OSU Band Pay Epic Tribute to Van Halen With Rockin’ Halftime Show

The Ohio State University Athletic Band displayed their admiration for Van Halen over the weekend at Ohio State’s Spring Game for a crowd of more than 60,000.

On Saturday (April 16), the student group took to the field during halftime to deliver an almost 8-minute performance inspired by the rock band, delivering a choreographed segment that featured hit songs “Runnin’ With the Devil,” “Dreams,” “Panama” and “Jump.” The students moved in sync to spell out the band’s name, as well as song titles including “Dreams,” Jump” and “1984.”

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They also created shapes like the band’s wing-sporting logo, a stick figure playing guitar — in reference to late guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who died at age 65 in 2020 after a long battle with cancer — as well as a car that appeared to be lead singer David Lee Roth‘s 1951 Mercury Eight, first seen in the music video for “Panama.” The Athletic band

This isn’t the first time Ohio State’s gained attention for an impressive halftime show performance. Last year, the Ohio State University Marching Band, which unlike the Athletic Band, requires members to audition, went viral after paying tribute to Rush with a 14-minute performance titles “The Music of Rush” set to the tune of the band’s most recognizable songs. Almost 100,000 fans watched the musicians move in unison to “The Spirit Of Radio,” “2112,” “Limelight,” “Closer to the Heart,” “Fly By Night,” “Red Barchetta,” “YYZ” and “Tom Sawyer.” The performance — which was a tribute to Rush drummer Neil Peart, who died in 2020 — left surviving members of the band “speechless.”

Check out the Ohio State University Athletic Band’s Van Halen-themed performance below.

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