UPDATE (Saturday 5:41 pm): Purdue Band receives standing ovation at the Big House
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 11/06/2009
Brandon Reese | Senior Photographer
The Purdue Band plays Michael Jackson's "Thriller" during halftime at Michigan Stadium.
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When the Boilermakers are playing away from home, the Purdue band is still receiving standing ovations.
The few Purdue fans that traveled to Ann Arbor, Mich. didn't have much to cheer for with the Boilermakers being down 24-10 at halftime to Michigan. The Purdue band's halftime show, however, was met with strong applause by the Wolverine faithful.
The band's halftime show features its rendition of Michael Jackson's song "Thriller."
At one point during the show, the band drops their instruments and does the dance from Michael Jackson's famous music video. When the band members picked up their instruments and awkwardly limped back to their places like zombies, they were met by standing fans.
"We find that band people are very good at music and they're good at marching," drum major Kenny Eneboe. "But when it comes to choreography, it's really not something we're trained to do, but, as you saw, with a little bit of encouragement, people seem to do a pretty good job."
Eneboe said that the band practices their routine for two hours per day and he had some kind words for the Michigan fans that gave them applause. At other stadiums, he said he's heard boos.
"At Michigan, their fans are mature enough to know that the band doesn't play the game," Eneboe said. "Sure, it's a very intense stadium, and a very intense atmosphere, but the crowd knows that we put in as much work as they do to support their team and that's the bottom line."
At the end of the game, Eneboe saw his hard work pay off when the Boilermaker players charging the band in celebration after the team's 38-36 win over Michigan. Then, he was lost in the crowd of celebrating football players and band members.