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Send us a message inquiring about availability to play for your event. We typically play sets of 20-30 minutes each and are available evenings and weekends.
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Who is Reign City Riot?
Reign City Riot is Seattle's most inclusive sports band, supplying high-energy entertainment before, during, and after home matches for Reign FC, Seattle's NWSL soccer team. A joint venture of Reign FC and Rainbow City Performing Arts, Reign City Riot includes many members of other Rainbow City ensembles and music groups from around the community who share a common love of music, women's soccer, and bringing the spirit of the Reign to both the athletes and the fans.
What Reign City Riot Does
Reign City Riot performs sets both before and after Reign FC home matches as well as during the halftime break. Our drumline plays an extensive set of rallies during matches to keep the Reign supporters and fans on their feet and drive the team on to victory!
Our music consists of exciting, fresh arrangements of top charts you know and love! We're committed to promoting music written and performed by women, POC, and queer artists, playing set lists that resonate with the ever-diverse population of our city! From rock, to pop, trap, Latin, grunge, and disco funk, we’ve got it all!
In addition to Reign matches, we also perform in various events in our community from sports to Pride, corporate, private, and more. Inquire about our availability to liven up your next occasion!
How Reign City Riot is Different
As the first band supporting a professional women's team in all of American sports, we work together to build a family of musicians of all abilities and identities and create a welcoming space for you to express yourself with us through our shared love of performance. Our ensemble is also on the forefront of Seattle sports bands in intentionally focusing and uplifting songs by women, people of color, and queer artists.
Reign City Riot is presented by Rainbow City Performing Arts, who has been performing instrumental music in Seattle since 1998. Through collaboration and shared resources, we are building a strong-lasting legacy in Seattle with a welcome place for those who want to join our mission. All are welcome! Whether you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, an ally, differently abled, and/or still building musical skills, we are committed to securing a space and supporting everyone who is interested in expressing themselves on their instrument!
Interested in joining?
Reign City Riot's membership is closed for the current 2024 season but will be welcoming in new members in February 2025!
Common Membership Questions
How do you engage with the community?
We perform at all Seattle Reign FC home matches for tens of thousands of fans each season! Additionally, we perform at numerous other community events throughout the soccer season, including HonkFest West, Seattle Pride Hockey, and more!
When and where are the rehearsals? How long is the performance season?
Reign City Riot rehearses Wednesday evenings from 7 - 9p primarily at Lumen Field. Free parking is provided and Light Rail is located close by! There are occasional rehearsals in the U-District due to Lumen Field use conflicts. The rehearsal term starts in Feb-March and lasts throughout the season, typically ending in November. Rehearsals may become more intermittent in late soccer season (August-October) as time between matches lengthens.
Reign City Riot is also honored to collaborate with our sister Rainbow City Exhibition Ensembles, Rainbow City Marching Band & Rainbow City Color Guard, throughout the season - namely our halftime performance with RCCG on field at Lumen for Seattle Reign FC's Pride match! These collaborations involve some extra rehearsals including an all-day rehearsal camp in May.
Reign City Riot's strongest collaboration is with our drumline, the Rainbow City Drumline. RCD does offer their own additional rehearsals year-round, where members learn the many rallies and cadences that keep fans on their feet all match long.
What instruments could I play?
Reign City Riot has positions for Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax, Trumpet, Mellophone, Trombone, Baritone, Sousaphone, and Electric Bass.
Rainbow City Drumline has positions for Snare, Tenors/Quads, Bass Drum, and Marching Cymbals.
We have limited loaner instruments available through Rainbow City for member use.
What’s the skill level required? Is there an audition or cap on membership?
We welcome members of all skill levels! Many of our members joined us after a long break from playing. We work to create a supportive environment for you to build your skills, learn new ones, and have fun! There is no audition or limit to the number of members; however, Seattle Reign does impose a limit to the number of members who can perform at each match.
When can I join?
Contact us at any time to let us know your interest and we will connect you with the ensemble leadership to join at the next opportunity. Initial season rehearsals are in late Februrary - early March.
How do you distribute music?
All Rainbow City ensembles distribute music digitally through cloud links. You can print your own music to your preferred size specifications or load it onto a digital device. Specific parts are assigned by section leaders and distributed equitably across all members, providing members with opportunities to play parts that challenge them and/or suit their comfort range.
What are the basic requirements of membership?
We ask members to attend a minimum number of rehearsals in preparation for each match that they are scheduled to perform at. Member dues are $75 to cover the whole extended summer, or you can utilize our Angel Fund to cover your dues in case of financial need.
How do I sign up?
Send us your information and we'll get back to you with opportunities to join
Reign City Riot History
Our relationship with Reign FC began in the fall of 2015, when drumline member John Arrowsmith approached the Rainbow City board with a proposal to work with the Reign to provide drumline rallies at home matches. After working through logistics with the Reign, creating a book of drumline rallies, and plenty of rehearsal time, this new partnership was ready to debut in the spring of 2016. During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, the drumline became quick fan favorites as they pumped up the crowds at Seattle's Memorial Stadium.
As the Reign was planning for its 2018 season, it approached Rainbow City with a proposal to bring on winds and fill out a full pep band for the stands. Former Assistant Director of Rainbow City Concert Band, Erin Keeton-Howard, worked with the Reign, John, and the drumline to create a sports band experience for fans before, during, and after the game. The newly formed and named "Queen City Corps" was fan-tested in May 2018 for the first of a four-match pilot season (the drumline continued to play at all home matches.)
Fan response was instantly enthusiastic, and in 2019, we expanded to a full season of performances! With Reign FC's move to the more comfortable, higher-capacity Cheney Stadium, our ensemble got its new name: Reign City Riot. Wes Walton took the reins (so to speak) as Interim Director of RCR and, together with then-Artistic Director Timothy V. Norris, Jr., built a strong musical repertoire to keep the fans entertained. Covid struck in 2020, bringing the new Reign City Riot and newly rebranded OL Reign to a dwindle, but under Walton's leadership, we powered through and strode confidently into the 2021 season.
The 2022 season brought a host of changes for OL Reign, moving the team to the world-class Lumen Field in the heart of Seattle. With the move came the addition of a new theme for the Reign, commissioned by local composer, Haley Ashby. The triumphant theme can be heard performed by the Riot before and after every set at home matches and after every one of Seattle Reign's many, many goals!
Reign City Riot's popularity and size has grown every season since, and our visibility in the grand Lumen Field is now higher than ever, performing in front of record-breaking crowds. We are excited to continue our tradition of music for the now re-re-named Seattle Reign FC and hope you will join us in future seasons!