As far as traditions go, the Mustang Band has them in abundance. On Friday night, approximately 230 students and alumni gathered in Umphrey Lee Center’s Mack Ballroom to celebrate one of Homecoming’s longest standing events. The 77th Pigskin Revue, a variety show put on by the Mustang Band, featured an assortment of acts. The audience was treated to music, comedy, dance and even some magic.
General admission to Pigskin was $10, however students received free entry with their SMU IDs. The sit down dinner portion of the event was $40.
Mustang Band announcer Charles Campbell MC’d, as the band played an of array music in between six original acts. Jaime Zolfaghari and Ted Powell, who played the xylophone and piano, respectively, received the night’s first standing ovation. SMU sophomore Julian Spearman, also known by his stage name J-Spear, performed an original composition on the keyboard and was also well received by the crowd.
“I’m glad they [the audience] got the humor, I was afraid they wouldn’t get any of the quirky little things I do on stage,” he said. “It was a really energetic audience and I’m happy for that.”
The night’s other acts included the Mustang Mavericks, SMU’s country western dance team, all male A-Cappella group Southern Gentlemen, Voices of Inspiration Gospel Choir and magician Trigg Watson.
SMU alumni band member and class of 1970 graduate, Randy Raglin, enjoyed the collection of acts.
“The band has obviously worked hard, they did a great gob,” he said. “I love the old big band tunes. The acts were very diverse, very good, very professional.”
In the past few years the event has seen a drop in student attendance and last year it was held at the Hotel Palomar for alumni only.
Pigskin Revue Student Producer and Mustang Band Drum Captain, Evan Taylor, sought to revive the tradition and bring it back to its original glory days.
“Our whole vision was just getting a lot of different students involved, so I figured the best way to do that was to get a variety of acts,” he said.
Next year, Taylor hopes Pigskin will be included in the homecoming point system and believes this year’s event was a step in the right direction.
“I’m very proud, I really couldn’t have asked for more,” he said. “It ended up being more than I ever imagined, I have so many people to write thank you notes for I don’t even know where to start.”
