BOOM.It’s the first thing you hear, the first thing you notice. A bass drum strike so hard and heavy, it’s sound carries for blocks. In fact, you probably feel it before you actually hear it. BOOM BOOM.A bottom-end so deep, it let’s everyone know: the band is on it’s way.BOOM BOOM BOOMAnd before you can even see ’em, you can hear ’em, clearing the way: angel trumpets, devil trombones, rat-a-tat snares, pulsing tubas, and at the center of it all, the anchor, the rock, the gravity that keeps it all from spinning out and flying off into space, the bass drum. The steady beat that lays the foundation for every feat the brass band can accomplish. The beat that sets the slow and reverential pace for a walk of remembrance towards the cemetery. The beat that dictates the rhythm of the joyous dance on the corner. The beat that puts butts in motion. That bass drum beat is the heartbeat of New Orleans, the organ that pushes the blood through the arteries and vein