About U.S. Air Force Band of the West
The USAF Band of the West travels more than 125,000 miles annually and provides hundreds of performances to military and civilian audiences throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Puerto Rico. The organization is made up of the large ensembles Concert Band, Ceremonial Marching Band, Dimensions in Blue, and two popular music groups, Top Flight, and Velocity. Small ensembles within the unit include Freedom Brass, Spectrum Winds, Mission Winds, and protocol combos. This diversity enables the USAF Band of the West to perform practically any style of music from classical and country to marches and mambos.
The USAF Band of the West has a long lineage in the United States Air Force. The band was created on October 1st, 1941 at Moffett Field, California and moved to Enid Army Airfield soon after. With the birth of the United States Air Force in 1947, the band moved to what eventually became Lackland Air Force Base. The band was inactivated in 1955 but reactivated in 1959. The title "Band of the West" was used for years until May 1st, 1997 when it was granted official status.
In 2011, the USAF Band of the West was awarded its sixth Colonel George S. Howard Citation of Musical Excellence for Military Concert Bands. The band received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the ninth time in 2012 due to its exemplary contributions to Air Force recruiting and community relations programs.
This is a ticketed, free general admission concert. Each guest will need a ticket for entry. Please secure your tickets in advance by contacting SCF Box Office.
To obtain your ticket for this special concert please follow one of the below methods (please indicate any accessible seating requirements):
- Call the SCF Box Office @ 941.752.5252
- Email the SCF Box Office @ [email protected] (please include your name, phone number, email address, and number of tickets needed.)
Please Note: The SCF Box Office is closed for in person transactions during the college winter break until Thursday, January 8th.
SCF Neel Performing Arts Center
Since 1966, the SCF Neel Performing Arts Center has served as a cultural center for Manatee and Sarasota counties hosting both College and community-sponsored events. The main performance hall remodeled in 1999 features a 65 x 40 foot stage, seating for 830 patrons, as well as wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms. The magnificent Elizabeth M. Eaton Memorial Pipe Organ, a 50-rank, 3-manual instrument built by master craftsman Charles McManis, was rededicated in October 2000.
