Kickstarter Recap

Our Kickstarter campaign is officially over! Y'all tore it up! We'll be keeping everybody up to date, both here & at the Kickstarter page, with the latest happenings on the CD and release.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mingofishtrap/new-mingo-fishtrap-album
(don't forget to view the videos on the "Updates" section.)

Just incredible. I am running out of English words that convey gratitude!
Merci beaucoup, Dankie, Spasibo, Tackar så mycket...This has been an amazing 45 days and the support y'all have shown is humbling. We will do everything we can to make you proud to be a part of this project.

The last few weeks have seen Mingo recording a couple new songs and prepping for the June leg of our summer touring. We've reached out to some of the folks who could help make this album the biggest thing we've done to date. And thanks to your generosity, the real work is about to begin.

The last few years of our career we have met so many wonderful people in (and connected with) the music industry. A strong shot of serendipity has brought us to this spot. It has been a long journey to get to the starting line and we thank you for believing in this project.

Makasih, Grazie and one of my favorites...Go raibh mile maith agaibh!

Peace & grease,
rog

Y'all CRUSHED it!

A few days ago, we made it over that goal-line, now the fun begins with 20 days left. This Kickstarter campaign is the ONLY "pre-order" for the new album that we have planned. In part, it'll dictate production schedules and the extent of promotion - including touring schedules. 

So, keep the good word out there and a MILLION thanks to you all!

We have a BIG announcement today...

Mingo has just launched a Kickstarter campaign for the new album!

click above to watch our Kickstarter video!

We're super stoked about this y'all, it's a very cool way to be a
big part of what will be our biggest release yet.

Check out our Kickstarter video and profile (featuring some new recordings and video!) and peruse the REWARDS for participation; everything from a pre-release download of the new album, to autographed guitars, to our friggin' tour van!!!

This is an exploding campaign.
As of today (April 7th), we only have 44 days to reach our goal! 
(This Kickstarter campaign ends Monday, May 21st at 2pm)

VISIT OUR KICKSTARTER PAGE BY CLICKING HERE

Please share this to your friends, relatives, loved ones, anyone you know that would dig it!

Thank you so much for your amazing support!
Peace & Grease,
~ Mingo Fishtrap

Greetings from Austin lads and lasses.

APD drives through a dance crew. 

With the smell of skinny jeans and ironic 70's mustaches still in the air, things here in the Capital City are getting back to the normal "weird" as opposed to the SXSW "weird".  Attendance records were shattered and parking was laughable.  Some 2,000 (extra) bands were reported to perform at SXSW-sanctioned events, with hundreds more making the pilgrimage for the scores of non-affiliated goings-ons. Its a huge festival and conference - one of the largest. Around 200,000 extra folks hunkered down in the ATX for the festivities.

Red Gorilla 'fest at Blind Pig

Mingo had a couple showcases during the week.  We hadn't performed during SXSW week for a year or two, and felt like we ought to go out and represent the hometown a bit.  First up was a spot at the Red Gorilla Music Festival on Wednesday.  The Blind Pig in Austin was jumping all day with bands and by the time Mingo took the stage a little after 10pm the rooftop venue was packed out nicely.  A lot of these showcases are quick, 30-45 minute sets.  Go big and get off stage.  No exception here.  Although we did make it a point to throw some Billy Preston into the set.  I wonder if we were the only band at the festival that played a Billy Preston tune?  Ah, George Devore probably did "Will It Go Round In Circles".  Dang...


Friday was the Gig•N•Austin Showcase at The Belmont.  This show ran all afternoon and we were honored to headline the event.  The new owners at The Belmont made some pretty big changes to the courtyard venue; knocking down some bizarre, useless walls that used to stand in defiance of logic and most notably, they made the stage significantly bigger.  The horns didn't have to sit on each other's shoulders this time.The Belmont lineup saw some of our favorite Austin bands, DaHeBeGeBees & Karl Morgan among them.  A great lineup and (after walking a couple miles to park) a very cool, positive and fun hang.  We got a full 90 minutes to share with the fine folks who came out to support this lineup of Austin-based bands.  We we're done before the sun went down and had to vacate so Nas and Snoop Dog could do their thing. Our thanks to Shawn Tuthill at Gig•N•Austin!

Headlining the Gig-n-Austin festival

Many of our musical friends were in town for the week.  The incredible Foy Vance had a showcase Friday morning which I missed because apparently I can't read a train schedule. Dane's good friend and bad-ass singer/songwriter Lyle Divinsky was in town for a BMI showcase.  I missed him, too...same train.  Some of the guys we know as the Rhythm Tramps were in town, albeit in a more animalistic role with Eric Burdon ... train.  Dang it.  


We left the city Saturday, St. Paddy's Day, for the hill country and the famous Luckenbach Dancehall.  Mingo had played their blues festival a couple years ago but this was our first headline show at the historic venue.  There's something special about those wood floors and walls... they've seen some things... Fun show and hope to be back soon!  Don't forget to try the pulled pork sam'ich.  With slaw of course.  


Mingo starts ramping up dates as the temps are getting warmer.  Check out "tour dates" for our schedule and stayed tuned... some very exciting stuff coming in the next couple weeks! 


Peace & Chicken Grease!
- rog

Delbert McClinton's SBC18

It’s always hard to explain Delbert McClinton’s SBC to someone who hasn’t gone.  Basically, it’s a 7 day, floating festival with a couple thousand of your best friends.  It’s grabbing some freshly tossed fettuccini (or more likely a bowl of ice cream) with Spooner Oldham, who, amongst many other classic soul recordings, played Wurli on Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved a Man” and then went on to write “Sweet Inspiration” with Dan Penn.  Good Lord.

Spooner Oldham, Donnie Fritz, Rog

It’s sitting like a kindergartener while some of the most revered and respected songwriters in the business share war stories.  It’s finding salvation on the Lido Deck while the McCrary Sisters blend gospel, funk, soul and rock into a concoction too hot for the Devil his own damned self. It is one of the coolest things Mingo gets to do.  And we’ve been lucky enough to do it 8 times.  Starting with the pre-cruise party in Ft. Lauderdale it’s like we never left the dock the year before; right back into the swing of it.  The parameters of excess get stretched past their theoretical limits and the party, literally, never stops.

And so it was again this year. An amazing week of music with the likes of Delbert McClinton, Marcia Ball, Paul Thorn, Seth Walker, Eric Lindell, Clay McClinton, the McCrary Sisters, Raul Malo, Teresa James, Fred Eaglesmith, Gary Nicholson, Lee Roy Parnell, Spooner Oldham, Donnie Fritts, Al Anderson, Chuck Cannon, Lari White, Jill Sobule, Danny Flowers, Jimmy Hall, Tom Hambridge, Bob DiPiero, Matraca Berg, Herman Matthews, Mike Zito, Debra Donkin and another couple dozen fantastic musicians, singers and songwriters.  Don’t know a name?  Start Googling.
It’s freakin’ impressive.

This year we left Fort Lauderdale on the MS Westerdam with her amazing crew (seriously, these folks are the business) and made port in St. Barts and St. Kitts.  And while they were both gorgeous, honestly I’m always just anxious to get back on the ship so we can crank up the music again.  For Mingo’s first show this year we were actually still anchored in St. Barts, which was a first.  We did our thing with paradise as our backdrop while the sun set.  It just doesn’t get better than that.

McCrary Sisters, Rog

The shows start at noon and go until…well, until whenever.  The two main stages close down around 12:30am or so and then the jam sessions kick up.  And there were probably at least three simultaneous jams going on every night this year!  A couple years ago with the help of the unbelievable Foy Vance from Belfast, the Piano Bar became an after hours venue (“Come on. We’re having a sing-song.”)  This year, a couple singer songwriter friends of the band, Brian Dunne and Dave Sher, brought their talents to that sacred forum and KILLED!  Dave was kind enough to join Mingo on a couple of our shows as well, playing some of the most brilliant guitar ever.

McCrary Sisters, Rog, Dave Scher - Yes We Can!

It’s this crazy situation where we watch these great artists & incredible shows and we get psyched up to do our set and push the bar and on and on it goes…’til we had Mingo Augmented: five horns, two percussionists, the McCrary sisters, and Dave Sher on guitar – pumping out Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can,” which we had never played ‘til that moment.  That’s pretty cool, y’all.

The weather was order made, the music was great, the people were kind and amazing.  We are honored to have been a part of it once again.  Thanks to Delbert and Wendy and our SBC family.
You have to do this.  Don’t wait.  Trust me.

See more pictures from SBC18 - Click Here

NEW YEARS EVE SHOW 2011!

"Mingo will be ringing in 2012 once again at San Antonio's premier live music venue, Sam's Burger Joint.  We welcomed 2011 at Sam's and had such a blast we're headed back for a funky, soulful New Year's Eve throwdown.  Tickets are only $15 in advance, $20 at the door!  Let's do it up right, y'all! 

BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE HERE!

Aug./Sept. Shows, Studio and Earth, Wind & Fire

@ Memphis Shell -  photo by Don May

It's been a busy couple months here in Mingotownfieldville... A few thousand miles worth of shows in August led us to TN, PA, NY, VA, NC, NJ, ME and back to Tejas.  Awesome to see old friends and so many new faces joining the party!  September has seen some fantastic shows: here in Austin, the legendary Levitt Shell in Memphis, another show in Nashvegas and topping it off with our first show ever for the Big Spring Jam in Alabama...opening for EARTH WIND & FIRE!

Warming up the crowd for EWF!

In between shows we spent a few days at The Lodge recording studio in northern Mississippi. Did we mention the studio is located inside of TishoMINGO County? Hmm..

click for more pics

We recorded half a dozen tunes in 3 days and shot the whole session in gorgeous high definition video courtesy of our good friends at Palmtree Productions.  We can't thank Anne and Jason Palmer and the crazy talented crew from Palmtree enough for helping us to capture our time in my home state.  Thanks to David Duncan and William Coats at The Lodge for letting us camp out and have a blast!  And very special thanks to our friend Michael Graham of the Paul Thorn Band (and a top notch engineer in his own right) for the tasty gear and for lending us his golden ears for a couple days!

click for more pics

Anne & Jason also made it out to Big Spring Jam in Huntsville last week to shoot some of our opening set for EWF.  It was truly an honor to warm up the crowd for such a legendary group...and their show was NUTS!

click for more pics

We're sorting through hours and hours of footage and hope to have a little taste of things to come before too long. 

As always, thanks so much for your support, sincerely - you guys rock!

Stay tuned to www.mingofishtrap.com and www.facebook.com/mingofishtrap
in the weeks ahead for some goodies...

~ Rog & Mingo Fishtrap
Again, our heartfelt thanks go out to the entire Palmtree Production Crew for doing such an excellent job in such a short time! Thank you Thank you THANK you Anne Palmer, Jason Palmer, Derek Courtright, Ken Calloway, Wes Wages & Laurie White.

The Palmtree Production Crew, William Coats and Mingo Fishtrap.
Click pic for full photo album