MARCHFOURTH MARCHING BAND: March Fourth Marching Band

MarchFourth Marching Band

March Fourth Marching Band

© 2005 MarchFourth Music (634479101434)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

This 30-person band is a high-energy, eclectic and mobile unit of good times, playing a Fellini-esque mix of originals and classic Mardi Gras mayhem, afro beat, Mexican hustle, sultry samba, big band, and gypsy folk with booty-shaking beats.

notes

Genre-busting. Cinematic. Community-driven. Sonically and visually stunning. Unified and diverse.

MarchFourth is a date, a command, and a large band poised to take on the world. How do you define the experience of a MarchFourth show? What kind of images emerge when you listen to their eponymous 9-song debut disc? Imagine Duke Ellington meets Sgt Pepper in an international big-top Fantasia evoking a familial community reminiscent of the Grateful Dead. Imagine a 1920's speakeasy where Mr. Bungle meets the Shogun Warriors in a PG Clockwork Orange. M4 is not just for hipsters and adults; the kids and grandparents love it too!

MarchFourth Marching Band got it's name by accident when a bunch of artists and musicians in NE Portland decided to put a marching band together for a Fat Tuesday party (March 4th, 2003), originally performing a 7-song set of tunes that included covers of Rebirth Brass Band, Fela Kuti, and Fleetwood Mac. The band's gigs in the following weeks-- a peace rally and opening slots with the Youngblood Brass Band and Pink Martini -- cemented the group as a unit. Since then, M4 has performed over 300 shows for just about every type of audience imaginable. Without guitars or keyboards, M4 "rocks" with the best of them, swirling the audience with an over-the-top explosion of performance and charisma.

MarchFourth Marching Band has evolved into a mobile big band spectacular, consisting of a 12-piece horn section (4 saxophones, 4 trombones, & 4 trumpets), a 10-piece drum/percussion corps, anchored by electric bass (battery powered). The sound is huge, melodic, and dynamic, taking audiences on a musical journey around the globe. MarchFourth writes and performs its own material, and also draws inspiration from an eclectic range of worldwide influences, such as Eastern European Gypsy Brass, Samba, Funk, Afro-Beat, Big-Band, Jazz, and Rock music, as well as television, film, circus, and Vaudeville.

Stilt-walkers, unicycles, fire eaters, puppets, flag twirlers, burlesque dancers, clown antics, and acrobatics are just some of the things you’ll see accompanying this eclectic big band. MarchFourth Marching Band’s four stilt-walkers are world-class, performing acrobatics, dance routines, and even fire dancing on stilts—all in fanciful costumes. The other six beauties can fill the stage with mesmerizing original dance routines (inspired by styles such as bellydance, hip hop, jazz, cheerleading, burlesque, and ballroom) or spread out into the audience and get everybody dancing. The musical quality, the energy of the band, and the spectacle of the dancers all combine to create an original performance that appeals to everyone.

To MarchFourth Marching Band, art is life. Aside from being performers, the members of MarchFourth are also full- or part-time artists, designers, and craftspeople. All of our drum harnesses (welded from recycled bicycle parts), stilts, costumes, merchandise, audio, and visual propaganda are designed and produced by members of the band. In addition, we also conduct workshops for children and adults in the areas of musical instruction, stilt-walking, fire-spinning, make-up, and costuming.

One of the biggest things that sets us apart from other bands is that M4's impact is immediate and infectious, with an audience demographic that is wider than your average rock, pop, jazz, or jam band. From the hippest to the most un-hip, from conservative to liberal, from infant to elderly: all walks of life have been seen enjoying MarchFourth. All agree that M4 is one of the most exciting acts emerging out of the NW, and that the band is already performing at a national-level caliber.

reviews

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  • great band!
    author: Anne M. McCue

    I saw them live at a party in downtown L.A. on New Year's Eve. They were fantastic and I love the CD.

  • Want to be happy?
    author: Katie

    If you want to be happy, buy this cd. if you want to be even happier, see these guys in concert. It was the highest spirits i've ever seen a multi-age audience get. march4 got EVERYONE on their feet screaming and jumping for joy. an amazing way to bring people together. now with the CD we're gonna bring people together to have a rockin' dance party in your living room!

  • Your music is the BEST and ADDICTING!
    author: Ciria

    The CD is amazing and the Music it holds is addictiing! I lent it to my music teacher and he loves it!

  • Amazing Jam Funk Grooves
    author: Glenn Blanchard

    Truly amazingly fun and energetic. Perfect for so many occasions; Parties, commutes, cleaning house, drawing, you name it, not to mention great music for all ages. March 4th is stupendous! Get out and see the band live if you can!

  • buy for all your old band geek friends!!!!!!!
    author: doug buurma

    I couldn't stop laughing!!! This is Pendulously STOOOOOPendous. Buy for all your old band geek friends to bring them up to date on what's happening.!!!!

  • The entire office is marching fourth
    author: Adam Erickson

    Wonderful, energetic, powerful stuff. After seeing them live I thought the CD may be a dissapointment because the live show is so amazing. As it turns out, though, so is the CD! A great mix of engineered recording and live performance. I played it for several office mates and now they're marching straight here to pick up the CD. Love it.

  • amazing orchestrated chaos
    author: hilaryelaine

    its so fantastic that it hasn't left the cd player in the car yet! it gets me through my 2 hour commute. kick ass!

  • Lotsa fun. I'm dancin' !
    author: Richard Kahn

    I love Balkan and other types of brass band music so this CD hits the right spot. The music is fun and in right spirt of a fok dance party- I just need some shlivovitz to round out the experience. Also, my birth day is March 4th-that's how I got it. My daughter gave it to me and that added to the perfection.

  • OMIGOD! Melded my back-in-the-day band geek and current love for dancing & circu
    author: Colleen McKeown

    This CD is so worth it. Buy one. Buy another for your best friend. I'm going to.

  • Fabulous, Funky, I love it. I already have my own this is for a friend!
    author: Lois Peters

    The CD is fabulous. The talent is unlimited, awesome in the true sense of the word. Multi-beat, and every time I listen I'm amazed at the depth of the music. I want to share it with everyone in the world!!!

  • They make marches into real marches
    author: Amadeus

    This CD Rocks! Buy it, but definately go see them. I first saw the band at the War Protest March this last March in Downtown Portland and they are what made it.

  • The perfect blast!
    author: Larry Leathers

    Doyle handed me this CD and said listen to this. I popped it into my computer and was ordering it on line before the first song was through. No, I did not burn a copy. These guys are too good to not BUY their music. This is perfect for kicking up an evening of dance music at about 1:45. Add some male hula dancers and the crowd will forget who they are...

  • Close your eyes and imagine them into your home...
    author: Allison E.

    The CD doesn't do the band justice - half the fun is seeing them live - but since we can't have them performing in our living room, we got the CD instead, and it makes a nice substitution.

  • If hell has a college then M4 would be the marching band
    author: Kiwi j

    Saw these cats in San Fran on Dec. 30th, 2006. Blew my mind...'nuff said!

  • Saw them at Shambhala & BRC----love it. Now I have it at home!
    author: leximoon

    The cd is missing my one favorite vocals track I've heard them play.....but I still love it----I create to it.

  • WOW
    author: mike c

    Buy this. Then go see them. Or go see them. Then buy this. These guys are my new favorite band by far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • holy shit this is good
    author: don forestero zachari

    These guys rock the party like nobodies buisness. ten horns ten percusionists one bass and a little singing by some beautiful voiced woman. can't get enough you won't be sorry buy it today.

  • Dancer's Dream
    author: Meredith

    Although this band is terrific live, the CD is a great substitution! Each song brings new excitement and energy - I was sorry when the CD ended! I look forward to more of their work in the future!

  • Simply awesome.
    author: Kevin Stephens

    I just saw them at the Country Fair outside of Eugene tonight and I was absolutely taken by their performance. They are just amazing. It's hard to say how cool it is, honestly. I could only ever highly recommend this CD.

  • Tore the roof off at Burning Man
    author: David

    DIS ALBUM DONT LET UP!!!! Nine tracks of pure power from a band tthat is totally on its way to world domination. THEY JUST NEED TO TOUR FARTHER AND WIDER!!! COME TO AUSTIN

  • Album of the 21st Century Already!!!
    author: space cadet

    Magic in a bottle.. And endless supply of engry in every note! Not to be missed...

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