ROGER BLEVINS JR & FRIENDS
Doors @ 7pmShow @ 8pmFull BarFree On-site ParkingAll Ages Hi, friends. I’m Roger Blevins Jr. Most folks call me Rog.Musicians usually pay someone to write our bios. I’ve done that plenty of times.But I’d guess I know me better than they do so…I grew up with a professional bassist as a father. That seems important. Ilistened to countless 45s spinning on the record player - everything from JamesBrown to The Doobie Brothers to Earth, Wind and Fire and Billy Joel - as hecharted out songs for gigs. My grandmother sat me next to her on the organbench and played old hymns while I tried to work out what all the buttons andswitches did. I’ve been surrounded by and in love with music my whole life.Around the fourth grade we sang harmony for the first time in school. The songwas “Shenandoah.”That was it. I knew.For three decades I was lucky enough to front my band, Mingo Fishtrap. Westarted Mingo in the early 90s at the University of North Texas. Just a crew ofcollege misfits who found some common ground in our love for classic soul andfunk. That wasn’t the typical sound you’d hear at the time on college campusesand it helped us grow pretty quickly in the scene around DFW. We startedwriting tunes and cut our first album a few years later. We cut our teeth and paidour dues playing those originals and the soul “standards” I had heard Popsplaying all those years before. He and I would end up playing together for nearlysixteen years with Mingo after he joined the band in the late 90s.Over nearly thirty years, we released a handful of albums, toured relentlesslyacross the country and abroad - well over a thousand shows, I’m told - and wegot to share the stage with some amazing people. Usually the folks that writebios would drop a list of names here, but that seems silly to me now. Most of thefolks I would include on that list I’m lucky to call friends, so hit me up and I’llsend you a playlist.The pandemic shut things down abruptly in March of 2020. Mingo released asingle during lockdown, and I released a few under my own name. But it wastough to coordinate as we were spread out across the country. And just asthings began to start moving again, I was diagnosed with tongue cancer.After two years of treatment including several surgeries, radiation, chemo &immunotherapy, I would ultimately lose about 80% of my tongue in July of 2024.We weren’t certain what the aftermath would look like. Honestly every day is acrapshoot. But I’ve had amazing people in my corner: my wife, our friends andfamily, our church, and this amazing community of music lovers we’ve beenprivileged to know throughout this crazy journey.I’m very much a work in progress, but music, singing, writing, performing…thesehave been the most effective therapy. My goals as a musician haven’t changed,even if the mechanics have. Finding that connection with folks through music ispure magic. I thank God everyday for opportunity to keep trying.That gratitude led my wife, Val, and I to form The Tough Crowd Project, anonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to helping cancer patients, survivors and theirfamilies through fundraising for the organizations which provide transportation,housing, financial aid and other support so folks can get the care they need. Andof course, music is playing a big role. We launched in September 2025 with acollaboration of some of Austin’s finest musical talents. “Tough Crowd” byRoger Blevins Jr. (feat. Ruthie Foster) marks the beginning of a new chapter forus.I don’t know if that’s a good bio. I don’t think it matters too much.Let’s play.Love,rog
Doors @ 7pmShow @ 8pmFull BarFree On-site ParkingAll Ages Hi, friends. I’m Roger Blevins Jr. Most folks call me Rog.Musicians usually pay someone to write our bios. I’ve done that plenty of times.But I’d guess I know me better than they do so…I grew up with a professional bassist as a father. That seems important. Ilistened to countless 45s spinning on the record player - everything from JamesBrown to The Doobie Brothers to Earth, Wind and Fire and Billy Joel - as hecharted out songs for gigs. My grandmother sat me next to her on the organbench and played old hymns while I tried to work out what all the buttons andswitches did. I’ve been surrounded by and in love with music my whole life.Around the fourth grade we sang harmony for the first time in school. The songwas “Shenandoah.”That was it. I knew.For three decades I was lucky enough to front my band, Mingo Fishtrap. Westarted Mingo in the early 90s at the University of North Texas. Just a crew ofcollege misfits who found some common ground in our love for classic soul andfunk. That wasn’t the typical sound you’d hear at the time on college campusesand it helped us grow pretty quickly in the scene around DFW. We startedwriting tunes and cut our first album a few years later. We cut our teeth and paidour dues playing those originals and the soul “standards” I had heard Popsplaying all those years before. He and I would end up playing together for nearlysixteen years with Mingo after he joined the band in the late 90s.Over nearly thirty years, we released a handful of albums, toured relentlesslyacross the country and abroad - well over a thousand shows, I’m told - and wegot to share the stage with some amazing people. Usually the folks that writebios would drop a list of names here, but that seems silly to me now. Most of thefolks I would include on that list I’m lucky to call friends, so hit me up and I’llsend you a playlist.The pandemic shut things down abruptly in March of 2020. Mingo released asingle during lockdown, and I released a few under my own name. But it wastough to coordinate as we were spread out across the country. And just asthings began to start moving again, I was diagnosed with tongue cancer.After two years of treatment including several surgeries, radiation, chemo &immunotherapy, I would ultimately lose about 80% of my tongue in July of 2024.We weren’t certain what the aftermath would look like. Honestly every day is acrapshoot. But I’ve had amazing people in my corner: my wife, our friends andfamily, our church, and this amazing community of music lovers we’ve beenprivileged to know throughout this crazy journey.I’m very much a work in progress, but music, singing, writing, performing…thesehave been the most effective therapy. My goals as a musician haven’t changed,even if the mechanics have. Finding that connection with folks through music ispure magic. I thank God everyday for opportunity to keep trying.That gratitude led my wife, Val, and I to form The Tough Crowd Project, anonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to helping cancer patients, survivors and theirfamilies through fundraising for the organizations which provide transportation,housing, financial aid and other support so folks can get the care they need. Andof course, music is playing a big role. We launched in September 2025 with acollaboration of some of Austin’s finest musical talents. “Tough Crowd” byRoger Blevins Jr. (feat. Ruthie Foster) marks the beginning of a new chapter forus.I don’t know if that’s a good bio. I don’t think it matters too much.Let’s play.Love,rog
Doors @ 7pmShow @ 8pmFull BarFree On-site ParkingAll Ages Hi, friends. I’m Roger Blevins Jr. Most folks call me Rog.Musicians usually pay someone to write our bios. I’ve done that plenty of times.But I’d guess I know me better than they do so…I grew up with a professional bassist as a father. That seems important. Ilistened to countless 45s spinning on the record player - everything from JamesBrown to The Doobie Brothers to Earth, Wind and Fire and Billy Joel - as hecharted out songs for gigs. My grandmother sat me next to her on the organbench and played old hymns while I tried to work out what all the buttons andswitches did. I’ve been surrounded by and in love with music my whole life.Around the fourth grade we sang harmony for the first time in school. The songwas “Shenandoah.”That was it. I knew.For three decades I was lucky enough to front my band, Mingo Fishtrap. Westarted Mingo in the early 90s at the University of North Texas. Just a crew ofcollege misfits who found some common ground in our love for classic soul andfunk. That wasn’t the typical sound you’d hear at the time on college campusesand it helped us grow pretty quickly in the scene around DFW. We startedwriting tunes and cut our first album a few years later. We cut our teeth and paidour dues playing those originals and the soul “standards” I had heard Popsplaying all those years before. He and I would end up playing together for nearlysixteen years with Mingo after he joined the band in the late 90s.Over nearly thirty years, we released a handful of albums, toured relentlesslyacross the country and abroad - well over a thousand shows, I’m told - and wegot to share the stage with some amazing people. Usually the folks that writebios would drop a list of names here, but that seems silly to me now. Most of thefolks I would include on that list I’m lucky to call friends, so hit me up and I’llsend you a playlist.The pandemic shut things down abruptly in March of 2020. Mingo released asingle during lockdown, and I released a few under my own name. But it wastough to coordinate as we were spread out across the country. And just asthings began to start moving again, I was diagnosed with tongue cancer.After two years of treatment including several surgeries, radiation, chemo &immunotherapy, I would ultimately lose about 80% of my tongue in July of 2024.We weren’t certain what the aftermath would look like. Honestly every day is acrapshoot. But I’ve had amazing people in my corner: my wife, our friends andfamily, our church, and this amazing community of music lovers we’ve beenprivileged to know throughout this crazy journey.I’m very much a work in progress, but music, singing, writing, performing…thesehave been the most effective therapy. My goals as a musician haven’t changed,even if the mechanics have. Finding that connection with folks through music ispure magic. I thank God everyday for opportunity to keep trying.That gratitude led my wife, Val, and I to form The Tough Crowd Project, anonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to helping cancer patients, survivors and theirfamilies through fundraising for the organizations which provide transportation,housing, financial aid and other support so folks can get the care they need. Andof course, music is playing a big role. We launched in September 2025 with acollaboration of some of Austin’s finest musical talents. “Tough Crowd” byRoger Blevins Jr. (feat. Ruthie Foster) marks the beginning of a new chapter forus.I don’t know if that’s a good bio. I don’t think it matters too much.Let’s play.Love,rog
Doors @ 7pmShow @ 8pmFull BarFree On-site ParkingAll Ages Hi, friends. I’m Roger Blevins Jr. Most folks call me Rog.Musicians usually pay someone to write our bios. I’ve done that plenty of times.But I’d guess I know me better than they do so…I grew up with a professional bassist as a father. That seems important. Ilistened to countless 45s spinning on the record player - everything from JamesBrown to The Doobie Brothers to Earth, Wind and Fire and Billy Joel - as hecharted out songs for gigs. My grandmother sat me next to her on the organbench and played old hymns while I tried to work out what all the buttons andswitches did. I’ve been surrounded by and in love with music my whole life.Around the fourth grade we sang harmony for the first time in school. The songwas “Shenandoah.”That was it. I knew.For three decades I was lucky enough to front my band, Mingo Fishtrap. Westarted Mingo in the early 90s at the University of North Texas. Just a crew ofcollege misfits who found some common ground in our love for classic soul andfunk. That wasn’t the typical sound you’d hear at the time on college campusesand it helped us grow pretty quickly in the scene around DFW. We startedwriting tunes and cut our first album a few years later. We cut our teeth and paidour dues playing those originals and the soul “standards” I had heard Popsplaying all those years before. He and I would end up playing together for nearlysixteen years with Mingo after he joined the band in the late 90s.Over nearly thirty years, we released a handful of albums, toured relentlesslyacross the country and abroad - well over a thousand shows, I’m told - and wegot to share the stage with some amazing people. Usually the folks that writebios would drop a list of names here, but that seems silly to me now. Most of thefolks I would include on that list I’m lucky to call friends, so hit me up and I’llsend you a playlist.The pandemic shut things down abruptly in March of 2020. Mingo released asingle during lockdown, and I released a few under my own name. But it wastough to coordinate as we were spread out across the country. And just asthings began to start moving again, I was diagnosed with tongue cancer.After two years of treatment including several surgeries, radiation, chemo &immunotherapy, I would ultimately lose about 80% of my tongue in July of 2024.We weren’t certain what the aftermath would look like. Honestly every day is acrapshoot. But I’ve had amazing people in my corner: my wife, our friends andfamily, our church, and this amazing community of music lovers we’ve beenprivileged to know throughout this crazy journey.I’m very much a work in progress, but music, singing, writing, performing…thesehave been the most effective therapy. My goals as a musician haven’t changed,even if the mechanics have. Finding that connection with folks through music ispure magic. I thank God everyday for opportunity to keep trying.That gratitude led my wife, Val, and I to form The Tough Crowd Project, anonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to helping cancer patients, survivors and theirfamilies through fundraising for the organizations which provide transportation,housing, financial aid and other support so folks can get the care they need. Andof course, music is playing a big role. We launched in September 2025 with acollaboration of some of Austin’s finest musical talents. “Tough Crowd” byRoger Blevins Jr. (feat. Ruthie Foster) marks the beginning of a new chapter forus.I don’t know if that’s a good bio. I don’t think it matters too much.Let’s play.Love,rog