To conclude our coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention TPMtv brings you the final installment in its groundbreaking, multiple-award-winning serial documentary, "DNC '08: The Funky Convention." There is virtually unanimous agreement among all major scholarsticians: the final day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention will be remembered by history solely for its soundtrack. And save for the few unfunky minutes that Sheryl Crow commanded the stage ...


[TPM Managing Editor and prominent Sheryl Crow fan David Kurtz, clearly sensing the cameras on him, pretends here (1:54) to be entirely consumed by the work on his laptop. But TPMtv can report with some confidence that he was thoroughly enjoying the show.]

... it was a thick layer of bumptious, stanky, deep dinosaur funk that spread over the Invesco Field crowd all day and on into the night.

Here's Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey - 84 years spry - cold freakin' it to the sweet grooves of McFadden and Whitehead's "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now":



But watch out, Mr. Senator. Ain't no stoppin' this young Crocs-wearing convention-funkateer either. Did someone say dance off?


[At first somewhat distracted/apathetic-seeming, the youngster suddenly throws his fist (:20) - as if to crack his funk whip and say "Enough, it's funk time!" - and busts a surprising move at the :22 mark, followed by some expert rhythmic bouncing. Then a little gotcha! as the camera catches jacket and tie guy (not in fact Brit Hume), clearly inspired/challenged by the youngster's showing, in the midst of his pre-funkygetdown stretching routine at the :29 mark. TPM Managing Editor David Kurtz brings it on home with his patented "talking on 4 phones at once" dance at the :33 mark. Oh yes, this is heavyweight funk. Put up ya dukes!]

Aside from McFadden and Whitehead and the aforementioned Crow, musical acts included...

Stevie Wonder:



Michael McDonald:



Warren G and Nate Dogg, appropriating Michael McDonald's bass line to create a highly potent new strain of the funk, G-funk:



Rick Astley made a surprise appearance at Invesco Field Thursday night to perform his hit song "Never Gonna Give You Up," recently revived in the form of the ubiquitous "Rickroll." Or did he? Only by clicking on the following link will you find out the answer. Go ahead, click it. [Don't do it, you know it's a Rickroll.] Come ooon, don't listen to wimpy Mr. [ ]. You know you want to click. [I'm telling you, you'll be sorry.] You'll always wonder about the answer, you'll stay up at night, you'll be haunted forever - unless you click. [Don't click!] Click! LINK.

DJ Mehdi performed some funk of the future... and beyond:



Barack Obama's question to America: Are you ready for change? The Fatback Band's question to the Invesco Field crowd: Are you ready to Do The Bus Stop?



They might be called Kool and The Gang, but it's the audacious vocal work of Donal Boyce that puts the "Spirit" in this "Boogie":



You can bet Chic was there!



And finally, the culmination of the night, of the week, really of the entire Democratic presidential nomination race: Bootsy's Rubber Band delivers "Psychoticbumpschool":



Maceo Parker for Secretary of State!