September 17, 2022

Michigan Marching Band plays ‘Mr. Brightside’ while fans belt out lyrics at Big House [Video]

If you are a fan of the Michigan Wolverines, it has been a pretty fun day so far at the Big House as they currently lead Connecticut 59-0 with about 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

During halftime of today’s game, the Michigan Marching Band got the fans fired up by playing ‘Mr. Brightside’ by The Killers.

Check it out.

Mr. Brightside at the Big House with the @umichband during the UConn halftime. @thekillers pic.twitter.com/3cXMRhN6Uo

— Maize & Blue Nation 🏈🌹🏆📸 (@MaizeBlueNation) September 17, 2022

Michigan vs. UConn Should be No Contest

Origin of Michigan Football playing ‘Mr. Brightside’ by The Killers

From MLive:

For much of the past five seasons, “Mr. Brightside,” a 2003 song from the Las Vegas band The Killers, has played during Michigan football home games, typically near the end of the third quarter. Many fans, especially those in the student section, enthusiastically sing along.

The first time “Mr. Brightside” blared through the Big House speakers was on Oct. 1, 2016, during a game against Wisconsin.

Kurt Wisenbaugh was the director of game presentation for the Michigan athletic department at the time.

In a recent interview, some of the aforementioned characteristics of “Mr. Brightside” are mentioned to him. The song might not pump up fans and athletes quite like, say, Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” another song once regularly played at Michigan Stadium.

“The purpose wasn’t necessary to hype them up,” Wisenbaugh said. “We obviously have moments, specifically on defense, when we want to get them hype and get them loud, but we also want to create moments of fun and unity. Most people enjoy sing-along songs so we wanted to try some different ones.”

“Sweet Caroline” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” have been played at Michigan football games in recent years.

“We noticed that for some reason, the early 2000s songs seemed to relate to the students,” Wisenbaugh said. “I don’t know why to be honest.” He suggested that perhaps those songs have the same “throwback” appeal that early 90s songs would have to people in their early 40s.

Enter “Mr. Brightside” for the 2016 Wisconsin game.

“That song seemed to work,” Wisenbaugh said.

Newsletter

Don't miss

W.G. Brady is a Detroit-based journalist who has been covering the Detroit sports scene for Detroit Sports Nation for several years. He is in his early 30s and has a wealth of experience in the industry. Throughout his career, W.G. has established himself as a respected and knowledgeable journalist known for his in-depth coverage of the teams and athletes in Detroit. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for sports, W.G. has become a go-to source for fans and readers looking for the latest news and analysis on the Detroit sports scene. He has a good reputation in the sports community and is respected for his unbiased coverage of sports events. W.G. is known for his ability to uncover hidden stories and provide unique perspectives on the teams and athletes he covers. He has a good understanding of the city of Detroit and its sports culture, which he uses to inform his reporting and analysis. He continues to be a respected journalist in the Detroit sports industry.