PETALING JAYA: Music lovers at the 1 Utama Shopping Mall here were treated to a shock and awe campaign of a different kind via funky grooves and melodic refrains during a musical showcase by a branch of the US Marine Corps last night.
The III Marine Expeditionary Force Band took to the stage at 7.30pm to perform a set of 13 popular songs that straddled the disco, K-Pop, rock and R&B genres to about 200 people who gathered at the mall's Luxe zone.
Some of the numbers that the nine-member band played during the hour-long free concert included Michael Jackson's P.Y.T., Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough and Rock With You, Dua Lipa's Don't Start Now and Levitating, and Katy Perry's Teenage Dream.
Others were Paramore's Ain't It Fun, Earth, Wind & Fire's September, Journey's Separate Ways, BTS' Butter and Bruno Mars' That's What I Like.
The band with a brass section, easily had heads bopping, feet-tapping and a few young children dancing along to the upbeat tracks sung by Corporal Emily Figueroa.
Based in Okinawa, Japan, the III Marine Expeditionary Force Band is in Malaysia in conjunction with the upcoming US Independence Day celebrations.
Following this free public showcase, the band is expected to perform at the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur tonight.
"The purpose of the band is to build community relationships, specifically with different countries, and build relationships with our partner nations," said Figueroa when met after the show.
The singer, who has been in the military and the band for four years now, added: "It's been fun."
Bandmaster, Master Gunnery Sergeant J. Michael Stanley, explained that there were many configurations of ensembles under the III Marine Expeditionary Force Band.
"This is our popular music group but we also have a jazz group, a brass band and full wind orchestras.
"We're based in Okinawa so we are the only US Marine band in the entire eastern hemisphere.
"Each year, our band as a whole has about 350 to 400 engagements around the region and this particular group has performed roughly 30 to 40 times since the start of 2023," he said.
Stanley added that the band had previously performed in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Lumut with the last engagement carried out in 2019.
"We're very happy to be back and we love it here, the people are great. We love supporting the US embassy here but, more importantly, we love the connection that we have with the Malaysian people," he said.
The III Marine Expeditionary Force Band was previously in Kathmandu, Nepal and will be leaving for Thailand, followed by Guam, after completing its engagements in Malaysia.
"Music brings people together and I feel like we can all use a lot more music in our lives especially these days.
"There's enough division in the world. There's nothing like being able to come out and put a public face and product together with music to communicate the language of cooperation.
"I feel that it's an important message for everybody," he said.