On Claiborne Avenue between St. Ann and Dumaine Streets, it’s usually cars on I-10 above that might cause the ground to rumble. On Saturday afternoon though, the block was shaking from the Red Bull Street Kings Brass Band Blowout, a battle-of-the-bands competition staged underneath the bridge in homage to the acoustic sweet spot underneath the overpass that downtown second lines always take advantage of.

The Red Bull-sponsored competition featured the Free Agents, TBC, Soul Rebels, and Stooges brass bands each set up on their own podium and given their chance to show their stuff for the large crowd in several rounds of competition. The final round was a showdown between the Free Agents and the Stooges, and when the dust cleared everyone knew from the crowd’s reaction that the Stooges would be crowned the 2010 Red Bull Street Kings. The Stooges came down from their podium and led a second line out from underneath the bridge, having won a cash prize and an all-expenses-paid trip to record in Red Bull’s Los Angeles recording studio.

As host Glen David Andrews said though, “The true winners were the people of New Orleans…because today we showed that violence has nothing to do with second lines.” It was a beautiful event, and a perfect example of how an international corporation can come to New Orleans and stage an event that properly celebrates and promotes our local culture.

All photos below were taken by Kim Welsh.

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