The proof of that training is evident in a Mingo Fishtrap live performance. “But it is a great place to go through basic training." If you look the least bit uncomfortable on stage, throw some salt on yourself, you’re about to be eaten,” Blevins said. "It’s a small town with thousands of musicians and artists. This abundance of musicianship makes for a competitive environment. The college provides Denton with a steady stream of talent giving the city the reputation as a music hotbed, launching the likes of Tripping Daisy, Brave Combo and Deep Blue Something. What it can do is teach you how to make a good song better." "But, it can’t teach you how to write a good song that people want to hear. It also gives you a larger palette of options in terms of the colors you can use effectively," Blevins said. It makes it easier to communicate with one another. "The great thing about that kind of education is that it gives you a common language. Blevins, himself an anachronism, a 26-year-old sporting a '20s-style newsboy cap, long sideburns and just a smudge of a goatee on his chin, speaks insightfully regarding the value of his education. The original lineup met in 1992 as students at the University of North Texas College of Music. The Louisiana flair comes form Blevins' father, Roger Sr., who spent time playing bass in bands around Baton Rouge and New Orleans and who has been a member of the current lineup of Mingo Fishtrap for seven months. I would describe it as deep-fried soul with '60s and '70s funk influences and a New Orleans twist," Blevins said. Mingo Fishtrap’s sound is schizophrenically described by fans and critics as soul, jazz, funk, blues and rock, among other things. I finally came upon this intersection and thought 'what an unusual combination of establishments out here in the middle of nowhere.' The name stuck with me and that’s what I decided to call the band."Ī nine-member ensemble with a horn section, keyboardist and Latin percussionist is certainly an unusual combination in a music scene known for the standard guitar/bass/drums format. "The directions I got said this junkyard was on Mingo-Fishtrap road, so I drove around on this doughnut of a tire all through the country, trying to find the place. "I had a blowout and needed to replace the tire and remove the spare," said Blevins, leader and guitarist of the Denton-based group, Mingo Fishtrap. It is here that Roger Blevins found a new tire, a slice of Americana and the inspiration to name his band. In North Texas, just east of Denton, Mingo road meets Fishtrap road at an intersection with a farm, a junkyard and a beauty salon. "Spotlight – Texas talent you should know about"
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