Michael Milligan & The Altar Boyz

Mike Milligan has a great smile. It’s toothy, wide and does a great job communicating his warm and approachable personality. When he walks on stage, though, and all of that vanishes. Once he grabs that microphone and takes center stage, Mike Milligan is six feet two inches of energy, growl and talent. A consummate frontman, he grabs your attention and doesn’t let go till he and his band are done with you.

Mike Milligan & the Altar Boyz have been performing “Texas Blues with Louisiana Attitude” in Austin and around the country for more than 8 years, rolling out a unique blend of music that is equal parts blues, rock, bayou and pure energy. Powered by Mike’s amazing 41/2 octave vocal range and unique vocal tone, you find yourself being very impressed with the band as a whole and Mike himself as a frontman. Then, he uncorks the harmonica. The sheer level of fury and staccato punches to the face he blows through that instrument will leave you breathless. He pulls sounds from his “Hohner Special 20” harmonicas (different harmonicas for different keys) that vary between powerful, low and sweet, and even tortured as he squeezes, twists, coaxes and wrangles notes and tones from it, bending and stretching beyond capacity for thought. I have personally witnessed open mouthed awe occur across a club when he starts playing. Conversations get left in mid-sentence, never to be revisited. You owe it to yourself to experience what this man does to your definition of “playing a harmonica”, because I promise you, it won’t be the same when he finishes.

Now, to be sure, there are lots of guys who can play a decent harmonica, and more than that who can sing. So what is it that makes Mike Milligan and the Altar Boyz so special? Mike brings a level of professionalism and talent that few have seen, but before going any further we should talk about the Altar Boyz. Every great frontman needs a great band, and I think you’ll agree with me that the Altar Boyz are world class.

Bass player Leland Parks is left handed, and plays a custom-made, left-handed and inverted bass that he plays upside down, and goes back to the beginning of the group over 8 years ago. He’s been in the Austin music scene for more than 35 years, and has played with greats such as Johnny Winters, Buddy Guy and the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan over a career spanning more than 50 years in music (he has a great story about taking Paul McCartney’s bass out of its case and plunking on it in 1965 after a Beatles concert!).

Mike Skiffington rounds out the rhythm section, and hearing him, Leland and Mike all locked into a tight 6/8 groove rolling along at a nice 120 bpm clip is a real treat. Mike (the drummer) brings originality and variety to his approach to the drums while not going overboard and making a drum show out of a gig.

Nate Boff is the newest member of the band, and plays an outstanding Fender Stratocaster, ripping off blistering solos that measure up quite well to Mike’s face-peeling harmonica work. His rhythm playing is very good as well, and keeps the groove going when it’s time.

They have a new album of 11 new songs written by Mike (4 are co-writes) they’ve just released, “My Time”, and played several songs from it on Monday night at their weekly gig hosting the most respected jam in Austin. Between Leland and Mike, they attract the top talent in town (Gary Clark Jr. played on stage with them on April 2), and have been hosting “Blue Monday” at Maggie Mae’s since 2006.

I highly recommend all their songs (they played “Trouble’s Coming”, “You Don't Know Me” and “She's My Woman” among others), but I particularly enjoyed “Boogie Woogie Back Beat Social Club”. Like many of Mike’s songs, it has the kind of stops, intro and other rhythmic elements that can only be performed by a band that is tight, or “in the pocket”, at a very high level. These guys certainly fit the bill on that score.

Bottom line, go see Mike Milligan & the Altar Boyz. If you have friends in town, make yourself a hero and take them to one of Mike’s shows. There’s a good chance you’ll never hear the end of it.



- The Austinot by Kyle Bailey

Austin's Mike Milligan and The Altar Boyz stretch beyond the Texas Blues sound, laying down spacious, cool, night-driving sounds like "Run Daddy Run", dishing out rootsy rock on "Lucinda Blues", and drenching the eight ball blues ballad "Forever". Tasty solos from harpist Milligan, and ace guitarist Scott Unzicker adorn most of the set....A Louisiana flavor permeates "Going Up" on Doc Blues release number 6810, evident in the slamming funk of "Don't Mistreat Me" and "Walkin' Spell ". the haunting "Voodoo Lover", and the rumba blues "Up In Here." Milligan's vocals are heartfelt, and the recording is excellent, capturing some of the most present bass sounds on CD, from the fingers and amplifier of Leland Parks and mixing Unzicker's tone-ful guitar to perfection. - Blues Review Magazine-01/08

Austin's Mike Milligan and The Altar Boyz stretch beyond the Texas Blues sound, laying down spacious, cool, night-driving sounds like "Run Daddy Run", dishing out rootsy rock on "Lucinda Blues", and drenching the eight ball blues ballad "Forever". Tasty solos from harpist Milligan, and ace guitarist Scott Unzicker adorn most of the set....A Louisiana flavor permeates "Going Up" on Doc Blues release number 6810, evident in the slamming funk of "Don't Mistreat Me" and "Walkin' Spell ". the haunting "Voodoo Lover", and the rumba blues "Up In Here." Milligan's vocals are heartfelt, and the recording is excellent, capturing some of the most present bass sounds on CD, from the fingers and amplifier of Leland Parks and mixing Unzicker's tone-ful guitar to perfection. - Blues Review Magazine-01/08

Austin Texas has the reputation for producing some world class bands and musicians and one of the latest, Mike Milligan and The Altar Boyz, are beginning to make a serious splash as well. Featuring Mike Milligan on vocals plus harp and Scott Unzicker on branding blues guitar. Leland Parks on bass and Dave Novak on drums, plus percussion, are far more than just a rhythm section. As with all great jamming bands, they are both the rock that the music flows from and critical to the flow of the music. - Blues Matters:Issue 40/Nov.07

Austin Texas has the reputation for producing some world class bands and musicians and one of the latest, Mike Milligan and The Altar Boyz, are beginning to make a serious splash as well. Featuring Mike Milligan on vocals plus harp and Scott Unzicker on branding blues guitar. Leland Parks on bass and Dave Novak on drums, plus percussion, are far more than just a rhythm section. As with all great jamming bands, they are both the rock that the music flows from and critical to the flow of the music. - Blues Matters:Issue 40/Nov.07

Austin based R & B Blues Band, The Altar Boyz featuring Mike Milligan on harp and vocals, blew us away this month at Dan Electro's Guitar Bar.
In fact, we were all praying that they quickly come back to Houston and perform again. Scott Unzicker, you play a mean guitar, keep it going !
- Music News - Houston,Tx. Feb.07

Austin based R & B Blues Band, The Altar Boyz featuring Mike Milligan on harp and vocals, blew us away this month at Dan Electro's Guitar Bar.
In fact, we were all praying that they quickly come back to Houston and perform again. Scott Unzicker, you play a mean guitar, keep it going !
- Music News - Houston,Tx. Feb.07

Besides gladly accommodating audience requests, Mike Milligan and The Altar Boyz play a slew of originals, including some excellent cuts from their 2007 album entitled 'Going Up'. Milligan, who skillfully transits between "meaty and calm" as he plays harmonica, trades licks with precision guitarist Scott Unzicker. The interplay between the duo seems to be a large portion of band's chemistry. Drummer Dave Novak and bassist Leland Parks further emphasize the relaxed feeling that permeates the group's playing. Mike Milligan and The Altar Boyz have already opened for Texas blues giant Johnny Winter and performed at venues as famous has Austin's world renown Antones. - Bastrop/Smithville Times:Vol.3, Issue 21/May 28, 2008