He smiled and added: “Are the Blue Angels here?”
Not this year. The Thunderbirds are headlining the show Saturday and Sunday. Expect the Blue Angels in the summer of 2026.
Sinise’s Lt. Dan Band — named after the much-loved character Sinise played in the 1994 film “Forrest Gump,” Lt. Dan Taylor — started playing in 2003, as a way to support troops deploying in the early days of the War on Terror. By March this year, Sinise and his fellow musicians had performed more than 580 shows for hundreds of thousands of people.
The shows are typically ways to have fun, while serving as expressions of gratitude to members of the military and first-responders.
The band could be heard and seen rehearsing Friday afternoon in the field next to the recreation complex, playing uptempo rock, pop and country covers. Wearing a FDNY ball cap and sunglasses, Sinese anchored the low end with a Fender Jazz bass.
“There are always great crowds,” Sinese said, speaking in the shade outside the Vandalia Recreation Center. “These are veteran-friendly crowds that come to the air shows. So we love doing it.”
He added: “It’s the first time we’ve been here, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Flight Fest is new as an Dayton Air Show festivity, a way to kick off what show organizers have always called “Dayton’s biggest summer party.”
Flight Fest is a free community event taking place from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday at the recreation center, 1111 Stonequarry Road. Tickets are required and can be found at daytonairshow.com/vandalia-flight-fest/
An air show spokesman said some 10,000 tickets had already been claimed for the concert, so traffic is expected.
The show and the city of Vandalia announced free parking at the show grounds off North Dixie Drive, with free shuttle rides to the recreation center. Shuttle service is set to begin at 5 p.m.
Expect to have fun, Sinise said, and expect to hear familiar songs. The band was running through a cover of Van Halen’s “Jump” as the first fans were trickling in.
“We do pop, rock, swing,” he said. “I mean, it’s all over the map. It’s a good mix, a little something for everybody in our show.”
He’s not a songwriter, he hastened to add. He doesn’t make a living playing music.
“I do this for the mission,” Sinise said. “The band is kind of a part of the Gary Sinise Foundation, so people who donate to the foundation help me supply this music all over the country. We’ve done hundreds and hundreds of shows at home and abroad. We’re keeping it up. I love doing it. Love being with the veterans — we want them to know how appreciated they are."
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