Saturday, 4:00 PM — Garden Stage
Sometimes a gamble pays off.
Faced with competing sets between a sure thing (Trombone Shorty, who absolutely tore the place apart in 2010) and an unknown (Mingo Fishtrap, a group out of Austin that I only knew as a funny name before today), I decided to roll the dice and head over to the Garden Stage.
Mingo Fishtrap, as it turns out, is an eight-man juggernaut of classic soul, New Orleans gumbo, horn-driven power funk and slick big-band blues. They’re earthy and eclectic (there was even a bit of samba rhythm in the at one point) and ready to roll.
All cylinders are clicking early in the set: a tight three-man horn section, burning Hammond organ from keyboardist Dane Farnsworth, double trouble from drum kit and Latin percussion… But it’s Roger Blevins Jr. Who drives the machine, pouring it on with his blues-soaked, Mississippi-bred voice and guitar. The US Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying team screams overhead midway through one number, on their way to a nearby air show, but it might as well be part of the act: Blevins merely points skyward and keeps his groove going without missing a beat.
They tease us with the intro to Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City,” churning the familiar melody into what sounds like the beginning of an epic, but it’s just the start of a quick-hit soul medley. James Brown, however, gets the royal treatment towards the end of the gig. “Soul Power,” “It’s a Man’s World,” “I’ve Got the Feeling”… It’s Star Time on the Garden Stage, and the heat just keeps on coming. I still don’t know what the heck a mingo fishtrap is, but I’m hooked.
Related posts:
Don’t you love it when you take a chance and stumble across something wonderful? Though I still think “Mingo Fishtrap” sounds like a Groucho Marx character.
To clarify. Mingo and Fishtrap are the names of two intersecting streets in Denton, Tx home of the power house music / jazz school at the University of North Texas. North Texas State to us old school types. It’s also the town where this band originally formed up. Glad you were able to enjoy a group that we in Austin,Tx have long known was destined for greatness.
These guys are amazing – glad you stopped by and spread the word! As for the name – yeah, it’s odd, but really, how many bands’ names actually make sense? FYI – they were named for two streets (Mingo and Fishtrap) at a crossroads in Denton, TX where lead singer Roger Blevins and some of the members originally met.
We’ve been diggin these guys here in the southeast for years…..Im glad ya’ll got a taste.
Some sort of mainstream notoriety is so overdue for these guys. I just can’t say enough about how great I think they are. Nice people and just a terrific band.
I have heard a lot of bands in my 59 years. Mingo maybe the tightest and funkiest band I’ve ever heard. Best live show ever.
They played our little town a month ago. They tore down the house. Rebuilt it. Tore it down again. Several times. It was awesome. Excellent live show, excellent chops, nice guys. They got it all. Hope they come back…
I’ve been a fan of Mingo for a few years now, but this is the first chance I had to see them live. They were everything I expected them to be and more. As a musician, I meet a lot of acts on the road and it’s refreshing to come across other musicians that are not only stellar players, but cool dudes as well. I look forward to hearing great things from the band and can’t wait for another West coast appearance!