Photo Credit: Elixher
Everyone at Vassar goes to the Mug for different reasons. Some go for the dancing, some to perform in or see a show, and others to people watch. Many people don’t go to at all. Two Thursdays ago, I went for very uncommon reason: for work. Earlier that week, Ariel and Kayla kept talking about this band that was supposed to perform and apparently it was supposed to be really good. Since neither of them could go, I went. I have never been so glad to have gone to the Mug in my life.
For those of you who don’t know, the Mug is a popular hangout spot on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights on Vassar’s campus. Located in/under Main near the Retreat, the line for a stereotypically “good” Mug night can stretch all the way to the student mailboxes. Though, this is usually not the case on Thursday nights, termed “Jazz nights,” as they tend to draw a smaller crowd. This was the case last Thursday, but the Pitchblak Brass Band deserved a line all the way to Ely.
I still find it hard to describe the group to people. First of all, there’s ten of them, featuring both men and women. The instruments of choice are as follows: trumpet, sousaphone, alto saxophone, trombone, guitar, french horn, drums, and percussion. Several of them took turns rapping. If I had to classify it, I’d say their sound is a cross between funk, rock, r&b, and hip-hop. It’s the kind of thing you have to hear to fully understand. And when you do, you’ll realize how absolutely incredible the band is. All ten of them are clearly so talented and they work well together. Not only was the music on point, but they were very engaging, sometimes even inviting members of the crowd to dance with them on stage. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. I highly recommend that all CAAD readers check out Pitchblak Brass Band for yourselves. Like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. Tell your friends to tell their friends to tell their friends about it. If you’re still not convinced, here’s live performance of their song “Virus” from a few years ago. They sound just as good, if not better, now as they did then.