Empire Strikes Brass: 10-Year Anniversary

ASHEVILLE (and BEYOND)! Come on out to Salvage Station on Sunday, May 1st, to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of our hometown homies, Empire Strikes Brass! The band will be performing LIVE on the Indoor Stage for this milestone celebration and they have invited up-and-coming soulful powerhouse Asheville all-star group Josh Clark’s Visible Spectrum to kick the show off in a most fantastic way! ESB does their level-best to support the Asheville community and welcomes all to experience this hometown throw-down!

This crew has been grinding for a decade now, bringing their ultra-funky genre-fusing grooves to a new level throughout their evolution. 2022 marks an exciting chapter in the band’s existence as they push their sound as far south as Key West, up to the Northeast and far out into the Midwest. With every show, ESB brings their audience smiles, head-bobs, and shaky hips!

Doors open @ 6PM and the music starts @ 7PM. This is a General Admission, 18+ ONLY show (no exceptions)! FREE ON-SITE PARKING! Root Down will be serving their delicious twist on Southern Soul food PLUS we will have our FULL bar open for you to enjoy!

CDC guidelines + band requirements + our venue policies are subject to change daily, so please keep your eyes on https://salvagestation.com/covid-policy/ for updates. We do not issue refunds based on our Covid-19 policies and reserve the right to change them at any time.

Check out our FAQ page here to learn about parking options (FREE on-site parking available for this event), what you can and cannot bring inside the venue, and MORE!

LISTEN TO EMPIRE STRIKES BRASS:

ABOUT EMPIRE STRIKES BRASS:

Asheville, NC-based BrassFunkRock band Empire Strikes Brass has a lot to say with a big sound. Chock-full of serious groove from a thumping rhythm section highlighted by lush horn arrangements played by a thick section, the band’s compositional roots combined with its creative and collaborative soul contribute lots of depth in their original tunes and covers that speak volumes to ESB’s evolution.

Founded in 2012 by saxophonist Paul Juhl, ESB has grown from a party band of friends playing New Orleans-originated or inspired second-line and funk tunes with elements of rock and jam. Now, it consists of a collective of players, singers, songwriters, and producers who have found an original sound that fuses their individual musical influences with fresh ideas while still holding true to their foundation.

Featuring rich group and lead vocals from several members- including Grammy Award-winning artist Debrissa McKinney (Secret Agent 23 Skidoo), keyboardist/producer Lenny Pettinelli and guitarist Chris Porter – ESB’s vocal tunes are as wide-ranging, super fun, and fantastically funky as their instrumentals. Drummer Nik Hope, bassist JP Furnas, trumpet player Alex Bradley, trombonist Kyle Snuffer, saxophonist Pauly Juhl, and keyboard/percussion Sean Donnelly each contribute those fire ingredients that make this roux so savory, spicy and sweet all at once. All band members (including former guitarist and vocalist Kelly Hannah who contributed 4 originals between the band’s 2 studio albums) have a deep love of many styles including funk, jazz, R&B, outlaw country, hip hop, and almost everything else!

Since Empire’s inception, they have been a constant fixture at various festivals throughout the USA. This has led to some stellar musical pairings with amazing acclaimed artists. ESB horns have been featured on amazing live performances with the world-renowned Beats Antique (2015 Live Album Creature Features), Shpongle Live Band(2019 Red Rocks), Umphrey’s McGee (2020 Asheville Civic Center), Papadosio(2019 Red Rocks). Over the years, the horns have also sat in with such artists as The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Galactic, Rubblebucket, The Big Something, and many others. The full band has had the pleasure of having Warren Haynes (Allman Bros. Band and Gov’t Mule) sit in with them at New Mountain Amphitheater in Asheville, NC and the honor of performing at the Jazz and Heritage Festival celebrating the life of Dizzy Gillespie in his hometown of Cheraw, SC for 6 years in a row. Empire has also co-billed with some of the biggest names in funk and soul including Mavis Staples, Dr. John, and Lettuce.

Other notable side projects and performances from members include Lenny Pettinelli recording and performing with Jazz is Phsh – an instrumental tribute to the music of Phish founded by the Chase Brothers featuring Grammy Award-winning saxophonists Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck, Dave Matthews Band) and Chris Bullock of Snarky Puppy as well as legendary jazz trumpeter Michael Ray (Sun Ra, Cosmic Krewe) and many other heavy hitters. Paul Juhl has performed with John Oates (Hall and Oates) at MerleFest. In addition to her work with Skidoo, Debrissa McKinney has performed with Karl Denson and George Clinton. Bradley, Snuffer, McKinney & Juhl have also sat in with Andy Frasco.

When Empire Strikes Brass comes together, whether live or in the studio, the sound is undeniably strong and solid. The band’s debut album was recorded at Asheville’s own renowned Echo Mountain Recording Studio, released in 2017. Entitled “Theme For A Celebration”, it was tapped as one of the year’s top 100 releases by WNCW 88.7 radio. ESB’s newest release “Brassterpiece Theatre”(2019), also recorded at Echo, is a fiercely funktacular followup and both albums are available through all major music distribution streaming, sales and listening platforms. While ESB is currently celebrating a milestone with their 10th Anniversary in 2022, recording their 3rd studio album will be taking place between shows as the band writes and masters its’ new sounds while on tour. Look for the band on the road and at festivals near you!