Band to perform at tonight's Packer game
McLean Bennett
Issue date: 9/8/08 Section: News
Season opener. Check.
Division rivalry. Check.
An MIA Brett Favre. Check.
As if tonight's regular season home opener at Lambeau Field wasn't already brimming with memorable storylines, it may actually be the halftime show that draws the most attention from loyal UW-Eau Claire fans.
The Blugold Marching Band will headline the halftime show during the Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings game tonight, offering a blue-and-gold shout-out to the mostly green-and-gold audience.
"This will definitely be in the top three" of audiences that the marching band has played for, senior drum major Mike Renneke said.
"It's going to be awesome."
Band director Randy Dickerson received a phone message from the Packers late Tuesday, Aug. 26, about the possible halftime performance and got a call from the team the next day confirming the band's appearance.
And, ironically, he and the band might have Favre and the New York Jets to thank for the opportunity.
"Mr. Dickerson had been talking about it for a long time that he wanted to get a game," sophomore color guard member Kelly McCarthy said.
"It was supposed to be the retiring of the jersey for Brett Favre," she added, "but now that's not going to happen, so they had an opening and they said we could play."
The group will open the show with Guns and Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle," followed by Kansas' "Carry on my Wayward Son." The band will close with a Styx medley, which will include "Renegade," "Mr. Roboto" and "Come Sail Away."
"I'm really excited that they trusted us to be able to come over there in one week's notice and do a halftime show," Dickerson said. "It is difficult to put together a show like that in a week's notice and do it that quick a turnaround."
The band has gotten used to playing big-time venues lately. Dickerson said the band has performed at Minneapolis' Metrodome the last three years for high school marching band competitions, and will do so again this year. Last winter during a European tour the group performed for Pope Benedict XVI during the 2008 New Year's Day Blessing. That event drew an estimated crowd of 100,000 people, according to a university press release.
Tonight's halftime show won't be the band's first appearance at Lambeau, either. The group played there once before in October 2004.
Renneke said it will be hard for the band to keep finding such high-end venues to perform in, adding he can't imagine the band will soon outdo its appearances at Lambeau or the Vatican.
"Last year with Europe we thought, 'Oh man, this is it. How do you beat playing for the pope?'" he said. "I don't know what we're going to do next year. Are we going to play in space or what?"
The Packers-Vikings game will broadcast tonight at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
Division rivalry. Check.
An MIA Brett Favre. Check.
As if tonight's regular season home opener at Lambeau Field wasn't already brimming with memorable storylines, it may actually be the halftime show that draws the most attention from loyal UW-Eau Claire fans.
The Blugold Marching Band will headline the halftime show during the Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings game tonight, offering a blue-and-gold shout-out to the mostly green-and-gold audience.
"This will definitely be in the top three" of audiences that the marching band has played for, senior drum major Mike Renneke said.
"It's going to be awesome."
Band director Randy Dickerson received a phone message from the Packers late Tuesday, Aug. 26, about the possible halftime performance and got a call from the team the next day confirming the band's appearance.
And, ironically, he and the band might have Favre and the New York Jets to thank for the opportunity.
"Mr. Dickerson had been talking about it for a long time that he wanted to get a game," sophomore color guard member Kelly McCarthy said.
"It was supposed to be the retiring of the jersey for Brett Favre," she added, "but now that's not going to happen, so they had an opening and they said we could play."
The group will open the show with Guns and Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle," followed by Kansas' "Carry on my Wayward Son." The band will close with a Styx medley, which will include "Renegade," "Mr. Roboto" and "Come Sail Away."
"I'm really excited that they trusted us to be able to come over there in one week's notice and do a halftime show," Dickerson said. "It is difficult to put together a show like that in a week's notice and do it that quick a turnaround."
The band has gotten used to playing big-time venues lately. Dickerson said the band has performed at Minneapolis' Metrodome the last three years for high school marching band competitions, and will do so again this year. Last winter during a European tour the group performed for Pope Benedict XVI during the 2008 New Year's Day Blessing. That event drew an estimated crowd of 100,000 people, according to a university press release.
Tonight's halftime show won't be the band's first appearance at Lambeau, either. The group played there once before in October 2004.
Renneke said it will be hard for the band to keep finding such high-end venues to perform in, adding he can't imagine the band will soon outdo its appearances at Lambeau or the Vatican.
"Last year with Europe we thought, 'Oh man, this is it. How do you beat playing for the pope?'" he said. "I don't know what we're going to do next year. Are we going to play in space or what?"
The Packers-Vikings game will broadcast tonight at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
sue dale
posted 9/08/08 @ 7:39 PM CST
My favorite colors are blue and gold and it was good to see a band with those colors. I wish I have seen the half-time show. Part of watching football is seeing the band march. (Continued…)
Barb Madden
posted 9/11/08 @ 5:30 PM CST
Does anyone have video of the blue gold band halftime show? My son performed that night and I was not able to get tickets to the game. The Network never shows the halftime show, they do sports analysis. (Continued…)
russian girlfriend
posted 3/21/10 @ 3:23 PM CST
Indeed an informative article.
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