Battle of the bands
http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0309/25/oo1.html
September 25, 2003
Battle of the bands
Rivals ready to blow each other away with grooves, moves
By Samantha Santa Maria
ssmaria@jackson.gannett.com
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If you go
What: The Third annual Southeastern Regional Battle of the Bands.
When: 4 p.m. Sunday, September 28, 2003. Gates will open at 2.30 p.m.
Where: Veterans' Memorial Stadium, 2531 N. State St.
How much: Advance tickets are $12 and can be purchased at BeBop Records in Jackson and Vicksburg. On the day of the event, tickets will be $15 at the venue. Tickets for children ages 6 and under will be $5. No advance tickets for children will be sold.
To call: 1-866-901-5486.
Traffic notes
According to Jackson Police Department spokesman Robert Graham, there will be several additional police officers on the scene directing traffic at North State Street and North West Street.
As in past Battle of the Bands, there will be officers patrolling the parking lots at the stadium.
Graham said the JPD does not anticipate any problems.
Bands
Middle School
Geeter's Dragons from Memphis
High School
Jackson: Callaway's Chargers, Jim Hill's Tigers, Bailey's Knights, Wingfield's Falcons, Provine's Rams, Murrah's Mustangs
Hazlehurst: Hazlehurst's Indians
Birmingham: Fairfield's Tigers
Greenville: Greenville-Weston's Hornets
Yazoo City: Yazoo City's Indians
Canton: Canton's Baby Boom of the South
Belzoni: Humphrey County's Cowboys
College
Tallahassee: Florida A&M Marching 100
Alcorn State's Sounds of Dyn-O-mite
Jackson State's Sonic Boom of the South
At first Lewis Liddell will tell you Sunday's Battle of the Bands is no big deal.
But mention their rivals, the marching bands of Florida A&M and Alcorn State, and you'll get another story.
"So what? Jackson State University's Sonic Boom of the South is going to take them to school," JSU's band director said.
The event, being held for the third time this year, is a highly anticipated one. Filling Veterans Memorial Stadium will be an estimated 60,000 people of all ages there for a show.
And a show is exactly what they are going to get.
Rousing marches mixed with hip hop, pounding drumlines, high-kicking dancers, commandeering drum majors, precise formations and sheer razzamatazz.
Think John Philip Sousa meets Sisqo.
Participation is by invite only. "We only want the best bands to be out there," said event organizer John Ray.
Sixteen bands will be taking the field. Twelve are high schools and for the first time, a middle school from Memphis, Geeter's Dragons, will take part. But the main event will be the clash of the three college titans.
The bands have met before on the football field at halftime, where they continue their teams' fight, by proxy, using brass, percussions, moves, grooves and walls of sound.
But on Sunday, game time will be show time. Bands will not face a panel of judges, just the court of public opinion.
For several band members, this crowd could be a lot larger than they are used to.
Take 18-year-old freshman Lynise Turner. The Sonic Boom may well be in her blood ? her father played saxophone for JSU ? but that doesn't help her nerves much.
"I've only played at two games," the piccolo and flute player said. "Yes, I'm excited, but I'm also pretty nervous. I watched the Battle of the Bands last year and I've never, ever seen a crowd that big before."
Like any good tussle, the psychological war of words has already begun. Liddell, for instance, couldn't resist taking several potshots at FAMU, starting with their fanfare, the 20th Century Fox theme.
"We don't need a Hollywood theme song," he said. "We are Hollywood's marching band of choice."
Liddell has ample ammunition to support that claim. The band has performed at Motown's 30th Anniversary celebration, where they played their theme song, The Temptations' Get Ready. Earlier this year, they were the opening act at the NAACP Image Awards.
But being one of the most sought-after bands in the state has its disadvantages. Last year, the Sonic Boom performed at both a Homecoming Parade and a halftime football show on the day before the battle. The fatigue showed.
"It was taxing, physically and mentally," said 21-year-old Tamara Myles, the band's first female drum major. "But that's what you do when you're the best."
There are more perks to the event than proving a band's merit. Each school gets a trophy of participation, a percentage on the number of tickets it sells and money for their program. Also, organizers foot the bill for the band's expenses.
Although Ray declined to reveal the amount of money given to schools, Liddell said it was "meaningful and worthwhile enough for us to participate."
In the end, though, it's all about bragging rights.
This year, Myles said, the Sonic Boom is more than ready. They've got an away football game at Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, so tiredness will not be a factor.
Liddell promised something special. "Fans have grown accustomed to seeing the Sonic Boom and expecting the best, it's almost as if they take us for granted," he said.
There will be the usual fanfare and Tiger Run-On shuffle. JSU's dancers, the Prancing J-Settes, will get to strut their stuff twice, and the college's choir and cheerleaders could be involved.
The band's 70-piece repertoire stretches from Earth, Wind and Fire's Boogie Wonderland to Cameo's Word Up.
"We're then going to go into floor show mode, where we set up a stage and put on several acts," Liddell said.
"It's going to be something old and something new, and some things people have never seen the Sonic Boom do," he added.
