LAS VEGAS – In a prelude to Thursday’s halftime show and football season opener between Jackson State University and the University of Nevada Las Vegas, the internationally renowned Sonic Boom of the South and Prancing J-Settes wowed more than 3,500 spectators during a free community performance Wednesday in Las Vegas.
The high attendance at Pearson Community Center impressed the Boom, J-Settes, UNLV and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).
O’Neill Sanford, JSU’s director of bands, said, “We thought we would have just a couple hundred spectators, but I’m quite surprised by the size.”
The atmosphere was electric and the crowd ecstatic.
Sanford said, “Anytime you give JSU performers a crowd, they bring it.”
He also said the Boom’s presence could be a recruiting tool for the urban university, and he plans to return to Las Vegas in search of marching band students, string students and other talent for the department of music.
JSU President Carolyn W. Meyers said Wednesday’s event was a great opportunity for JSU to reach out to residents of Las Vegas because “service requires that we get out in the community, and that includes our band. Part of this outreach means igniting dreams in our young people. Many of them desire to attend college. Now, they’ll see the band and say, ‘I can be a part of that.’ ”
The LVCVA helped orchestrate JSU’s visit.
Rossi Ralenkotter, president of the convention and visitors authority, said, “This gathering is about the community, with all of us getting together to see some great performances. So, this is about the bands, the schools, and the history of the institutions. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
Meanwhile, fans locally and from afar – along with numerous representatives from other HBCUs – assembled at the community center to support the JSU Tigers.
Tina Kunzer-Murphy, director of athletics at UNLV, described JSU’s pep rally as “heartwarming.” She said arrangements for this matchup began a few years ago with help from the LVCVA. “I can’t think of a better game setup for Thursday than to have Jackson State University, UNLV, the J-Settes and the Sonic Boom coming together. This is a great community event to kick off football weekend.”
Tammy Witt, a JSU Sports Hall of Famer and native of Las Vegas, said, “It’s awesome to have my alumni come to my hometown.” Witt graduated in 1982 from JSU, where she was a star volleyball player. She said many of her family members had always desired to see JSU perform, and this visit provided a perfect opportunity.
After JSU had marched onto the field and performed to roaring cheers, many expressed a desire to see this occasion become a tradition.
Sanford said, “We want to come back. It’s the first time in decades that we’ve traveled this far across the country.”
