Yo Mamma’s Big Fat Booty Band will return to Legends on Friday for a funky Halloween bash.
The band is known for their outrageous outfits and original psychedelic sound, said sophomore criminal justice major Cara Nelson.
“I’ve been to 15 of their shows,” Nelson said. “And what keeps me coming back is not their music, but their entire party vibe, and the atmosphere they create when the play on stage.”
In 2002 a Boone venue asked Al Al Ingram if he could assemble a music group to play their weekend show. Ingram gathered a small team of musicians to perform, and the group continued to play at local venues before officially titling themselves, “The Booty Band.”
For this reason, Ingram says, Boone is the band’s favorite place to return to.
“We all want to come back here and remember how were in the beginning,” Ingram said. “Definitely a lot has changed in Boone, but for the better in my opinion. We still get a great crowd at our shows.”
Last year for Halloween, the band played in California, which Ingram describes as “interesting and intense.”
Since their formation, the band has performed in every state except Hawaii, even traveling to Alaska for a five day music festival.
Ingram’s second favorite place to tour is Colorado, despite the significant drawbacks of traveling through a weather-harsh state.
“In Colorado we were running behind, and we wound up stuck in an avalanche,” he said. “We had to pull our chain out and thank god the powers-that-be made it so we didn’t get stuck permanently. We’ve had a lot of crazy experiences.”
Despite occasional road problems, Ingram states that all the band members find ways to feel at home on the road, from reading books to watching Netflix. Each member is considered a leader, and there is no sole person in the group responsible for the band’s success.
The band has released four albums and consists of five main members, with Ingram on the bass, keyboardist Mary Frances, guitarist John Paul Miller, trombonist Derrick Johnson, and drummer Lee Allen. All of the members take part in vocals except for Allen.
The Booty Band is expected play songs from their new album, “Onward,” at the show.
“Our new album mixes the good and that bad we’ve faced,” Ingram said. “With each album there have been a lot of changes in relation to which particular aspect we’re focused on. [“Onward”] is more focused on soul and funk and New Orleans-style music.”
Ingram says that the band is inspired by icons like Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and James Brown.
“Our sound has definitely improved over time,” Ingram said. “At the beginning we weren’t as concentrated on the sound. We were more interested in the party. The music has matured and gotten a lot tighter. We are still professional fun makers.”
Story: Kelsey Hamm, Intern A&E Reporter