George Clinton may have signed a check to the city of Chattanooga guaranteeing a night of funk, but that check wasn't cashed until Ivan Neville took the stage last night as the front man for the New Orleans dirty funk ensemble Dumpstaphunk, when they kicked things off opposite Billy Currington on the Unum Stage last night.

To all the fans of funk who felt slighted by the confusing amalgamation of styles that made up Mr. Clinton's performance Thursday evening, this was the fulfillment of the promises Mr. Clinton and company made and never followed through on.

While waiting for Mr. Neville to take the stage, I discovered that, if nothing else, I'm as in love with bass players tuning up as I am with most bands in full swing. Dumpstaphunk had two going at it simultaneously. And when they were going at it full bore, the sound was like a funk conversation, as if two deities of funk music were arguing over who was going to pay the check.

Speaking of check, I checked out of the show after about an hour, but that one hour of music was funkier and more involving than the entirety of the P-Funk headlining performance. That, if nothing else, demonstrates that an act being scheduled on the side stage in no way reflects the quality of their performance. I'm fully convinced they could have held their own as a headlining artist. God knows, they had the pedigree to pull it off.

See you out there tomorrow for the final round. If you're a champ, you'll still be on your feet until the fireworks start going off. I know I will be.