big mean sound machine is a twelve-piece afrobeat band native to ithaca, new york. they tour 150 days a year and have a large and dedicated following up and down the east coast. still, it is a crime that big mean sound machine is not well known elsewhere. the band’s tremendous sound combines a big band aesthetic while channeling a global sense of musicality. their shows leave fans drenched in sweat from dancing as audiences absorb the west african, caribbean, jazz and funk traditions that big mean sound machine carries forward.