The first time Tony and Michelle O’Donnell played at Rankin’ Tacos, Michelle chipped her tooth on the microphone. O’Donnell recalls her singing about it in the middle of a song as the crowd broke out into a round of laughter. That’s the one and only style of Hot Mess. 

“We don’t take each other seriously,” says O’Donnell. “We joke around with the crowd. We’re good at harmonies, we play whatever we want and we like that.” 

The husband and wife duo formed in 2017. They quickly became party favorites at venues around Tallahassee and beyond. Currently, they’re on the road playing gigs up and down the Gulf coast including in Destin, St. Andrews and Panama City. 

O’Donnell’s love of music reaches back to his high school days in jazz choir. He always dabbled on the guitar and sang as a front man in several bands. O’Donnell started as a music major at Florida State University, but switched over to communications. He’s continued to use his skills in that area to organize bands and make a living as a musician. He is the lead vocalist for the Groove Merchants, Redshirt Freshmen and Black Jacket.  

His strongest core group of friends and bandmates have been able to play all over the southeast, and internationally, including Scotland. While he would describe himself as more of a “lounge” singer, he most enjoys being in the mix with musicians of every sound and style. 

“I try to surround myself with people that are better than me,” says O’Donnell. “I want everyone in the band to be more talented so I can be a front guy. I’m really good with crowds and getting crowds into the set.” 

The key to Hot Mess is their wide range of cover music which O’Donnell says they are able to use to connect with the crowd. Last year, they walked into a rooftop bar to 700 rowdy college students. Once they saw the crowd, O’Donnell says they made a quick changeup to their song lineup, opening with “Shallow” from the film “A Star is Born” in order to grab their attention.

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