Mipso

One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine

Sunday, February 14, 2016

I was so grateful to get to spend Valentine’s Day with my dear friend Dot in Portland. We had a delicious dinner at Empire and arrived early at One Longfellow Square to grab seats up close for Mipso. North Carolina’s Mipso kindly invited me to their show with Dan Mills back in January of 2015, and I’m so glad I decided to check them out. They were so delightful, in fact, that I scheduled my February vacation trip to visit my dad in Florida around getting to see them play again in Portland. I also randomly caught Mipso playing “Bad Penny” on a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, so they’ve had quite the year! Maybe they’ll be a household name by the next time they play in Portland?

Mipso riding on the KFC float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Mipso is Jacob Sharp on mandolin, Wood Robinson on upright bass, Joseph Terrell on lead vocal and guitar, and Libby Rodenbough on fiddle. This talented, charming group plays beautifully and their harmonies are spot on. They are clearly good friends and good people and are warm and friendly with the audience. I loved “Father’s House” and “Louise,” and it was a treat to see Maine’s most famous mandolin player, Joe Walsh, join Mipso for a couple of songs, too. “4 Train” and “When I’m Gone” both hit me in the feels with their somber lyrics. It’s refreshing to hear songs from a band that feel authentic and meaningful. It’s also wonderful to hear vocalists perform who have crystal clear voices so you can understand every word.

Jacob Sharp on mandolin, Joseph Terrell on guitar, and Libby Rodenbough on fiddle

Joseph’s voice has a decidedly Paul Simon sound, which became even more evident during their lovely cover of “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.” I’ve already named a lot of favorite songs of the night, but “Get Out,” was another top favorite. Mipso really does it right. They are an absolute pleasure to see live and I’m already eager to have them back to Maine. They joked that they keep coming in the winter and would really like to come back in the summer, so I hope we don’t have to wait as long for their next show here. Thanks again, Mipso! Libby—I hope you had a fun birthday in Portland!

xo,

bree

Maine’s Joe Walsh joined Mipso on mandolin

Joe delivered a gift basket to Libby on stage at the end of the night. Her sweet parents sent it to One Longfellow Square to arrive on her birthday.