CASSOPOLIS — For the fourth time in the last five annual Otsego Band Invitationals, the Cassopolis Ranger Band marched away with a Class D first-place finish.
Well-known across southwestern Michigan for innovative marching show designs, this year’s show featured a pirate-themed performance titled “SCURVY DOGS ON PARADE.”
On Saturday, Sept. 28, the Ranger Varsity Marching Band voyaged north again to Otsego for the 39th Annual Otsego Band Invitational. Their 2024 season show is an attempt to explore the mythos and lingering cultural grip pirates still hold on our collective psyche. The show featured swashbuckling favorites including Gilbert & Sullivan’s “I Am A Pirate King,” the internet-famous viral sensation “The Wellerman,” along with music from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” plus the punk-rock-pirate-classic-closer “Pieces of Eight” by the West Coast powerhouse Captain Bogg & Salty.
In addition to plundering the Class D overall 1st place performance, the Ranger Band also captured Best Music and Best Percussion. The captain and the crew set sail again at MSBOA Marching Festival (7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 at Berrien Springs High School) and the Vicksburg Marching Invitational (4:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 at Vicksburg High School).