Video/photos: Band Jam 2014 fills Southwest Athletic Complex with music, marching, more

(UPDATED overnight with more photos, video added inline)

6:52 PM: We’re at Southwest Athletic Complex in Westwood, where the Junior All-City Marching Band – seen in our quick video clip above – has just opened this year’s Band Jam, an event that’s continued to grow in the past few years as a tune-up event (and showcase) for some of the marching bands participating in the Seafair Torchlight Parade, which is happening tomorrow night.

Following the Junior All-City Band, the Pacific Northwest Drumline (above & below) has just taken the field.

This is going on for at least another hour and a half, and it’s free (with concessions available, to support music programs) – we’ll have more sounds and sights later, but for now, c’mon down.

7:14 PM: The Sumner High School Marching Band – explained by their announcer as including middle-school musicians too – is on the field now:

These musicians came almost all the way from Mount Rainier, which you can see in a peek view here in the SWAC stands.

P.S. Non-conventional “marching” bands play Band Jam too; the Ten-Man Brass Band followed Sumner (bound for the Capitol Hill Block Party later tonight):

And Chaotic Noise Marching Corps – a punk-ish hit last year – is still to come, as is the host All-City Band, directed by Marcus Pimpleton, who launched Band Jam here five years ago:

(added post-show) Chaotic Noise was wild as ever:

(See video on Facebook.) We noticed some membership overlap between CNMB and Sounders FC’s Sound Wave, which rocked the stadium too:

8:41 PM: And last up, ACB:

(added) Followed by the night-ending jam, with just about everyone joining ACB on the field:

Meantime, it’s less than 24 hours until the Torchlight Parade downtown tomorrow night – we’ll have info in our Saturday morning preview (including the Torchlight Fan Fest starting at noon, where you can go check out floats long before the parade begins).

6 Replies to "Video/photos: Band Jam 2014 fills Southwest Athletic Complex with music, marching, more"

  • H Pk mom July 26, 2014 (7:46 am)

    This was such fun! Thank you, WSB for getting the word out. We’ll be sure to plan for it next year!

  • sam-c July 26, 2014 (7:53 am)

    That was so fun. Thanks for the heads up. Kids didn’t make it past the Ten Man brass band (too many late summer nights caught up with them I guess), but the bands we saw were awesome!

  • jissy July 26, 2014 (2:38 pm)

    Yes — THANK YOU!!! I would never have known about this event without reading the blog and it was AWESOME!!! My favorite was the Chaotic Noise group — makes me want to learn an instrument just to hang out with them. They were actually having FUN and you could see it and feel it.

    Thanks WSB, where would I be without you!?!?!?!

  • Markos July 26, 2014 (6:03 pm)

    Every kid will remember being on that field and energizing the crowd. And seeing an example of other bandies still loving their instrumental expression into adulthood. I even think the stands might have been more full than past performances at memorial stadium. Band Jam is always a treat.

  • PG July 26, 2014 (7:26 pm)

    Thank you to the awesome and honest people who found my sister’s lost wallet and turned it in to lost and found.

    Thanks!

  • Kylie July 27, 2014 (9:16 pm)

    This was an amazing, fun, free, local event! Perfect evening entertainment for a warm summer evening. Heard about it from a neighbor and look forward to attending again next year!

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