State Fair reunion sparks hope of a permanent Mint Condition comeback

For the first time in nearly a decade, original members of Mint Condition (Stokley Williams, Homer O’Dell, Larry Waddell, Jeffrey Allen, Keri Lewis, and Ricky Kinchen) reunited on the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand stage on Aug. 29, 2026.

"It was all a buzz, it was a glow—it still is," said lead singer Stokley Williams following the band’s surprise set during Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis’s "HOMECOMING: A Celebration of the Minneapolis Sound" showcase. "I remember this feeling, the sound. It was effortless... seamless, and it fit right into the confines of what Jam and Lewis produced," Williams added.

The unexpected performance brought tens of thousands of local fans to their feet for back-to-back renditions of "U Send Me Swingin'" and "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)". Performing together again at home served as a powerful reminder of the band's roots, having been discovered by Jam and Lewis at a Twin Cities club in the late 1980s before signing to Perspective Records.

"Man, it was kinda crazy, 'cause you just don't know after a decade," admitted the band’s keyboardist and saxophonist Jeffrey Allen. "Then when you see all the people standing up and screaming, you have flashbacks. It felt great—it's always great being with the guys."

The high-energy reunion drew dedicated fans from across the country, including Los Angeles Dodgers DJ Lanier Stewart, who flew in after learning about the performance directly from Jam. "To hear the energy when they were announced, it was the whole crowd singing—a vibe," Stewart said.

In his review for the Star Tribune, music critic Jon Bream described Mint Condition's reunion with its seven original members as a spirited performance that highlighted the enduring musical relevance of the Twin Cities. Bream later highlighted the group as one of the standout special moments during a summer concert season wrap-up.

Mint Condition signed with Perspective Records and released its debut album, Meant to Be Mint, in 1991. The group achieved mainstream success with the hit single "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)," which spent 34 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Known for its dynamic live performances, the band blended traditional soul, jazz, and rock, maintaining a dedicated following and releasing a string of successful albums through the 1990s and 2000s. Though the band never officially broke up, they entered an indefinite hiatus from recording and touring in 2016.

The state fair concert begged the question for many fans. “Everyone asks, ‘are you coming back together and touring?’ and we’ll see what’s possible,” Williams said. “Nothing is etched in stone, but I’m open.”

Williams’ fellow band member agreed that the State Fair performance had lots of fans talking. “I think it has to be the right opportunity, and I think we’re leaning toward it happening organically,” said Allen. “This thing came together organically, and it felt really good.”

The timing couldn’t be better as R&B music is experiencing a mainstream resurgence, driven by a massive 349.9 billion on-demand audio streams in the United States, according to a Luminate Year-End Report.

“Mint fans are different,” said Stewart. “They are really educated on music and performance. It would do a lot for music in general to see them get back together and spark other groups.”