KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Current’s Blue Crew Surface Tension percussionists are ready to bring the tempo this weekend.
Carrie Epperson, North Kansas City High School band director, led the effort to drive drums over 1,000 miles from the high school to Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
“Those players are running for that whole time, we should be running too,” Epperson said.
Epperson says her job is to run beats and build tension.
“You watch the flow of the game and drum along to it — you are literally a part of the whole atmosphere,” she said.
Keeping energy and noise up throughout a match is Epperson's key to success, saying her goal in D.C. is to "annoy Portland as much as I can."
Her consistent encouragement of fans to be just as supportive in the 90th minute as the first helped land her in her new position with Surface Tension, along with her experience.
“I had mentioned to the Blue Crew that I could play drums if they wanted,” she said.
Now under her leadership, the group is composed of NKCHS students, fellow North KC School District teachers, a band director from Joplin and Epperson's wife, who she met in the University of Central Missouri marching band.
“This year I have exponentially grown when it comes to my soccer fandom,” she said.
With Kansas City fully embracing teal, anticipation is high for the NWSL Championship match at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29.
The Current take on the Portland Thorns.
