Patch Talks to Ivan Neville

This year Maplewoodstock boldly went where no Maplewoodstock has gone before: Funkytown. 

As the grand finale for day one of the festival, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk rocked the stage – for two whole hours.  Slated to go on at 8:45 p.m., the band took longer than anticipated to set up as they tried to perfect their sound.  They kept the crowd engaged as they promised that it would be worth the wait.  It definitely was, as Dumpstaphunk brought the proverbial house down, jamming well past 11:00 p.m. 

Patch spoke with bandleader Ivan Neville, son of Aaron Neville, who described Dumpstaphunk as "no frills funk." He elaborated, saying that there are no gimmicks, hype, or fancy lights; just good music.  "It's music that's made from the heart, it's made because we love what we do," he continued.

In addition to the solid sound, Dumpstaphunk's music sends a positive message.  During the band's set the audience was told to take anything that was weighing on them, and "put it in the dumpsta!"  Most of the band's songs included upbeat affirmations, including the oft repeated "you can make it if you try" and "shake it off." 

Mr. Neville says he likes having a slight message in the music, while not being preachy.  That way, "you can move your body and you can think a little bit too, if you want to," he said.

When asked how he liked performing for a Maplewood crowd, Neville said that it was cool to see families hanging out together and dancing their cares away.  Adding "it's good to know we can be PG rated… we're kid friendly."

The band spent the rest of the night exploring Maplewood, with members hanging out in the village and around the park. Dumpstaphunk bid Maplewood adieu at 6:00 a.m., when their tour bus moved along, headed for New London, Connecticut.  Next stop after that: home to New Orleans!

Please enjoy photos from both days, including Dumpstaphunk's performance.