The Tiger Band in Dallas appreciation thread

The tiger band is such an important part of the whole LSU football experience, sometimes I think I take them for granted. The contrast between the LSU band and the Miami band at ATT stadium was hard to explain to anyone not there. It’s like if it was a battle of the bands, the tiger band would have won by ten touchdowns.

We had a group with 24 seats together and the build up to the game had been going on for weeks. By the time we arrived at the stadium everyone in our group was liquored up and wound tighter than a top. The ATT stadium is visually stunning when you emerge from the ramp into the stadium and the anticipation had everyone’s head about to explode.

The Miami band, with their giant orange and green feathers rising from their hats, took the field first. They did their thing which had the Miami fans all excited. Miami fans surprisingly travelled very well and close to half of the stadium was orange and green. It was quite the scene with the contrasting colors of the two fan bases.

The tiger band started lining up in the end zone as the Miami band marched off the field and you could hear the sound of 30,000 tiger fans, wound up from months of anticipation, rising to their feet. Miami’s band looked like a high school band in comparison.

Then came that steady drum beat as the band took the field, like drummer boys leading the troops into battle. The tiger fans all knew the opening blast of horns blaring Dah dah dahhhh dat was coming, the Miami fans had no idea what was coming. It never gets old for me when the band hits those notes, I still get the same chill I got as a kid the first time I heard it. The battle of the bands was over with the first note. As the LSU team took the field you had to wonder what it was like for the freshman players to take the field for their first game as a tiger, their senses overloaded with the sights and sounds.

I imagine this part of the experience was not picked up very well by the tv broadcast. Tiger fans there know exactly the excitement I am talking about when the tiger band took the field and how it had to intimidate the Miami fans. For those who were not there, rest assured the tiger band represented. They are such an important part of the Tiger football experience and seeing our band in contrast to the Miami band made me think how much I take our band for granted sometimes. The opening march and music by the tiger band has to be one of the greatest traditions in all of college football. Taking kids to their first game in tiger stadium and watching them see the band for the first time is a treat all of its own.