March Madness Marching Band’s story began with the launch of Local First Lexington (LFL), an alliance of independent, locally owned businesses. In October 2008, LFL’s founding Vice President Lori Houlihan initiated a meeting with local professional artists, hoping that LFL could be represented in Lexington’s downtown Christmas parade by a marching band in the tradition of… nothing this town had ever seen! Our goal: a moving musical metaphor for the diversity of high quality independent stores with unique options for holiday gift shopping.
MMMB surpassed our initial challenge with a symphony of mismatched musical instruments, a kaleidoscope of band-inspired costumes, a choreographed gaggle of hoop dancers, an array of unconventional, unpredictable dancers and spinners. Each of us a part of authentic Lexington, a delicious concoction from our quirky ingredients.
We soon demanded more. The “Best in Show” award for our maiden public performance was just the first of many times that MMMB has soared above artistic expectations of audiences accustomed to homogeneous entertainment. Word quickly spread of a colorful community band–and then professional musicians and event organizers realized that MMMB’s impressive talent outweighs the novelty of our costumes and spirit.
Over a decade, MMMB has repeatedly improved both the caliber of our art and the governance of our organization. We created a nonprofit corporation in 2010, and the IRS granted us tax-exempt status in 2012.
While we primarily perform in Lexington, we have dazzled audiences in parades, music festivals, and nonprofit events in cities near and far: Berea, Danville, Frankfort, Louisville, Nicholasville, and Somerset, KY; Detroit, MI; Memphis, TN; and Austin, TX (6 times!).
Our recent professional song and video: