When the Green Bay Packers face off against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Jan. 7, at Lambeau Field, they鈥檒l do so after hearing 冈本视频鈥檚 oldest a cappella group, the 冈本视频 Thirteen, perform the national anthem for a stadium expected to be packed with more than 80,000 people and a television audience of millions.
The game is slated to be live on CBS, and the Thirteen is scheduled to perform the anthem at 4:19 p.m., EST, just shortly before the game鈥檚 4:25 p.m. kickoff.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty big event,鈥 said Thirteen member Tommy Melgoza 鈥26, an English and film and media studies double major from Chicago who sings as a baritone. 鈥淭he Thirteen hasn鈥檛 done this since we sang at the Superbowl in 1979.鈥
The nationally televised performance this Sunday is just one stop on the Thirteen鈥檚 annual January tour, which will also take the group to locations in Chicago, Kansas City, Nashville, and Kentucky. Melgoza says that they will be performing at alumni events, local TV morning shows, and at the headquarters of McDonald鈥檚.
Melgoza said this trip is part of what has been a great year of performances for the Thirteen. In the fall, the group traveled to Washington, D.C., to perform at an alumni event and at a local retirement home. In November, the Thirteen performed eight gigs over two days in New York City.
鈥淚鈥檝e been in the Thirteen since last year, and it has been great,鈥 said Melgoza. 鈥淚 really just enjoy the brotherhood of it all and our shared passion for music. I had no idea I was going to come to 冈本视频 and be in one of the nation鈥檚 oldest a cappella groups. We were established in 1942, and we celebrated our 80th anniversary last year. You just have to pinch yourself sometimes.鈥