Paul Pfeiffer, Dodd Chair 2016-2018, presented his first live performance in collaboration with the Performa 2019 Biennial and The Georgia Redcoat Marching Band from the University of Georgia, at the world famous Apollo Theater in Harlem. Fifty Redcoat members—who normally perform during the breaks in play at UGA’s Sanford Stadium, home of the Georgia Bulldogs football team—performed live in this legendary music venue, recreating a two-and-a-half-hour musical score from a typical college football game, using both front and back of house of the theatre as their performance space. Simultaneously, the rest of the 400 strong band performed the exact same musical score inside the empty Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, to be live streamed into the Apollo, contrasting the architectures of stadium and theater.

As Pfeiffer noted after the performance, Pfeiffer was able to bring the Redcoat Band and the flavor of Sanford Stadium to a diverse New York audience. Many UGA alumni were in attendance in the event at Apollo, as well as many for whom the songs and rituals presented a new experience. Pfeiffer also shared that several people who experienced the show noted that it was their first time to ever experience a football game live, emphasizing the wonder and excitement of those who witnessed the performance.

The magnitude of the collaboration, the multi-layered format of the presentation, and especially the thrilling tones of the band were all deeply appreciated by everyone who got to witness the performance. In the coming months, Pfeiffer and his team will be working toward the completion of a long-form video documenting the game-day performance of the Redcoat Band.  

Read more about Paul Pfeiffer, University of Georgia Redcoat Band Live and Performa in the original article about the performance.