Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band is composed of a crew of funkified musicians each bringing their own different talents to the lineup.  They pride themselves on the mixture of music they compose and the unique and electrified ways they choose to present it. I could try to explain how they work and what they do, but I believe their own words will prove to do it more justice than these feeble fingers could attempt.
Editor’s note: The following interview was conducted through email, with band members Greg Hollowell and J.P. Miller.
 
Q: How did y’all come up with the delightful name of Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band?
A: In the days long before Windows 7 and the Snow Leopard OS, there existed a very basic operating system called DOS. This type of computer had the old green screen showing only text and simple, text-generated graphics. On this system, there was a role-playing game called “Band Quest.” You could choose to be a human, wizard, hobbit or troll, and you would type in the cardinal direction you wanted to move your character to navigate. The computer would display, in text, the current scenario facing your player and a multiple-choice selection of actions you could take. To defeat this game took all 10 original Booty Band members (we lost four good men playing that game) over three years. When, finally, the game was won and the ultimate foe defeated, sparks gushed forth from the CPU and the thick glass monitor screen cracked and went blank. The only sound you could hear was the old daisy wheel, dot matrix printer screeching away and the only decipherable text printed on the scorched printout when the ancient machine finally went kaput was “YO MAMA’S BIG FAT BOOTY BAND.”
 
Q: How long have y’all been together, and how did y’all get together in the first place?
A: It began as a party, grew into a band, evolved into a sound and emerged as an institution. Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band (aka the Booty Band) has gone through many changes since their fated onset in 2002. Today they are ready to shake the world, one cheek at a time.
 
Q: Can I get some background of the members of the band and what part they each play in the band?
A: JP “the Smoke Machine” Miller: Guitar. Originally from Melbourne Beach, Fla. Founding member. JP co-manages the band with Greg Hollowell.
Derrick “Precious” Johnson: Trombone. Originally from Dothan, Ala., by way of Greenville, S.C. Derrick joined the band in 2005. Derrick is a lover, not a fighter.
Al Al “Sweet Nasty” Ingram: Bass, vocals. Originally from Laurinburg, N.C. Founding member. Al Al is a class eight Nubian warlord.
Lee “Instafunk” Allen: Drums. Originally from Laurinburg, N.C. Lee joined the group in 2009. Lee and Mary Frances have traveled and performed for many years as an electronic duo called Eymarel. If Lee could be an animal, he would be a centaur.
Mary “Mama Funk” Frances: Keys, Vocals. Originally from Chase City, Va. Mary joined the Booty Band in 2009. The second half of the duo, Eymarel, Mary Frances loves kitty cats and if you close your eyes while she’s playing keys, you can see her third and forth “extra arms.”
Greg “Bob” Hollowell: Saxophones. Originally from Hartford, Conn., by way of Ann Arbor, Mich. Founding member. Greg gets out of bed every morning, looks at the world and says “I think I CAN.”
 
Q: What sound are y’all going for and do you think you have achieved that sound?
A: The sound we’re going for changes every day, with every new sound we hear. The main feel of the Booty Band is, and always will be, funk. One of the great things about music is that you will never be as good as you could be or run out of different things you can do so, no, we have not achieved that sound but are in an ever-going quest to play the best music possible.
 
Q: Do y’all have any plans for the band? Long term?
A: We have a new album scheduled for a November/December release. It is called Doin it Hard. It is our best studio album to date. We are very excited about getting the new tracks out there to everyone who has seen us for the past two years. Aside from recordings of live shows, this will be the first album available with all the current players. We have some cool tours coming up in the next year, with hopes of hitting some international gigs in the near future.
 
Q: What is so unique about y’all and how you perform?
A: We are made up of members with a wide range of personalities that all come out through our performances. There is a lot of energy on the stage, and we get a lot of energy from the crowd in return. We like to joke with the audience and have a good time on stage. We like to jump around different genres of music while always keeping true to the funk. It is a combination of all of those elements that makes our show unique.
 
Q: How was recording and studio time?
A: Recording was great! We love doing studio work. This time around, we recorded at City of Progress Studios in Miami, Fla., with DJ LeSpam of the Spam Allstars. We recorded using a lot of vintage gear and some ol’ school recording techniques. It is the first album we have recorded with all the current members, so it was interesting to see what the two newbies brought to the table. Mary Frances put down mountains of cool synth lines weaving in and out of different parts of the songs (which we had never had in the past) and lead vocals on a few songs, which we are very proud of. Lee Allen laid down some heavy drum tracks and ended up doing a lot of production work on the end with editing and mastering. We also brought in a good MC friend of ours, Agent 23 (23 Skidoo, GFE) to help throw his tasty pieces of advice into the mix.
 
Q: What is your schedule like when y’all are touring? Hectic? Fun?
A: Yes, hectic and fun! We spend much of our lives on the road, so at times it gets a little crazy. Sometimes we get a little crazy. It’s all part of the game. We get to see people every night that we haven’t seen since the last time we were in town. It’s like a family reunion at every show. The parties seem to stretch an hour or two before we have to leave sometimes, but our awesome tour manager Arieh Samson always makes sure we get to the next gig, rest or no rest. Good thing delirium puts us in a funny mood!
 
Q: Do y’all write all of your music?
A: We play mostly originals but have been known to throw in occasional cover songs.
 
Q: Where has been the coolest place y’all have played on tour?
A: Top two: Dave’s Dark Horse in Starkville, Miss., and the Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines, Alaska.
 
Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band will be performing at Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern Thursday at 10 p.m.  The tickets are $8 in advance and $10 on the day of the show.  Come out and shake your booty to the delectable sound of funk Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band will be sending your way.