U.S. Air Forces Central Band "Night Wing" performs for an audience of more than 2,000 people in Ala Too Square, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 16, 2012. "This was the first dance circle that I've seen with this group," said Airman 1st Class Dave Wilson, sound engineer for Night Wing. "It made it wicked-hard for me to mix, but everyone enjoyed [the show]." Night Wing is deployed from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)
Ala Too Square in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, is the sight of many historic landmarks and also the concert location for the U.S. Air Forces Central Band Night Wing's performance to help the Kyrgyz Republic celebrate International Museum Day, May 16, 2012. Night Wing, a seven-person band from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is touring Kyrgyzstan for 10 days. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)
Smiling through the rain, U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, Pamela Spratlen, listens to Col. James Jacobson's opening remarks at the Museum Night event held in Ala Too Square, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 16, 2012. Jacobson, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, introduced the U.S. Air Forces Central Band Night Wing before their performance. "The Band Night Wing being here tonight is a way for us to continue to be a good neighbor with you as you are gracious enough to host the Transit Center at the Manas International Airport. We work together most days to make the world a safer place, let's work together tonight to unite the two cultures via music and have a great night," he said. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)
Airman 1st Class Melissa Rager, a vocalist in the U.S. Air Forces Central Band "Night Wing," performs for a crowd of more than 2,000 people in Ala Too Square, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 16, 2012. Night Wing is deployed from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., and is touring Kyrgyzstan for 10 days. The performance in Ala Too Square was from the steps of the Kyrgyz State Museum of History to celebrate International Museum Day - May 18. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)
A fully developed rainbow filled the eastern sky as the U.S. Air Forces Central Band Night Wing performed at Ala Too Square in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 16, 2012, for an audience of more than 2,000 people. All seven Night Wing members are on their first deployment and are stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)
(r to l) Ruslan Kim, Tilek Bebykov and Maxim Kim enjoy music performed by the U.S. Air Forces Central Band Night Wing during a concert held on the steps of the Kyrgyz State Museum of History, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 16, 2012, in celebration of International Museum Day. Night Wing, deployed from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., performed more than 20 songs for an audience of more than 2,000 people. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)
Airman 1st Class Melissa Rager sings with 7-year-old Ilena during an outdoor concert in Ala Too Square, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 16, 2012. Rager is a vocalist with the U.S. Air Forces Central Band Night Wing deployed from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. The audience of more than 2,000 people included a vast range of ages from elders, to teenagers, to toddlers with their parents. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)
During a concert to celebrate International Museum Day, Senior Airman Ryan Rager, a keyboard player for the U.S. Air Forces Central Band "Night Wing" displays his skills while the band performs the song "Devil Went Down to Georgia" for an audience of more than 2,000 people in Ala Too Square, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 16, 2012. Night Wing was invited by Ms. Anarkul Isiralieva, the director of the Kyrgyz State Museum of History to help celebrate International Museum Day at the "Museum Night" event. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)
Airman 1st Class Melissa Rager, a vocalist with the U.S. Air Forces Central Band "Night Wing," sings to 14-month-old Bakai and his parents Talant and Aiperi during a concert at the Kyrgyz State Museum of History, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 16, 2012. This is Bakai's second Air Force band concert in his life. "He loves American music," Talant smiled. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)
Aliman Temirbek, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing media relations specialist who works at the Transit Center at Manas, sings the Adele song "Someone Like You" with Night Wing vocalist, Airman 1st Class Melissa Rager May 16, 2012, during an outdoor concert on the steps of the Kyrgyz State Museum of History, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. "It was very exciting to perform with a live band and I think it was a great example of U.S. and Kyrgyz partnership," Temirbek said. "We sang in English together and conveyed the same emotions in the song, and felt united for as long as the song lasted." (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)
by Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco
376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
5/17/2012 - TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan -- A group of seven U.S. Air Forces Central Band members, on their first deployment, performed on the Kyrgyz State Museum of History stairs in front of an audience of more than 2,000 people in downtown Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, May 16.
"Night Wing," the current AFCENT Band assigned to Southwest Asia, is touring Kyrgyzstan for 10 days. The performance on Wednesday was held in Ala Too Square as part of the "Museum Night" event to celebrate May 18th -- International Museum Day.
"Thank you so much for joining our event and helping us have a very successful museum night," said Ms. Anarkul Isiralieva, the director of the Kyrgyz State Museum of History, as she spoke with the band after the concert.
According to the International Council of Museums, every year since 1977, museums around the world organize International Museum Day events around May 18, and it is a way to raise awareness about the important role museums play in developing our societies.
When Night Wing began setting up for the concert on the museum steps, the sky looked ominous with dark blue rain clouds. As U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic Pamela Spratlen arrived under an umbrella, the rain began to fall and the band got nervous.
"Me personally, I was saying some last minute prayers," said Airman 1st Class Lee Heerspink, Night Wing vocalist and guitar player. "I was afraid they were going to announce us and we were going to have to just run out there and put the tarp over everything."
When it comes to rain performances, the NCO in charge calls it.
"I'm an NCO in charge that waits until it's almost too late," said Master Sgt. Rick Baisden, guitar player for Night Wing. "What I'm looking for is for no one to get shocked, the main thing is safety."
Col. James Jacobson, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing commander at the Transit Center at Manas, made some opening comments.
"Last September we were here and your fellow citizens of Bishkek rocked this place, I hope to see you do the same tonight," Jacobson said. "The Band Night Wing being here is a way for us to continue to be a good neighbor with you as you are gracious enough to host the Transit Center at the Manas International Airport. We work together most days to make the world a safer place, let's work together tonight to unite the two cultures via music and have a great night," he said.
As the band took the stage the rain continued to fall at a steady rate, but the sun came out.
"Look at that rainbow!" exclaimed Airman 1st Class Melissa Rager to the crowd as rain pelted her microphone and hands.
A fully developed rainbow eclipsed the Eastern sky as Rager, a Night Wing vocalist, sang the Katy Perry song "Firework".
"After a hurricane comes a rainbow," Rager sang.
Before traveling to Kyrgyzstan, Night Wing had performed in many locations throughout the Central Command area of responsibility for various groups of people. In Ala Too Square, the crowd ranged from elders, to teenagers, to toddlers with their parents.
"Sometimes you'll see certain age groups respond to different songs, but there was a universal love of music here," Rager said. "That was what drew me in and made me want to interact with them. They were all singing along and were all interested in what we were doing."
Aiperi and her husband Talant helped their 14-month-old son Bakai clap his hands to the music. "We were here last year seeing an Air Force Band when Bakai was only 6-months-old," Aiperi said. "He was so tiny then!"
"He loves American music," smiled Talant, Bakai's dad.
The crowd was encouraged to play cow bells, dance and even sing with the band.
"This was the first dance circle that I've seen with this group," said Airman 1st Class Dave Wilson, sound engineer for Night Wing. "It made it wicked-hard for me to mix, but everyone enjoyed [the show]."
Aliman Temirbek, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing media relations specialist, was invited to sing the Adele song "Someone Like You" with Melissa Rager. The keyboard music was provided by Senior Airman Ryan Rager, Melissa's husband.
"It was very exciting to perform with a live band and I think it was a great example of U.S. and Kyrgyz partnership," Temirbek said. "We sang in English together and conveyed the same emotions in the song, and felt united for as long as the song lasted."
"Seeing people comfortable enough with us to participate and dance is awesome," Heerspink said.
The Night Wing performers have been together as a band for eight months and they hail from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. The team is nearly finished with their 90-day deployment. They perform various rock, country, and some blues tunes and will even be performing Beatles' songs at a Beatles Festival this Saturday in Bishkek.
