It’s not often that people go to frat parties to hear good music. Dancing to awkward house mixes and bumping into others are more the vibe. But on January 25, the Dirt Red Brass Band dispelled this notion, showing an energetic group of students in the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) basement what a live band can do to a fraternity party.
When the self-proclaimed New Orleans–style brass band opened with an original piece, circles of friends opened up to take in the upbeat jazzy song together. A tuba pulled out in the basement of a frat was a sight to behold, and the crowd was immediately receptive. While their original songs go back to their roots as a brass band with cool jazz vibes, Dirt Red plays many different genres. “We like to shift what we play depending on where we are, to fit what the crowd wants,” said Joey Gorman, co-musical director of Dirt Red. The crowd certainly got what they wanted, with a mix of R&B and disco classics that had the audience singing along. The band’s covers of classic songs, like “Lady Marmalade” and “I Will Survive” ignited the crowd.
As the audience began to dance and sing along, it was clear the band could feel the energy ramp up as well. “When there’s an energetic crowd, we can see the members of the band shift their energy too,” co-Musical Director Leo Kupperman said. Indeed, the band members responded with solos full of exuberance. As the guitar and horns riffed, shouts of encouragement could be heard from the crowd and the band alike.
This is Dirt Red’s 13th year as an RSO, and in years past they played gigs such as frat parties often. “The band was bigger; they used to play at a ton of frats and open for bands in Chicago too. But then when COVID hit it kind of cut [us] off,” said Adera Craig, executive director of Dirt Red. “We’ve had to build back up. But where the band is at this year is like at the level we were at pre-COVID.”
Historically, Dirt Red has done a mix of on-campus and off-campus gigs. Since their founding, the band has played University events, such as Class Day and Boos and Ribs, regularly. “We love collaborating with other students and the University,” Gorman said. But about half of Dirt Red’s shows are off campus. Some are very far off campus. “Every year we head down to New Orleans, and we gig for an entire week,” Gorman said. “We’re always trying to get our name out there. Get more fans, get more followers, and share our music.”
Dirt Red has built a strong network of alumni. “Usually, band members join as an underclassman and ride the Dirt Red train for four years then hop off and make room for new members,” Gorman said. “That’s honestly my favorite part [of the band]. A lot of [Dirt Red alumni] have stayed in the Chicago area. Some of them have even started bands of their own, so we’ll go to their shows, and they’ll come sit in with us,” Craig said. “Once a Dirt Red, always a Dirt Red.” Community is an important part of the band. “The identity of the band is very much of its members. It’s a collective vibe,” Kupperman said.
In the future, Dirt Red hopes to play more events like this both on and off campus. “We love sharing our love of this music with others, and we like to have fun doing it,” Gorman said. This passion resonated at the event at DKE. “We didn’t want this to feel like any frat party. We wanted it to have a fun vibe. The brothers loved it, and all my friends were having a great time. It just felt very open,” DKE brother Justin Gurkin said. It’s clear that the live performance brought the party to another level and made for an entertaining Saturday night.
You can catch Dirt Red again in February, when the band has a gig at Hallowed Grounds at the Reynolds Club.
