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Renowned New Orleans funk band plays in Avon Tuesday

Geoff Mintznewsroom@vaildaily.comVAIL CO, Colorado
Special to the DailyFormed in 2003, Dumpstaphunk was initially put together on a whim to fulfill a gig at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
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Carrying the torch for groups like the Meters and Neville Brothers, Dumpstaphunk is leading the way among this generation’s batch of New Orleans’ funk bands. On Tuesday they carry that torch through Avon, with a show at Agave. “We are all a family,” said the band’s founder, Ivan Neville. “We admire each other as musicians and we came to together playing in different configurations. It was just a special thing to be in a band together. What is really cool is that all of us have had a chance to play with other artists like Harry Connick Jr., Trey Anastasio and Dave Mathews’ solo project. So it’s great to collaborate and bring those experiences to this project.”Dumpstaphunk founders and cousins Ivan Neville and Ian Neville (sons of Aaron Neville and Art Neville), along with Nick Daniels, Tony Hall and Raymond Weber were raised in an atmosphere of sounds that have come to define New Orleans music. The group has been called the city’s best funk band by a number of people.Formed in 2003, Dumpstaphunk was initially put together on a whim to fulfill a gig at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. That informal performance immediately gained notoriety, and the group has since gone on to travel the country and play some of the biggest festivals in the world. “Everybody in the band has played in a former fashion with either The Meters or the Nevilles. We were all a big part of it in some way, and we definitely feel like we’re carrying it over,” Neville said.Having collaborated in the studio with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Robbie Robertson and Delbert McClinton, Neville brings years of experience to this, his first major project as a bandleader.’Say something that matters’While Neville doesn’t consider himself an activist, he certainly doesn’t avoid social and political issues he thinks are worth writing music about. Songs such as “Living in a World Gone Mad” and “Turn This Thing Around” describe the troubling times we live in, while tunes like “Meanwhile” and “Shake” suggest making the best of the status quo in order to enjoy life.”We don’t consciously … engage in social and political commentary. If you’re writing a song, then you do have a voice, so why not say something that matters, something that’s relevant? That’s kind of how we get into some of those songs,” Neville said. The group is looking forward to its Colorado shows.”We haven’t played Colorado like this for many years, and we’re glad to get the opportunity to play some cool places. There’re a lot of music lovers in Colorado and we love that,” Neville said.


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