From Portsmouth NH, the Leftist Marching Band is a group of adults who support political issues that some folks would call liberal. We prefer to call them the good causes. Basically, we want to use the marching band genre to have fun, make music and create a unified progressive voice in the community. It’s about humanity, not political conflict. We want to combat fear with hope and humor.
The LMB is designed to accommodate everyone. Former marching band players should find the LMB to be a great way to recapture the camaraderie and enjoyment of the marching band experience. For musically challenged activists, the LMB flag corps offers a place to show your colors. Dancers, jugglers, puppeteers and any other performers are encouraged to participate. Our motto: “Our music is better than it sounds!”

The Leftist Marching Band supports political issues that some folks would call "liberal." We prefer to call them the "good causes." Basically, we want to use the marching band genre to have fun, make music, and create a unified, progressive voice in both the smaller and the larger community. We want to combat fear with hope and humor.

We are an open band – there is no audition – any player, twirler, or dancer who embraces our mission and makes it to rehearsals is welcome to join. We have musicians of all abilities and activists with differing political beliefs. It is an honest mixture of musicians – and in this way – we represent the diversity of our community.

We reject an economic basis to musical performance – we will not play for money; any donations are directed to support a public cause. This simple principle challenges many conventions and influences how and where we perform.

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We contribute a passionate, home-style musical program (and some very sparkly baton-twirlers). We present a fun, funky community-based vibe that lets the audience know that they could pick up a tambourine or just their dancing feet and join us. And they often do! We are a band focused on message and show it is possible to make a difference when driven by a sense of purpose (regardless of your musical skill).

Our band has performed at the following events, just to name the most recent.
Oct. 21, 2017 Play to celebrate opening of Sanders Point Beach (Rye, N.H.)
beach to public after lengthy legal battle
Jan 20, 2018 Women’s March, Portsmouth NH – Market Square, Portsmouth;
Feb 24, 2018 Play to support a local independent Pontine theater, Portsmouth, N.H.
March 24, 2018 Scheduled to play with March For Our Lives Protest, Portsmouth, N.H.

Usually we are invited to perform, but sometimes we spontaneously coalesce around an event - for example we like to perform at polling locations around the seacoast on election day. We do this not to support a particular candidate but to celebrate our democracy and our right to vote.

We are an open band. Anyone with a desire to join is welcome, and every gig we play we actively invite audience members to become band members. Portsmouth NH doesn't have a lot of racial diversity, but there are still plenty of disenfranchised. Our band proudly includes LGBTQ, the impoverished, the elderly and the cranks. The causes we support and the gigs we play universally support diversity. Our message and our music reiterates that over and over and over.

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