Music lovers of the syncopated sound can check out the best New Orleans has to offer at classic venues such as Tipitina’s, The Howlin’ Wolf, Maple Leaf Bar and the Crown Room. The good news for those in the Lake Tahoe area is that they don’t need to travel New Orleans to visit one of the venues.
The Crystal Bay Casino’s Crown Room is the site this year for numerous bands from New Orleans, including Galactic, the Funky Meters, Big Sam’s Funky Nation and, on Sunday, Sept. 4, Dumpstaphunk.
Dumpstaphunk might have gotten its name for having the dirties rhythm section on earth. It has appeared in the Crown Room on several occasions, the most recent being last New Year’s Eve.
The funky sound is driven by dual bass players Tony Hall and Nick Daniels and the band’s newest member, drummer Alvin Ford Jr. Cousins Ivan Neville (Hammond B3 keyboard) and guitarist Ian Neville (guitar) are the next generation of New Orleans’ funk royalty. Ivan is the spitting image of his father, sweet soul singer Aaron Neville, and Ian is the son of Art “Papa Funk” Neville, the band leader of funk pioneers the Meters.
The band came together in 2003 the way so many New Orleans groups get started. Ivan Neville brought in the musicians for a one-off performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The chemistry was right, the four-part harmonies sounded like a new-age version of Sly & the Family Stone and the people loved it.
Drums has been the only position that has changed. Raymond Weber was first, followed by Nikki Glaspie. Ford, who had played with Bonerama and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, joined last year.
“We’ve got more bass than most bands,” Ian Neville told Tahoe Onstage before the New Year’s Eve concert. “We try to get more dancing going on out of the crowd than most bands. Just keep the feet and the asses shaking.”
- Dumpstaphunk
When: 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4
Where: Crystal Bay Casino
Tickets: $17 in advance or $20 on the day of the show
Red Room after-party: The Sextones
