Hungry March Band

link to original article:
http://www.thevillager.com/villager_200/thehungrymarchband.html

Volume 76, Number 40 | February 28 - March 6, 2007

The Hungry March Band are metal heads of another sort

By Brooke Edwards

Calling all trombone players: The Hungry March Band is looking for one talented musician to join its forces. Interested applicants must not be afraid of practicing long hours for little or no pay, of wearing eccentric costumes in front of large crowds and of marching between enthusiastic belly dancers and fire-spinners.

Needless to say, they’re not your typical marching band.

The Hungry March Band, out of Brooklyn, has been entertaining crowds with its original songs and bizarre performances for nearly a decade. They are hoping the fourth time’s a charm, as they prepare to produce album number four and set out on their fourth European tour.

At the core of the band are 25 members who play brass and percussion instruments, including trumpets, trombones, saxophones, sousaphones, tubas, snare drums, bass drums, cymbals and a washboard.

“Most marching bands do mostly covers, but we do a lot of originals,” said Theresa Westerdahl, known in the band as Tara Fire Ball. Westerdahl is the band’s tom-tom player and managing director. “We have several composers in the group,” she said.

H.M.B.’s musical influences include, according to their Web site, “Eastern European Gypsy brass, Bollywood film scores, New Orleans second line, Jamaican ska, Balkan beats, jazz, punk, Afro-Cuban, Middle Eastern, Latin flava and hip-hop.”

And the band members are as diverse as the sounds they produce.

“We have big people, small people, gay people, straight people…” Westerdahl’s voice trailed off.

The band’s youngest player is Sammy Fairey, the 10-year-old son of saxophonist Emily Fairey. Sammy plays the drums.

The band also has Canadian and Japanese members, and has recently incorporated two “refugee” musicians from New Orleans: J.R., who plays the trumpet, and Don, who plays the helicon. Both are in a group called Panorama, which is struggling to survive after Hurricane Katrina.

H.M.B. played in New Orleans one year before Katrina. Westerdahl was pregnant at the time, and wasn’t able to go.

“We haven’t been able to go back down there since,” she said, citing a lack of resources and housing. “Katrina took that away from me.”

But Westerdahl has been able to travel with H.M.B to Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and France. In fact, she says, “I have a 3-year-old and she was made on our first trip to Europe.”

As they prepare to return to Europe, Westerdahl said, “We’re a little bit of celebrities there,” crediting the overseas popularity of the film “Short Bus,” where H.M.B. made an appearance.

She says that the filmmakers “were looking for an authentic New York experience, and that’s us.” She sent them a demo tape and they contacted the band a few months later.

Since H.M.B doesn’t need an electric amplification system, they are able to play practically anywhere, carrying what they need on their backs. This has led to performances in a wide variety of venues.

H.M.B. has performed at film festivals, art gallery openings, subway cars, funerals, weddings, protests, rallies, festivals, clubs, circuses and parades, both human and canine, to name a few.

The band is usually booked solid, with as many as five shows in one weekend, though they took this past Sunday off in honor of the Academy Awards.

On Friday night H.M.B played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Café between performances by a family vaudeville circus, whose talents included walking on glass and spinning a 9-pound top in the palms of their hands.

Wearing a blend of traditional band costumes and 1920s-style suits and skirts — with a trumpet player dressed as a Trojan soldier and a washboard player sporting a giant bird head with purple feathers thrown in the mix — the band marched through the crowd and crammed all of its members onto the small stage. H.M.B. then got the otherwise-mellow crowd dancing and cheering, making it clear why they are in such high demand.

They’re well known in the Lower East Side and East Village, where they recently were the orchestra for a performance piece, “Once There Was a Village,” based on the book by Yuri Kapralov, at La MaMa theater on E. Fourth St. They also recently played at the ceremony for the co-naming of E. Ninth St. and Avenue B after the late Armando Perez, who was the creative director of the former CHARAS/El Bohio.

“It’s getting to the point where people can’t make every gig,” Westerdahl said. She said they are looking for backup players for each instrument.

In addition to the 25 regular band members, when H.M.B. performs at bigger events, their numbers can swell to as many as 100. This includes a second line of musicians and an entourage known as the Pleasure Society.

“My husband and 3-year-old daughter are in the Pleasure Society,” said W - The Villager

link to original article:
http://www.thevillager.com/villager_200/thehungrymarchband.html

Volume 76, Number 40 | February 28 - March 6, 2007

The Hungry March Band are metal heads of another sort

By Brooke Edwards

Calling all trombone players: The Hungry March Band is looking for one talented musician to join its forces. Interested applicants must not be afraid of practicing long hours for little or no pay, of wearing eccentric costumes in front of large crowds and of marching between enthusiastic belly dancers and fire-spinners.

Needless to say, they’re not your typical marching band.

The Hungry March Band, out of Brooklyn, has been entertaining crowds with its original songs and bizarre performances for nearly a decade. They are hoping the fourth time’s a charm, as they prepare to produce album number four and set out on their fourth European tour.

At the core of the band are 25 members who play brass and percussion instruments, including trumpets, trombones, saxophones, sousaphones, tubas, snare drums, bass drums, cymbals and a washboard.

“Most marching bands do mostly covers, but we do a lot of originals,” said Theresa Westerdahl, known in the band as Tara Fire Ball. Westerdahl is the band’s tom-tom player and managing director. “We have several composers in the group,” she said.

H.M.B.’s musical influences include, according to their Web site, “Eastern European Gypsy brass, Bollywood film scores, New Orleans second line, Jamaican ska, Balkan beats, jazz, punk, Afro-Cuban, Middle Eastern, Latin flava and hip-hop.”

And the band members are as diverse as the sounds they produce.

“We have big people, small people, gay people, straight people…” Westerdahl’s voice trailed off.

The band’s youngest player is Sammy Fairey, the 10-year-old son of saxophonist Emily Fairey. Sammy plays the drums.

The band also has Canadian and Japanese members, and has recently incorporated two “refugee” musicians from New Orleans: J.R., who plays the trumpet, and Don, who plays the helicon. Both are in a group called Panorama, which is struggling to survive after Hurricane Katrina.

H.M.B. played in New Orleans one year before Katrina. Westerdahl was pregnant at the time, and wasn’t able to go.

“We haven’t been able to go back down there since,” she said, citing a lack of resources and housing. “Katrina took that away from me.”

But Westerdahl has been able to travel with H.M.B to Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and France. In fact, she says, “I have a 3-year-old and she was made on our first trip to Europe.”

As they prepare to return to Europe, Westerdahl said, “We’re a little bit of celebrities there,” crediting the overseas popularity of the film “Short Bus,” where H.M.B. made an appearance.

She says that the filmmakers “were looking for an authentic New York experience, and that’s us.” She sent them a demo tape and they contacted the band a few months later.

Since H.M.B doesn’t need an electric amplification system, they are able to play practically anywhere, carrying what they need on their backs. This has led to performances in a wide variety of venues.

H.M.B. has performed at film festivals, art gallery openings, subway cars, funerals, weddings, protests, rallies, festivals, clubs, circuses and parades, both human and canine, to name a few.

The band is usually booked solid, with as many as five shows in one weekend, though they took this past Sunday off in honor of the Academy Awards.

On Friday night H.M.B played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Café between performances by a family vaudeville circus, whose talents included walking on glass and spinning a 9-pound top in the palms of their hands.

Wearing a blend of traditional band costumes and 1920s-style suits and skirts — with a trumpet player dressed as a Trojan soldier and a washboard player sporting a giant bird head with purple feathers thrown in the mix — the band marched through the crowd and crammed all of its members onto the small stage. H.M.B. then got the otherwise-mellow crowd dancing and cheering, making it clear why they are in such high demand.

They’re well known in the Lower East Side and East Village, where they recently were the orchestra for a performance piece, “Once There Was a Village,” based on the book by Yuri Kapralov, at La MaMa theater on E. Fourth St. They also recently played at the ceremony for the co-naming of E. Ninth St. and Avenue B after the late Armando Perez, who was the creative director of the former CHARAS/El Bohio.

“It’s getting to the point where people can’t make every gig,” Westerdahl said. She said they are looking for backup players for each instrument.

In addition to the 25 regular band members, when H.M.B. performs at bigger events, their numbers can swell to as many as 100. This includes a second line of musicians and an entourage known as the Pleasure Society.

“My husband and 3-year-old daughter are in the Pleasure Society,” said W - The Villager

Village Voice - Best of NYC
-Best Anarchist Parade Group -Jason Gross

Born from a group of non-musicians who wanted to participate in the Mermaid Parade (where they've marched into the ocean), the HUNGRY MARCH BAND now have a repertoire that includes bhangra, Latin, and Gypsy music. You'll find them not only at Lincoln Center and Lollapalooza, but also at a dog parade, a gay underwear party, a Harlem block party, and numerous benefits (gardens, food co-ops, art communities). Oh, and they're available for weddings! - Village Voice

Village Voice - Best of NYC
-Best Anarchist Parade Group -Jason Gross

Born from a group of non-musicians who wanted to participate in the Mermaid Parade (where they've marched into the ocean), the HUNGRY MARCH BAND now have a repertoire that includes bhangra, Latin, and Gypsy music. You'll find them not only at Lincoln Center and Lollapalooza, but also at a dog parade, a gay underwear party, a Harlem block party, and numerous benefits (gardens, food co-ops, art communities). Oh, and they're available for weddings! - Village Voice

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http://www.extra-action.com/_spin/spin1.jpg - Blood On The Sousaphone

Copy and paste this link to view article:

http://www.extra-action.com/_spin/spin1.jpg - Blood On The Sousaphone

Stefano Idili, 27 giugno 2005
La "Hungry March Band" non è solo una banda: è una parata, un party migrante.....put the dancing shoes! (indossate le scarpe da ballo!) è il consiglio spassionato che l’ensemble di artisti di New York offre al pubblico
La “Hungry March Band” da New York al Poco Loco di Alghero
ALGHERO – La street ensemble “Hungry March Band” venerdì 1 luglio farà tappa ad Alghero. La fantastica “banda di strada” composta da un ventina di elementi sarà di scena nel locale algherese nel prossimo fine settimana. La "Hungry March Band" è, nei dintorni di Brooklyn New York City, la "Brass Band" (banda di fiati) più grande di tutti i tempi. Composta da 20 elementi, vive e opera stabilmente nella metropoli statunitense dal 1997. Girovaghi metropolitani, la HMB attinge la sua ispirazione dalle musiche delle diverse culture e dei diversi paesi, come una mega melting pot dell'era post-tecnologica. «We are the music of the people», così si definiscono, infatti essere la musica della gente per la HMB significa portargliela direttamente nelle strade, nelle autostrade, nei bar, nelle navi, negli autobus, negli uffici postali..e nel caso di Alghero nel Centro Storico, dove la band si esibirà oltre che nello show del Poco Loco. Non solo di fiati e percussioni, la HMB, infatti, è composta anche dalla Pleasure Society: una parte della band che si dedica solo ed esclusivamente al divertimento e al coinvolgimento del pubblico con gag, danze e canti. La "Hungry March Band" non è solo una banda: è una parata, un party migrante.....put the dancing shoes! (indossate le scarpe da ballo!) è il consiglio spassionato che l’ensemble di artisti di New York offre al pubblico. - Alguer

Stefano Idili, 27 giugno 2005
La "Hungry March Band" non è solo una banda: è una parata, un party migrante.....put the dancing shoes! (indossate le scarpe da ballo!) è il consiglio spassionato che l’ensemble di artisti di New York offre al pubblico
La “Hungry March Band” da New York al Poco Loco di Alghero
ALGHERO – La street ensemble “Hungry March Band” venerdì 1 luglio farà tappa ad Alghero. La fantastica “banda di strada” composta da un ventina di elementi sarà di scena nel locale algherese nel prossimo fine settimana. La "Hungry March Band" è, nei dintorni di Brooklyn New York City, la "Brass Band" (banda di fiati) più grande di tutti i tempi. Composta da 20 elementi, vive e opera stabilmente nella metropoli statunitense dal 1997. Girovaghi metropolitani, la HMB attinge la sua ispirazione dalle musiche delle diverse culture e dei diversi paesi, come una mega melting pot dell'era post-tecnologica. «We are the music of the people», così si definiscono, infatti essere la musica della gente per la HMB significa portargliela direttamente nelle strade, nelle autostrade, nei bar, nelle navi, negli autobus, negli uffici postali..e nel caso di Alghero nel Centro Storico, dove la band si esibirà oltre che nello show del Poco Loco. Non solo di fiati e percussioni, la HMB, infatti, è composta anche dalla Pleasure Society: una parte della band che si dedica solo ed esclusivamente al divertimento e al coinvolgimento del pubblico con gag, danze e canti. La "Hungry March Band" non è solo una banda: è una parata, un party migrante.....put the dancing shoes! (indossate le scarpe da ballo!) è il consiglio spassionato che l’ensemble di artisti di New York offre al pubblico. - Alguer

By DAN AQUILANTE January 20, 2004
Brooklyn phenomena the Hungry March Band, who've played their brand of bad-ass brass to save firehouses, free community gardens and entertain dogs, captures their parade/party experience on their new CD "On the Waterfront."

This 23-member band is a contender for the top do-it-yourself career achievement of the year, with a record that runs the gamut from traditional high school march music to latin mambos, classical interludes and even the nod to klezmer for their fans in Brighton Beach.

The best of this disc is the band's cover of the Crescent City classic "St. James Infirmary," which breaks out of the dirge and into the second line with the power of a Bourbon Street hurricane. - New York Post

By DAN AQUILANTE January 20, 2004
Brooklyn phenomena the Hungry March Band, who've played their brand of bad-ass brass to save firehouses, free community gardens and entertain dogs, captures their parade/party experience on their new CD "On the Waterfront."

This 23-member band is a contender for the top do-it-yourself career achievement of the year, with a record that runs the gamut from traditional high school march music to latin mambos, classical interludes and even the nod to klezmer for their fans in Brighton Beach.

The best of this disc is the band's cover of the Crescent City classic "St. James Infirmary," which breaks out of the dirge and into the second line with the power of a Bourbon Street hurricane. - New York Post