The Troubadour welcomes the revolutionary brass band to Los Angeles on October 04 2022. Review by Harriet Kaplan
New York collective Brass Against’s devoted fan base was out in force supporting them at the Troubadour on October 4th. Brass Against is currently on a brief West Coast tour. Recognizing their unmeasurable value and loyalty, singer Sophia Urista was humble and gracious and thanked them all for being at the show. Urista acknowledged that supporting the band online through all media platforms helped them in part garner a spot opening for Tool on their spring 2022 European tour.
Plus, the group’s covers of Tool’s The Pot and Lateralus caught the attention of the metal band. Brass Against has also toured all over the world performing shows and festivals, too. The band has had the honor and prestige of sharing the stage with Prophets of Rage, Living Colour, Royal Blood, Mike D (Beastie Boys) in addition, to Ben Harper and many more acts and artists.
Also, their online presence and power lead to their cover of Rage Against The Machine’s Wake Up being used in The Matrix Resurrections played at the movie’s end credits. Since their founding in 2017, Brass Against have created quite a name and niche for themselves and are achieving the goal to create music that helps to inspire social and personal change. Midway through the show, one of the band members spoke about the plight of migrants and abortion amongst the critical-headline making issues urging the audience to fight injustice everywhere.
Founded by guitarist Brad Hammond in 2017, Brass Against has released four albums: Brass Against in 2018, Brass Against II in 2019 and Brass Against IV. The eight-member group is much more than a cover band there is a high level of sophistication in the performance and orchestration of the brass-led cover songs as they choose to and truly “make their songs their own.” There is a richness to the arrangements that transcends what is classic material. Blending the brass instruments with what is conventional rock instrumentation is ingenious.
This was on display at the Troubadour with vocalist Sophia Urista fronting the band. Her raw energy and sheer power of her vocals knock the songs out with an unmatched fury and passion. Urista is a ferocious performer. Dressed in fishnet stocks, faux leather jacket and underwear, boots with her own uniquely designed “horny metal” t-shirt, she commanded the stage. Over the years, Urista has really paid her dues and is a seasoned and original artist in her own right playing in New York clubs and cabarets has paid off. She also fronted for a while the outrageous rock band, The Vee Vees. Most famously, Urista was a contest on the U.S. version of The Voice in 2016.
Besides the obvious star power which blazes onstage, Urista and the sheer talents of the band collectively and individually, Brass Against makes a strong case for performing music that really is timeless and continues to remain relevant as it was when the music they covered was first performed and released by the original bands.
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