HONK NYC, the raucous annual international street band extravaganza, celebrates 2017 with a fresh batch of riotous rhythms and jubilant jams. More than 150 musicians from over a dozen ensembles will perform in downtown Manhattan, Brooklyn, Harlem, Queens, Staten Island, and Jersey City from October 10 to October 15, presenting a cavalcade of free and extremely low-priced performances in parks, gardens, museums, galleries, schools, public spaces and venues - all filling the streets of the city with sound.
HONK NYC features a terrific selection of musicians, with specific attention paid to bands that utilize music and lawful assembly for political action. This year's lineup includes:
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Hungry March Band, New York City's legendary brass ensemble spectacle
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Sxip Shirey, NYC-based composer and performer, currently touring with the international circus cabaret hit, LIMBO
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Funkrust Brass Band, a 20-piece crew fronting a unique blend of punk, disco, EDM, metal, funk, and New Orleans second-line
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Frank London, the Grammy-winning trumpeter, bandleader, and composer, specializing in klezmer and world music
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Nation Beat, led by master percussionist Scott Kettner, blends the rhythms of New Orleans and Brazil into a spicy gumbo
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Wollesonic Labs' Sonic Massage, with percussionist Kenny Wollesen, is an ultra-low volume, 100% acoustic, kaleidophonic, surround sound listening experience
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Raya Brass Band, a powerhouse sextet informed by the music of the Balkans, New Orleans brass, punk rock and global sounds
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The Nevermind Orchestra, a frenetic psycho-jazz ensemble that re-imagines the works of Nirvana through the lens of a modern brass band
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Pussy Grabs Back: The Band, one part feminist marching band, one-part queerdo and 100% resistance
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Plezi Rara, a modern Haitian Rara band from Brooklyn
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Ververitse Brass Band, drawing inspiration from the Romany music of the Balkans with two trumpets, a sax, four mid-horns, a tuba and two drummers
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The L Train Brass Band, a forty-deep ragtag eclectic ensemble founded by tubist Ryan Hall and trombonist David Joseph
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Artists for a Free World Marching Band, using art as the bright sound of resistance in dark times
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The 3 Million Majority Marching Band, playing morale-boosting spirituals and protest music
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Brazil's Damas de Ferro, fourteen female musicians playing a repertoire of stage-ready street music, supporting all forms of feminist protest
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New Creations Brass Band from New Orleans bring people together with funky music, keeping the Louisiana brass tradition alive and sharing new sounds with the universe
HONK NYC also celebrates the 2017 season with the release of the first HONK compilation album, Sona Civitatis Novi Eboraci. The new LP features ten tracks from artists who have collaborated with HONK over the past decade; proceeds go to support HONK NYC activities. The album is available online now for streaming and purchase at http://honknyc.bandcamp.com
An artist-run festival, primarily underwritten via crowd-funding and small individual donations, the annual HONK NYC cavalcade brings a sense of anarchic, joyful, participatory celebration to audiences, weaving together musicians and performers from around the globe who share a passion for playing and preserving the grassroots global tradition of street music.
HONK NYC is made possible in part by a DCA Art Grant from Staten Island Arts and with public funds from Creative Engagement. The Festival is also supported by the NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Presenting Partners for HONK NYC include The Africa Center, The New York Transit Museum and The Office of Cultural Affairs for Jersey City.
For complete festival details, including information on the Festival's many shows, community events and programs related to the HONK NYC lineup, ticket sales, venue information and lineup changes, visit the HONK NYC website and the official HONK NYC Facebook page.
