Greenbelters of all ages turned out on Friday evening for an enjoyable new way to celebrate the season: a parade of lights that began at the Firefly Sanctuary and ended at Roosevelt Center with a concert. Lights of all kinds were carried and worn by the participants, including handmade lanterns of great artistry along with examples of the latest in technology. The revelers marched and danced to the irresistible beat of Greenbelt’s own Honk! Situation band. Honk! leader Dan Gillotte and his merry band have amped up the fun level in Greenbelt, as Gillotte brought with him to his new home a great repertoire of musical numbers from Austin, Texas, where he played with the Dead Music Capital Band for 10 years.
The marching music featured upbeat numbers such as the ever-popular We Got That Fire, that kept feet moving forward as people enjoyed the cool, clear night. Once the Center was reached, the band arrayed themselves across the central plaza and the assembled onlookers were treated to a reprise of many of the boisterous and mischievous “scarols” that had so much entertained the crowd at the Krampusfest earlier in the month. As Gillotte noted, the band had worked hard to learn these and it didn’t make sense to perform them only once. Non-musician members of the Honk! group contributed to the fun by dancing in elaborate, creative costumes.
The many Honk! bands that have spread far and wide grew from a confluence of sources. The original Honk! festival has been held annually in Somerville, Mass., since 2006. It gathers activist and community street bands of many stripes to march in a parade also featuring artists such as the Bread & Puppet Theater, whose music was one source of inspiration for the founders. The music draws from the Second Line tradition of New Orleans African American music and dance in Mardi Gras parades. Some Honk! bands draw on styles as diverse as Balkan, Klezmer, Samba and Hip-Hop. They all share an informal, fun-loving style, play outdoors, are community-oriented and encourage public participation. Honk! festivals are now held in cities across the country.
The concert Friday evening included wicked, mischievous parodies of popular Christmas tunes such as Carol of the Bells, Sleigh Ride, Jingle Bells, the Nutcracker Suite and Here Comes Santa Claus. They were playfully twisted to refer, instead of Santa, to the legendary Krampus, who is supposed to come after naughty children at Christmas, with one of the catchiest songs being Here Comes Krampus. Such scary themes seemed to daunt no one, as the festive spirit prevailed.