At Magic games, music sets the mood

The Orlando Magic enter their 25th season with a wealth of game-night traditions, many of them involving musical cues designed to stir fans into a frenzy.

The first of these cues occurs before tipoff, as the starting five for the opposing team are introduced to The Who's 1978 classic "Who Are You," a tune familiar to fans both young and old thanks to its featured status as the opening-credits music for CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

The next familiar cue comes during the first full-length timeout of the third quarter and also features a familiar jam from 1978: "Shout!," as performed by Otis Day and the Knights and as featured in the film Animal House. Since the Magic's move to Amway Center, a video montage featuring dance scenes from that film, as well as other dance numbers from other films such as Iron Man 2, has accompanied "Shout!" on the MagicVision hanging above center court.

The final and arguably most recognizable cue opens the fourth quarter as Orlando breaks the huddle and takes the floor: John Williams' legendary "Main Theme" from Star Wars blares through Amway Center, as it did at the old Amway Arena as far back as one can remember. Paul Porter, Orlando's top-notch public address man, intones "Here come the Magic!" while Williams' legendary score plays, adding a bit more gravity to the situation.

There are certainly other memorable musical cues in Magic history, as when the team's game operations crew peppered replays of spectacular Dwight Howard replays with Williams' "Superman March," but the three above are the most indelible and inextricably tied to the Magic, at least for fans of the team.

Which in-house musical cue is your favorite, and which musical suggestions would you make to Magic game ops?

Looking for Orlando Magic tickets? Orlando Pinstriped Post has you covered. We invite you to follow Orlando Pinstriped Post on Twitter and like Orlando Pinstriped Post on Facebook.