Lucky Chops, a high energy NYC group formed in 2006, has helped shape what it means to be a brass band in the past decade. Cutting their teeth and rising to fame through their performances on the New York subway, they found a way to stand out from a crowd that has seen it all. The brass band developed a style of igniting pop music, injecting well worn hits into their instruments like jet fuel, and firing it at audiences in a way that even New Yorkers couldn’t ignore.
While many artists have found success combining pop music with classical and jazz instruments, far fewer have found a way to evade the genre’s kitschy nature. Yet, Lucky Chops succeeds in creating catchy dance music that stands on its own, not requiring support from the bands admittingly entertaining dance moves and ogleable instrumentation. The band is too authentic, foot too close to the floor, and drives much too recklessly fast to be cheesy.
