“‘Can’t’ is dead,” proclaims Kirk Gavin III, co-frontman and founder of one of Tallahassee’s premier funk bands, Pharaohs of Funk. He says that he was first introduced to this motivating phrase as a Rickards High School student under the tutelage of his former band director, Quincy Griffin.
Since then, Gavin has become a music teacher himself, offering private lessons in addition to leading the brass program at Godby High School.
You can groove along with Pharaohs of Funk live at Levitt AMP Tallahassee: Music Under the Oaks concert on July 9 at Lewis Park.
Tucker Center: Explore worlds of sci-fi and beyond at 8th Annual Infinity Con
Aaron Watson III and Kirk Gavin III, co-frontman and founder of one of Tallahassee’s premier funk bands, Pharaohs of Funk.
Musical mentorship
When asked about his teaching philosophy, Gavin emphasizes the importance of showing students their potential. “If you have the courage to do it and you’re willing to put the time in and be consistent, you have no choice but to be great at it.” He goes on to explain that the first step towards building skills in music is breaking down self-imposed limitations: “I don’t want anyone to stunt their growth, thinking that they can’t do anything.”
Kirk Gavin brings this “can-do” attitude to everything he touches. As a child, when his parents asked him if he wanted to play an instrument, Gavin took to the trumpet immediately. “I knew I didn’t want to play saxophone because everybody played saxophone. But my grandmother had a picture of Louis Armstrong in her house, and I was like, well, I’ll try that. And from 2004 until now, I’ve just been expanding upon it.”
A Tallahassee native, Gavin continued honing his trumpet skills through band programs at Raa Middle and Rickards High, lessons at Stubb’s Music Center, and eventually by pursuing a degree in music education at Florida A&M University.
What began as spots at The Warehouse’s legendary Open Mic Nights hosted by Doc Russell soon turned into professional gigs with a variety of bands and ensembles, including a group called Tallahassee Nights Live. Gavin picked up other instruments along the way and continued to network with other local Tallahassee musicians.
Brothers in Funk
The Pharaohs of Funk will perform live at Levitt AMP Tallahassee: Music Under the Oaks at Lewis Park on July 9, 2026.
It was only a matter of time before Gavin crossed paths with a musician who would become his main collaborator and business partner, saxophonist Aaron Watson III. When a bandmate recommended Watson to fill in on some gigs, Gavin quickly noticed his talent and diligence.
“Aaron was the one who knew the majority of the music in the other bands, so I trusted him to come on and play, and we just kept rocking from there. Eventually one of the bands started calling us Tallahassee Horns and we stuck with it.”
The Tallahassee Horns, later to become the core group of Pharaohs of Funk, was born.
Aaron Watson III and Kirk Gavin III, co-founders of The Pharaohs of Funk, which will play at Lewis Park on July 9, 2026.
“He’s like my brother,” Gavin says of Watson. “We’ve grown very close over the years as a duo and as a music organization. As time went on, we just kept learning more, doing more, growing together, and now we are the Pharaohs of Funk, as we are today.”
The Pharaohs of Funk have been playing together now for almost three years. The current lineup consists of Gavin on vocals and trombone/trumpet, Watson on vocals and saxophone, and other top-notch Tallahassee musicians: Collin Hopkins on drums, Kendrick Jacobs on bass, and Joël Johnson on guitar.
Fusion of sounds
The band has developed a unique sound through a fusion of different genres and areas of expertise among its members. Gavin cites Trombone Shorty and James Brown as some of his biggest influences, and explains that each member brings with them their own background and tastes:
“Aaron, he’s real big on Reggae Island Music, Caribbean music; that’s a very big part of his identity. Some of our other musicians that we play with are more blues, some of them are more jazz. Some of them have a big gospel influence. Some of them, more of a hip-hop or a more commercial influence in terms of secular music. And I think when we just come together, it all just becomes something beautiful.”
Coming up: This Grammy winning rapper is headed to Tallahassee for concert with TSO
Meet the artists for FSU’s Opening Nights 2026-27 season
1 of 23
Wynton Marsalis, the founding artistic director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, pulls into Ruby Diamond Concert Hall on Jan. 28 2027 as part of the new season of Opening Nights artist series.
(Photo by Frank Stewart)
The band’s dynamic funk sound and electrifying performances have made them an instant hit with crowds. They have performed locally at spots such as Fire Betty’s, Oyster City, Fifth and Thomas, Cascades Park, and even shared the stage with George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelics at the Inaugural P-Funk Festival earlier this year.
Gavin says the group has enjoyed traveling as well. “We’ve been pretty active playing in the tristate area…South Georgia and around the panhandle. We’ve really put in time in places like Apalachicola, Port St. Joe, Destin, Thomasville, and Valdosta.”
Whether playing a local or out-of-town gig, Pharaohs of Funk tend to draw a diverse crowd.
“It’s been really interesting to bring together all those different people from different backgrounds into one space and really just have a great time,” says Gavin. “Whether it’s the young kids or the older crowd, bobbing their heads or full out on the dance floor, dancing their heart out – it’s all a great thing.”
Grooving to the future
Pharaohs of Funk have been playing together now for almost three years. The current lineup is Kirk Gavin on vocals and trombone/trumpet, Aaron Watson on vocals and saxophone, Collin Hopkins on drums, Kendrick Jacobs on bass, and Joël Johnson on guitar.
So what’s next for Pharaohs of Funk?
“Right now, the first thing on the agenda is to put the time aside and come out with more original music as a band,” says Gavin. “We’re building resources, we’re building connections. I just think the sky isn’t even the limit for us in terms of what we can do.”
The members of Pharaohs of Funk are passionate about sharing their love of music with others, whether through teaching, sharing the stage, or performing live. Gavin says his message for audiences is to “let yourself be free.”
“I feel like that is something that’s real special about funk; regardless of what the message is, you can always groove to it. And I feel like you can compare it to life, because life can be pain, life can be hurt. It can be sadness. But one of the beautiful things about life is as long as we’re still here, there’s a silver lining to it.”
You can groove along with Pharaohs of Funk live at Levitt AMP Tallahassee: Music Under the Oaks on July 9 at Lewis Park. This concert series, made possible by a partnership among the Council on Culture & Arts, the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority, and the Levitt Family Foundation, offers free, accessible music experiences that revitalize culture and community in downtown Tallahassee.
Attendees of the July 9 concert can look forward to Pharaohs of Funk’s special rendition of Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” which Gavin says is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
“We put our own spin on it and have the absolute most fun with it. There’s always a moment in the song where we go out into the crowd and we really just vibe with everybody. People get up, dancing. Me and Aaron have a little improv battle. It’s the funkiest party you’ll ever be in.”
If you go
What: Pharaohs of Funk at Levitt AMP Tallahassee: Music Under the Oaks; presented by the Council on Culture & Arts, the Downtown Improvement Authority, and the Levitt Family Foundation
When: 7-9 p.m. Thursday, July 9
Where: Lewis Park, 316 E Park Ave, Tallahassee
Cost: Free
Details: Series Information: tallahasseearts.org/levittamp; Event Details: facebook.com; Band Website: pharaohsoffunk.com
Dorie Spangler is the Arts Education Coordinator & Public Art Assistant for the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA). COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (tallahasseearts.org).
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Groove to the possibilities with Tallahassee’s Pharaohs of Funk