The Big 6 Brass Band, who is slated to perform at Saturday’s Save Our Brass event, needs the community’s help with a fundraiser.

Last week, one of the band members experienced a carjacking that resulted in the loss of a tuba, trombone, and percussion equipment. OffBeat and other outlets posted information about the vehicle, however, no leads were found. The band now implores the community to help them raise enough money to replace their lost instruments.

On a GoFundMe page, Lamar Heard of the band stated: “This past year has been difficult enough with us not getting many gigs because of the pandemic. But this recent incident just made things worse for us. We filed a police report with the NOPD and just haven’t heard anything yet, and at this point we’re losing hope. We can’t make any money to support our families now.”

Not long after their founding in 2017, the Big 6 Brass Band made a huge impact on the New Orleans music community. Their mixtape, which has made the rounds in the second line community, featured covers of songs by Michael Jackson, Fantasia, and SZA, among others. Unsatisfied with playing only “radio tunes,” their song catalog runs deep into brass band history as they breathe new life into time-honored traditional tunes like “Red Dress” and “Lilly of the Valley.” Their debut album, Big Six, was released in 2019.The band’s all-star lineup, including Lamar Heard, is comprised of some of the most talented young brass band musicians in the city.

The OffBeat family hopes that you will consider donating to the cause here.