Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band jams out at the Bottleneck

There's no show that's more fun to talk about than Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, purely because of the band name. But more importantly, Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band busts out excellent funky tunes that everyone can get down to with ceaseless energy and limitless, jam-style skills. Even familiar songs are different as different members of the band solo and jam to the other parts

The lead singer and bassist is the strong, foundation, or nucleus of the tightly-bound, organic 8-piece funk band from Asheville, North Carolina. Beside him the lead guitarist rocks out funky melodies on an electric guitar, and a fellow with a trombone and bongos chime in with one or the other instrument on every song. A saxophonist give the funk it's jazzy side, and behind them a lady on keyboards works synthy harmonies, complimenting the rockin' beats the drummer drills out.

Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band played at Spookstock this last October at Camp Zoe, outside of Salem, Missouri. There, the band dressed in outlandish outfits, like a cross between a Halloween costume and a 70's funk band satire. But when the band came on stage at the Bottleneck last night the lead singer/bassist still wore the same bat wings on his back, and the lead guitarist smiled down on the crowd through over-sized sunglasses, under a black fur wig/hat? And it became apparent that they weren't wearing costumes at Spookstock, but that's just how these guys roll.

The crowd, mostly the younger regulars at the shows the Bottleneck so regularly puts on, like bands that Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band would play alongside. However, even with the young energy that lasted the band's extensive set, from 11 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., the crowd never completely let go, and got down to the songs the way the music demanded. Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band puts on a show that's so dance-happy, even a completely sober crowd would have to rock out. But really, the audience maintained a hesitant distance from full throttle. Some girls had hula hoops to the right of the crowd and a couple of guys were twirling poi on the left. But for the most part, the band did not get the reciprocated energy they deserved.

Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band will be playing at Wakarusa this summer, in The Arkansas Ozark National Forest, June 4th.