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Maniacal 4 is a musical group consisting of four trombone players from the South. The musicians, Matt Jefferson, Nick Laufer, Carl Lundgren and Alex Dubrov, met during their freshman year of college in 2006 at the University of Northern Texas. Upon graduating, they all went their separate ways, and as of now, they reside in different cities and states. However, they do not let this prevent them from creating and performing incredible music.

As a whole, the goal of Maniacal 4 is to provide a “musical experience over a dogmatic trombone concert,” Jefferson said. This means the group values good opinions of the audience over performing a systematic, structured trombone show. To them, the reaction generated by the audience is what determines their outlook on how well a performance went.

Maniacal 4 kept the audience intrigued and laughing with their own members joking about the absurd connotation of a trombone quartet. However, throughout the show, they were constantly changing things up. They could be found dedicating songs to their wives, giving a history lesson on “Macbeth” after performing a song inspired by “Hamlet” and playing tribute to Carrie Fisher. Quite impressively, they even imitated an electric guitar with a trombone and a rubber device at the opening of the instrument.

As far as entertainment outside of trombone playing goes, the men came equipped with several cheesy jokes to keep the crowd awake. This included long stories about the nuisance and hidden appreciation of in-laws.

One member took a different route and asked the audience what you call a woman on a trombonist’s arm. The answer? “A tattoo,” said Laufer.

They even incorporated jokes into their advertising methods. Apparently, “every time someone buys a trombone CD, an angel gets its wings,” Jefferson said.

As part of their set, the guys decided to play a few popular, easily recognizable tunes such as “Mary had a Little Lamb” and “the ABCs.” However, they changed each song up a little bit, whether it be with a different key or in a different tempo.

With this example, they explained that music really is universal. There are several aspects that make it seem intricate, but at the end of the performance, most people are able to recognize a simple melody, no matter how strongly it is altered or changed.

As the show came to a close with a standing ovation, Maniacal 4 once again proved the magic of their trombone art by playing the “Super Mario Bros.” theme song as an encore.