It appeared to be a good sign when emcee Danny Ray introduced a band who locked into a set of instrumentals including "Pass the Peas" by The J.B.'s. But as the evening wore on and the revolving door of revue acts took the stage for their sets, the packed Classic Rock Stage got less and less crowded.

The rap, karaoke and power trio funk acts simply were not what the folks came to see. They came to see A Tribute to James Brown Featuring Bootsy Collins. You know time is running out when even the patchouli kids from the suburbs with the fake dreadlocks give up their Deadhead skank and move on. But the acts just kept on coming and the stage crew hustled to keep up with the changeovers.

"It's just as chaotic as the old days," one veteran music fan commented on the show.

And then about an hour into the show Ray asked the audience to welcome another act "this afternoon." Decked out in matching red suits, Bootsy Collins led the 13-strong group on bass. With his older brother Catfish adding staccato guitar parts, and drummer Jabo Starks and conga player Johnny Griggs anchoring the rhythm section, it became obvious very quickly why James Brown recruited these Cincinnati musicians as The J.B.'s when his previous band mutinied over the Godfather's terms of salary.

Vocalist Tony Wilson kept things moving on the good foot with backward somersaults and fancy footwork. The horn section locked in as Wilson sang "Super Bad," backed by the monstrous rhythm of the aptly named Hardest Working Band. Brown's controversial paramour Tomi Rae Brown fronted the group for a Gospel-take on "Lost Someone."

During this final stretch, the trio of horns really punctuated the tunes. Often the band locked into a one chord vamp and built up some serious tension with twin drum kits, congas and guitars. When Wilson called for the bridge the pair of saxes and trombone exploded like fireworks.

As this was opening night of the tour it seemed the show was still a work in progress. But with Bootsy, a little chaos is never out of the question. With show apparently ended, he sat at foot of the stage chanting "Keep the funk alive." As the band and opening acts gradually reappeared the crew took the hint and the band came to life one last time.