SafetySuit and Elby Brass Show At Great Hall This Friday Night

Think UMW needs to have a football team in order to see a marching band on campus? Think again.

Elby Brass, a local New Orleans-inspired funk brass band, will be following the headlining performance of a rock-pop band from Nashville called SafetySuit. Elby Brass plans to march its way from the Great Hall to the Underground, encouraging campus residents to come to the exciting show.

Not only will Elby Brass be marching, but the 11-member instrumental band will sport gold and purple marching band outfits. These outfits are identical to the ones worn by Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Va. This remains the inspiration behind the “LB” in the band’s name.

Elby Brass’s members, who are all experienced musicians, play a wide range of instruments including trumpet, trombone, saxophon, sousaphone, and four types of percussion. They have been known to perform at local venues including Sammy T’s and Fredericksburg All Ages shows. According to their website, they also perform in backyards.

According to bandleader Seth Casana, Elby Brass is a combination of “funk, afrobeat, hip hop, Balkan, and new styles that we’re still inventing. What we really do is more about the ensemble than a specific style of music.”

In any case, this somewhat unorthodox ensemble will be appearing Friday night at 9:30 p.m. for an after-show. It will be “the first time [that] a band has started their performance while in another building.” So if you find yourself on campus walk Friday night, please make way for Elby Brass.

Aside from Elby Brass, the main attraction band known as SafetySuit, started in Tulsa, Ok, after three of the four members entered a Battle of the Bands contest and won. After picking up the fourth member, the guys moved down to Nashville, Tn. to expand their fan base.

Various artists such as U2, The Police, Coldplay, and Matchbox 20 influence their rock-pop genre. SafetySuit has recorded popular radio songs including “Annie,” and “Life Left to Go,” both off of their album “Life Left to Go” released in May 2008.

SafetySuit classifies their band as a close-knit group of friends, “who have known each other forever.” Their website emphasizes that “anyone who comes to [our] show should feel better afterwards.” The upbeat and meaningful lyrics focus on the “artist giving” instead of being stereotypically “ego-centric.”

The show starts at 8 p.m. Friday in Great Hall and will conclude with marching and a performance at 9:30 p.m. in the Underground. For more information on the event, visit Giant Productions on Facebook. For more information about either band, visit www.elbybrass.com or www.safetysuitmusic.com.