For a cause, DeMarcus Ware reunites with childhood band after 15-year hiatus

A visibly nervous DeMarcus Ware—all 6-foot-4, 258 pounds of him—looks on with his infectious smile as Dallas-based country band Vaudeville rocks the stage at Taste of the Broncos on Wednesday night. He’s nervous because Vaudeville is his opening act.

It’s not often you get to see your heroes look vulnerable but on this day, a group of just over 1,000 Broncos fans got that experience.

As Vaudevilles’s last note rang out, the buzz on the south side of Sports Authority Field was palpable; it was time. Ware—along with three friends who have been singing together since junior high—took the stage. They’re known as Mirage, but they’re the real thing.

Underneath an orange and blue sky the harmonized notes of Purple Rain rang true enough to make ‘The Artist’ himself proud. The group performed four songs total in the intimate setting, including The Temptations’ hit “My Girl” and an original titled “Mayday” on top of the tribute to Prince.

When all was said and done, the entirety of those in attendance walked away impressed while a thrilled and relieved Super Bowl champion talked with a small group of media about his experience.

“It felt good,” Ware said with a long exhale and a laugh. “I don’t know if I’m going to do it again but it’s up there with coming out of the tunnel to 70,000 people yelling. This time, I had to sing, and I was a little bit uncomfortable. I didn’t have the pads on just knockin’ guys out. This time, I had a mic in my hand, and I had to be a little more pristine.”

A new type of butterfly fluttered in the stomach of a man used to performing in front of a crowd 70 times this size

“[You’re performing for] people that you don’t even know and now you’re in a whole other realm of singing,” he explained. “People are either going to like it or they’re not going to like it, so I said, ‘You know what, guys? If we can put our four heads together and have some type of harmony, I guess everybody will like it.'”

Everybody liked it, including some guests DeMarcus wasn’t exactly expecting.

“I looked in the stands and I saw Wade Phillips and I was like, ‘Oh my God, who else is here?'” He told. “I know the media crew here, I knew you all were gonna come, then I saw my teammates back there in the back making funny faces.”

Kapri Bibbs and Kenny Anunike may have been Mirage’s biggest fans, bolting to the front row to sing along and take selfies with their teammate turned rock star.

A fun experience for all involved and a chance for the group that formed “to try and get the girls,” got to put their skills on display for something much more important.

“It was about a bigger cause tonight with the Taste of the Broncos and the food bank,” Ware explained. “We’re just trying to raise money, so I said ‘why not get my group together from high school? People will come out and see it but it will also raise awareness of what’s going on in the world.'”

Proceeds from the event benefitted the Food Bank of the Rockies, a non-profit that has distributed nearly 44 million meals to those in need in the last year alone.

“Tell me, what is a man to do, when the world is in need of completely rebuilding?” Their song ‘Mayday’ asks.

On this night, Mirage did what they could by doing what they do best.