Accent Spotlights . . .

MarchFourth Marching Band

FFllyyiinngg TToorrttiillllaass,, Sttiilltt Waallkkeerrss,, Anndd Muussiiccaall Maayyhheem

A decommissioned fire engine pulls up, and

out pour dazzling stilt walkers, flamencoskirted

fan-wielding dancers, brass players

of all kinds, a lone battery-powered bass

player, and drummers wearing harnessing

made from bike parts, all decked out in

costumes that range from Village People

camp to steampunk goth glam.

They may start marching down the

block, playing on the upper deck of a ferry or at a

major stadium, or dancing a hole in the dance floor. They may break

into wild Balkan dances, down-and-dirty New Orleans-style jams,

madcap circus romps, or the theme song to Rocky. They may do just

about anything.

This is the MarchFourth Marching Band, often called “M4” by

fans, a quirky, funky instant party of a group whose twenty-five odd

members make, sew, build, drive, design, choreograph, compose,

and mix everything themselves.

This includes their latest album,

“Rise Up”.

The carpenters, stonemasons,

artists, business owners,

metal workers, physical

therapists, and lawyers of

MarchFourth have similarly

transformed the staid conformity

of the good old marching

band into a celebration of

vibrant individuality. “There’s

no uniformity to our uniforms,”

laughs dancer, stilt walker, and

long-time M4 member, Nayana

Jennings. “It’s really individual.

There’s no dress code. We don’t

tell people what they have to wear.”

While keeping a countercultural edge, MarchFourth strives to

remain “accessible and approachable,” as Jennings puts it, walking a

tightrope between sensual and family-friendly, Clockwork Orange

and bigtop mayhem, carefully orchestrated performance pieces and

barely contained chaos.

For more information, visit www.rockpaperscissors.biz