This past Saturday, Sept. 25, the Lakewood Ranger Marching Band took the field by storm for the 36th Annual Marching Band Festival. Nine other schools joined them as they marched through the streets of Lakewood, with their instruments in hand, heading into the stadium to begin the night. Support for the band was evident, as Lakewood residents cheered for the ten bands from their porches and yards. Many friends, family, and supporters gathered in the stadium stands as the show began around 6:30 p.m.
Lakewood definitely brought the energy, starting off the night great! You could feel the excitement throughout the night as the community came together in support. The concession stand was packed with customers, eager to savor Lakewood High School’s famous concession stand items. As the night progressed, so did the energy. Lakewood student Jake Hirsh was asked what he thought about the night, and he said “I think it was a great night, we (the Lakewood music program) put a lot of work into this and we do every year so it’s just so exciting to watch it in live action and how good everyone sounds.”
The nine other schools marched on and performed, while Lakewood sat in the stands cheering and congratulating the other schools. It was an overall great night and brought so many different communities together. Lakewood opened and then closed the event, ending the night on a perfect note. This festival is a tradition that is always looked forward to!
Lakewood’s overall performance:
The Lakewood Ranger Marching Band opened the festival on the First Federal Stadium field by performing their pre-game routine with alumni. This performance included songs “Star Spangled Banner,” “Alma Mater,” and “Carry On My Wayward Son,” which were all performed by the entire band. The Lakewood alumni ended the pregame with a rendition of “Old Time Rock n’ Roll.”
For the halftime performance, the Lakewood Ranger Marching Band performed “Mr. Blue Sky,” “One Way or Another,” and concluded with their last song of the evening, “Dream On.”
When asked how they thought the performance went, junior Charlie Auck said “We did and looked our best for that specific show; playing ‘Old Time Rock n’ Roll’ with the alumni was a pretty cool experience.”
