Georgia Dome Packed for Battle of Bands

Photo credit: Patrice Johnson The showcase of the nation's top 10 bands from HBCUs kept fans on their feet in Atlanta's Georgia Dome.

By Patrice Johnson
Black College Wire

Not even winter's blast could keep the bands from putting on a brow-soaking, steamy show on a Sunday afternoon at the third annual Honda Battle of the Bands, postponed a day by an ice storm that stranded bands and fans in Atlanta.

From the first drum roll to the last tuba blow, the showcase of the nation's top 10 bands from historically black colleges kept fans on their feet in the packed Georgia Dome.

The first to take the stage was Savannah State University, with its "Candy Kittens" dance line moving to the beats of Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" and R&B crooner Anthony Hamilton's "Charlene."

Next, Tuskegee shook the audience with its foot-stomping version of Snoop Dogg and Pharrell's "Drop it Like it's Hot."

The hometown headliners, the Clark Atlanta University Marching Panthers, performed a horn-pumping, sultry rendition of Mario's "Let Me Love You," and Ciara's club mix "1,2, Step"

In spite of the freezing weather that stranded an estimated 2,200 black college band members and delayed the show for 64,000 ticket holders, the Dome appeared to be nearly full Jan. 30 when the show began at 3 p.m. The temperature was above freezing, but it was still cold, only 39 degrees.

By the middle of the show, the fans were excitedly screaming, dancing and punching out unmeasured school spirit.

The show was a nonstop clash of originality and skill. Although there would be no winners named in the "battle," among fans, a sense of strong tension between Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M hung over the Dome.

An echo of "That's my song!" rang across the Dome when Bethune-Cookman performed Anita Baker's "Sweet Love."

"Now for the real show," boasted many Florida A&M fans as their seemingly "million man band" took over the field.

Under the leadership of band director Dr. Julian E. White, the band got loose with Destiny's Child's "Lose my Breath."

It also shocked the audience with one of its unique formations, an airplane lineup with a smoke machine blowing, resembling airplane exhaust fumes.

Every group gave a ground-shaking performance, but the Florida A&M band was a crowd pleaser.

"I like FAMU's performance," said Morehouse sophomore Demond Cochran. "I believe FAMU blew everybody away."

During the halftime break, each black-college band director received a trophy and a check for $140,000 for his or her school's band program. At the conclusion of the show, each band received an additional check for $10,000.

"I enjoyed myself, it was a good performance," Clark Atlanta University sophomore Danielle Stubbs said. This was the Bahamas native's first year attending a historically black college and witnessing black marching bands perform.

"I admire the discipline of all the bands. It's one thing HBCUs have that no one else has," she continued. "It's something I would look forward to going to next year."

Patrice Johnson is a sophomore at Clark Atlanta University.

Posted Jan. 30, 2005