Four bands. Three rounds. Two finalists. One winner. Red Bull Street Kings made its highly anticipated return to New Orleans on Saturday, September 24, at Music Box Village. Kings of Brass was declared the winner and the brass band will perform at OffBeat magazine’s annual Best of the Beat Awards on Thursday, November 10, at the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
The Kings of Brass competed against Sporty’s Brass Band, Big 6 Brass Band and Young Pinstripe Brass Band. The panel of judges included hip hop performers Mia X and Mannie Fresh along with Christie Jourdain (Original Pinettes and 2013 Red Bull Street Kings winner), Alana Harris (Deputy Director of Arts and Culture) and band director Chris Herrero. DJ Kelly Green and emcee Downtown Lesli Brown brought revved the audience between sets throughout the event. Guest performers also took the stage between rounds, including Flagboy Giz featuring DJ Raj Smoove, a New Orleans All-Star Brass Band, Zulu Tramps and Secondline Shorty.
The bands entered the venue second-line style and performed a traditional song in the first round. In the second round, each band was paired with a local hip hop artist, including Stone Cold Jzzle, Alfred Banks, $leazy EZ and Treety.
“The collaboration is fun,” said Banks, collaborator with Kings of Brass. “We need to do it more often. Hip hop and brass are more similar than people think. This is the start of something cool, and I think it’ll only continue from here.”
Bands were scored on stage appearance, material, energy, musicality, and innovation. Following the judges’ deliberation, Sporty’s Brass Band and Kings of Brass advanced to the final round. As the performances progressed, so did the energy of both the bands and the crowd, who danced and waved handkerchiefs.
“Ain’t nobody like us, nowhere in the world,” said Mia X, the first female artist signed to No Limit Records. “The culture, the food, the people. There’s no city like this city. New Orleans is touched with something special.”
After the final horn of the third round sounded, 17-time multi-platinum record producer and judge Mannie Fresh declared an encore. “We want to throw it off a little bit. One more song. Blow it up,” he said as the crowd broke into cheers.
Sporty’s Brass Band and Kings of Brass took to the stage one last time in an unanticipated throwdown for the crown. In the end, Kings of Brass was the last band standing.
“This one is for the city we love,” said Caleb Windsay of Kings of Brass. “This is for everybody. This is for Big 6. This is for Sporty’s. This is for YPS (Young Pin Stripe). This is for all of you. Somebody had to win.”
“The love for the music and the culture is way bigger than the competition,” said host Downtown Lesli Brown. “The culture is deep. I’m pretty sure anyone that didn’t take the crown today still won.”
All proceeds from ticket sales will support the following New Orleans organizations: Dinerral Shavers Foundation, Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp, and Roots of Music.
Tickets for the Best of the Beat Awards are on sale at a discount rate through October 16. Music will include a Tribute to Little Freddie King, the 2022 Lifetime Achievement in Music Recipient, along with Lulu and the Broadsides plus a tribute to Little Freddie King defaturing Johnny Sansone, Sunpie Barnes and Andy J. Forest, Jon Cleary and The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, swamp pop legend Tommy McLain and C.C. Adcock, Bo Dollis, Jr. and the Wild Magnolias, the New Orleans Baby Dolls, the Daiquiri Queens, Joy Clark Band, and many more.
