The four booms of a bass drum are a common sound from the beginning of a halftime performance at Peden Stadium, but those same four booms will reverberate through Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium Saturday night.
The Ohio University Marching 110 will take the stage Saturday for its annual varsity show performance. Attendees will have the chance to hear 110 crowd-favorites in a more intimate setting, while also getting an up close look at the band members’ signature dance moves.
For some, this show will be their first varsity show with the 110. Among those are Emily Talley, interim assistant director of marching and athletic bands.
Talley is excited for the show overall, but she’s sure she’ll be in for a few surprises.
“Yeah, I have no idea what to expect, you know,” Talley said. “It’ll be a fun experience.”
From participating in rehearsal, Talley does know that the show will live up to its expectations.
“I’m excited to see just how good it’s going to be, because by the looks of it, at this point, it’s going to be pretty outstanding,” Talley said.
For others, like Amber Lee, a sophomore studying actuarial science, the varsity show is her favorite event of the season and she can offer some idea into what to expect from this night of music.
“The audience can expect a lot of spirit, energy and excitement that’s different from what they experience at football games or parades,” Lee, who plays the clarinet, said.
Carter Stanley, a sophomore studying communication studies, said there will be lots of good music and awesome dance moves to entertain the crowd. The show will feature classic Marching 110 tunes, like “Ain’t Been Good” and “Cheer” as well as some popular songs they did this season, like “Old Town Road.”
Another special part of the varsity show is the upperclassmen featuring the dance breaks the band learned throughout the season. Macie French, a freshman studying music education, is looking forward to watching her fellow bandmates show off some dance moves.
“I’m most excited to see all of the upperclassmen dancers. It’s such a cool opportunity to come and see if anyone ever gets the chance,” French, who plays alto saxophone, said.
The band members and directors are just as, if not more excited about seeing the audience as the audience members are to see the band.
“I’m most excited for the engagement with the community because I hear it’s quite a big turnout crowd-wise,” Talley said.
Regardless of whether they’re in the band, a director, a parent in the crowd or a high schooler dreaming about performing with the group soon, the show is bound to be a fun and entertaining experience.
“The 110 is ready to ‘Light Up’ the night with what we have ready for the audience on Saturday night,” Stanley said, making a pun on a classic tune from the show.
