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. We have expanded to an approximately 20 piece band that includes the usual brass, percussion and reeds plus a glockenspiel, djembe and sarruosphone (google that one!). 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, birthday parties, WaterFire Providence, children’s music camps, a wedding reception (ever see “Love Actually”?), and roller derby bouts.
We love to play for any audience who wants to jump up and have fun with us. We especially enjoy showing up unannounced to invade a party, park or coffeehouse.
Most importantly, we believe that any note is better than no note!