Sunset Concert Series: Mingo Fishtrap

03 Aug Sunset Concert Series: Mingo Fishtrap

TMVOA  2015 Sunset Concert Series continues, this week featuring Mingo Fishtrap. More sounds through August 19, Sunset Plaza in Mountain Village. See full schedule below.

Now in its 16th year, the free outdoor live music program, The Sunset Concerts Series, overlooking the scenic valley continues with Mingo Fishtrap: Mingo Fishtrap are Roger Blevins, Jr. on lead vocals and guitar; Dane Farnsworth on vocals, organ, and keyboards; Chip Vayenas on vocals and drums; Mikel Urdy on percussion; Roger Blevins, Sr. on bass; Steve Butts on trumpet; Dan Bechdolt on tenor and alto saxophone; and Zol Waterhouse on trombone.

“Masters of music and entertainment, the music was tight, the tunes were big and moving. This is the kind of band that will swallow you with their talent. The music turns and twists, it curls up inside of you, this is a band you cannot ignore,” Kristina Loye, www.mtv.com

Mingo’s fourth full-length record, the aptly-named On Time on Blue Corn Music, blends punchy horns and gritty Memphis grooves with N’awlins funk to create sounds steeped in both modern pop and Sixties soul sensibilities that transcend both era and genre.

“My first love is classic sixties soul, funk, and Motown,” says Roger Jr.

As the band has grown, this early love affair has become a bigger part of Mingo’s musical landscape.

“There was a time early on when we were really into these crazy, bombastic arrangements,” Roger continues.“Now it’s more the song, the groove and the overall feel.”

Audiences can expect spontaneity and heart from a Mingo set, when the band intermingles fresh takes on songs from their extensive catalog with their twist on a few select soul standards.

“When something feels a little a stale, we’ll change up the arrangement to keep it feeling new,” adds Roger. “You don’t want to change so much about a tune that it becomes completely unfamiliar, but folks who are a part of our musical world also expect some experimentation. We don’t want a solid wall of sound; we want to create a whole night of music, with a natural ebb and flow.”

What started as a casual jam session with friends blossomed over time into an impressive eight-piece ensemble that evoked fond memories of listening to soul music as a kid.

“Pops [Mingo’s bassist, Roger Sr.] always had soul and R&B on the stereo and then he was playing those tunes every night. So that was what I grew up with. Then, when I was maybe eight or nine and living on an Air Force base, all my little friends used to go to Catholic Sunday School on Sunday mornings, so I’d tag along. After that let out, we heard this gospel music wafting from the chapel,” explains Roger. “The deacon saw our raggedy jeans and cut-off shorts and said we weren’t really dressed for an audience with the Lord, but he let us watch from the balcony. That became our regular stop. It was really moving, even though I didn’t fully understand it at the time.”

While the band’s name comes from a crossroads just outside of Denton, TX, Mingo has long since extended its reach onto the national music scene, sharing stages with the likes of Trombone Shorty, Parliament, Sting, Little Feat, Earth Wind & Fire, Robert Randolph, Galactic, and MOFRO — but they still experience their fair share of humbling moments. After playing a show at MusikFest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the band noticed an oddly familiar-looking gentleman dancing in the crowd.

“We got offstage, and when he walked up, he handed me his business card,” recalls Roger. “It was Bernard Purdie, one of the session drummers with James Brown. He’d recorded some of the very songs we’d just played. And he was dancing… Those kinds of moments are hard to beat.”

For a preview of the show, watch Mingo Fishtrap in action:

More about the Sunset Concert Series:

Scheduled to coincide with a scenic sunset as the backdrop for each act’s two sets of music on the lawn near Lift 1 in the Sunset Plaza, all Sunset shows are provided to the public free of charge by TMVOA, and supporting sponsors Wells Fargo Private Bank, Alpine Bank, Madeline Hotel and Residences, Telluride Resort Lodging, Telluride Ski & Golf, The Town of Mountain Village, The Peaks Resort & Spa, and The Market at Mountain Village.

Featured again this year, the Town of Mountain Village’s Entertainment District allows a fluid social atmosphere where alcoholic beverages purchased from associated restaurants can be taken into the Common Consumption Area and enjoyed during the concerts.

2015 Sunset Concert Series Full Lineup:

June 24: Orgone

July 3: Red, White & Blues with Special Guest

July 8: The Delta Saints

July 15: Shakedown Street

July 22: The Brothers Comatose

July 29: Big Sam’s Funky Nation

August 5: Mingo Fishtrap

August 12: Pure Prairie League

August 19: Jon Wayne and the Pain

For a preview of the upcoming show, watch Mingo Fishtrap in action here:

About TMVOA:

TMVOA is the master owners association for Mountain Village. TMVOA’s mission is to preserve and promote a vital resort community for its members, with attention to creating a sustainable village with a vibrant economy. To accomplish this mission, our primary areas of focus include event sponsorship, gondola funding, grant awards and community research.