Sass-a-brass trumpets representation as demand grows for its roving queer street performances
June 18, 2024 | Ben Wolf
When Rosie O’Brien first organized a queer street parade brass band — specializing in Mardi Gras and Pride vibes — the sousaphonist-turned-arts leader had no idea the cultural impact and representation Sass-a-brass could bring to Kansas City.
Members of Sass-a-brass pose at a June performance; photo courtesy of Sass-a-brass
“The first time we got together as a band was for the first Lawrence pride parade in 2018,” explained O’Brien. “It was small, it was cute.”
As word of mouth grew, so too did the band’s roster of musicians — now at about 30 who rotate between events when they’re available. And while O’Brien had initially hoped to play just one or two pride parades each year, Sass-a-brass is now on track to finish 2024 with nine performances — including its recent appearance at Boulevardia — under the band’s belt.
The scale of Sass-a-brass’ shows ranges from KC’s biggest to smaller performances like a recent block party commemorating Womontown, a historic Kansas City safe haven for lesbians in the 1980s and 1990s.
Each member of the band comes from different backgrounds and musical skill levels, O’Brien said, noting that diversity contributes to the appeal and success of Sass-a-brass.
Click here to learn more about the history of Sass-a-brass.
Style and substance
Sass-a-brass is an “unamplified roving street parade band,” O’Brien said. Because band members’ instruments don’t need microphones, they can walk and play at the same time, as well as encouraging crowd participation.
“The general interest from the band is to make fun music that also has a liberatory thesis,” O’Brien explained. “So not only do we play New Orleans-style street parade and jazz music with the improv tradition, but we also do arrangements of protest tunes and union organizing songs.”
“Our mission is to create a supportive environment for queer and women musicians to play and perform together in a band,” O’Brien continued, noting that in Kansas City specifically, a lot of the jazz scene is male dominated.
Click here to follow Sass-a-brass on Instagram.
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
ShotTracker scores partnership with sports equipment giant Spalding
Overland Park, Kan.-based startup ShotTracker will partner with Spalding, the largest basketball equipment supplier in the world, to debut the first multi-player basketball tracking technology. ShotTracker’s technology tracks real-time basketball performance statistics using data from chips embedded in a basketball, players’ shoes, and portable sensors placed around the court. Davyeon Ross, COO of ShotTracker, commented that their…
After waning state support, Kansas Bioscience Authority will go private
A formerly state-backed investment organization for Kansas bioscience businesses will soon be transitioning from a public to private organization. After dwindling support from the State of Kansas, the Kansas Bioscience Authority’s board recently voted unanimously to shift the organization to the private market in 2016, allowing portfolio companies to partner with investors in the private…
Rightfully Sewn founder stitches a vision for Kansas City’s fashion future
Poised, posh and purposeful, Jennifer Lapka Pfeifer sits straight as a board at Kaldi’s coffee shop with unwavering eye contact. Donning a contoured-floral blue and white dress, Lapka smiles as she poetically recalls painting in high school and learning to sew with her grandmother in rural Kansas. Those experiences fostered a love for fashion, art…
By the Numbers: A look at Midwest tech investment in 2015
Startland News recently distilled a report by Lead Bank and investment research firm CB Insights that analyzed the Midwest tech investing scene. Here are a few more of the findings from the nearly 40-page report, as presented by Startland’s Kat Hungerford.