Austin's 18-piece big band covers Sinatra, Ella, Black Sabbath and Buddy Rich at The Elephant Room.
Monster Big Band is back at The Elephant Room on Wednesday, August 19, for their monthly residency. If you've been around the Austin jazz scene for a while, you probably know the drill: they're an 18-piece big band, and they take over the basement on Congress Avenue once a month. The Elephant Room hosts live jazz nightly, so this is one of those nights where the room fills up with a full horn section instead of the usual small combo.
What makes them a bit different from your standard big band is the range they pull from. The setlist doesn't stay in one lane. They cover the big names you'd expect—Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald—but they also throw in Black Sabbath and Buddy Rich. Hearing a heavy metal riff from the 70s rearranged for an 18-piece jazz ensemble is a good way to describe the kind of night this is. It's a wide spread, and they play it all with the same energy.
They describe their sound as "big band jazz with attitude," and that's a fair way to put it. It's not a polite, background-music kind of night. With 18 musicians on stage, there's a lot of power behind it, and they lean into that rather than playing it down. The whole thing is played with precision, but they keep it fun, and the energy carries through the set.
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If you're planning to go, the show starts at 9 PM. It's a Wednesday night, so it's a mid-week outing rather than a weekend one, and since they only play here once a month, this is the date to keep in mind if you're looking for them. Monster Big Band at The Elephant Room, Wednesday, August 19, starting at 9 PM.
