“The Incredible and Unpredictable Sly Stone” was how the rock and funk pioneer was billed in the late 1960s at the peak of his popularity. On Friday night, his third show in New York City in 32 years certainly lived up to the latter, when he held court on stage for about 35 minutes before a sold out crowd at B.B. King’s Blues Club & Club.

He led his band, The Family Stone, through such familiar hits as “Dance to the Music” and “Everyday People,” before telling the crowd euphemistically that he needed to relieve himself. He left via stage right, while the band remained on stage to perform the rest of the show, performing versions of “Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).”

Taking a page out of the Spinal Tap playbook, the 64-year-old Stone did make an attempt to return to stage from the opposite end. He got as far as the side of the stage, but his organist’s equipment was in the way. After a half-hearted attempt to climb around it, he turned on his heels and exited through the kitchen of the club, and did not return for the remainder of the set.

If anyone in the audience took the abbreviated performance as an ominous sign, well, they could be forgiven. Stone muddled through the 1970s racking up no-shows and erratic performances. But those who saw Sly two weeks ago at B.B.’s saw a different side of Sly: witty, self effacing, and, when he wanted to be, a magnetic performer.

In a strange coda to the evening, as the band was leaving the stage for the final time, an audience member grabbed one of the microphones and yelled, “Get back on stage, Sly! Get that crack addict back onstage! I paid a hundred dollars!” Before anyone could see who it was, he fled through the crowd, which had already begun to make its exit.

Saxophone player Jerry Martini, one of only two original members of the Family Stone playing this evening, came to the front of the stage to defend Stone with an impassioned speech, lauding the amount of time he spent on stage, calling him “a genius” and imploring the crowd to “show Sly your love!”

Out of nowhere, Sebastian Bach, one-time front man for the 80s hair metal band Skid Row and recently eliminated on MTV’s Celebrity Rap Superstar ,” pushed through the crowd and began to query the club staff at the side of the stage, “Who was that guy? He’s got no right. Sly was just great!”

By that time, most of the crowd had drifted off into the New York City night.

P.S. Sly was scheduled to perform a second set at 10:30 p.m. Anyone with anything to say about the second set should feel free to post below.

(Photo: Derek Caney / Sly performing on Nov. 20, 2007)