We've been fortunate to be able to hear quite a few brass bands perform live in many venues over the past few years. These are some of our favorites:

Chicago Brass Band	The Chicago Brass Band is the youngest brass band in the Chicago area. We are fortunate to consider some of their members our friends. They won the 2004 NABBA competition in the Championship Class. As you might imagine, they compete regularly in the NABBA competition.
Chicago Staff Band (Salvation Army)	We first heard the Chicago Staff Band at the 1999 NABBA Championships Gala Concert. They bill themselves as "The Band with a Sacred Message." They're our favorite Salvation Army band and we're happy every time we get the opportunity to hear them. We attend their annual "Festival of Praise" the Saturday following Thanksgiving in Wheaton, Illinois whenever possible. Their conductor, or bandmaster, is William (Bill) Himes, one of the finest and most prolific composers and arrangers of music for brass bands. He's also one of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. It's always an extreme pleasure to listen to this band either in person or on one of their many recordings. In March of 2005 they'll again be presenting the Gala Concert at the NABBA Championships in St. Charles, Illinois.
Eastern Iowa Brass Band	Headquartered in the Cedar Rapids area they're billed as Iowa's only brass band. They're a fine band. Every year they host the Grand Celebration of Brass Bands at Usher's Ferry Historic Village in Cedar Rapids. This one day event features three brass bands and other entertainment in this recreated village. It's like turning the clock back a century. The admission charge has been increased over the years and is not up to a whopping $5, and worth much, much, more!
Foden's Richardson Brass Band	One of the world's finest brass bands with many championships and recordings to their credit. We heard them win the 2003 U.S. Open Brass Band Championship.
Grimethorpe Colliery Brass Band	Arguably the best brass band in the world; undisputedly one of the world's finest brass bands. We had the privilege of hearing this outstanding group at NABBA 2003 in Little Rock, Arkansas. They recorded the music for the 1996 film "Brassed Off"; a schmaltzy love story, strong political statement, movie with GREAT music.
Illinois Brass Band	The Illinois Brass Band is the oldest brass band in the Chicago area. We've been fans of theirs since we first heard them in 1997 or 1998. IBB has the distinction of being the only band to win the NABBA Championship Class competition three years in a row, twice! We also count some of the members of this fine group as our friends. They compete regularly in the NABBA championships.
Lake Wobegon Brass Band	This is our "local" brass band which calls Anoka, Minnesota their home. Although they don't compete they're a fine band nonetheless.
Sheldon Theatre Brass Band	This is one of our local favorites located in Red Wing, Minnesota. I was introduced to brass bands because my son-in-law was playing tenor horn with them in the Summer of 1997. We regularly travel to Red Wing several times each year to hear them.
Stavanger Brass Band (Norway)	Stavanger traveled to the United States in 2003 to compete in the NABBA Championships. Their performance included two movements from Philip Sparke's Hymn of the Highlands, which they played from memory and in motion. They won this competition, hands down!