Marching Bandemonium

I love a parade.

And the reason I love parades has a lot to do with the marching bands.  And if you're looking for a great parade when it comes to marching bands, look no further than the Pioneer Day Parade right here in Salt Lake City. And what I love about the bands in this parade is a lot: First, the bands just keep coming - there are a whole lot of bands in this parade. Surprisingly, they aren't imported from around the globe. They're local, coming from towns and cities all around Utah. 

If truth be told, I'm pretty sure the reason I like marching bands so much is that I'm a total band nerd.  All through high school and college, I marched and drummed.  I've slogged through multi-mile parades in unreasonable heat wearing ridiculous wool uniforms. I've been there when BYU football won a national championship and the drum line seemed to be the epicenter of school spirit. And I've reveled in the friendships you make when you spend months at a time marching around with a bunch of other band nerds.

So here is a little Pioneer-Day love letter to all those kids (and adults) who get up early and march through empty parking lots.  Who suffer through a multi-mile parade route during 100 degree heat in truly ridiculous outfits.  To all those who makes us feel the beat in our chests and in our toes. To you, I say, "Thanks!" I hope you know you have at least one great big fan.

A note about the photos below: I took all of these pictures at the north entrance to Liberty Park. I did this for two reasons. First, the park is one of my favorite places on the planet and it's ground zero for Pioneer Day festivities.  Secondly, it's the very end of the parade.  Just 30 feet from where these photos were taken, the bands are done and can collapse into sweaty, spent blobs of humanity.  This is where you see the true strength, passion, and commitment of Utah's band nerds. 

A second photo note: The cover photo for this story is of the Juan Diego Catholic High School Marching Band. Only a very few bands dare to wear their official band uniforms in Utah's July heat.  I always appreciate it when they do. I make up reasons why they might choose to do so. I'm assuming in this case it has to do with some sort of religious penance.  But I have no proof.  What ever the reason, the kids from Juan Diego not only looked amazing, they're marching was tight and the sound fantastic.

Tooele High School Marching Band

Tooele brought some serious marching precision to the parade.  Although if you look closely you might find someone out of step.

Trombones and Tubas of Tooele

Most marching bands choose the classic Sousaphone for lower brass sections.  But this over-the-shoulder tuba sure looks sharp.

Canyon View Falcons Marching Band

Usually it's the trumpet section that features the cool kids.  But the Falcons offered up a section of saxophonists who brought the style.

Delta High School Marching Rabbits

Delta was decked out in fantastic uniforms, I figure they're from down south; they're not going to let a little northern-Utah heat scorch their style.

Delta Drum Line

Marching bands are nothing without a great drum line, the hardest working section in the whole parade.

Kearns High School Marching Band

I give you the entire drum line of the Kearns High School Marching Band.  Ladies, I salute you for doing what every good drum line does, keeping the entire affair on track.

Letter Carriers Band

Not all bands marched.  Although I seem to remember the Letter Carriers Band marching in the past.

Pentecostal Temple Church Choir

Some bands didn't march and were a lot more than bands.  While technically there is a band here, the annual appearance of Pentecostal Temple Church Choir brings a whole new, crowd-energizing vibe to the idea of mobile music.

The Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga in Utah Brass Band

The Pacific Islands produces more than one marching band. The Wesleyan Church Brass Band brings a stately island attitude to the parade.

Liahona Alumni Band

Every year, the Liahona band delivers a big, giant Aloha party vibe to Pioneer Day festivities.

Utah Pipe Band

Bagpipes brought a very different international sound to Utah's 24th celebrations.

Davis High School Marching Band

Davis introduced themselves with the most stylish signage.  What followed was the biggest band by far.  That isn't always a good thing but in this case it was.

Band Shenanigans

The Davis band had a big, bold sound. And their quirky, choreographed shenanigans were delightful. I particularly liked the "freeze frame" at the very end of the parade.

Sousaphones

Davis High had rows of Sousaphones spread throughout the band.

Park City High School Marching Band

Possibly the most refined band in the parade was from Park City High.  And I'm guessing that coming from the cool, rarefied air of Utah's mountains, they forgot how hot it is down here in the valley.  That's probably why they chose to wear those snappy uniforms.

Brass band

The Park City brass were screamin' good.