Justifiably revered New Orleans institution the Rebirth Brass Band will perform at Ferndale's newest venue Otus Supply next Monday, Jan. 16 — a day which should be an absolute holiday for everyone (I'd personally trade in "President's Day" for MLK Day in a heartbeat, but wait — even that holiday is another where usually only banks, schools and post offices are closed). Anyway, the doors are at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. You should go.
Formed by the Frazier brothers nearly 35 years ago, the band has brought the street music of New Orleans to huge stages around the world by mixing playfully inventive arrangements with modern material while still sticking to a reverential and traditional sound. And they never forget to hold down the groove. This is brass funk shout-along party-harder music that will not fail you.
On playing in Detroit on this important day, bass drummer Keith Frazier states in a press release that “To be in a city with such strong African-american roots on MLK day means a lot to us. It’s like having a piece of New Orleans with us while over 1,000 miles away, which means everything because of how much pride we take in our history and culture — and how it’s brought us to where we are today.”
Metro Times music editor Mike McGonigal has written about music since 1984, when he started the fanzine Chemical Imbalance at age sixteen with money saved from mowing lawns in Florida. He's since written for Spin, Pitchfork, the Village VOICE and Artforum. He's been a museum guard, a financial reporter, a bicycle...
