January 10, 2006

Purdue 'All-American' Band to perform at Sunday's Colts game

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue's "All-American" Marching Band takes its show on the road Sunday (Jan. 15) as featured halftime performers for the Indianapolis Colts NFL playoff game against the Pittsburg Steelers in the RCA Dome.

"We are thrilled to be asked to be part of such exciting times for the Colts," said David A. Leppla, director of the marching band. "Anything we can do to help them be successful and reach their ultimate goal of playing in the Super Bowl, we'll do,"

Purdue Athletic Director Morgan Burke helped engineer the invitation for the band and offered them the use of the Mollenkopf Athletic Center field for their practices to make it happen.

Highlights of the band's "City Rock" show, first presented at the 2005 Purdue vs. Notre Dame game, fill the six-minute halftime field show.

"We wanted to focus on pop and rock – things football fans will enjoy," Leppla said. The show features Jefferson Starship's "We Built This City On Rock and Roll" and Boston's first Billboard hit "More Than A Feeling." The Golduster Dance Line gets the spotlight in the show's final tune made famous by Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, "1-2-3." As it leaves the field, the band will slip in a salute to the Boilermakers with "Hail Purdue!"

"We've done shows for the Colts before, and it's a great opportunity to get in front of a number of people who have never seen or heard the Purdue 'All-American' Band before," he said. "We are happy to have such a positive, ongoing relationship with the team."

The Purdue Band has a long history of involvement in Indianapolis traditions. It has been part of the opening ceremonies at the Indianapolis 500 for 87 straight years and featured in the 500 Festival Parade since its beginning in 1957.

For Purdue band directors and student leaders, accepting the Colts' invitation meant a lot of scurrying. Uniforms had been checked in and taken to the dry cleaners, and music had been put away. Everything had to be reissued. On top of that, the band lost a few members to December graduation but Leppla said approximately 320 of the 332 members will be able to participate in Sunday's show.

Writer: Kathy Matter, Purdue Bands public relations director, (765) 496-6785, kcmatter@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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