12/04/2025
K’Bana Blaq, Anita Darling and Msesippi joined HRS with details on the December 12th Hampton For The Holidays at
Tornado Bait
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From the shadows of Hampton is a band best described as Grunge Grass. Fronted by Msesippi . Call it “Grunge Grass” if you will.
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A letter by Jeff Hewitt ,
How to quantify the unique sound of Tornado Bait? Alt-Country? Punk-Folk? Heavy-Americana? Grunge-Grass? Whatever your attempt to characterize their hurricane-brewed, primal soup of influences, this band features an untamed line-up with a motley cast of characters led by an indomitable female center in the form of the mighty Msesippi McQuown. Their debut record, Teacup's Half Full, was released recently to great fanfare. Our heroes have been hard at work supporting it with live shows while throwing out an occasional cover anywhere from 50's Classic to Midwest Country. From East Coast Rock-N-Roll to Elizabeth Cotton. From Elvis to who-knows-what-else! You can find Msesippi solo, as a duo, in the full band or with special guests and other friends.
Hailing from out of the swampy shadow of Hampton back in 2015, the band has grown synonymous with mad-crazy shows throughout Coastal Virginia. They sing heartfelt music about alligators, cheating hearts, Jesus, and Wild-Women with style and panache. McQuown ran stints for years with bands like the Bible Beaters, Two Tone Cadillac, The Pimps, and The Strap-ons. Her musicians hail from well-known acts like Lori Creek, The Mighty Buskers, Uglyography, and the legendary M-80s. Regionally known for their patented "Trunk of Funk" they're notorious for inviting strangers on stage to play, sharing instruments and attitude equally. They pass out strange wooden figurines called “limberjacks” — which can be used as improvised percussive instruments, along with and paper-sack masks. Aside from their iconoclastic sonics, they visually range from Steampunk to Monty Python and the Holy Grail to some sort of twisted Grimm's Faerie Tale. This group is one of the most optically interesting bands since Gwar.
If none of this makes any sense to you, it probably means you're sane. Above all, Tornado Bait is a cure for that particular malady. Whether at the local museum for the holidays, hoedown with kids in the country, or an all out cross county bar crawl, they bring everything from acoustic thunder and lightning to an unbridled amplifier fueled, chaos-laden tsunami. When Tornado Bait takes the stage, you're given a choice: Watch, listen, or participate — whichever flavor you fancy! Come out and experience the storm!
