Time is running out to vote for one of two Iowa Marching bands taking part in a nationwide Metallica compeittion

IOWA CITY Iowa (KCRG) – Time is running out for people to vote on one of two Iowa marching bands competing in a nationwide Metallica competition.

Both Iowa and Iowa State are in the top five of the metal bands “To Whom the Band Tolls” competition. Marching Band Director Eric Bush said they started planning what songs they wanted to play and how to choreograph the performance in the spring, the band started practicing in March, and they brought the performance to life on September 30th against Michigan State.

“Every year there’s one or two shows that we get that we are like ‘holy crap, how are we going to pull this off,’” said UI Mellophone Section Leader, Nick Feingold. “This was definitely the biggest ‘holy crap, how are we going to pull this off.’”

Feingold was one of them on the field on September 30th during the performance that he calls indescribable.

“This was probably the biggest and most extravagant of just the entire nation looking at what we’d been doing,” he said.

The Hawkeyes have plenty of competition from in-state rivals, the Iowa State Cyclones Marching Band. They, too, have a performance worthy of a top-five finalist. People can vote up to December 31st. The winning prize is $75,000. It’s money Bush said would really help keep big performances like this coming to Kinnick Stadium.

“In the age of marching band where everything is evolving, we’re always looking for what’s the next thing that we need to stay cutting edge and be successful,” said Bush.

The experience was something Feingold said was hard to describe, but he said these shine a national spotlight on the work it takes to be a part of the marching band.

“A big theme of this year with everything the Hawkeye marching band has been doing is putting the marching band in the public eye,” said Feingold.

Copyright 2023 KCRG. All rights reserved.