The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
Not sure where to put this, but I thought it was pretty cool. The best band in the country, the Marching Illini, will be participating in the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade next year.
Marching Illini
Curious as to other’s opinions on the Marching Illini. I’m a former member as our three children. I don’t understand why seem to be doing more and more performances as a backdrop for other bands. The Mariachi band was good yesterday, but I didn’t come for a quinceañera, I came for a college football game, with cheerleaders, a card section and a marching band.
I really think a marching band is there for entertainment, and many college marching bands do it well. Formations on the field that look like something, rather than just geometric shapes are awesome. Don’t see us doing that often, if ever. Three in One is awesome, but usually feels rushed after a meh performance.
Is Houser being told to do this? Is this his “style?” Who at the school of music is not interested in marching bands?
Just curious what others think and if you agree we’re no longer showing ourselves to be the “best band in the land” or if I’m just a crabby old man wanting the kids off my lawn.
Go Illini!
I really think a marching band is there for entertainment, and many college marching bands do it well. Formations on the field that look like something, rather than just geometric shapes are awesome. Don’t see us doing that often, if ever. Three in One is awesome, but usually feels rushed after a meh performance.
Is Houser being told to do this? Is this his “style?” Who at the school of music is not interested in marching bands?
Just curious what others think and if you agree we’re no longer showing ourselves to be the “best band in the land” or if I’m just a crabby old man wanting the kids off my lawn.
Go Illini!
We really enjoyed being band parents with a son in a very successful high school marching band, with annual competitions in Memorial Stadium as well as state and regional ones. Those highly choreographed shows were very entertaining afternoons, with school after school demonstrating the results of their disciplined practice. Our school was coached by MI veterans, who were highly respected by all.
After that I’m completely underwhelmed by “stand and play” mode. Yesterday we stepped out for food and drink after seeing it was just going to be stand and play. Any ordinary band can do that.
REO was a worthy exception, but let’s get back to real field performances for all except at most one celebrity visit per year.
After that I’m completely underwhelmed by “stand and play” mode. Yesterday we stepped out for food and drink after seeing it was just going to be stand and play. Any ordinary band can do that.
REO was a worthy exception, but let’s get back to real field performances for all except at most one celebrity visit per year.
Dan
Admin
I would love to know, if anyone has any insider info on how this came about? I can only assume it’s because fathers of current college students grew up listening to Metallica?? I’m sure few, if any college age kids today, know Hit the Lights! lol!
As a Metallica fan since the early 80’s, I thought it was awesome!
The MI has put seven different shows on the field in 2.5 months (including pregame and the MI Band Festival). And the only times they have done “stand and play” is for the tunes where they literally have only 90 minutes of Saturday morning rehearsal to work in hundreds of guests — Band Day, Homecoming, Dads Day. I think you need to temper your expectations for drill complexity, sir, college band is a much different thing than a HS band that marches the same 9 minute production for four months.
My response was specific to the questions on how we liked the Mariachi program. Personally, I’d rather see a rerun of any of their “in-house” programs, since the MI’s role that day was simply to stand and play backup music for the featured/guest Mariachi group. It just didn’t feel like a marching band performance. Then we had another day of backup music for REO, but they were literally a homecoming story. Maybe limit the stand and play backup for guests shows to one per season? My point was just that playing backup for guests in a long static program doesn’t resonate, but maybe that’s just me. I do appreciate their practice time constraints, as one of my roommates was a MI member.
My favorite MI performance (in addition to the Three-in-One) is their march down Fourth St between the Armory and the Horseshoe, departing 45 minutes before kickoff. It’s a highly animated and entertaining mobile show.
Metallica has been running a competition for the last few years for the best performance of their music by a high school and then a college, so Metallica shows have been popular all over the country over the last few years, whether bands are participating or not. Idk if MI is formally participating in the competition or just following the trend tho. And, yeah Dad's Day makes sense since Metallica is one of the most "dad band" of the dad bands right now lol.I would love to know, if anyone has any insider info on how this came about? I can only assume it’s because fathers of current college students grew up listening to Metallica?? I’m sure few, if any college age kids today, know Hit the Lights! lol!
As a Metallica fan since the early 80’s, I thought it was awesome!
The MI did drill behind the mariachis. But I do agree with your broader point that they should limit “guest performers.” Frankly, I’d reduce that to zero. Other than at some Super Bowls, I’ve never seen ANY marching band effectively pull off a performance with a musical guest — there simply is not sufficient rehearsal time or proper amplification to make these attempts achieve non-lousy sound quality throughout a stadium.
I guess I missed their drill since I headed for the restrooms as soon as it was apparent the guests couldn’t be heard. They were a distraction, like tiny muted figures. While I respect the uniqueness of an “REO Homecoming” I didn’t watch most of it either, again due to audio issues. Maybe you could watch the guests up close on the scoreboard, but then you miss the MI. Or watch the MI and can’t resolve the guests. It’s a disjointed audio-visual mashup.
REO was more interesting later on YouTube than they were live. The interviews showed they truly appreciated their homecoming as well as the opportunity to play with the MI. Neal Doughty said he played trumpet in his HS marching band.
A Marching Band can fill the stadium with sound, whereas Mariachi and REO couldn’t, not without a huge “stadium concert” audio setup. I agree. Skip playing backup for guests who can’t be heard or seen from most seats.
Stranger Things had a Metallica song which made them popular with the current college kids.I would love to know, if anyone has any insider info on how this came about? I can only assume it’s because fathers of current college students grew up listening to Metallica?? I’m sure few, if any college age kids today, know Hit the Lights! lol!
As a Metallica fan since the early 80’s, I thought it was awesome!
Meh, I see clips of other college marching bands doing drill that are probably more "fan favorites" than the MI does. Geometic shapes on the field don't excite the crowd like figures of people, words, or things like planes, trains and automobiles. And the MI does do a fair amount of standing while they play.
For reference, the crowd really likes pregame when they form the US with Illinois highlighted in the middle. Pregame (maybe without the long drawn out new entrance) and 3 in 1 are much more enjoyable to this fan than the shapes and standing. Just my opinion, but based on crowd noise, I'm guessing I'm in the majority. Also 100% agree that we never need any guest appearances. If you're the best in the land, then be the best on your own.
Ryllini
- Lombard
I find everyone's thoughts on this cool as I know zero about marching band other than I like to hear them and I like how they make formations.
Pregame -
Band parent here. This is awesome!!! My son, daughter-in-law and son-in-law all marched in the Purdue AAMB (I know, but in state tuition), and all marched in the Macy's parade. It was super cool for the kids (and us parents who went along). That was actually the first time we met our future DIL and her family. I remember having the entire tenor sax section in our hotel room watching the NBC video of their performance on my phone.
Always loved the MI, and always made a point to be there in time for pre-game (even as a student). I hope they have a great time at Macy's. Big Ten bands are the best (the original Big Ten, that is - Rutgers band couldn't win an Indiana High School competition).
MoCoMdIllini
- Montgomery County, Maryland
Yep... Master of Puppets. I wouldn't have guessed Hit the Lights, actually, but it was the band's first, so why not?
Vote for the Marching Illini!
Vote for MI!
For Whom The Band Tolls!
The Metallica Marching Band Competition Collegiate Edition
www.metallicamarchingband.com
Vote for MI!
Vote for the Marching Illini!
For Whom The Band Tolls!
The Metallica Marching Band Competition Collegiate Editionwww.metallicamarchingband.com
Vote for MI!
The Maryland show was hands down the best show I have seen by the MI in years. Congrats to them and hopefully they continue this trend!
Note: some not very happy with fire extinguisher residue on the field although it looked cool. Maybe try something else next time?
Note: some not very happy with fire extinguisher residue on the field although it looked cool. Maybe try something else next time?
It had the feeling of one of those viral tO$U band performances. They did a fantastic job and it should be getting some serious praise out on social media!
I totally agree with the halftime show by the MI last Saturday. The best.
