Hey now, we are Funktional Flow, and we are Ben Whelan on bass guitar, Jason  Staniszewski on guitar and vocals, Jeffrey Kuebler on guitar and vocals and Jim Edgar on drums and percussion.

We have often described our style as a melting pot of all the different genres that we are influenced by. However, if we had to really pinpoint the core, it would definitely be funk, reggae and rock and roll. We touch on so many different styles, so it’s really quite hard to categorize, but we really feel those are predominate in our sound. We all have a ton of different influences we bring to the table, so it’s really fun to have as much variety in the idea department. We have really been quite blessed in that aspect.

We are extremely influenced by moe., Umphrey's McGee, Phish, The Talking Heads, Sublime, Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, Rage Against The Machine, Pink Floyd and Ween, to name a very small few. We have so many bands in the jam scene alone that we are all so influenced by, from large to local, we take in as much as we can. As much as we enjoy being musicians, I can assure you, we are all students first.

Check out our song "Ambush," live at The Tralf:

If you could create your dream tour, which bands would you bring along with you and why?

That would have to be Phish, moe., Umphrey's McGee and Funktional Flow. Sounds like complete world domination to me.

You guys were part of some festivals this past summer. What were your favorites to play, and which ones would you recommend fans to attend next summer?

Yes, we were lucky enough to have been a part of quite a few festivals this summer! The first one that comes to mind would be A Bear's Picnic in Laurelton, Pa. We had so much fun and had one of the most energized crowds we have had to date, and to play with the caliber of bands that were there was really a privilege. Also, we played a festival called Toadfest that was mainly all our friends in the Buffalo music scene, so that was really fun to play a festival with bands we consider brothers and get to take that all in. Another this summer wasn't exactly a festival, but it had that feel. We played a gem of a venue in Silver Creek called Willow Creek Winery, and again, a really energized crowd and some beautiful scenery made for a magical night of music indeed. We were really fortunate this summer to be so busy!

How do you guys get from city to city on tour (bus, RV, van)? And what items can you not leave home without?

We mainly use a van whenever we travel.  She has affectionately been dubbed “Van Morrison.” We have channeled our Tetris skills to fit an unthinkable amount of equipment in a rather small van semi-comfortably. Let’s just say we get to know each other well on tour. We really enjoy being on the road; we get a lot of ideas hatched out travelling, and tend to find things to keep it interesting from point A to point B. We foresee a lot more travel in our future, so we try and come up with ways to utilize that time on the road. As far as things to bring on the road, as long as we have all our gear accounted for, we're usually happy with that!

What's next for Funktional Flow? Where are you performing next?

Well, this weekend is our Halloween extravaganza! Friday, October 26, we're kicking it off in Allentown at one of our favorite local venues, DBGBs  Then for round two, we are back where it all started at Limerick's Pub in Lake View for a homecoming of sorts on Saturday, October 27. We always look forward to this weekend; it gives us an excuse to play new covers and such that we wouldn't normally think of doing. Looks like that’s the case again this year!

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and ReverbNation!

Hey, local bands: Want to be featured as our Buffalo Band of the Week? Local music aficionados, got a band you want to nominate? Email angela[dot]stefano[at]townsquaremedia[dot]com with their name!

 

Jack FM’s Buffalo Band of the Week is sponsored by Headspace Glass and Gifts.

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