Judging purely by the sight and sound, everything about the Southern Regional High School Golden Rams Marching Band’s halftime performance on a recent Friday night looked normal.

Drum major Lucas Haberstroh kept time from atop his perch and directed with precision, even as he peered through bright yellow, slatted glasses reminiscent of the 1980s. The color guard’s ladies, adorned with plenty of fluorescent touches, including leg warmers, gracefully glided through their various twirls and tosses.

The woodwind, brass and percussion crews made their hit tunes sound every bit as hip as they were during the heydays of…