John-Paul “JP” Miller of Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band plays guitar at Music on the Mountaintop Sept. 29. Photo by Tommy Penick

by EMILY MELTON
Lifestyles Editor

When he was interviewed two years ago, guitarist John-Paul “JP” Miller said the name of his band, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, was under investigation and the band’s lawyers advised each member to refrain from discussing its origin. 

Last week, he said the name spawned from their first concert, when they were forced to think of a name before performing at a club.

They were all sitting around in a circle, he said, when a dog ran up and coughed up a hairball with a little piece of paper, upon which “Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band” was printed.

“It was sort of a ‘that had to be it’ moment,” Miller said.

Before the band was founded, Miller planned to open a paraplane parachute business in Costa Rica.

After jamming with a few friends, however, they decided to start the band and scheduled their first practice to take place in Miller’s basement in Boone.

Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band is now located in Asheville and has been performing for several years, recently landing a gig in Jamaica.

“Different people have come and left,” Miller said. “We don’t have all of the original members, but we still have a few from the band that met in Boone.”

Their third album, “Greatest Hips, Volume 2” was recently released.

“From New York to New Orleans, we picked out our favorite hits from our favorite shows, mixed it down and put out an album,” Miller said.

While Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band was being formed, Lee Allen and Mary Frances Newcomb were both enrolled in Appalachian State University’s music therapy program.

“We dated for awhile and were nervous to play in front of each other,” Allen said. “We started playing instruments with each other, slowly, and it flowed just as well as the relationship did.”

The pair soon formed their band: Eymarel, of which Allen plays keyboard and Newcomb plays drums.

“Oddly enough, I went to high school with Al, the bass player [of Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band], so I’ve known about the band for quite awhile,” Allen said.

Allen and Newcomb have opened for Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band at a few concerts in the past and recently joined, combining their soulful sound with “big beat funk music,” Allen said.

Presented by Appalachian Popular Programming Society Stage Shows, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band will perform at Legends at 9 p.m. Thursday.

Signed through Appalachian’s record label company, Split Rail Records, Major Magick will open the show.

After competing with two other bands last year, Major Magick was selected to produce an LP and has since been performing locally and recording the album, due to debut at the show.

“The band lives in a house together out in Vilas, so practice is pretty often,” Lead Vocalist Stephon L. LaMar said. “Downtime and practice can kind of combine into one. Not only is music what we do, it’s our passion.”

Available at Plemmons Student Union Information Desk, tickets are $6 for students in advance and $8 for guests and at the door.

Photo by Tommy Penick  |  The Appalachian

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