Bob Jones Marching band dazzles in first performance

Bob Jones band at halftime of the Austin game (Record Photo/Lindsay Vaught)

DECATUR- It was the most exciting thing to happen all night. It was halftime of an otherwise uneventful football game where Bob Jones had been shutout the first half.

The Bob Jones marching band took the field with a show that was part Broadway and part Rockettes.

The 250 members had spent two hours on their band buses parked outside Ogle Stadium as a thunderstorm raked across Decatur.

After getting shutout of performing in the opening game against Dorman, Band Director Leah Thomas said they weren’t about to turn around and go home.

“If the football team’s here we’re here. They had fun waiting but they were ready to perform and they did. We have been waiting since July 11 to get out here and play. I couldn’t ask for a better performance especially with the conditions tonight,” Thomas said.

Storm clouds hang over Ogle Stadium before the 7 pm scheduled start time of the Bob Jones Austin game

Maybe the band motivated the football team. Bob Jones came out in the second half and drove to touchdowns on two straight possessions. However fumbles doomed any chances the Patriots had of winning the game. Austin won 29-14.

The band played two songs of the show. Long Way to the Top by AC/DC and Whitney Houston’s I Want to Dance With You. They will add a third next week as they do the whole show in front of the big crowd expected at The Madison Bowl.

James Clemens will be the host band and will handle pregame.

The bands will get together before the game to visit and renew friendships. Then both bands will perform their shows at halftime.

“Hopefully with no rain,” Thomas said.