Family Tradition: Them Mixon Boys at Rocco’s, November 20, 2021

Them Mixon Boys are a family band, at least in the Allman Brothers sense of the word, and the upcoming holidays had me thinking in family terms about what made this band special and worthy of checking out.

First, all families have their characters, and this one’s is Brantly Mixon. With his Billy Gibbons beard, suit vest, Chuck Taylor shoes, and newsboy cap he creates a Dapper Dan vibe that makes watching him a lot of fun. Whether on harmonica, pounding down the drum kit, singing, or just dancing around on stage, Brantly often steals the show, particularly on the crowd favorite Man of Constant Sorrow. 

But the harmonies on that song make it what it is, and the overall harmony among band members is an area in which TMB really shines. Despite widely contrasting levels of animation and facial hair length, there was family resemblance in how they collaborated to bring us the best of what each had to offer.

For example, the setlist: I am guessing that the younger generation band members introduced Collective Soul, Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox 20, and Red Hot Chile Pepper songs to the band, and that the older ones added Merle Haggard, Led Zeppelin, and Beatles tunes. I have no idea who suggested the 70’s soft rock song by Ace, maybe one of their moms, and whomever may have added Stevie Wonder still remains a true mystery. A third generation Mixon boy sat at the table next to mine, rocking the same TMB coolness as his elders, and I wondered if maybe some Buddy Holly might find its way to future playlists when he was old enough to join the band. Altogether, it was quite a romp through the decades and clear that everybody had contributed to song selection.

While I generally complain about setlist whiplash, I realized that this variety was one of TMB’s greatest strengths. The dance floor was consistently full with everyone from children to elderly people, more traditional-looking Jasperarians and those who appeared more urban-edgy. I swallowed my skepticism that a mashup this vast and diverse could work for, and not against, a recognizable band identity, and noted that it made them the rare band that could equally rock everything from a divey bar to a family festival. 

Rocco’s was far from the divey bar end of the spectrum. The owners had invested heavily in a high-quality sound system and a skilled sound engineer. My date, a musician, explained how the high ceilings, elevated stage and back seating areas, four subwoofers (“Northside only has two!”, he exclaimed breathlessly), triple the number of mains as was standard, and number/location of mics created a perfectly designed arena for listening. I will never not consider these factors again at a show, because the mix really was like seeing a ticketed show at a place like Eddie’s Attic, except that I could afford the seats right up front. Whether or not the rest of the audience were also junior members of the elite “People in the Know About Sound Systems” club, they were enthusiastic and engaged throughout the show’s entirety.

The sound system helped, but honestly, every song TMB played was well-executed and sounded great. This was especially impressive, considering that crazy setlist that ranged from Styx to Hendrix, Ace to ACDC, and Collective Soul to just soul.

Of course I always prefer the old school stuff, and the guitar lick trades, harmonica interludes, and bluesy interpretations added texture to some of the more well-worn favorites and kept them fresh-sounding. I don’t generally like people messing with my Zep, but their shuffley slowed-down version of Black Dog is one that I will look forward to at future shows. When later in the evening it was announced that somebody had requested additional LZ, I thought of Brantly’s whaling on the harmonica and silently prayed to the rock-and-roll gods: “Oh, please, please let it be When the Levee Breaks,” It was, and every bit the experience I had hoped for.

There were many enjoyable guitar moments butTravis Locklear’s guitar solo in Can’t Always Get What You Want was particularly exciting, and other band members showed prowess on vocals, guitars, and drums throughout the four-hour show. 

Watching the band and thinking of the upcoming holidays, I couldn’t help but consider how families are little more than a jumble of people with varied personalities, tastes, and talents. It’s when there is mutual respect, cooperation, and celebration of individual strengths and differences that the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. TMB provided a timely reminder of how families are one of life’s greatest blessings both inside and outside the music arena, and they are a band I will look forward to seeing again.

Them Mixon Boys is made up of David Mixon, Brantly Mixon, Kaleb Lindsey, Travis Locklear, and Steve Singleton. Their next gig is November 26 on patio at Madlife.

Photo credits: Jeremy M.. Brownlowe