We interrupt your regularly-scheduled life with spontaneous moments of raucous musical joy and celebrate our community through bringing music to the streets. The ERB values silliness, gratuitous antics and pure fun for its own sake as much as (if not more than) musical skill.
We encourage musical expression by playing with, and for, people of all levels of musical experience and support events and organizations that we see as inclusive and accepting, rather than exclusive.
We were formed in November 2008 in Providence, Rhode Island as a band that accepted players of all musical abilities. Our name originated as a play on words; “Extraordinary Rendition” referring to both the apprehension and extrajudicial transfer of a person from one state to another, and a musical rendition. In accordance with our democratic structure, we alternate hosting rehearsals, whether at someone’s home, art studio or an urban riverside park. We have played in impromptu in the streets and at many community events, including the RI PrideFest Parade, Occupy Providence, Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project Polar Plunge fundraiser, WaterFire Providence, a Prom for special-needs teens, and the Providence Urban Pond parade.
Understanding music-making as a relationship-builder, the ERB strives to create community through raucous sound in celebration and support of socially-conscious thinking. We interrupt your day for a moment of joyful sound in order to amplify the voice of a particular social need. We hope that our energy will transcend the music we make to ignite interest in a particular cause. It’s not just about us!
Most importantly, we believe that any note is better than no note!