What Cheer? Brigade

Listen to the What Cheer? Brigade in Hi-Fi!

chop chop the chimp — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:19:56 +0000

So what do you get when you bring 18 fantastic musicians and one dumb ass goof in a chimp mask to a top notch recording studio? Well, to find out, may we direct you to the “music” section of our web site, where we offer you new recordings recently recorded at the fantastic, Machine With Magnets! The folks there were kind enough to put up with our tardy selves, and 19 of us trampsing through their studios, and captured us in a recording in such a way no one has to date. We are quite pleased with it and wish to share them with you. So, stop reading this tripe, click on the danged link, and check them out. You will only kick yourself if you don’t. And if you don’t kick yourself, the chimp certainly will if he finds out. He likes kicking people.

Photograph by Christian Bartsch

We Need more trumpet players!

chop chop the chimp — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:46:34 +0000

Do you find yourself wondering what you should be doing nights? Do you find yourself thinking, “I don’t surround myself with enough loud and talented people bringing joy and merry to the public.” Well, now’s your chance! The What Cheer? Brigade is looking for a new trumpet player. Someone with the chops and style to rip through the riffs of “Jovano, Jovanke”, or “Green Eyes”, all while not being intimidated by the sweaty monkey flinging his drums right by your knees. Men and women, from near or far, write us here at the website if you’re interested and want more information. Be ready to have your world changed.

We’re back and getting ready to rock the Purim Party!

chop chop the chimp — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:03:12 +0000

That’s right, kids. The What Cheer? brigade is back home after four days, five shows, and a few street shanangins. Jersey, Baltimore, West Phili and New york will never be the same again. but, wait! There’s more, Oy Vay! The flyer below is for a radical purim party we’re playing, and hope to see you at (see “shows” section of the site for more info). I believe I remember hearing that this is a festivity where drinking is biblically commanded. So…let’s get biblical on that bottle, dance up a storm in some great costumes, and party like it’s Purim 1999. What say ye?

Watch Our Rowdy New Video

pmccarthy — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:04:57 +0000

“Green Eyes” written and performed by Larry Mauk and What Cheer? Brigade. Recorded October 2007 at the HONK festival in Boston, MA. Shot by Allison Mowrer and Olivier D. Asselin and edited by Paul McCarthy.

Tell us what you think in our guest book or in the YouTube comments.

And come to our upcoming shows in New York, Baltimore, and Philly.

Jerk Parade for 2008

pmccarthy — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 08:28:41 +0000

That’s right, happy new year, from all us jerks. We’re recording and doing a little jaunt down the eastern seaboard this winter, and we’re booking our spring and summer shows now, so stay tuned.

Where did the What Cheer? Brigade go?

chop chop the chimp — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:01:58 +0000

That’s right, folks. The Brigade is taking a well earned break for the winter to learn new songs, to write new songs, and to let all wounds heal.

So, while we are off in the deep recesses of a Providence, Rhode Island warehouse, catch up with out performances in the photos section, as many news ones have gone up. Wrap yourselves from the winter chill in one of our comfy warm What Cheer? Brigade T- Shirts, and put "jerk parade", our first release, on the stereo to keep yourself from Brigade withdrawl until we come busting out again, damaging eardrums and bloodying our lips just for you.

Thanks, folks, for a wonderful 2007. Here’s to an even more amazing 2008.

We Succesfully HONK!ed the heck out of Somerville & Cambridge

chop chop the chimp — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:00:33 +0000

It was an amazing and glorious weekend recently when the What Cheer? brigade and many other wonderful bands emerged on Davis square, in Somerville, MA, for the second annual HONK! fest. Let me tell you, those organizers had their shite together and put on one heck of an amazing weekend! We were pleased as the spiked punch we drank to be a part ot if, to play, eat and fall down with the likes of Hungry March Band, Pink Puffers, Rude Mechanical Orchestra, Caka!ak Thunder, and many, many more great acts. To find out more about the festival, you should go to their website thingy (honkfest.org) and do some of that their reading. To understand better what you may have missed, you should catch us at one of few remaining, upcoming shows, before we go into abear like hibernation for the winter and return with more new tunes, more new attitude, and possibly a few more STDs. We love you, after all.

photo by Julie Chen. Now, onto the merch section, and buy things, dammit!

Honk Festival This Weekend!

chop chop the chimp — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 07:19:28 +0000

This weekend: the HONK! Festival in the Somerville area of Boston. 19 street bands, mostly brass and drums, most with more than 10 members — some with more than 20 — all banging out the tunes in the streets for FREE!!!

Not thinking of attending? Yeah, once I thought I would hold my pee for as long as I could until one day (two days into holding it) I found myself curled up in the aisle of some 24 supermarket, in total pain cursing myself for my stupidity. Well, you will be doing the same thing if you don’t catch one of these shows before we go on a little hiatus to focus on songwriting. So think about that. Do you really want to be the person that the 24 hour supermarket clerk is laughing at one night? I don’t think so. Oh yeah…that and, buy stuff. We have new stuff and old stuff for sale in the merch section. So…c’mon. what are you really doing with your money? I mean, you haven’t bought me a drink lately!

Photo by Christos Lamprianidis

We’re back..now, east coast beware!

chop chop the chimp — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 08:47:36 +0000

That’s right, kids. We made it back from Europe, a bit more bloodied and bruised, but all in all wowed by the reception we got, and the joy of seeing some of the things we saw and heard. But there is only little rest for the wicked, as they say. New York, Boston, and Providence shall all bathe in the glow of what is what cheer? brigade soon (see upcoming shows section). if not bathe in the glow, then at least recognize the sound. heck, it is fairly unescapeable for about ten blocks.

But all that aside, we have photos up from the trip for you to gawk at and video too! if you saw us performing at any of the venues over thar, then please go ahead and send us photos so we can collect them and look at them when we get old and feeble minded.
Until then, we love you and hope you will buy us lots of drinks.

p.s. we have cds for sale now. get them while the getting is good.

Rare chances abound!

chop chop the chimp — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:43:46 +0000

On Sunday, July 15th, Jake’s bar and Grille — here in our fair city of Providence — will be hosting three wonderful acts. this is the rare chance to see your friends and ours — Barn Burning — performing with Okkervil River. That’s right, folks, Okkervil river! But wait, crazier still, we’re going to march our collective bottoms in there, too. That’s right; an 18 piece marching band squeezed between the wonderful bread of Rock and roll and New Americana. A small, cozy, venue, this show is sure to sell out, so buy your tickets in advance by calling Jake’s at: 401-453-5253. Show starts early (8pm), so don’t come wanderin’ in at ten looking all confused.
Go ahead…miss this show… only if you wish to prove to yourself how easily you can do things you will later regret.