Nadeem Salaam
“If you guys didn’t know yet, our annual outdoor festival sponsored by MMNY for June 21st 2013 is coming up! We wanted to take the time to allow people to get familiar with the artists performing this year. We have gone from 5 bands to 11! Here below is an interview we did with a fun talented brass group: The Lucky Chops Brass Band telling us their story as life long New Yorkers dedicated to the vibrant culture that makes us such a special city. (No really, i’ve lived in North Carolina, spent enough time in Houston, New Orleans, and have lived in Boston to say this endearingly despite our soot stained streets and violence, NY REP!)”
Tell us about how you guys all met:
Well, the band was formed back in 2006 when we were all students at LaGuardia High School in Lincoln Center (the “Fame” school for all you cultured folk out there). Being the reckless and delinquent high school students we were, we formed a brass band so we could play as loud as we wanted to all the time. Much to our surprise, people thought we sounded good, so here we are today! 
Where are you guys from?
We are all native New Yorkers and hail from not one or three but all five boroughs of NYC. Of course, we all realize that Queens is undoubtedly the greatest of said boroughs. (718!) We all take pride in being from New York and our music reflects the diverse cultures and backgrounds we all grew up with.
You mention on your fb profile that you have done Indian weddings, was that as great as it sounds?
Oh boy, well I’ll just say that we’ve seen entire Hilton hotels rented out… for the Engagement party. The Engagement party. Needless to say the actual Weddings are the stuff of legend.
Any album plans?
Album plans, album plans. Yes after seven years, there are finally plans. Look for a single later this summer and the full record by New Years. (And the accompanying Kickstarter campaign!)
Do you all generally like the same music?
Hmm, interesting question. We all come from a jazz background so we love that music. Besides that we all bring a little of what we love individually to the band. You can hear a little bit of Turkish music, Ska, hip-hop, shout band gospel, drum and bass and even top 40 pop in our music.
How can people book you for events?
It’s easy! You can find us on our website, or check out some of our videos on YouTube, don’t forget to like us on Facebook as well!
You guys seem so high energy and fun, is there something that has ever happened at one of your live shows you’ll never forget?
As a brass band in NYC, pretty much every show is a crazy experience. If I had to choose one, it might be the time we did a music video for the director of the 80’s pop culture movie “Wild Style” with the hip hop crew 9-11 Thesaurus. What made this video crazy was the fact it was shot on location… in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge. After pedestrians realized what we were doing, they just joined in and marched behind us during the entire shoot, hundreds and hundreds of people! How we weren’t arrested I still don’t know.
Lastly, tell us the one major thing we can do to support your music now or in the future: When we first started out, we made most of our money by playing outside in Parks or just on the street. Audiences love it and it’s still our favorite thing to do. Unfortunately, Mayor Bloomberg and the Parks Department make it tougher and tougher for street musicians like us to do what we do. There are a number of petitions going around change.org right now trying to combat these unfair and cruel laws. Here is one the band has signed, your signature will make a difference. (LINK)
With your help we can make the streets of New York as vibrant and musical as they deserve to be.