MarchFourth Marching Band OFFICIAL WEBSITE: homepage.

We’ve updated our online store with a new selection of t-shirts, including ladies’ styles and new graphics. From now until May 15, any shirt purchase will come with a free copy of our first self-titled album ($15 value).

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Welcome!

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The kind of spectacle that deserves the word awesome. -Atlanta Journal Constitution

MarchFourth Marching Band (M4 to its fans) is a kaleidoscope of musical and visual energy that inspires dancing in an atmosphere of celebration.

More about M4: Aside from their marching band themed costumes, as well as the 5-piece percussion corps and 7-part brass section, M4 is far from a “marching band” in any traditional sense (though this group of about 20 has been known to parade down Main Street before taking the stage). M4 is anchored by funky electric bass and has been evolving into a more guitar- and vocal-driven musical experience. The show will take you on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the gypsy camps of eastern Europe to the African jungle by way of Brazil, echoing the deepest grooves of American funk, rock, and jazz then boiling it all together in cinematic fashion with high-stepping stilt-acrobatics and dazzling dancers. This genre-busting, in-your-face experience is not to be missed! What began as a Fat Tuesday party in Portland, OR. on March 4th 2003, has since become one of the nation’s best live touring acts.

May 3rd, 2013MarchFourth Marching Band: cultural ambassadors to China!

MarchFourth Marching Band from Portland, Oregon, USA, is embarking on a US State Department Cultural Exchange Tour in China, sponsored jointly by Sias International University, Sias Foundation, the United States Embassy in Beijing and the Government of Henan China Cultural Affairs. MarchFourth’s 18 performers (and 3 crew, including cameraman/documentarian Kevin Balmer of Diggable Monkey) will tour the Henan Province of China, putting on shows at universities, arts centers and public squares from May 21-June 3, 2013.

Since the Cold War era, trips like this to developing and/or communist countries have long been part of American cultural diplomacy efforts to showcase the American arts and, by extension, our way of life. Some of the first musicians to tour the world on the US State Department dime were jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. Though these programs declined somewhat in the second half of the 20th century, they were revived or ­reinvigorated after 9/11 in an attempt to downplay anti-US sentiments around the world.


March 26th, 2013Spring Tour 2013

Yesterday as we were loading up the tour bus for another trip across the USA, the sun was shining in our hometown of Portland. Daffodils were blooming, the cherry blossoms were out, but I guess we’ve got a hankering for a bit more winter because we’re heading east to the Rockies, then out to the Great Lakes and finishing up this trip on the east coast. This is the first tour of our new year (which starts on March 4th of course!) and we are so excited to present some new tunes, new routines and even a new band member or two! You’ll never know quite what you’re going to get since every show is different, but it’s a guaranteed good time. Do us a favor and take a moment to spread the word to any friends and family about our shows, particularly in Madison, WI and Ames, IA and Lincoln, NE and Philadelphia, PA. It helps a lot, thanks!
Huge armfuls of gratitude to everyone for all the birthday wishes over the past few weeks. We’ve really been feeling the love from our fans all these years, and especially in March as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our first show. Wow, ten years! It’s been so fun to look back over the years and see where this project has been. It was especially great to have so many of the M4 alumni back on stage for an encore song at our birthday show! If you want to take a peek back, check out this fun slideshow of M4 pics through the years, as seen through the lense of one of our Seattle fans. Our very own Kevin Balmer of Diggable Monkey did this 10-year retrospective mini-short film for Portland Monthly’s feature in March.
Check out all our spring tour dates below and we’ll see you on the road. Don’t fret if you don’t see your town on this route…we’ve got another 150 or so days on the road this year and there’s a pretty good chance our paths will cross again soon! As always, you can check our online calendar for the latest info since our summer tour is starting to take shape!
2013 spring tour dates
Tue., March 26 Park City, UT Park City Live
Wed., March 27 Telluride, CO Sheridan Opera House
Thu., March 28 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
Fri., March 29 Aspen, CO Spring Jam
Sat., March 30 Steamboat Springs, CO Gondola Plaza
Sun., March 31 Laramie, WY Gryphon Theatre
Tue., April 2 Lincoln, NE Bourbon Theater
Wed., April 3 Davenport, IA Redstone Room
Thu., April 4 Madison, WI Majestic Theater
Fri., April 5 Chicago, IL Martyrs
Sat., April 6 Minneapolis, MN Cabooze
Sun. April 7 Ames, IA DG’s Tap House
Tue., April 9 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
Wed., April 10 Harrisburg, PA Abbey Bar
Thu-Fri., April 11-12 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bowl
Sat., April 13 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Soundstage
Sun. April 14  Philadelphia, PA The Blockley