About the band

Do you have an idea or event in mind that requires What Cheer? Contact us at WhatCheerBrigade@gmail.com.

The What Cheer? Brigade is a 19-piece brass band from Providence, RI, USA. Our sound is an aggressive mix of Bollywood, The Balkans, New Orleans, Samba and Hip-Hop, played with the intensity of metal. Requiring no amplification, we prove that great parties need no electricity. Our live shows defy boundaries, appealing equally to punks and farmers, old and young.

“Thrillingly competent, with undimmable energy…an explosion of good cheer.”

-The New York Times

 

“They never actually took a stage, but Providence, RI’s What Cheer? dominated the Newport Folk Fest like a headliner.”

-SPIN

  Since 2005, the band has been as likely to appear at community benefits as at all-night parties, playing bars, clubs, streets, libraries, cemeteries, weddings, bus stops, and playgrounds. In 2010, we joined Anchor Brain Records to re-release our second CD, We Blow, You Suck. We’ve played with Dan Deacon, Man Man, Japanther, Dengue Fever, Okkervil River, Lightning Bolt, Ninjasonik, Mika Miko, Wolf Parade, Matt and Kim, Slavic Soul Party, Javelin, Sage Francis, and Chain and the Gang. We’ve appeared at Lollapalooza, Sziget (Hungary), and Guca (Serbia), offering mobile, intense moments of outdoor revelry.

Awards: Best in Festival – Haizetara 2010 Street Music International Contest (Spain) Best Category-Defying Act – 2010 Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll Best New Band (Rhode Island) – 2010 Boston Phoenix 50 Bands, 50 States Best of Rhode Island - Rhode Island Monthly 2007 Awards

Photograph by VRETTAKOS ALEXANDROS www.vrettakos.gr

THE BAND

	Chop Chop the Chimp / Dead Chop Chop, Quads A kinder, gentler primate. The Chimp Is Dead. Long live Dead Chop Chop.
	Dan, Sousaphone Dan once collapsed a lung due to his antics with this band. After a few months, he was back to risky, tuba-based behavior, all for you.
	Greg, Tuba Born a small white child Greg grew to an even larger white child, a giant child who blows horns. Do it deep. Be it esoteric philosophy, scuba or noise making deep is the word. He does everything deep. Going low and deep to the throbbing pulse of the peaceful healing tuba. When you feel the tuba vibe think peaceful thoughts.
	Michael, baritone saxophone While never a tall man, Michael started the band at 5’6’’ but years of hauling around a piece of brass as large as himself, Michael’s spine has compressed nearly 6 inches already. Come see him quick before he’s too short to safely enter large crowds.
	Nick–Brasselope, horns Sometimes at shows I try to go up to people and dance with them but my pointy bones frighten them. Curse this wretched carcass.
	Chris, Trombone Chris plays trombone, and hopes to someday play all the notes, ever. He is also working on filling the rest of this space with trombone rhymes. Yo, my bomb-tone, calm-blown trombone’ll make you go’on home & psalm-moan: you’re tromb-owned! Wide-eyed by my slide glides, mesmerized! I’ll play all the noteses like Hall & Oateses!
	Susan, Trombone AKA Schmooz n’ Stay Last, Susan stands a full foot shorter than the rest of the trombone section. Her size, however, does allow her to tuck nicely beneath Chris, Rob and Andy’s blaring bells, when she’s not throwing down dance moves she learned from watching you.
	Canadian Rob, Trombone Imported straight from his tiny fishing village in Nova Scotia, he’s just happy to be playing for somebody other than the local fur traders.
	Larry, Trumpet Larry’s furs is mongolian.  His ice brought the goalies in.  When this trumpet pharaoh is not busy with sarcophagi or drinking malibooya, his horn is in your face playing all the notes.
	Katie, alto saxophone One must ask, what will be the result of a child exposed to nine months of What Cheer? in utero? This one puts the sa-sa in the muzika and the boom-ba in front of ya!
	Mindy the Metronome, bassdrum Move out of the way of the arms of the small woman making big noise with a big drum while smiling and sweating.
	John Slaby, Snare Every morning, John wakes up, climbs down from his tree house and eats souls for breakfast. After washing them down with 2 liters of Mountain Dew, he skateboards to practice. What we don’t know is that when he plays our songs, he really hears all of them as epic adventure metal pieces.
	Famous Joey, Trumpet If you’ve got it, flaunt it.
	Jesse, Trumpetist From the fiery depths of hell, this trumpeter’s brassy sound will surely make your ears bleed.
	Snare/Aux Ben neglects his homework to bang on a drum. Sorry, Mom and Dad!
	American Rob, trumpet How does American Rob get his mustache to point skyward? The wax of 1,000 bees.

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

	Neal “Gimmie Satisfaction” Jones, Trumpet, Velvet Jackets Word around town is it that Neal is getting married!
	Cordey, trumpet Chops and sex appeal – all packaged in what can’t weigh any more than 90 lbs – Young Cordero will charm you like an old snakecharmer with that magic trumpet of his. Ladies beware, parents, give up.
	PANDREW! Euphonium One part Panda, one part Andrew, Pandrew is a superhero. A magical, mystical, steel welding man who makes the children smile and the developers shudder. When Chop Chop scares the kids, Pandrew comforts them. All while laying down a bass line that would hold the craziest melody steady
	Maya the Destroyer, Bass Drum When this band started, Maya played alto saxophone, but a fateful encounter with a bass drum in Philadelphia changed everything. The Destroyer was born. When you see her coming, drop any sharp objects and let go of any inhibitions. You are about to be pummeled into an irresistible dancing frenzy. Just give in; it’ll be easier for everyone
	George, Sirdu George got something called jungle-rot real bad while living in Brazil. Don’t touch him at shows. Or, if you do, just wash your hands with cold soapy water before you go to sleep. Also, don’t take any kind of cortizone-type stuff for the itch because that’s steroids and jungle rot is a fungus and steroids will make a fungus grow really fast. But you probably won’t get it anyway, so whatever.
	Marian the Cymbal Ninja Conventional wisdom holds that ninjas are masters of stealth and shadow. Not so for the Cymbal Ninja, who comes at her victims with a gleaming flash of metal and a crash that makes their ears ring for weeks. Better back up when you see Marian coming, or you’ll be begging for quiet…just like her roommates
	Steve, Sousaphone While it is true that most of the band loves me, that darned Chop Chop seems to have something against me and won’t go near me. It’s a shame…I love them early Primates! It has been rumored that my thunderous tuba playing is powered by the bear paw tattoo that was given to me by a mystic man.]
	Bigfoot Paul, Snare Drum Have you ever seen the movie Drumline? Well, Bigfoot Paul’s life is nothing like that. At all. But maybe one day he will quit his rebellious ways, get good grades in school, AND get the girl. All while playing the snare drum really really well. And dancing. Watch out, Dr. Lee!
	Annelise, Bass Drum BOOM! Annelise is in the room!