Concert review Dumpstaphunk
April 16th, 2008, 5:12 pm Hobbies And Interests
Funk music is often dismissed as disposable fun - a dance-floor circus of bug-eyed men with long dreadlocks, popping bass guitars and ridiculous, made-up names like, well, Dumpstaphunk.Ivan Neville’s quintet lived up to, yet crushed, those stereotypes. The three-hour, two-set concert illuminated a New Orleans band with jaw-dropping musical chops, hopeful lyrics and a reverence for classic rock, funk and soul.Disappointingly for Boise, this show had the ingredients of a dud. Only a few dozen people showed up at first. Seated in front of a Hammond B-3 organ, Neville grimaced as sound problems delayed the start. Enthusiastic guitarist-bassist-singer Tony Hall broke a string during the second song, a wicked instrumental called “Stinky.” Moments later, heavyset Raymond Webber, probably the best drummer to ever stomp a double-bass pedal at The Bouquet, dropped a stick during his solo.Webber laughed it off and put on a clinic. Slowly, the Bouquet crowd eased out of its seats and crept onto the dance floor. As more fans trickled into the nightclub, Neville provided rump-winding encouragement: “Just when you think it can’t get any funkier than that,” he promised, “we get funkier.”No joke. By the time the night was over, most of the 115 fans were pressed up front, shaking their butts and whooping as Webber repeatedly shrieked, “Somebody screaaaaam!”With the exception of a jammy, keyboard-swirly segment of the second set, this was fast, lethal, whiplash funk. The kind that caused bassist Nick Daniels to bite his lower lip, especially when Hall joined him for a bone-rattling, two-bass attack. During “Shake It Off,” Dumpstaphunk’s groove was so explosive and tight that it almost felt dizzying. When the group did slow down, it was often to offer a message: Neville turned the vocals over to Daniels during “Turn This Thing Around,” a politician-bashing song about helping your fellow man and overcoming Hurricane Katrina. Dumpstaphunk added its own stylistic vibe to cover choices. Oozing soul and a hint of psychedelia, Neville sang a souped-up take on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son.” The band ripped a hole in Parliament’s 1975 classic “Unfunky UFO.” And, graciously, Dumpstaphunk paid tribute to one of its main influences, Sly and the Family Stone: The audience shouted along joyfully to “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).”Despite its Louisiana heritage, Dumpstaphunk’s biggest influence is George Clinton. Stripped to its musical core, Dumpstaphunk is arguably a hotter live funk band than Clinton’s creaking funk outfit. P-Funk diehards might disagree, but, unfortunately for them, too few showed up to argue. That, in the lexicon of the evening, was funked up.Michael Deeds: 377-6407
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