After the postponement of the Battle of the Bands, Prairie View’s Marching Storm and Texas Southern’s Ocean of Soul went head to head at half time during the Labor Day Classic held in Houston’s Reliant Stadium, giving equally entertaining performances.
The Marching Storm set the bar high by opening up the half time show to Lionel Ritchie’s classic hit “Lady.” The blaring sounds of the instruments had Prairie View supporters on their feet. Making a clean transition to the frontline, Prairie View’s drum line, the Box, performed a wonderful rendition to Rick Ross’ “Here I am.”
Just when no one thought the performance could get any better, out came the lovely ladies of the Black Foxes, beautifully dressed, to show their well choreographed dance to Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Fine.”
With all the attention geared towards the Marching Storm once again, the band had the audience in a frenzy as they went on to play the song “Halle Berry” by Prairie View’s own Jamal “Superstar” Palmer.
Ending the half time show, the Ocean of Soul gave the crowd a chance to dance by performing songs such as “Put on for my City,” “Stanky leg,” and “Whatever you Like.”
With one minute and thirty seconds left in the game, after watching the rival teams play their hearts out, the two bands set up their instruments to prepare to square up one last time in the Fifth Quarter, when the two opposing bands go head to head in a musical battle at the end of the fourth quarter.
The members of the Marching Storm were in a victorious frenzy. The blaring of the horns and the beating of the drums filled the stadium as they played “Closer” by Ne-yo. The Ocean of Soul followed up with a rendition of Jennifer Hudson’s hit single “Spotlight.”
What a perfect song to finish the night off with since the spotlight was on PVAMU after taking home the bragging rights as this year’s winner of the Labor Day Classic.