PBS

This show will be brought to you by the number 3 and the letter F. And that's F for funk, kids -- the sticky, syncopated New Orleans kind originated by the Meters back in the early '70s.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, listen up: PBS is the acronym for the trio of George Porter Jr., Russell Batiste, and Brian Stoltz. Porter was the influential bassist of those very same Meters, while Batiste has banged a drum in the Crescent City since he was four years old, and Stoltz might be the heir to the Jimi/Stevie Ray legacy. Together, they dig into the soul-searing party music that provides the soundtrack to Mardi Gras, while their originals lean toward fist-pumping rock. Only a grouch couldn't dig on this.

PBS plays with Hagus Magagus at 8 p.m. Friday, January 21, at the Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $14.99. Call 954-564-1074.