The messiah entered stage-right into a troupe of more than 15 musicians, all of whom glowed in cool-colored light.

More than a half-hour into Wednesday night’s concert and 18 minutes into the third song, George Clinton finally joined the Parliament Funkadelic on the main stage at Otto’s Niteclub, 118 E. Lincoln Highway.

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Backed by a red velvet curtain, the emperor of funk and his band entertained a comfortably packed crowd with a four-hour set, complete with 25 revolving musicians and nearly 40 songs.

The gray-bearded veteran wrapped his trademark dreads into a pine-cone shape with a glistening golden cloth, the end of which rested over the front of his left shoulder. He donned a beige, body-length leather coat with random speckles of navy-and-white designs – his style was superstar psychedelic. Underneath, he wore a powder blue, long-sleeved velvet-like shirt with a full-length gold zipper pulled down enough to expose a gold chain.

Not only was his mystique mystifying – the legend was in the zone.

“They just blew my mind,” said 21-year-old Dusty Imboden, a DeKalb resident who saw Clinton for the second time.

Although most of the concert-goers were in their 20s, there were some die-hards over the age of 50 – just like the funkmaster himself.

Clinton entered during “Cosmic Slop,” which is one of his many classics that’s been updated into hip-hop form. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Clinton is the second-most sampled artist ever, behind only James Brown. “Cosmic Slop” recently was used by Jurassic 5 on the track “What We Do.”

-The funk icons played all their classics, including “One Nation Under A Groove,” “Flashlight,” “(Not Just) Knee Deep” and “Aqua Boogie” – all No. 1 hits on the R&B charts in the late 1970s. The band was very interactive with the crowd, and created a wild feeling of unity.

“He keeps everybody involved and excited,” said DeMareo Johnson, a 23-year-old junior communicative disorders major at NIU. “I just like his originality. He’s got an extreme level of funk that I can get into.”

Considering Clinton recorded his first song as a teenager in 1956, he’s in fantastic performing shape – at least according to the crowd’s observable pleasure level. Quivering bodies, swaying arms and pumping fists filled the crowd for a performance that definitely left a mark on