Brass Against at The Great American Brass Band Festival...

Despite this photo of some of my instruments, the tuba, the resonator guitar and the washboard (I don't really play the washboard I just take it to backyard party jams where it attracts people that play nothing and think, "I can play this" and it makes my tunes more interesting)  I'm not a metal guy. I'm talking about the particular genre of heavy rock music, not instruments made of metal' It's music that I really can't define because I know so little but I can tell you I enjoyed the performance of Brass Against at the Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville, Ky. which we attended a few weeks ago very much.   

Brass Against covers music by heavy rock bands such as Tool, Rage Against the Machine, Black Sabbath, Soundgarden and Led Zeppelin in a brass band format fronted by a lead singer in a kilt. 

Of course with heavy rock music you need heavy instruments and my favorite dude in the band was tuba player Joe Exley. If you have heard tuba on records, TV and video game soundtracks it was probably Joe. 

There is actually a message to the music and the group chooses political songs to raise awareness of issues, encourage activism and change. According to quotes attributed to guitarist Brad Hammonds, they "wanted to do something besides simply expressing views on social media."

This band brings to mind the words of my grandchildren when they try to pick up something and are surprised when it is beyond their strength, "Heavy!" 

Brass music can open up the world for you. As I said I'm not familiar with many of the tunes they cover but check out he video of their mashup of The White Stripes and Curtis Mayfield. Anyone covering Curtis is cool in my book and Jack White is a favorite around here. It might just make you grab up a washboard.