Bobble Tiki would like to let you in on a little known fact. A long time ago, in a far away, similarly cold and damp place, Bobble Tiki actually invented the “pre-funk.”

It’s true, and it was completely by accident. The event was an Earth Wind and Fire concert at the Coliseum in Seattle. The year was 1980. Eight couples packed into a Chevy van and headed north from Tacoma. Bobble Tiki drove. By the time the Kingdome was in sight Bobble Tiki had a contact high so powerful he still looks back on it with awe.

The overcrowded and hot-boxed van pulled into Seattle hours early for the show, and the rest, as they say, is history. The pre-funk was born.

So, when Bobble Tiki saw the Urban Art Festival, one of his favorite yearly events of all time, was hopping on the pre-funk bandwagon this year by hosting one at Jazzbones on Friday, June 6, his Tiki heart filled with pride and his Tiki eyes got a tad bit misty. Bobble Tiki takes a lot of satisfaction in his creation. To see reggae freaks Little Big Man and roots rockers the Joshua Cain Band scheduled to provide the “funk” for the “pre,” well Bobble Tiki figured things couldn’t get much better. But when he saw Bumma Stoge, One Way Trip, Ben and Ted Fuller of Fear Train Caravan and DJ Broam were also scheduled to perform, he had one thought, and one thought only.

Friday at Jazzbones may be the pre-funk to end all pre-funks. What better way to get the City of Destiny psyched for the June 29 Urban Art Festival than a pre-funk of this proportion?

Bobble Tiki loves him some Fear Train Caravan almost as much as he loves the pre-funk. So it only seemed natural for Bobble Tiki to catch up with Ben Fuller, the band’s frontman, this week. Bobble Tiki thought about asking Ben about how cool it is that Bobble Tiki invented the pre-funk, but then Bobble Tiki figured that would make for a fairly boring column. Instead, Bobble Tiki wondered what it’s like for Ben to play with his brother Ted in Fear Train Caravan — among other things:

BOBBLE TIKI: Bobble Tiki understands it’ll be an acoustic show for FTC on the 6th at Jazzbones. Bobble Tiki has heard too much acoustic music can make one gay. Any truth to this?

BEN FULLER: I don’t think that it changes anyone’s sexual orientation but sometimes it does make you a little happier. So, depending on what you are asking, there might be some truth to that statement.

TIKI: It’ll be you and your brother Ted up there. What’s something embarrassing about Ted that he probably wouldn’t want readers of the Weekly Volcano to know?

FULLER: He thought that he could get out of his Fat Elvis stage by now!

TIKI: When you guys fought as kids, who won?

FULLER: I always won except for the time he threw a metal garbage can lid at my back; he only won with cheap shots. True story.

TIKI: Have you ever wished you and Ted were twins, so you could switch places from time to time?

FULLER: No. The world does not need two of either one of us.

TIKI: In your opinion, who did your parents love more — you or Ted?

FULLER: They loved Ted a lot more. I think they might have forgotten that I existed, other than at meal time. On the other hand, he pissed them off more often because he was a lot louder and he loved to play his guitar through this s***ty sounding Peavey amp when he had no idea what a chord was.

TIKI: Bobble Tiki enjoys your music, but when you start talking politics it’s way over Bobble Tiki’s head. Bobble Tiki likes things simple, distilled like the local news. Do you worry about being too “heady” to appeal to uneducated TV lovers like Bobble Tiki?

FULLER: I think there is something in there for everybody. So, I don’t worry about it being too great of a problem to have some kind of social message to go along with our songs. Our music is probably more about emotion than anything. If a song moves me then it should be able to move someone else, and that is really the intention of any song. I hope Bobble Tiki can see what he enjoys for what it is and not be overwhelmed by what he doesn’t understand.

TIKI: By Bobble Tiki’s count this is your 3,765th time playing Jazzbones. Are you excited?

FULLER: We think of ourselves as being Jazzbones’ version of Cal Ripken Jr. going after Lou Gehrig ... better known at Jazzbones as Vicci Martinez.

As usual, Bobble Tiki doesn’t care what you do this week because he doesn’t even know you. Besides, there are plenty of people out there for you to strike up a friendship with. You might as well give up on becoming chummy with this island themed souvenir. Check out www.weeklyvolcanospew.com for all your South Sound blogosphere needs and consider yourself set. There are children in third world countries who’d give a limb for this kind of reading. Now, finish the paper!

[Jazzbones, Little Big Man, Joshua Cain Band, Bumma Stoge, One Way Trip, The Fighting Fullers, DJ Broam, Friday, June 7, 7 p.m., $8, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]