Rites of Revelry
Posted on June 10, 2024 by Marketing and Communications
Each year, the Jaguar Marching Band appears in at least one Mardi Gras parade. As they step out in the 2024 Knights of Revelry parade, the band plays the Jags’ fight song, “South!,” “Jaguar Pride” and one of their signature tunes, Cameo’s “Word Up!”
On a picture-perfect Mardi Gras Day in downtown Mobile, the University of South Alabama Jaguar Marching Band leads the Knights of Revelry’s 150th anniversary parade.
The 254 band members perform a brief, very loud pep rally for KOR, the city’s third-largest parading organization, on Fat Tuesday at the Mobile Civic Center arena. Then they catch the beginning of the morning parades.
Parades are a huge part of the culture in Mobile, which touts itself as the birthplace of Mardi Gras, and marching bands are a huge part of every parade. After arriving on six buses, the Jaguar Marching Band spends an hour of downtime catching throws before they march behind Folly on the emblem float. Next, they’ll follow along the five-mile route.
Dr. Will Peterson, South’s director of bands, allows students to wear beads when they march in Mardi Gras parades, but only if the beads don’t impede them from playing their instruments. Band members sport three different types of specially designed, University-themed beads — coveted throws from President Jo Bonner this year.
A crowd favorite, the 15-year-old Jaguar Marching Band represents not only the University but also the city of Mobile and the Gulf Coast region as the members parade in their sharp red, white and blue uniforms. The theme for the 150th anniversary KOR parade was “150 Days of Knights.”
Plans are underway to build an indoor and outdoor complex that will provide a permanent home for the Jaguar Marching Band.
