The Grambling Homecoming Parade ended near Eddie Robinson Stadium and the new Conrad Hutchinson Performing Arts Center, and the high school bands gathered there and had a sort of informal battle between the parade and the football game.
Bands
Grambling State University Homecoming Parade 2011
At the Grambling State University Homecoming Parade, Saturday October 22, 2011
UAPB Band Entrance in Pine Bluff, 2011
#28 UAPB Band Entrance.MOV (by jdoggtn7)
The UAPB Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South marches into the stadium at Pine Bluff, October 15, 2011
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
Whitehaven Band Marching into Melrose Stadium, 2011
#12 Whitehaven Band.MOV (by jdoggtn7)
The Whitehaven Band marches into Melrose Stadium in Orange Mound, Memphis at Melrose Homecoming, October 14, 2011
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
UAPB Vs. Southern University at Pine Bluff, 2011
When I got to Pine Bluff, the UAPB Marching Musical Machine of the Midsouth was marching into the stadium. The weather was great, and I thought I was in for a great game and a great band battle. Unfortunately, I soon learned that Southern University didn’t bring their band, so there was no battle. I left after the third quarter and grabbed a dinner in donwtown Pine Bluff, and just at the right time, evidently, because later I learned that the football game had ended in a series of brawls that led to tear gas being sprayed and people having to be hospitalized.
The Young Men Olympian Second-Line In Front of the Dew Drop Inn 2011
Many of the uptown projects in New Orleans have been torn down and replaced by modern-looking townhomes, but the residents still poured out onto front porches and lawns to see the second-line as it passed down LaSalle Avenue. Over to my left I spied the legendary Dew Drop Inn, an African-American nightclub and hotel that launched the careers of many great musicians and singers. Although closed since Katrina, the sturdy building survived the monster storm, and there is talk of renovation and reopening. Turning onto Louisiana Avenue, we came to Big Man Lounge, apparently a known gathering spot for brass bands and second-liners. Here the bands actually came to a stop, and the members of the Young Men Olympian disappeared inside the lounge for a rest and a refreshment. Hearing my name called, I turned around to see Edward Jackson, the trombonist with To Be Continued who was marching today with the Hot 8, who gathered out in the neutral ground of Louisiana Avenue near the lounge.
Urban Music Showcases at @CuttingEdgeNOLA
My friend Rico Brooks, who manages Gorilla Zoe, was in New Orleans for the Cutting Edge conference, and after we ate dinner at the Steak Knife, we headed over to Le Roux on Louisiana Avenue for the conference’s rap and R & B showcases. The hip-hop performances upstairs had ended early due to some artists on the line-up that failed to appear, but the R & B/soul showcases were still going on downstairs, including the Austin-based band Neckbone.
Tennessee Mass Choir at the Memphis Music & Heritage Festival 2011
The Tennessee Mass Choir is one of Memphis’ finest gospel choirs, and their performance at the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival was especially noteworthy, with legendary drummer Edward “Hot” Cleveland and bassist Jackie Clark backing them up. The rain could not dampen their enthusiasm, and it was a masterful performance.
Sharde Thomas and the Boys perform at the Otha Turner Picnic
Sharde Thomas and the Boys perform at the Otha Turner Picnic at Gravel Springs, Mississippi, August 27, 2011
The Acoustic Stage at the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival, Clarksdale, 2011
The Acoustic Stage was at the Sunflower River on Yazoo Avenue, next door to the Quapaw Canoe Company. This stage featured such artists as Kenny Brown, Lucious Spiller and Robert Belfour, August 13, 2011, Clarksdale, MS