From the depths of the subway to the spotlight of The Atlantis, Too Many Zooz roared to a sold-out crowd over St. Patrick’s Day weekend. TMZ is like jazz on an IV drip of Red Bull and glow sticks. Classical sounds bouncing around in a neon, EDM dreamscape.

New Orleans-based artist Pell opened for TMZ on Saturday, March 16. Immediately hyping the audience up when he came on stage, Pell was also quick to draw attention to his father, Jerome, in the audience. The proud father waved from the back among the applause. He recited his catchphrase, “Pell Yeah,” throughout the night to energize the crowd, but they didn’t need much help. They were eager to follow his instructions of moving side to side during a few of his tracks. Wearing spray-painted coveralls, Pell exuded energy as he performed new and old tracks, including “Juice” and “Queso,” during which the crowd was instructed to repeat back a few phrases, much to Pell’s satisfaction. He will join Too Many Zooz until March 24 at their stop in Detroit. 

Born from the chaos of the underground, that special New York City subway spunk is embedded in TMZ’s unique rhythm. Members Leo “Leo P” Pellegrino on the saxophone, Matt "Doe" Muirhead on trumpet, and David "King of Sludge" Parks on drums formed Too Many Zooz in 2013 and haven’t looked back. Earning viral attention for their self-described “Brass House” sound–and arguably Leo P’s saxy dancing–TMZ has gained global attention and critical acclaim, having even performed with Beyoncé and The Chicks. 

While the energy was immediately palpable, so was the bass, literally shaking my hat loose from my head. Leo P came out in a festive St. Patty’s Day top hat while Matt donned joggers adorned with Nick Cage’s face. Watching Leo’s fancy footwork as he moonwalked and dub stepped effortlessly across the stage (while playing and holding a 15-pound saxophone) made me out of breath. But that could have also been my own dancing with the help of the booming bass. 

With a few tunes left in the night to ignite, Matt explained to the crowd that they usually cover songs that are trendy or that the crowd would want to hear but then quickly said, “fuck that, we want to cover songs we like as a band.” So, without further ado, Matt began to sing the lyrics to “Buy U a Drank” by T-Pain while Leo and David followed suit behind their instruments. Leo continued his musical athleticism by shaking his fanny for his fans and then curling his saxophone.

Too Many Zooz’s new album Retail Therapy is out now, and their tour of the same name runs through April while they have various other performances scheduled throughout the summer. As they have alluded to when asked about the name “Too Many Zooz”, they are raucous and uninhibited, like animals breaking free from their cages. If you want to feel the rush of a stampede and live to tell the tale, check out Too Many Zooz on tour.