Alabama State University Hosts Honda’s “Battle of the Bands”
Alabama State University hosted the Honda Battle of the Bands Saturday, showcasing some of the top college marching bands from across the country.
This was the first time in Honda Battle of the Bands history that the showcase was held at an HBCU. Six bands from Baltimore, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama State made the showcase list.
Comedians Rickey Smiley and Loni Love hosted the event. Alabama State University alum Rickey Smiley says marching with the Mighty Marching Hornets Marching Band is why he is who he is today.
“Marching bands and HBCUs, especially when I was a kid, set the tone for our culture,” Smiley said. “It’s so important — the beat, the rhythm, the dancing. It just set the tone. That’s how I got into everything that I’m into. I started out watching marching bands and the drum majors and the majorettes, the Stingettes. Now they have the Stingettes and the Honeybees,” he said of ASU.
The Honda Battle of the Bands is an annual event that brings together the highest rated HBCU bands from across the nation.
