues getting gigs in Madison. Cheldyn said, “One bar told us that they didn’t like hip-hop because of the crowd that it brings, which is code for ‘we don’t like Black people.’” While that wasn’t always their experience in Madison, the band thinks that the music scene in Chicago is more centered around hip-hop and Black culture, which allows for a larger, more accepting platform.
The group’s chemistry and collective brilliance shone through in an enchanting spectacle Friday, as they came together to deliver some delectable, dynamic tunes to a crowd of Beloiters from all walks of campus. C Haus was filled with an unmatched enthusiasm for D’Funk’s relatable lyrics and alluring flow, Stephon’s rich and steady drumming, and Maggie’s many (but still not enough tbh) seductive “sexophone” solos. To the delight of both the concert go-ers and, seemingly, the Monkeys themselves, the crowd gleefully joined D’Funk in singing some Beloit favorites including “4 Better (or Worse)” and “92.29.”
It was quite the chipper evening. Outside sources say the whoops and hollers and yippee ki yays could be heard all through town, and as the audience migrated out of C Haus, they left behind a coat of grease, tears, and whatever squirt is made of (is it pee??) over every surface.
After witnessing such a moving performance, one is bound to wonder what we can expect next from D’Funk and his Grease Monkeys. Fortunately for us, some more juicy tunes could be on their way. While the majority of their focus has been on the big move, the group plans to record a new album when they find the means ($) to do so. “We’ve been broke all year,” Dimitrius expressed, but they have many unrecorded masterpieces just waiting to be recorded and released.
Make sure to keep an eye out for this band. The general consensus from first-timers on Friday was somewhere along the lines of “How is this band not famous?”
If you missed out this past Friday, don’t let it doesn’t happen again. When D’Funk and the Grease Monkeys start selling out arenas, you will be forever cursed with the knowledge that you were the weenie, smoking alone in your room when you could’ve been bumping your bussy to one of the sickest bands in the Midwest, and you wouldn’t want to carry that albatross with you, now would you?
Featured Image Credit: D’Funk and the Grease Monkeys
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