If you had the time, want, and wherewithal -- and we wish you all three of those rather nice things for the new year -- you could literally sit all day long, every day, for weeks on end, searching for and watching videos of field shows presented by marching bands from every high school and college in the nation.
Because a good field show? It's enthralling. The precision, the boom-boom sound, the flags, the crackerjack organization, with a role for everyone.
The bands selected to walk and play in the Rose Parade don't present their field shows during the parade, of course, given that complex choreography would tie up all the floats waiting to roll. But they do give field show mavens a chance to be wowed ahead of New Year's Day, at Bandfest.
Bandfest, one of the centerpiece pre-parade events, is set to again druma-druma-drum at Pasadena City College on Sunday, Dec. 29 and Monday, Dec. 30. Go both days and you'll see some different groups, giving you a wider perspective of all the music-makers picked to walk down Colorado Boulevard.
There are three distinct programs over two days, so eye all ahead of time.
The home team, if you will, kicks off day one, following the pre-show by REMO, the event's sponsor. Yep, the Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band and Herald Trumpets'll do their brassy, horn-happy thing at 2 p.m. on Dec. 29. Others to follow that day, and the next day, include the Hawaii All-State Marching Band "Na Koa Ali'i" and the Marching Greyhounds of Carmel High School.
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Call it a fine way to focus on each note or particular instruments or band members, without them leaving your field of vision in the brisk and efficient manner that they must during the Rose Parade.
Bandfest presented by REMO brasses up PCC on Sunday, Dec. 29 and Monday, Dec. 30.
