No BS! Brass Band: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Just southeast of the Virginia Commonwealth University campus in Richmond, Va., lies a compact neighborhood called Oregon Hill. Historically, it's been a (white) working-class part of town, affordable for students and various bohemian types. Recording engineer Lance Koehler was drawn to the place when he moved to Richmond from New Orleans; it's where he eventually found a two-story garage and converted it into his own recording studio and home. It didn't take him long to start doing business across the Richmond music map: Koehler is good at his job, and he's affordable. His business is called Minimum Wage Studios for a reason.

He's also a drummer, and though he grew up in Southern California, his time in New Orleans left a deep impression. Inspired by the Crescent City's modern brass bands, in 2006 he started the NO BS! Brass Band with trombonist Reggie Pace. They had a place to fit between 10 and 13 musicians for rehearsal, and they had the means to document their work. And, owing to VCU and its conservatory program — with a history of producing top-notch jazz players — they had plenty of great horn players at their disposal.

Funky and danceable, the NO BS! Brass Band takes after the full black-music continuum you hear in groups like Rebirth or the Hot 8. But it's also proggy, and a bit brutalizing, and full of pride in a different Southern outpost. The group's new album is called RVA All Day, after all. And about that jazz cred: In July, it'll release another album called Fight Song, so named because it features the band's arrangements of Charles Mingus compositions.

Recently, Koehler, Pace and nine other musicians piled into a bus and journeyed up the freeway to NPR Music's Tiny Desk in Washington, D.C. They blasted us with songs from the new album — it was so loud, you could hear the music on the other side of the building, a floor down. And this summer, when Pace isn't out with Bon Iver's touring band, they'll strike out from Oregon Hill to fly the Richmond flag up and down the East Coast.
--PATRICK JARENWATTANANON

Set List
"RVA All Day"
"Run Around"
"Infamous"

Personnel
Lance Koehler, drums
Reggie Pace, trombone
Bryan Hooten, trombone/vocals
John Hulley, trombone
Dillard Watt, bass trombone
David Hood, alto saxophone
Marcus Tenney, trumpet
Sam Koff, trumpet
Ben Court, trumpet
Taylor Barnett, trumpet
Stefan Demetriadis, tuba

Credits
Producer: Patrick Jarenwattananon; Editor: Gabriella Garcia-Pardo; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo

[bemanthonybemanthony]

Man, that's the funkiest tuba player, holding down the fort. I love everyone, thanks for putting a smile on my face listening to this.

[dillimeinbilli]

These guys are adorably nerdy and totally badass at the same time. I love brass bands.

[GuitarClassVideos]

can't see the drummer but you can sure as heck feel him

[rileywhite]

The trombone player in the purple shirt is absolutely insane! He’s doing some crazy tonguing and is getting up to ridiculously high notes. I play trombone and that stuff is hard!

[waiakalulu]

I'm a drummer, but my daughter is learning the tuba. I showed her this video for inspiration. Such great memories when I watch this. Looking back on it: this was a happy time before a lot of sad things happened in the world. Bravo to the soloists and the "worker" musicians that gave body to all the warm tones. Bottom line: Love the power and sound of all that brass!

[mudholestomp]

The tuba player (yes, its a modified tuba) gets no love but he's laying down some serious bass grooves.  And the drummer is the total truth.

[davidharris]

I'm impressed, the drummer & tuba player is putting in work for sure

[Bimp_Lizkit]

I want these guys to play at my funeral! I want folks rockin' out, thinking about how great life is and what having fun looks like while throwing back some great food and some good cocktails. I want my life portrayed by this band and these guys. Good stuff guys!

[charlieyarwood]

My gawd the sound mixing on this is incredible. That's not a studio and these always sound amazing. So props to them

[justinhardy]

No BS brass kills it every time I see them. Richmond VA representing keep up the great work guys! Thanks NPR Tiny Desk for hosting such great musicians.

[JustinZymbaluk]

I'm in awe of the sound engineers every time. How on earth do you manage to get such gorgeous sound out of a setup like this?

[bassboydavid]

Gotta love the Low Low Brass :D Being a Tuba, Trombone, and Bass Trombone Player just gotta give them 1, 000 props :D

[michellevaughn]

That tuba player is right on! Non stop amazing! Love it!!!

[theSauceBoss]

This is what happens when band nerds go to college for music. Awesome.

[ianjeffrey]

The trumpet player in purple is my theory professor at VCU! Just thought I'd share haha

[panicnow]

I'm just checking out these guys for the first time. I'm really digging the variety of sounds here.

Infectious melodies and earworm qualities aside, these dudes are badass musicians. The brassy, throaty cadences of a high school marching band are the backbone of these songs, but I especically love the heavy spin on it with the drummer's attitude and power, it definitely supports the rest of the ensemble well. I hear a lot of jazz thrown in on the solo sections of these songs. The passages are hectic and make the songs feel even better-structured after the fact. I also really love the megaphone vocals; it also harkens back to that high-school pep rally feeling. The whole thing gives off this wild, urban, robust sound that I didn't know I needed in my life.

I hate sounding like a douchey music critic, but damn, I just needed to get those thoughts written down because I've not grown to like such an eclectic group this fast before. A-1 stuff.

[nathanpleasants]

Accidentally wound up here and I am content as hell

[timsmithtrumpet]

Ok this is beyond sick, their stage presence is remarkable I love this

[JayDizz]

anybody else dying to watch the drummer playing.

[guerrillastylefilms]

They should call themselves the No BS Brass band and a drummer who is totally killin it!!!! next time show some love to your drummer and give him a little camera time. He sounded like he was playing his butt off lol. Great video guys.