Most Underrated Texas Bands - Music

[achase]

What are some of the most underrated Texas bands specifically with regard to Music and playing ability? I started thinking about this topic after watching a bunch of marching shows going back twenty years looking for bands to highlight that aren't talked about much here. 

2008-2009 Friendswood stands out to me for being particularly underrated for their music, and I love a lot of their Richard Saucedo-composed shows. I believe they flew under the radar because they were based in the Houston area, where previously successful marching bands were largely on the decline, and because they had gotten 2nd and 4th so many times at 4A State but never won. That pattern continued from 2003 until 2015, when the band began to fall off from where they had been.

Some notable accolades for Friendswood in 2008 and 2009: 

• 3rd in Ensemble Music (18.70/20) at 2008 BOA San Antonio Finals, behind only Marcus and LD Bell 
• 2009 4A Honor Band (also in 2005) 
• 3 1sts from all 3 judges in Music at 2009 Area F, 3 1sts in Music at 4A State Prelims, 2 1sts and a 4th at State Finals, which cost them the state title to Dripping Springs 

I guess history favors the victor, but I have to imagine people would have viewed them differently if they had beaten Dripping Springs in 2009 and gotten that win they had been seeking. What other bands are underrated for music? How is Friendswood doing now? I would love to hear more examples so I can follow your band (or ones you like) in the coming year! 

[lost]

I think this is a really cool topic and something I’ve been thinking of.

For every band that has a breakout season and becomes a mainstay contender, more bands are left fighting in the bubble and fade off after a few years.

Friendswood is probably one of the best examples for this. There are others I just can’t think of right now.

 

[LostChoirGuy]

I keep thinking back to JJ Pearce.  I loved their show back when they made Waco finals and thought their musicianship was phenomenal.

I wouldn't say they are underrated necessarily, but Keller Central often gets forgotten in relation to their Keller counterparts and they are always solid.

Trinity is another example of a band that gets overlooked because of the high quality of other local bands but is really good as well. 

[LeanderMomma]

9 hours ago, LostChoirGuy said:

I keep thinking back to JJ Pearce.  I loved their show back when they made Waco finals and thought their musicianship was phenomenal.

I wouldn't say they are underrated necessarily, but Keller Central often gets forgotten in relation to their Keller counterparts and they are always solid.

Trinity is another example of a band that gets overlooked because of the high quality of other local bands but is really good as well. 

So true about Keller Central!  And Tom Glenn in Leander ISD but I have a suspicion that could be changing soon. 

[Tubalord11]

8 minutes ago, LeanderMomma said:

So true about Keller Central!  And Tom Glenn in Leander ISD but I have a suspicion that could be changing soon. 

Glenn is definitely on the rise! I wouldn’t be to surprised if we some them making finals at a boa comp or moving ahead of one of the other Leander isd 5A schools at area! I would also agree about KC, Trinity, who every time I see at boa dfw is fantastic yet they can’t seem to make finals these days, and Pearce, who always does great at local contest, but not so much at area(at least recently). For me personally, it would have to be Timber Creek. I get their 19 show, but 18,21,&22 were, at least imo, state and boa San Antonio finals worthy shows. They also seem to do well at boa dfw/ local comps, but for some reason are always a couple out at the big ones, which is always mind boggling to me.

[ReveriesOp24]

Belton HS and Lake Belton HS bands are honestly underrated IMO. Lake Belton went to the state marching contest two years in a row, and those two years were the first that they were even open at all. I think because they're in area D, and Belton had been 6A up until 2022, they were covered up, and also probably because they're from a small town but that could just be me.

 

I know this was supposed to be about marching band but in the same region, Midway HS's wind ensemble is one of the best I've ever seen for a high school band. They took Wine-Dark Sea by John Mackey (all of it) to UIL in 2022 and was absolutely amazing