Not long after we ran our April 1 exploration of Prince’s fridge, we were received following message from an Atlanta-based publicist:
“I ran across your site on my Facebook page — someone had posted the Prince fridge thing. So cool! Who knew! So we are gearing up to work with a local Minn / St Paul music group — Davina and the Vagabonds. I am hoping you might be interested in checking out her fridge.”
Well, why not? And so we arrived the Frogtown craftsman-style home of Davina Sowers, camera and notebook in tow. She greeted us with a plate of delicious homemade garlic knots that she was unable to eat, thanks to an ongoing Atkins diet (“How are they? How do they taste?” she asked with the keen urgency of the carb-deprived).
Track: “Black Cloud” | Album: Black Cloud (release date 06/21/11) | Artist: Davina and the Vagabonds
We knew Davina’s music before arriving, having caught her band at an art CSA show they played at the Walker. Their rambunctiously soulful sound had helped make the event a smash. “I would say we’re New Orleans juke joint blues / jazz,” says Davina. “A lot of people compare [our sound] to Leon Redbone, or Maria Muldaur.”
Davina and the Vagabonds is no side project — the group plays more than 300 shows a year, and has been rocking full time for four years in the Twin Cities.
And then, after a quick tour of the pantry (“It’s old school, like original everything. Awesome formica…”), we reach the fridge.
“My old-ass, Jesus’s first refrigerator, refrigerator,” Davina says.
Age aside, it’s really a nice-looking beast of a fridge, capacious and clean. Inside, we find…
A Bowl of (Very) Local Eggs
“Those are eggs from my neighbor’s chickens. She has four of them. We’ll kind of trade — I’ll make stuff and take it to her, and she’ll give us eggs.” We look out the window, and, sure enough: we can see the chickens puttering around their little compound.
The Cheese Drawer
“I like my cheese very sharp,” says Davina. “I do gouda, sharp cheddar, white cheddar… I do do mozzarella, which they say leans toward the non-Atkins, but I love fresh mozzarella — I buy it in bulk at Cossetta’s.”
“You sound like a real cheese fan,” I volunteer…
“”When I go to Denny’s, when we’re traveling, I’ll ask the server: ‘Could I have a three-cheese omelet but with a shitload of cheese?’ That’s my way of ordering. They’ll say: ‘Well, how much?’ And I’ll say: ‘As much as you can give me.’ But they never do. They never give me enough.”
Plenty of Mustard
“Mustards are low fat, mustards are no carb,” says Davina. “I love horseradish mustard — I smother my burgers and my hot dogs with that, and even shrimp. Shrimp taste really good with horseradish mustard. Cocktail sauce is really high in sugar, so if I want that nose-running effect, I go with the mustard.”
Smart Water
“I like to drink a lot of water,” says Davina. “When I’m on stage, I chug immense amounts of water. I have two water bottles I take with me, but when I’m on the go I don’t necessarily have time to refill them, so I just grab [the smart water] and go. I don’t drink enough water.”
Zevia Ginger Ale
“It’s stevia,” she says. “It’s zero calorie. But, honestly, that six-pack has been in there for months.”
Miscellaneous Notes
“The only thing I can think of about my fridge other than my food is that if I lose something, it’s the first place I look. I multitask because of the kids and my business, and cleaning (I’m a crazy Type A), so instead of putting the shrimp away, I’ll put away my glasses.”
I saw Davina, for the first time at Memory Lanes for the block party. The gentleman on the trombone saw new in the band and he was reading all the music sheet. Today I saw him at Kare11 News and he looks like super star already up to the level of Davina!!!!
Now The vagabonds will release a new CD which according to Davina, is the best so far… with influence from Billy Holiday to Led Zeppelin, this Lady is on Fire – and expecting to see more of her in the near future. Than means tonight at the St. Anthony Mains in Minneapolis… Pure Theoretical LOVE!!!
Better than Billy, livelier than Led, Delightful Davina with a neater fridge than mine – has it all…Perfect package!!!! (PS..Her newest CD is the BEST. I love it!!!