February 3, 2004

By Mike Emery

The stars came out for Super Bowl Sunday’s halftime show. But for the University of Houston, the most shining entertainers on the field were members of its own marching band.

The Spirit of Houston Cougar Marching Band had a long wait before it took the field alongside Texas Southern University’s Ocean of Soul marching band and pop superstar Janet Jackson.

Band members were instructed to arrive at the Moores School of Music’s band hall no later than 10 a.m. on Feb. 1, the day of the Super Bowl. Reading newspapers, talking and sipping coffee, band members didn’t seem the least bit nervous as they awaited further direction on the day’s proceedings.

“The practices required a lot of waiting from us,” said Jessica Toenjes, drum major. “One rehearsal took several hours, and that time, we only practiced for about an hour. We had to keep in mind that there were 3,000 people in the show and wait our turn. It’s nice to have that out of the way and to get on with the show.”

Once everyone was prepared with their uniforms and credentials, a caravan of buses with UH and TSU bands were police escorted to Reliant Stadium. Around 1:45 p.m., the convoy exited Interstate 610 and was greeted by Super Bowl revelers.

“Go Coogs!” yelled one fan in a New England Patriots jersey as some band members flashed the three-fingered Cougar sign out a bus window.

Once parked, the bands were ushered into a reserved portion of the Astrodome to relax and eat lunch. Sitting in the stands, everyone had a few hours to prepare for the crowd of over 70,000, as well as millions of television viewers.

“It’s just starting to hit me seeing all the thousands of people here,” said Sean Michael, cymbal player. “Once we’re on the field, we concentrate on what we have to do, so the huge crowd won’t affect our performance.”

Rumors circulated regarding a special guest performer during the halftime show. While many fans speculated as to what pop star would arrive unannounced, another unexpected performer was on hand.

Blake Wilkins, UH’s director of percussion studies, donned a red and white band uniform to march with the Spirit of Houston. It was the first time in nearly 20 years that Wilkins had even participated in a marching band routine.

“I actually haven’t marched since the 1986 Orange Bowl,” he said. “It was kind of a dare from my students, and I took them up on it. Once I started rehearsing, I knew that there was no turning back.”

As both bands waited patiently, celebrities made their way through the backstage tunnels of Reliant Stadium. Among them was country star Toby Keith, surrounded by bodyguards; Willie Nelson, smiling and waving; Kid Rock, greeting media and fans.

When the time arrived, both bands were ready. A massive stage set-up was rolled out, and the lights dimmed. Then, it was showtime.

Pop starlet Jessica Simpson, clad in a glittery band outfit, asked the crowd if it was ready to party. Before the ecstatic fans could scream, both bands strutted under a spotlight to the tune of Outkast’s “The Way You Move” as thousands of area high school students flooded the field.

P. Diddy, Nelly and Kid Rock took the stage next. The finale, however, was Janet Jackson, who took the stage flanked by both UH and TSU drumlines. As the skilled percussionists masterfully set the pace, Jackson then launched into “Rhythm Nation.” A fiery duet with Jackson and surprise guest Justin Timberlake concluded the show. During a final bolt of pyrotechnics, both bands scrambled off the field.

The big show was over for both bands, and as each made its way back to the buses, a wave of enthusiasm consumed everyone involved. While the feeling prior to the performance was one of calmness, there now was an air of electricity as well as relief.

While some band members talked about what transpired on the field and others were star struck by the celebrity performers, Matt Watson, sousaphone player, took everything in stride. He wasn’t so much concerned with the stars, but rather his band’s presence on the field.

“Being in front of so many people and performing on television was pretty exciting,” he said. “But, I wasn’t really concerned with any of the stars out there. I just enjoyed being out there and performing with the rest of the UH band.”