“The Most Exciting Band in the Land” will be substituting its regular performance at Peden Stadium with a show on Ohio University College Green on Wednesday, Sept. 29, at 6:30 p.m.
As part of the “Concerts on the Green” series, the Marching 110 will be playing some Motown, as well as more hip, pop tunes from its first show and its traditional band tunes.
“I'm looking forward to playing music from the first halftime show because it was so good,” Jessica Kibler, a freshman studying finance and tuba player, said. “That stuff (is) ingrained in my mind.”
Gregory Sheets II, a senior studying electrical engineering and field commander of the 110, said people can look forward to seeing the Marching 110 back and in full force with an energetic performance and recognizable music.
“(We’ll play) our standards and stuff that we always play, and some of our traditional dances will be performed as well,” Sheets II said. “It'll be a good way to experience the 110 without having to go to a football field and see a full field show.”
Preparing for the show has been no small feat since the 110 practices Monday through Friday from 5:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. and holds additional practice on Thursdays. Sheets II said with this, one of the 110’s main focuses this year has been personal accountability.
“When I looked at the audition piece for the 110, I was like ‘I cannot play this,’” Kibler said. “It was a lot harder than anything I'd ever seen ... (but) I’m here now.”
As live performances have made a come-back to everyday life, this has given the 110 more of an opportunity to perform for OU.
“I look forward to our students having the opportunity to perform for our fans, and in this case, for the community of Athens,” Joshua Boyer, assistant director of marching and athletic bands, said in an email. “No matter where or when we perform, we always tell our students that for someone in the audience, this is the first time they have ever watched the 110 perform. We want that experience to be just as impressive and memorable in any performance situation.”
Although the band has had more opportunities for in-person performances this year, it has still faced road-blocks in the fight against COVID-19.
“Unfortunately, the risks associated with travel are simply too large to risk traveling on 55-passenger buses, and budget constraints do not allow the band to simply double the number of buses to be able to travel,” Boyer said in an email. “One positive COVID test after a trip could trigger almost 25% of the band to have to quarantine, and we just don't want to risk that situation.”
Despite the difficulties, Boyer said the 110 has still been able to have alternate performance opportunities, like when it pre-recorded a performance for the Cleveland Browns that was presented at halftime of the Browns vs. Texans game Sept. 19.
“The marching band has been a tremendous help and influence in my time here at Ohio University,” Sheets II said. “(Its) support networks and the people that I've met through it have truly shaped my college experience for the better, and I couldn't be more thankful for it. I'm just very excited to get out there with 240 of my best friends on Wednesday and just really perform for the university.”
