Lights Out

Northtown band performs their annual light show

Lights Out

The North Kansas City High School Marching Band performed their annual light show on Oct 17 2014.
During the show, members of the band use duct tape on their ankles and place flashlights downward facing to create a dot effect around their feel. The band also attaches glow sticks to their bodies to generate a glow effect.
The light show was started four years ago when the 2011 band performed the show ‘King Kong.”
“My old assistant director Ms. Williams did a light show at her high school and it took some convincing to get administration to trust me with shutting out the lights, but in the end it was a success,” said Band director Carrie Epperson.
After the halftime performance the band goes into the school and changes out of their uniforms and into all black attire and takes 24 minutes to rush and attach their glow sticks to their bodies before the end of the game. The entire band section is filled with stressed out band kids that are screaming around for extra tape and for someone to attach a glow stick in some random weird body space.
“The chaos of trying to get all of the glow sticks on in such a crazy environment is my favorite part,” junior Natalie Bonjour said.
At the end of the game a ten minute countdown is placed on the scoreboard so that fans who do not wish to stay for the light show can leave easily.
During the countdown, the Hornet Indoor Drumline showcases the performance that they put on at contest for judges. The Drumline performs a seven-minute routine that they are judged on based off of several sub categories that determines who is the better line. The 10-minute countdown before the light show starts is for the Indoor Drumline to show the student body all of the hard work they have done.
Once the clock strikes 30 seconds the band began their robot walk onto the field.
The crowd begins a countdown once the clock reaches 5 seconds. As soon as the clock hits zero the lights shut off and the band illuminates.
Drum Majors are asked if the band is ready. Once these words are spoken the band reaches down and turns on their flashlights. After the three drum majors take their podiums the band performs their halftime show in the dark.
The band does not fully practice the show before they put it in front of an audience. This is because they do not have any glow sticks to spare.
Performing a show with no light creates several difficulties such as not being able to see where you are suppose to go, and not being able to see who is around them for guidance.
The light show is a memorable experience that students look forward to each year. What started as a small simple idea, turned out to be this tradition. North Kansas City High School is the only high school in district that performs a light show.
Each year both students in the student section and members of the band look forward to this tradition that leaves them wanting more.