Mel and the Musical Misfits Band
The Leesburg Blues Brothers Tribute is a Florida-based act that began in 2016 while both original founders, Dustin Lavine "Jake" and Cliff Barrineau "Elwood", lived in Leesburg, FL. Their first appearance was at the downtown Leesburg Brews & Blues Event, where they only posed with fans and their Bluesmobile in front of City Hall.
THE EARLY DAYS
Their first performance was at the Leesburg Bike Fest, appearing for brief stints between the other band breaks. They were an instant hit!
FIRST FEW PERFORMANCES
Shortly thereafter, the "Brothers" were offered a showcase at Sip Restaurant and Jazz on Main Street in downtown Leesburg on Friday nights. In the beginning their show was only 15 minutes long, but eventually expanded to an entire hour! The "Brothers" were regulars at Sip for over a year and a half. They started to catch the eyes of some Villagers who frequented the restaurant, several who belonged to social clubs in The Villages. This led to bookings at different recreation centers throughout the Villages.
"We started playing in The Villages and we had a blast! We were a big hit!"
PLAYING IN THE VILLAGES "SQUARES"
While dropping into different restaurants around the Squares doing P.R. work, The Villages Entertainment discovered the act one night and decided to have the Leesburg Blues Brothers appear on the Squares.... ALL of them! “What a blast those shows were!”, Elwood exclaimed.
THEN THERE WAS COVID...
Then came COVID-19, and Dustin "Jake" one of the original founders of the Leesburg Blues Brothers, decided to focus his talents elsewhere and amicably left the act. Enter the new "Jake", David Koenig, from Winter Park, FL. David had just retired from Universal Studios Orlando (17 years as their top "Jake Blues" and the House of Blues Orlando. Cliff found him through a mutual saxophone player, who performed with David on USO shows.
THEY SEEM LIKE BLOOD BROTHERS...
Cliff and David immediately hit it off and have been inseparable ever since, performing all over Florida and the Southeastern United States. David has had a long career as front-man, lead vocals, and guitarist. Cliff’s background is in music performance, live theater, film, and television.
The Leesburg Blues Brothers are thrilled to have Mel Mintz and his full band of Misfits joining the act,
which was ultimately their life-long dream, creating a whole new audience experience for their fan base.