Air Force performance group, 'Tops in Blue,' staging free show in Monterey Feb. 8

By Presidio of Monterey Public AffairsJanuary 27, 2011

Air Force performance group, 'Tops in Blue,' staging free show in Monterey Feb. 8
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Air Force performance group, 'Tops in Blue,' staging free show in Monterey Feb. 8
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Air Force performance group, 'Tops in Blue,' staging free show in Monterey Feb. 8
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Air Force performance group, 'Tops in Blue,' staging free show in Monterey Feb. 8
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Air Force performance group, 'Tops in Blue,' staging free show in Monterey Feb. 8
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PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. - The U.S. Air Force is pleased to announce that Tops in Blue, the U.S. Air Force's premier entertainment group, will perform locally in February.

The event is scheduled for the Golden State Theatre at 417 Alvarado Street in Monterey from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 8.

The group's primary purpose is to perform for military personnel and their families throughout the world. Acknowledging how closely our local military and civilian communities are intertwined, the Air Force has opened this performance to the public.

Air Force Col. William "Terry" Bare, assistant commandant of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center and commanding officer of the 517th Training Group, invites the public to "see Air Force talent at its best."

Bare said that "the Tops in Blue show is exciting, free and great entertainment for the entire family."

This year's show, entitled "We Believe," features the cool R&B music of Stevie Wonder, the swingin' sounds of Michael Buble, Montgomery Gentry's all-American country music, hits by Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas and more.

Tops in Blue is one of the oldest and most widely traveled entertainment groups of its kind. Composed of 35 to 40 of the most talented vocalists, musicians, dancers, and technicians in the Air Force, their primary purpose is to perform for military personnel and their families throughout the world. However, the enormous popularity of the group has also made them America's goodwill ambassadors around the globe.

Through music, precision choreography, and dazzling lights and special effects, Tops in Blue celebrates the belief in family, in patriotism, in the hope of the future and appreciation for the freedoms enjoyed in this great country, according to the group's fact sheet.

Each year, Air Force personnel stationed worldwide compete in a multilevel competition for the right to be selected as a member of this elite organization. The Tops in Blue team is an all-active-duty U.S. Air Force special unit made up of talented performers selected for their entertainment abilities.

Tops in Blue has a distinctive history, spanning 57 years. Since its first world tour in 1953, the group has also performed on film, produced albums, and appeared on national television with such legends as Ed Sullivan, Bob Hope, Alabama, Barbara Mandrel, Boyz II Men, Lee Greenwood and many others.

They performed the entire half-time shows for the 1981 Garden State Bowl and Super Bowl XIX. Tops in Blue has appeared in front of hundreds of thousands of fans at NASCAR events. In 2005, they performed the National Anthem for Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Tops in Blue has performed for heads of state and dignitaries throughout the world.

They have toured throughout Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, the Far East, Middle East, Central America, Southwest Asia, Canada, and all 50 of the United States. Countries such as Taiwan, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Iceland, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Albania, Vietnam, Cuba, Africa and Iraq have all experienced the extraordinary entertainment of Tops in Blue.

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