The lights were dim and Southern’s band made their grand entrance and the crowd went crazy. Every year Grambling and Southern battle it out at the Bayou Classic, but only one can win. So who won the Battle of the Bands? Some might say that Grambling won, and Southern fans said they won. “There are really no winners,” said Trai Hicks, a junior from Opelousas, “because there are no judges.”
However, when asked who really won the Battle of the Bands, well, let’s just say that Dr. Larry Pannell, the Grambling Tiger Marching Band director, said that is rhetorical. Pannell said Southern played the same songs as Grambling, after GSU played the songs.
“That means we played their entire play list and they don’t have anything else to play. They should’ve never let that girl get on the mic,” Pannell said.
Nevertheless, Southern fans like Nekia Palmer from Mississippi said she loves Southern’s band and she thought they were going to win because they sound good.
But after the halftime show, the GSU band earned their respect back when Cupid, Hurricane Chris and Soulja Boy performed.
The crowd went crazy when they performed at halftime, and everybody got up on their feet. Southern thought they had it in the bag, but guess again.
The Battle of the Bands is used as a recruiting tool, Pannell said, noting that the contest is also for bragging rights in the state of Louisiana.
He said the band used to record the shows on DVD and distribute them to high schools. But now friends record the show and send it straight to YouTube, Pannell said.