By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

In the early 1990s, Jon Dallas attended a Gay Pride parade in Nashville and heard a marching band in the distance.

“It was the Atlanta marching band, I think,” said Dallas. “I was so impressed by their marching and their formations. They even had baton twirlers.”

Dallas, who had played in band in high school and college, remembers thinking, “Why does this not exist everywhere?”

Dallas eventually moved to Chicago and, in 1997, decided that it was time the Windy City had a GLBT band as well. That year he became one of the co-founders of Lakeside Pride Freedom Band, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Playing Out Productions, Lakeside Pride’s parent organization, now consists of several ensembles, including Lakeside Pride Symphonic Band; Lakeside Pride Freedom Band & Color Guard; SHOUT!, the Lakeside Pride Jazz Ensemble; the Lakeside Pride Orchestra; and a number of small ensembles.

Total membership in the organization, according to Board Chair Rhonda Tullis, is about 100 musicians. But Lakeside Pride traversed a long road to reach its current size.

Dallas had put out word that he would be forming a marching band for black gays and lesbians. He can’t remember how many other people showed up to his first organizational meeting at in July 1997.

“It was either zero or one,” he said. But six other musicians showed up to the first rehearsal later in the month, Tullis being one of them.

Since there were only a few people of color there, Dallas eventually realized, “This concept of a black marching band (didn’t) fly. I was thinking inside the box, assuming that there were a lot of out black lesbians and gays ready to come out and march in a band.”

“We had to be more inclusive,” he said.

The initial members met and rehearsed for several months. Tullis said it was hard finding music for a small group, and that they usually played from a book of pep band selections.

Dallas secured rehearsal space at Preston Bradley Center, on West Lawrence Avenue, where rehearsals are still held.

“They let us rehearse a long time without paying,” Tullis said.

The group’s first performance was on Belmont Avenue on a cold afternoon the following December, shortly after the band settled on their name, the Lakeside Pride Freedom Band.

“Tom Tunney let us perform in front of Ann Sather’s. He brought cinnamon rolls out to us,” Tullis said.

“I was scared as hell. It was like being on stage the first time. People were looking at us like we were crazy, but it was all good,” added Dallas.

The following June, Lakeside Pride made its debut in the Chicago Pride Parade—on the back of a flatbed truck that kept breaking down.

“We were too small a group to march yet,” said Dallas.

Many perplexed parade watchers called out to the band, “Why aren’t you marching?”

Lakeside Pride did begin actually marching the following year. The marching band—currently under the direction of Christy Zurcher—is usually given a prime spot towards the front of the parade. One year, when Gov. Blagojevich marched, he got behind and ended up in the middle of the band.

The symphonic band had its debut in December 1999 under the direction of Gerald Cole. Tullis remembers how moved she was being before an audience the first time.

“I was thrilled. I couldn’t believe people paid to see us,” she said. “I just about fell over.”

She added, “We developed musically when (membership) snowballed in the 1999-2000 season.”

Both she and Dallas credit the band’s then-manager Kevin Shuck, now director of marketing and development for the Berkeley Symphony, with helping to get the word out about Lakeside Pride.

“He was really web-savvy and gave us an online presence. A lot of people found us because of that,” Tullis said.

Thomas Kowalczyk debuted as director of the symphonic band in 2000 and still conducts their annual spring and winter concerts.

“He has so much energy. He basically built a program that runs on its own steam,” Tullis said.

Though its current membership makes it one of the largest gay GLBT bands in the country, Tullis said new members are always needed. She encourages anyone looking to take their old band instruments out of mothballs to give one of the ensembles a try.

“If you’re picking up your horn for the first time in years, you’re going to be rusty, that’s expected. I was at first,” she said.

She added that since the band has reached a milestone anniversary, Lakeside Pride hopes to do something special next spring.

“We’ve had 300-plus musicians over these 10 years,” Tullis said. “This spring we’ll be inviting alumni to join us on the stage.”

“This whole year is going to be a celebration for us,” she said.