The Hot 8 Brass Band brings a younger funk style to the brass band scene, incorporating influences ranging from the Dirty Dozen to bounce, hip hop, and R & B. The Grammy-winning ensemble offers up energetic, horn-driven original tunes interspersed with crowd favorites. A product of Fortier High School, the Hot 8 has performed around the world and with luminaries ranging from the Blind Boys of Alabama to Lauryn Hill, and their music can be heard in two Spike Lee films; they spent the summer of 2023 touring in honor of their founder, Bennie Pete, who died of Covid in 2020.