Youngblood Brass Band

In the organizer's words:

Youngblood Brass Band

Presented by Emerged Agency
04.11.2025 Cologne, Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld
Admission: 19:00 hrs | Start: 20:00 hrs

The Youngblood Brass Band breaks with convention in an ecstatic, raw and infectious way, taking the form of a New Orleans brass band and transforming it into a punky hip-hop giant full of groove and determination. Founded in Madison, Wisconsin, the ten-piece ensemble now hails from all over the US (Madison, Brooklyn, Nashville, Minneapolis, Chicago) and has been presenting its crash course in genre-bending on stages worldwide since 2000. What other band can boast of having their music played by DJs like Questlove (of The Roots), collaborating with hip-hop greats like Talib Kweli, having their own compositions collaborated on by student Talib Kweli, having their original compositions performed by student brass bands and jazz ensembles around the world and still not be out of place at a punk festival? What other band brings together the seemingly incompatible worlds of the trombone geek and the backpack b-boy? Youngblood has toured countless times in the US and abroad, selling out shows in over 20 countries.

Her festival resume reads like a list of the most important music events in the world: Roskilde, Glastonbury, Lowlands, Pukkelpop, SXSW, CMJ, North Sea Jazz, WOMAD... ad infinitum. With their rousing live shows, the band has made a name for itself as an incredible group to watch, whether in an intimate club or in front of thousands on a festival stage.

YBB's debut album, "Unlearn", was released independently in 2000 and featured collaborations with Talib Kweli (the underground hit "Ya'll Stay Up"), Mike Ladd, DJ Skooly and Frank Zappa singer Ike Willis. The attention they garnered led to a deal with Ozone Music NYC, the revolutionary avant-garde hip-hop label that featured the poetic talents of Saul Williams, Company Flow (El-P), Antipop Consortium, Mr. Lif, etc. Their acclaimed 2003 follow-up album (and Ozone debut) "center:level:roar" (which also features their now-standard brass band anthem "Brooklyn") led the band on a world tour to sold-out crowds.

Youngblood released two more albums on their own label Layered Music: Live. Places. (2005) and Is That a Riot? (2007), both of which further cemented their reputation as the world's leading live brass band. YBB continued to be a frequent contributor to educational programs, holding workshops at high schools and universities on New Orleans music history, jazz improvisation, hip-hop culture and the creative impulse. Through this work, Youngblood achieved cult status among young musicians. Perhaps the world is secretly yearning for music that is intense, danceable, intelligent and free of the self-conscious, vain irony prevalent in most current entertainment formats. Perhaps there is also something to be said for pure musical quality, superior stage presence and sticking to your principles, regardless of what's in vogue at the time.

Youngblood's new album (her first in five years), Pax Volumi, was produced in collaboration with Brighton-based UK label Tru Thoughts, whose roster of artists ranges from deep soul (Alice Russell) to hip-hop (Muddy Waterz). On their new album (their first in five years), Pax Volumi, the band collaborates with Tru Thoughts, the Brighton, UK-based label whose roster of artists ranges from deep soul (Alice Russell) to hip-hop (Ty) to true New Orleans brass band (Hot 8) - a combination that couldn't be more fitting.

With this album, the band has finally achieved not only their musical goals, but their production goals as well, capturing the live intensity of the stage and creating beats and rhymes that boom out of the speakers. It's almost as if they've spent the last 15 years preparing to become THIS Youngblood Brass Band; as if everything in the past has led to the creation of an album that defies categorization, an album that could not have been made by any other group. On stages in the US and abroad, the verdict is in: The band has never sounded this good. Whatever it is ... the rousing shows, the educational goals, the small-town roots, the no-nonsense honesty, the infectious anthems for cool kids and geeks alike - the Youngblood Brass Band has become an institution to be seen and heard. Extensive dancing is also allowed.