In the summer of 2023, the high-energy brass band, Lucky Chops, wanted to celebrate 17 years of playing together. So, they returned to their original stomping ground, the NYC subway, to pay tribute to the band’s history. After winning a competition called ‘Music Under New York’ in 2014, the band began to play regularly in the subway, drawing in large crowds. Finally, in 2016, a tourist posted a video of them playing a mash-up of Funkytown/I Feel Good. It went viral and has gained over 24M views.
This is the song that the band played when they returned to perform in the subway in 2023. Playing a wide array of brass instruments, including the trombone, trumpet, drums, sousaphone, and two saxophones, the sound filled the subway corridors and made the performance impossible to miss. This, alongside the high-energy performance style they have become known for, drew a large crowd over to watch. They also gained another 1M views for the YouTube clip of the performance.
After Lucky Chop’s original performance of the song went viral, the band found worldwide success and went on to tour across the globe. They have since performed in 25 different countries, now filling out concert venues rather than having to entice crowds from their NYC subway commute. With over six albums released alongside a growing number of EPs and singles, this group shows no signs of slowing down.
Alongside their touring and recording schedule, Lucky Chops also makes time for investment in musical education outreach. They state that this is a priority as part of their mission to spread the healing and empowering qualities of music. They achieve this mission even in their live shows by spreading the joy and energy of their music. You can see just how infectious the band’s energy is from the crowd’s reaction to their performance at Radegast Hall in Brooklyn, New York.
Since Lucky Chops’ return to the subway to play their Funkytown/I Feel Good cover, they have also released a video of another subway performance. This time they played homage to The Beatles with the classic track, Don’t Let Me Down. In addition, they released an album in January 2024 entitled ‘Virtue & Vice Sessions, Vol. 3 (Live)’, and have been touring across various locations in the USA, Canada, and Europe. Their Spotify profile continues to garner over 113k monthly listeners, so we can expect Lucky Chops to keep spreading joy and energy with their unique big brass sound.
Fans of high-energy brass band music should definitely check out Lucky Chops. You can watch their electric performances on their YouTube channel. They gained worldwide recognition when a video of them playing a mash-up of Funkytown/I Feel Good in the NYC subway went viral in 2016. This group has since gone on to tour the world, perform in 25 different countries, and release over six albums. Keep up with their latest activities on their social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.