Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Wadata
The Pour House
Feb. 2
“Bring your ass, leave your drink!” was the lone rule as dozens of women climbed over amplifiers and guitar pedals, transforming the Pour House stage into a dance floor on Thursday night, grooving with New Orleans-based funkmasters Dumpstaphunk until the wee hours of the morning. The ladies on stage weren’t the only ones feeling the groove, as the packed house bounced and swayed right along with them.
Ivan Neville, quite possibly the coolest man on the planet, is the son of the Neville Brothers’ Aaron Neville. He is the mastermind behind Dumpstaphunk and the man behind the organ. Throughout the show, his fingers danced effortlessly from key to key as he joked with the crowd about everything from “shakin’ that thang” to Forrest Gump (“They was tryin’ to grab you Jenny!”). His antique keyboard set-up appeared to be held together by a set of ropes and cranks, but it still filled the room with plenty of “dirty funk,” as he called it.
Charleston-based soulsters Wadata took the stage before Dumpstaphunk in what never fails to be a flawless fusion of funk and jazz. The group brought Charlestonian vocalist Chris Hyatt on stage for a few songs, too. Hyatt’s high-pitched R&B style echoed alongside the vibrant instrumentals.
Later, in the midst of a Dumpstaphunk jam, Neville pointed at Wadata saxophonist Mike Quinn and invited him on stage. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Quinn had grabbed his sax and meshed his spirited woodwind into the mix.
Neither Dumpstaphunk’s appearance nor their sound is typical. With both Nick Daniels III and Tony Hall on bass guitars throughout most of the set, the unique two-headed approach combined to create smooth, deep bass lines that pulsated through your stool and made the hair on your arms dance like a Mexican jumping bean. Nikki Glaspie on drums, a heavy-hitting star on the rise, is the newest member of the group, but no rookie on the music scene, having performed with the likes of Beyoncé and Cee-Lo Green in the past. With Ivan’s cousin Ian Neville (the son of the other Neville Brother, Art) on guitar, the group certainly has no shortage of prominent talent, and they put it on display Thursday night at the Pour House.
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