By Matthew Abrey
琉璃神社 Secondary School鈥檚 infamous Airband was back for its 37th straight year on Thursday night, and the long-running spectacle once again, did not disappoint.
The judged competition, which was taken in by approximately 1,200 spectators, has evolved over the years, from a typical air-guitar and lip-sync competition, to a full-fledged display of synchronized dance numbers, hilarious skits, video introductions, and the use of insane glow-in-the-dark props, such as airplane replicas, and giant Chinese-style dragons.
The kids sure know how to entertain a crowd, but also how to come together and put on a show. The entire production is student-run, with KSS鈥檚 leadership classes making everything happen, from the lights and sound, to the staging, to the advertising.
Of course, they have a bit of help from leadership teachers Fane Triggs and Tony Sodaro, who together have been guiding and growing Airband for well over a decade. For Triggs, the total involvement and commitment from the students is what keeps him going.
鈥淎 lot of kids are involved,鈥� said Triggs. 鈥淎 lot of kids from different walks of life at KSS are involved, and that means a lot to me because we have backstage people, we having lighting and sound people, we have people performing on stage, we have people watching, we have people creating props, and we all work together in a big group effort every year to put on this show.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 honestly amazing,鈥� said Grade 12 student, Yvette Muteera. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so nice that we鈥檝e kept such an amazing tradition alive that has gone on for so long, and I鈥檓 so honoured to be a part of it.鈥�
The 10 groups performing ranged in size from a one-man-band, to a 30-person supergroup. At the end of the night, the all-Grade 12 boys group, Anchormen, took home the top prize, with two other Grade 12 groups, Business Class and The Seniors, taking home second and third respectively.
The competition also takes on a different theme every year, with this year鈥檚 theme being Late Night. As a result, the night鈥檚 MCs dressed up as late night TV hosts such as Jimmy Fallon, James Corden, and sportscasters Jay Onrait and Dan O鈥橳oole, who provided comedic skits between acts.
The school is already starting to plan next year鈥檚 spectacle, and if it is anything like this year鈥檚, audiences certainly will not be disappointed.
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