ATLANTA — The inaugural ESPN “Band of The Yr” competitors might be described some ways, however the very best time period could have been “organized chaos.” That’s to be anticipated for a first-of-its-kind occasion that was band competition-meets-football-game-meets corporate-check cashing showcase.
4 HBCU bands filed into the cavernous Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta trying to carry residence certainly one of two nationwide titles. However none of them did.
The inaugural “Band of the Yr” winners for each Division I and Division II weren’t topped on Friday night time. As a substitute the outcome can be introduced throughout Saturday’s broadcast of its ESPN Occasions mother or father occasion — the Celebration Bowl. That announcement was made after two hours of performances on the sphere and an countless array of test displays to the 4 bands who made it to the turf over dozens of others.
A rumbling of murmurs rolled by way of the group as soon as the announcement that the postponement of the announcement of the winners rolled by way of the loudspeakers.
North Carolina A&T’s Blue and Gold Marching Machine, vying for the Division I title in opposition to Jackson State’s Sonic Growth of the South, issued what seemed to be a response to the ruling. The band had already had its “Fifth Quarter” stands efficiency after the official competitors, and was advised to load onto its busses. As a substitute, the BGMM broke out into one other music, frightening the Sonic Growth to arrange an impromptu response of its personal.
Officers shortly shut that down, reiterating that the bands wanted to get to their busses as instructed and that the subsequent band can be docked 30 factors on their efficiency.
“Don’t even give it some thought,” barked Don Roberts, one of many organizers of the ESPN Band of the Yr and a long-time fixture within the Atlanta band world.
Each A&T and Jackson State, in addition to the Virginia State “Trojan Explosion” and “The Roar” from Florida Memorial — must wait with the remainder of the world to see who will carry residence the {hardware} because the judges tabulate the scores.
Followers and bands have been politely however firmly ushered out of the dome as preparations needed to get underway for the Celebration Bowl, which was set to kick off in simply over 15 hours.
Because the stadium staff ready to work into the night time to make the magic occur, spectators filed out of the stadium and onto the concourse of the dome with anxious vitality and a tinge of bewilderment on the course of occasions.
A gaggle of North Carolina A&T supporters expressed a mixture of pleasure and confusion after witnessing the occasion — significantly with no announcement of winners.
“I imply, a few of us are coming to Celebration Bowl however different folks aren’t,” one Aggie supporter in a letter jacket shared.
“Details,” a gentleman with a BGMM (Blue and Gold Marching Machine) shirt interjected. “It’s anticlimactic.”
“And not one of the bands are performing on the Celebration Bowl so…
“They bout to go residence tomorrow,” a good friend added.
“Yeah, so that they’re going to search out out by way of social media,” she concluded.
“For an inaugural occasion — It was fairly particular,” Barry Harrison mentioned. “Nonetheless making an attempt to work out the mechanics of the judging. However the 4 bands have been all wonderful in their very own approach. All of them recognized for their very own explicit stylings and musicianship. However it was it was fairly an occasion, fairly an occasion. And I’m glad I made the journey from New Orleans to be right here to see it.”
Harrison proudly wore a classic Southern College letterman’s jacket. He revealed he was a percussionist for the marching band underneath the tutelage of legendary band director Dr. Issac Greggs. Although his beloved Human Jukebox didn’t make the lower this spherical, he nonetheless felt the necessity to come assist the ESPN Band of The Yr.
“Nicely, once you once you attain a sure age and a sure stage, you simply need to see all of us succeed. So like I mentioned, I got here all the best way from New Orleans,” Harrison continued. “I’ve come right here earlier than for the Honda. I’ve come for the Heritage Bowl. I’ve come for the Pioneer Bowl between the CIAA and SIAC. And I’m simply that HBCU man who simply wish to see all of us succeed.”
