One of the reasons I love living and working up here in the NYC metro area is the fact that you literally never know what's just around the corner. Now, imagine you're jivin' down Union Street in Brooklyn and suddenly you're face to face with a 25-or-so member marching band blasting out a Duke Ellington ditty, a swirling gypsy tune, or "Paranoid". Think Polyphonic Spree but with band instruments, and with a million times more punk rock spirit. That's right, people, the Hungry March Band want your attention, and they're gonna get it!This Brooklyn-based ensemble of nebulous membership is all about the neighborhood, baby. They're intensely committed to social concerns and have many, many causes in which they're deeply involved. Musically, they seem to have massive amounts of fun but, believe me, they don't take their playing lightly. Their first two CDs, Official Bootleg in 2000, and On the Waterfront in '03 (with illustrations by Lower East Side legend Fly), were just warmups for this blast of reed & brass-fueled musical fury. Critical Brass, released in 2005, contains a dizzying array of covers and originals played with a possessed fervor unlike anything this side of Norfolk State University's band, songs that grab yer attention by the ears and force you to groove along. Pop in album-opener "Jupanese Ju Ju" and crank it up!
Check out their performance schedule, and see them live!!
DO NOT PLAY THIS CD QUIETLY!!!
Hey Warren,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to put Johnny Bregar on your radar, if he isn't there already. He's local in my part of the world, so I'm hoping to catch one of his shows while he's still playing Land of Nod gigs.
hey, love your site. You got me hooked on Little Miss Ann and the Jellydots. Check out my March Fourth blog . If you like these guys you'll LOVE March Fourth! Although aspects of their show are adult only, they are rumored to be heading toward a more kid-friendly show. The show I saw definitely was.
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