the song was featured during campaign rallies for then-u.s. president george w. bush during his 2004 reelection campaign. it is currently used by the washington nationals during their "wave your caps" salute. "wave on wave" was performed at halftime on the university of iowa football team's home field, kinnick stadium, at halftime of the hawkeye game versus northern iowa. pat green and a combined ensemble of performers from the university of iowa hawkeye marching band and the university of northern iowa panther marching band joined together to perform the song at halftime. the university of iowa football team has been feted for starting "the wave," a tradition of turning toward the university of iowa stead family children's hospital at the end of the first quarter to wave at the child patients and their families.