The “Mean Green Marching Machine” is arguably one of the top bands in the SWAC. Mr. Russell Boone formed the Mean Green Marching Machine, Mississippi Valley State University’s premier marching band, in 1960. The Mean Green Marching Machine of MVSU also has one the best fight songs that goes by the name of “Devil’s Gun”. MVSU is location in Itta Bena, MS in the Mississippi Delta.
The “Sonic Boom” has made numerous halftime appearances for the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, and Cincinnati Bengals, as well as a television special for Motown’s 30th Anniversary and the 34th NAACP Image Awards, which featured a special guest appearance by “Cedric the Entertainer.” The band is a popular choice for halftime shows during football season, as well as parades in Mississippi and other states. Students in the Jackson State University Marching Band dubbed the band The Sonic Boom of the South in 1971. The band’s theme, “Get Ready,” an old Motown song, was chosen in 1974, and the “Tiger Run-On” was developed three years later.
