After our members traveled to points around the globe this summer, we’ve reassembled and we’re ready to rock. Six members of The m9 traveled to Macedonia and Serbia to study during the months of July and August, culminating in a visit to the 57th Annual Congress of Brass Players at Guča. We were lucky enough to travel, study and perform with members of malagrupa (Vancouver), Fanfare Zambaleta and Inspector Gadje (SF), Raya Brass Band (NY), and many others. We had the honor of studying with Ferus Mustafov, Demir and Delsin Kanturovski, Nebi and Senat Kanturski, Orkestar Vesela Družina, and Picikato Brass Band (Macedonia), and Novica Cerimovic (Serbia), and of performing with countless master Romani musicians from Berovo to Šutka, from Vranje to Belgrade. Thanks to all those who made this trip both memorable and transformative.

Now, we’re back with new music, a new instrument, new skills, new styles and a fresh injection of Balkan energy to share with the world. We’ve just returned from our second performance at Balkanalia! in Portland, and we’re ready for a busy schedule including Kultur Shock and a trip to Canada. Look for more exciting things from The m9 this Fall and beyond!

In case you haven’t seen it yet, check out this awesome video announcing our trip to Austin, Texas for HONK!TX 2016:

Click here for weirdness!

Then head over to our events page for more information about HONK!TX and all the other exciting gigs we’ll be playing this Spring.

The m9 is thrilled to be a late addition to Bubbe’s 4th Annual Old Fashioned Hannukah Shindig at the Fremont Abbey next Saturday, December 12. Check out our events page for more info!

Howdy folks! We here at The m9 are proud to present the first gig of our Third Season this coming Friday night, September 25th at the Royal Room at 8pm. The m9 joins legendary Romanian Rom fiddler Lache Cercel and Roma Swing, as well as Seattle’s The Entertainers for an evening of thrilling Romani-style tunes from across Europe. We’re extremely lucky to appear on this bill, and we hope you’ll come to hear both of these amazing acts, whether or not you stay for The m9 at 10pm.

Lache’s own brand of Romanian swing is at once exciting and eclectic, a hang-on-with-both-hands ride through lightning melodies and dances which will have you on your feet and possibly overturning tables. His virtuosic fiddling is amply supported by the considerable talents of The Roma Swing Ensemble, who provide the unending racetrack for Cercel’s galloping violin.

Brothers Teddy and Vinny of The Entertainers bring their own enormous talent to a host of hits ranging from Django-style jazz to cinema classics. Their delicate, yet wicked guitar work echoes through their generous, and sincere performance. You’ll laugh, cry, and beg for more.

Please join us and bring your friends in need of merriment. The show is free, but donations are heavily encouraged to support all of these very hard-working musicians. Please do come, and give what you can!

Tomorrow night, May 15, The m9 is pleased to provide some up-beat brass tunes for an evening to benefit Voice of Roma, a non-profit organization working on behalf of Roma around the world. Courtesy of the Seattle Balkan Dancers, we’ll be at the Russian Community Center on Capitol Hill with dances starting at 7:30pm and live music starting at 9. The Bucharest Drinking Team plays at 10. For more information go to the event page here. Photo copyright Raymond Van Tassel.

This coming week we’ve got a slew of regal sets for you from Seattle to Vancouver, BC. This Wednesday, May 6, we’ll be at Seattle’s Royal Room with Sazerac Orkestra and Chaotic Noise Marching Corps, come out and see some of Seattle’s most heart-pounding brass groups in an all-ages (before 10pm) venue with food! The following that up, we’ve got the Ederlezi Balkan Brass Festival at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall in East Van on Friday and Saturday May 8th and 9th. The weekend features seven bands and three dance ensembles and Serbian Romani master trumpeter Demiran Ćerimović who will perform with four different brass bands. Traditional Serbian food and drink are sold, and dancing is heavily encouraged. So go grab your crowns and dancing shoes and join us for this suite of royal performances kicking off our spring festival season!

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year, but here we are a year from our first gig and we’re still at it. We are so thrilled to be a part of Balkan Night Northwest this year along with so many other fabulous bands.  Come down on Saturday afternoon, the fun starts at 3pm with Kukeri and babouyeri fertility dances, and the music will run late into the night on two stages. The m9 plays on teh main floor at 10:15 Saturday night. Special props to our friends in the Bucharest Drinking Team, Dromeno, Eurodanceparty U$A, Orkestar Zirkonium and Sazerac Orchestra for bringing all their energy to this amazing festival. Tickets are available online and at the event. We hope to see you there!