Houstonist went to the Drumline Live performance Tuesday evening at Jones Hall, and while the music was great, the productions values were pretty corny (and someone should tell their MC that neither "Proud Mary" nor "RESPECT" were written for Motown.)
By far, the best thing about the show were the hundreds of vapid teenagers in the crowd, most of them band kids who squealed and sang along with delight anytime a song they knew was performed. Some even carried their own favorite pair of drumsticks. Not to mention the hilariously rowdy adults who kept standing up in the aisles to, for instance, Crank That Soulja Boy along with the music.
Not to rag on Drumline Live, but Houstonist has seen more entertaining performances from our very own marching musicians. Pretty much any time there is good reason for a parade, high school and college bands from across the state flock to the city to perform. At historically Black colleges and universities, the halftime show is as important (if not more) than the game.
By far the best parade to see such a performance is the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade, and this year Houston is lucky enough to have two! Twice the chances to see acrobatic majors backbend and thrust, scantily-clad dancin' girls in sequined costumes, and drums of all sizes battling it out.
At 10 a.m. Monday, the MLK Grande Parade, the "Largest Celebration In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the U.S." and the Third largest Parade in the U.S. behind The Rose Parade and The Macy’s Day Parade," will kick off downtown, just north of Minute Maid Park. The parade will feature a Battle of the Bands, and will take around 3 hours to cover just 1.5 miles.
At 2 p.m. Monday, the Black Heritage Society will sponsor what they call the original MLK Parade, a less commercial and more intimate affair, along MLK Blvd just inside the 610 loop. A community march will take place beforehand at noon, and a concert will follow the parade.
Galveston will host a scaled-back parade, called the Unity March at noon Saturday.
And to whet your appetite, Houstonist presents the above video, of Prairie View A&M's marching band at last year's MLK Grande Parade.
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