FAIRMONT – Backyard Brawl?
What Backyard Brawl?
As a certain football game in Morgantown on Saturday throttles down, another under-the-lights gridiron happening in Fairmont will begin its build to a crescendo.
That’s when the Polar Marching Band of Fairmont Senior High School launches its annual Band Spectacular on the storied turf of East-West Stadium.
Nine high school bands across north-central West Virginia will perform their field shows under the lights at East-West beginning at 6 p.m. on the 50-yard line.
Drum lines. Twirling batons. Intricate formations.
“There’s nothing like the band at halftime,” said Chris Sharps, and he should know. He’s the father to three kids – who are in school at Fairmont Senior and all in the marching band.
Sharps is helping coordinate the proceedings of this year’s outing, which just happens to be the 60th anniversary.
“That’s a big deal,” he said.
“We’ve got some distractions this year with that little football game going on in Morgantown,” Sharps said, referencing the Backyard Brawl clash between WVU and Pitt at Milan Puskar Stadium, “but I think we’ll get a good turnout. We always do.”
It was fall evening in 1965 when bands took to East-West for the inaugural spectacular.
Counting Fairmont Senior, Marion County was home to nine high schools then, which made for a sonically packed evening.
Bands were playing showtunes tunes with marching band arrangements from the Great American Songbook.
On the radio and jukebox, the British Invasion was eclipsing home-grown rock ‘n’ roll, and the Polar Bear Marching Band, in particular, will pay tribute, its director John Schneider said.
Look for a musical salute to those bands from across the pond, he continued.
“As we approach our 60th Spectacular, we reflect with pride on decades of music, tradition and school spirit,” the director said.
After all, he said, you can’t have a field show if you don’t have kids coming out for band.
Besides, he said: A halftime without a marching band isn’t very much fun.
Fairmont Senior’s band will lead the musical lineup, including North Marion’s and East Fairmont High’s assemblages from here at home.
University High School will make the trek from Monongalia County for the show – along with the marching bands of Grafton High, South Harrison High and Buckhannon-Upshur High from north-central West Virginia.
Fairmont State University’s band will also perform.
Visit the Polar Bear Marching Band’s Facebook page for ticket prices and more information.
