A progressive pep band
The Leftist Marching Band brings energy to activism
Every Monday at Strawberry Banke, a marching band of all stripes comes together to practice.
There’s no set number to this band, no formal leader. But you cannot say the Leftist Marching Band does not have direction. For 21 years, they have been playing protests and parades, usually those with a progressive inclination. John Mayer said that, from the beginning, their goal has been to inject energy and humor into demonstrations.
“One of our founding members was at some parade and seeing all this support for conservative causes,” said John Mayer, an early bandmember, speaking of the LMB’s founding. “And he was thinking, ‘The left needs a pep band.’ So, he began it, and we’ve continued to be true to that mission.”
Despite its name, the group is open to all political affiliations and claims no particular ideology, instead encouraging its members to “consider all perspectives and think for yourself.” Supported organizations Climate Action Now and LGBTQ+ group Seacoast Outright are listed alongside the Portsmouth Athenaeum and Gather NH. Members say the increasingly politicized nature of those causes makes their brand of activism more crucial than ever, but need to come with extra precautions.
For one, some group members are careful about putting their names out there, Mayer said. A member was once disqualified from a job because they had been identified as being part of the band. They are encouraged to use “Sharky McGee” as an alias if they are worried about being identified in the press.
The group also participated in de-escalation training this winter to learn how to respond in case of threats. Mayer said they had never done something formal like that before, but “our world today is much different than it was six months ago,” he said. “People might be emboldened to speak out against us in ways that before, they might not have.”
People of all backgrounds and ability levels are welcome to join, and there is no audition or membership fee. Playing a gig is a lot less stressful than standing on a stage, said saxophonist Rebecca Beaulieu, because there is less pressure to perform perfectly.
“We’re all there for the same reasons and enjoy playing together,” she said.
Beaulieu works for a climate nonprofit, but she believes playing music brings a unique energy to activism beyond normal demonstration.
“It’s really easy in the political atmosphere we’re in to feel down about how things are going in the world,” she said. But having a band play during an activist event is “one way to remind ourselves that, even if the work is hard for trying to make a better world, you still have to have fun and bring joy to those things.”
Such a mission draws players from beyond the Seacoast region: Sarah Bennett, a clarinet player from Salem who has played with LMB for 15 years, drives an hour one way to practice. But the relaxed atmosphere draws her in, as well as the lower-stakes environment compared to a more professional band.
The fun is somewhat tinged with worry — Bennett says she’s not too worried about herself as “a little old white lady,” but she worries the band’s diversity might attract negative attention.
“The messages have always been important, and now more so than ever,” Bennett said.
“There’s this ragtag feeling of we’re all in this together,” she added.
On a brisk March evening, about 17 members had gathered in the Strawbery Banke carpentry shop arranged in a circle. People take turns picking the song and leading the group through it. LMB occasionally writes and plays its own music, but set lists often include pop songs like Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” or more serious tunes, like the Italian anti-fascist theme “Bella Ciao.”
Mayer takes the lead through the first few songs, conducting while playing the saxophone. One finger in the air cues one section of the band to drop in; two signals to the second half when it is their turn; and with a whoop, a twirl of his finger overhead, and a crescendo of horns, the whole band comes back together.
Parades, protests and more
Joining the Leftist Marching Band
By Suzanne Laurent
What is that?” my late husband asked as we drove from Peirce Island in Portsmouth after we had walked our dog. The year was 2011, and we had recently moved to Portsmouth.
Just beyond the parking lot was what looked like a local community band. Yet, there was something different. They were kind of a diverse group of adults playing instruments and genuinely looking like they were having fun.
We found out from our Realtor that it was Portsmouth’s own Leftist Marching Band (LMB). We were hooked. We tried to catch them performing in Market Square and playing in parades.
I joined the band in January 2016 as an auxiliary percussionist. My husband died in 2015, and he actually gave me a red tambourine for Christmas in 2014, hoping I’d join the band.
I eventually took up the snare drum after a few lessons at the Portsmouth Music and Arts Center. I also went to a Goodwill store to find some fun hats to wear to gigs.
I’ve been to Montreal, Boston, and many cities and towns in New Hampshire to support causes I believe in — demonstrations against deportation, Moms Against Gun Violence, Black Lives Matter, to name a few.
The LMB is part of a larger scene of street activist bands from around the country and as far away as Brazil and France. It was founded in 2004 during former President George W. Bush’s re-election campaign.
The United States had militarily intervened in Iraq, and the division between the anti-war movement and supporters for the war was extreme.
One of the band’s long-standing members said the climate then, as it is today, was extremely vitriolic. LMB wanted to use the marching band tradition to show you could be against the Iraq war and still be patriotic.
With the current administration, the band is being more proactive in learning how to deescalate any possible confrontations and stay safe.
Each October, LMB participates in the HONK! three-day festival in Somerville, Massachusetts, which includes performances, direct action protests and a parade to Harvard Square in Cambridge.
After attending four HONK! festivals, a deportation demonstration in Montreal and joining with the band in PRIDE parades and the Portsmouth Halloween Parade, I found an eclectic group of people — all with similar values. I haven’t looked back.
This article was featured in 603 Diversity.
603 Diversity’s mission is to educate readers of all backgrounds about the exciting accomplishments and cultural contributions of the state’s diverse communities, as well as the challenges faced and support needed by those communities to continue to grow and thrive in the Granite State.
