Thursday, July 28 – The Mud Flappers
At first, you think it can’t be real, the novelty of a Dust Bowl-era, banjo-led gypsy-folk outfit from Orlando is so overwhelming. “Sure,” you think, “the guys on the mandolin, upright bass and – what is that, a jaw harp? – could get work at Frontierland, but what’s the musical value?” (At least, if you think like us.) Then female vocalists and instrumentalists Lauren Carder and Sarah Elizabeth Patrick come front and center for songs like the foreboding tango “Lady Lovely,” and suddenly the Mud Flappers sound like a genuine local phenomenon. Now, appropriately, they’re nabbing headlining gigs at respectable venues around town and, lo and behold, won Best Folk Act in this year’s Best of Orlando reader’s poll. Who needs Frontierland? – Justin Strout (with the Blue Party; 10 p.m. at Taste, 717 W. Smith St.; $5; 407-835-0646; tastecp.com)