Extraordinary Rendition Band

Extraordinary Rendition Band is a marching band from Providence, RI. Comprised of up to 25 members, they play ‘guerilla-style’ marching band music with intent to raising awareness and opening minds. The idea is expressed in their name, which is something of a double entendre. They have been active since 2008.

     Marching bands have a very rich history going back a very long time, growing out of groups of musicians who would gather to play at festivals. As time passed, this type of outfit became confined to the military sector, as the musicians were needed to help direct troop movements. Eventually the powers that be realized that this was an incredibly bad use of resources, and discontinued the practice.

      As of the current moment, marching bands are most strongly identified with football and events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. This automatically sets ERB and other grassroots style marching bands apart. While operating from a point of view that is decidedly left of center, the spirit of the paradigm invoked still relates to the idea of civic function. In this sense, ERB are rooted in tradition, even as they seek to use that tradition in service to the present moment.

     A trip to their main website reveals that they consider themselves to be a ‘grassroots, guerilla-style marching band’. Membership is open to all ages and ability levels. They reserve the right to play for whatever causes they feel inspired to support. The point here isn’t to create something elitist, but egalitarian in its overall purpose. This is about music as a social activity that brings people together and builds a sense of community.

     Given that this is Providence, performances by the Band seem to carry an air of gleeful anarchy. At times, one of the instrumentalists might possibly break into song, the band falling right in line behind whoever is vocalizing. It appears that there is even a bit of choreography to round out the performances; that or some inspired improvisational movement.

      The band possesses a fairly varied songbook. Smooth Criminal, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, A Las Barricadas, and Matador are among the tunes you might possibly hear at a given performance. “Get up, Stand up” undergoes a fairly unique treatment.

     At this point in time, I’ve only had the opportunity to witness this thing via Youtube. Luckily, the sound quality is passable enough that everything is fairly clear. The sense of ensemble is generally good; the interaction of the percussion is particularly good, and imparts some serious bounce at times.

     The biggest challenges would seem to lie in the realm of metric discipline; a clear understanding of where the downbeats are would seem to be the most fundamental requirement to achieve a strict sense of ensemble. Factor in the lack of a conductor and the need to actually perambulate and you have the makings of a potential musical disaster. Yet, somehow, the desire of the group prevails, and a way is found amongst the seeming chaos. The end result is a band that has disciplined itself through the usual rigor of rehearsal.

     Everyone is invited to join in. Attendance policy is fairly strict, and beginners, while definitely welcome, are advised to be patient in assimilating the material. At the same time, anyone who has any interest that may suit the intentions of the organization is welcome to join; there are possibilities for participation that are not directly music related.

     They can be found online at:

http://www.facebook.com/extraordinary.rendition.band

http://extraordinaryrenditionband.com/