Web Extra: Pronk! Takes the City by Storm

More than fifteen street bands will come marching, cymbal crashing and tooting their own horns into India Point Park for Providence Honkfest (Pronk!) on October 14 at 3 p.m.

More than fifteen street bands will come marching, cymbal crashing and tooting their own horns into India Point Park for Providence Honkfest (Pronk!) on October 14 at 3 p.m. The mission of the festival is to “reclaim the streets with brass, beats and feet.” One of those bands is the Extraordinary Rendition Band, known for spontaneous outbursts of music in support of local organizations like Rhode Island Pride and the Urban Pond Procession.

One of the five founders, Michael David Gore, shared fun facts about the festival and the band: 1. ERB costumes involve anything red, white and shiny. “We imagine ourselves as musical superheroes,” says Gore, whose own getup includes a feathered, sequined Indonesian pirate mask and a white leather bike vest embellished with flowers. 2. The group has twenty-plus members ranging from Vietnam War veterans who were once members of military bands to students from Vartan Gregorian Elementary School. 3. A common goal is to activate underutilized public spaces. “Using India Point Park during the day for a free, family-oriented festival is ideal,” Gore says. 4. For Pronk!, a parade of more than 200 local, national and international musicians will march down Wickenden Street to the hurricane barrier. 5. The band is always accepting new members, especially those who have experience with the sousaphone, tuba, trumpet and percussion. Rehearsals are always open to the public on Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the hurricane barrier or in India Point Park. providencehonkfest.org

Video of ERB at Pronk! Video by Rtboarder09 on YouTube. Photo by Jori Ketten.