Pickathon 2012: Hot 8 Brass Band
Posted by Rob Hedberg
Photo Credit: Robert Hedberg
The Pickathon Festival could be assumed to only involve string instruments and slight percussion, but this is a fallacy. Kicking off Pickathon 2012 were the Hot 8 Brass Band, and they brought the funk. The eight-man band, one of which who performs from his wheel chair, stirred the crowd into a frenzy. The band grooved with the fans throughout the set which featured renditions of songs such as Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” and Snoop Dogg’s “Who Am I.” Fans were asked to boogie with all their tenacity, and women were asked to come upon the stage and dance in any manor they would like. Hot 8 Brass Band asked for help with singing chants like, “the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire/we don’t need no water, let this mother burn,” which was coordinated beautifully with a simple breakdown that slowed the pace for emphatic sing along. It was not surprising that by the end of the set, the crowd were shoulder-to-shoulder eating up every saxophone and trombone note.
Photo Credit: Rob Hedberg
