Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk Headed to Colorado High Country
On "Cold As Funk Tour"
AUSTIN, Texas – The exodus continues for Ivan Neville and his partners in Dumpstaphunk.
Driven from their homes in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, the group that Harp magazine calls "history's greatest homeless band," has made the road its home since late August. Beginning Friday, Dec. 9, at club 8150 in Vail, the "Cold As Funk" tour brings the band to six Colorado destinations in as many nights.
"Being from New Orleans, none of us like cold weather, much less snow," said Ivan Neville, whose keyboard work has added gumbo spice to records by everyone from the Rolling Stones to Bonnie Raitt. "So we guarantee we'll be doing everything we can to warm things up every night."
Fans of classic Crescent City funk will immediately recognize the roots of Dumpstaphunk's sound, but a shared love of improvisational rock has created a musical kinship with bands like Gov't Mule, Widespread Panic and Galactic.
"Obviously, we grew up with the Meters and the Wild Tchoupitoulas," said Ivan, whose first paying gigs as a musician were backing his father, Aaron Neville, in nascent versions of The Neville Brothers. "But like a lot of these guys who have become our friends, we're taking those influences and building on them.
"You'll hear New Orleans in everything we do, but you'll hear a lot of other stuff filtering in as well because we've all worked with different people and we all listen to everything."
Joining Ivan in Dumpstaphunk are some New Orleans' legends in the making:
Tony Hall – bass, vocals & guitar. Hall, along with Dumpstaphunk drummer Raymond Weber, will join the "Cold As Funk" tour straight from his gig playing with Trey Anastasio's 70-Volt Parade. Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews and Emmylou Harris, are just a few of the other musicians who have tapped Hall's multi-instrumental talents.
Nick Daniels – bass & vocals. From the Neville Brothers, to the Wild Magnolia's to C.J. Chenier, Daniels' bass and backing vocals are New Orleans' mainstays. When Daniels and Hall play bass together, the funk gets deep.
Raymond Weber – Drums. Weber has played with everybody, from Harry Connick, Jr. to Snooks Eaglin to Marcia Ball, but Anastasio probably said it best when he tapped Weber to join the 70-Volt Parade: "I just knew I had to play with Raymond. His playing was so deep and in the pocket... I just couldn't get him out of my head!"
Ian Neville – Guitar. Ian Neville is quickly becoming acknowledged as one of the true masters of New Orleans funk guitar. The son of Neville's family patriarch and Meters founder Art Neville, and a true student of Meters legend Leo Nocentelli, Ian Neville has appeared with The Meters, The Neville Brothers, Papa Grows Funk, Ratdog and Galactic.
Cold As Funk Tour Itinerary
12.09 (Fri) | Vail, Club 8150
12.10 (Sat) | Telluride, Telluride Conference Center
12.11 (Sun) | Aspen, Belly Up
12.12 (Mon) | Breckenridge, Sherpa & Yetis
12.13 (Tue) | Denver, Cervantes Ballroom
12.14 (Wed) | Crested Butte, Rafters/Crested Butte Conference Center
|
