Honda Battle of the Bands Made First West Coast Appearance

This year’s Honda Battle of the Bands (HBOB) took place in Inglewood, Calif., at SoFi Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 1, for the first time on the West Coast. This year’s lineup included the following bands, some making a return to the annual showcase of marching bands.

Alabama A&M University – Marching Maroon and White Band
Alabama State University – Mighty Marching Hornets
Hampton University – The Marching Force
North Carolina A&T University – Blue and Gold Marching Machine
Southern University – Human Jukebox Marching Band
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff – Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South

“Driving the Legacy of HBCUs” was this year’s theme, and the schools that participated that have legacies of their own continued the tradition on which the legacy of HBCUs was built. With a new selection procedure in place in picking the schools this time around, each university that performed at the Honda Battle of the Bands was individually awarded a $50,000 grant to help its music education and career development programs. Honda also gave a $500,000 grant to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund in honor of this year’s showcase of marching bands.

The fans definitely came out for the school’s bands, but as an added bonus, famed Nickelodeon actor Nick Cannon was the featured host, along with a festive performance by one of hip-hop’s favorite entertainers, GloRilla, giving the audience extra incentive to come and cheer on the bands.

For those who remember, there was a movie that premiered in 2002 named “Drumline” that featured Nick Cannon and was an ode to HBCU marching bands. That energy was recreated with Cannon hosting the event with an appearance by another “Drumline” alum, Orlando Jones.

The Industry Cosign was able to attend a press conference that featured Cannon, GloRilla, and Jasmine Cockfield, Honda Battle of the Bands project lead at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. as they discussed the event taking place that afternoon.

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“For the first time ever, this year’s Honda Battle of the Bands brought the incredible talent, passion, and culture of HBCUs to the West Coast,” said Jasmine Cockfield, Honda Battle of the Bands project lead at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Honda is proud to celebrate these exceptional students and institutions, and we look forward to further driving the legacy of HBCUs through our ongoing support of the HBCU community.”

But the main attraction for the showcasing of the marching bands had excited fans who witnessed the action practically out of their seats through most of the day. From alumni to family members at SoFi Stadium, the sparkle of the movement of the bands, the music that they mimicked for the audience, topped with Cannon giving his commentary and introduction of the bands, from the energy of the crowd, not one person left dissatisfied.

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