The line was wrapped around the block to get into Brooklyn Bowl Saturday night to catch Dumpstaphunk, one of the funkiest funk bands straight from New Orleans. Coat check was full before opener The London Souls even left the stage.
Fans packed the dance floor as the five members of Dumpstaphunk graced us with their presence. Ivan (keys) and Ian (guitar) Neville took the stage followed by double-bassist duo Tony Hall and Nick Daniels III. Drummer Nikki Glaspie sat behind her set and peered out towards the audience under flat-brim. Her t-shirt read, “DOPE”.
Once Dumpsta dropped some of that sweet, sweet funk upon us all, not a single person in the room could keep still. With that level of groovin’, it is simply impossible to not break it down. Funk fans are the best dancers and that’s a fact.
The first song played was called “Blue Wave,” a song off of their new album Dirty Word set to drop in June. The song started with a strong southern rock vibe with a guitar riff that reminded me of ZZ Top’s “La Grange” paired with gospel like piano. Daniel’s vocals were soulful while Ivan Neville and Tony Hall’s harmonizing fills completed the sound.
“Gasman Chronicles” was next and really got the crowd dancing dirty. Ian Neville went heavy on the wah-pedal as the bass-duo slapped away at their axes.
The two songs, “Water” and “Take Time” are also from their upcoming album. “Water” was sung by Hall, Daniels, and Ivan Neville and could be compared to “We Want the Funk” by funk legends Parliament Funkadelic. “Take Time” was a slower jam that had repetitive lyrics, but was in no way a bad tune.
The following song was a cover by Maze, a soul/funk band from the 70s called “Color Blind”. The audience absorbed Dumpstaphunk’s feel good energy like a sponge and reciprocated them into a real solid dance session. This was one of the most enjoyable crowds to be in and it really added more to the show.
Tash Neal, guitarist from The London Souls came out to perform “Meanwhile” and “Living in a World Gone Mad” where Ivan Neville, Hall, Daniels, and Glaspie sang and played together with ease, like a boss. Both guitarists and bassist line the stage and completely shredded the venue apart.
It was around this time when Nikki Glaspie gave us a 10-minute drum solo into a hip-hop medley. She rapped while keeping an impeccable beat. Songs in this medley included “Shake your Money Maker” by Ludacris, “Public Service Announcement” by Jay-Z and “Vivrant Thing” by Q-tip. She finished it off with improv beat boxing that turned into a Pink Floyd-esque “The Great Gig in the Sky” kind of screaming that blew me away.
The show ended with a cover of “One Nation Under a Groove” by Parliament Funkadelic as if to pay homage to our funk forefathers. Brooklyn Bowl felt like Bourbon Street, just for one last moment until Dumpstaphunk left the stage. At the end of the show, I felt so musically satisfied…full of funk if you will. If you think you know funk, you’ve better put it in the dumpsta.
-Review by Diana Kumpf
-Photos by Arya Jha
Brooklyn Bowl 3/24/13
Blues Wave
Gasman Chronicles
Water
Take Time
Color Blind
Dancing to the Truth
Quazar
Deeper
Put It In the Dumpsta
Meanwhile… (w/Tash)
Living in a World Gone Mad (w/Tash)
Lt. Dan > Nikki Glaspie drum solo madness > Shake Your Money Maker (Ludacris cover) > Public Service Announcement (Jay Z cover) > Vivrant Thing (Q Tip cover)
Do Ya > One Nation Under a Groove
