Biography

Youngblood Brass Band flouts convention in an ecstatic, raucous, incendiary fashion, taking the form of a New Orleans brass band and morphing it into a punked-out hip-hop behemoth of groove and purpose. The ten-member ensemble (born in Madison WI) now hails from all over the US, and has been unleashing their crash course in genre-bending on stages worldwide since 2000. The band is frequently spun by DJs like Questlove (The Roots), has worked with hip-hop luminaries like Talib Kweli, has their original compositions performed by student marching bands and jazz ensembles around the globe, and is still not out of place at a punk festival. They have headlined countless tours in the States and abroad, selling out dates in 20+ countries. Their festival résumé reads like a list of the heaviest music events in the world: Roskilde, Glastonbury, Lowlands, Pukkelpop, SXSW, CMJ, North Sea Jazz, WOMAD...ad infinitum. White-hot live shows secured the band’s status as an incredible group to witness, whether in an intimate club setting or in front of thousands on a festival stage. YBB also engages in educational work, stopping at schools and universities to offer workshops on New Orleans music history, improvisation, hip-hop, and the creative impulse. Whichever it is...the roof-tearing shows, the educational aims, the no-smirks honesty, or the fist-pumping anthems, YBB has become an institution, one that demands to be seen and heard. Rigorous dancing is also acceptable.