Strangest Place You Ever Played A Standstill

[Antique Brass]

In 1964, the Sunrisers had a lot of little gigs at the New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadow, N.Y. We’d do little parades or standstill exhibitions for anyone willing to pay the price. One afternoon, while we were playing at the Belgiun Village, people from the Borden Company approached Fred Rose, our business manager, and asked if they could hire us to play at their pavilion so that they could take a few photos. A price was quoted and a check written and we moved the 20 or 30 yards to their place. So far, so good. Then the Borden rep asked, “Can you play something soft and sweet?” “I’m afraid that if you play at full volume it will upset our star.” 1964, Senior corps, 40+ horns, soft?

OK, we can try.

That’s when they paraded out “Elsie The Cow”. It was a beautiful cow and she was accompanied by two young valets in splendid doorman style scarlet and gold uniforms complete with white hats and white gloves. When we finished laughing, it was decided that we would play our color pre, “The Lords Prayer” from “King of Kings”. Beautiful piece, gorgeous chords and suspensions, lots of pretty passing tones and playable at p.

Things went along very well for about the first 32 counts. The Borden photogs were scurrying about getting pix of Elsie from all different angles, from outside the corps and from inside the arc. And then Elsie started to Moo! Not sweet gentle Moos, but full throated, lusty, Moos. Do you have any idea how hard it is to play a bugle when your audience is Mooing at you? Her counter concert lasted for about 15 or 20 seconds and then her tail went up. ( Now, I’m sure that you country boys out there know what that means but, contrary to popular belief, most of the 1964 Sunrisers were from the

5 boroughs of New York City.) That’s when valet number 3 made his appearance. A second after Elsie’s tail went up a scarlet and gold streak flashed in from corps right and, white gloves and all, thrust a large pail underneath the back end of the cow. I don’t know how much experience this guy had but he over shot his target and half of the contents of Elsie’s stomach went into the bucket and the other half went up his arm. We were still trying to play, softly. Do you know that cows have 7 stomachs? About the time that Elsie began to empty stomach #3, valet number 4 appeared with an absurdly large shovel and a tiny scoop. During all this, Valets 1 & 2 were standing at Elsie’s head looking at

3 & 4 trying to collect the brown tide with looks of utter disdain, and we’re still trying to play, softly. As the last 8 measures approached, Drum Major Bruce Smith called out, “The Hell with it, Play Out!” Mercifully, the song ended, Elsie and her entourage left and we fell down laughing. We never did see those pictures.

When I told the story to a friend of mine from the Skyliners he remarked that Sun’s music had the same effect on him.

Edited July 31, 2009 by Antique Brass

[PCrawfordSnare]

It was 1966 and I was marching with the OYB Lampliters and we were doing a standstill in front of the Legion Hall (VFW) There was a drunk standing beside my dad who was watching (In this town there was a mental hospital that had a small band made up of some of the patients) The drunk said to my dad "These guys are really good" which made my dad smile.

Then he added "and to think they are all ########"

[CAKES]

Hi all, "CAKES" here. Of course if you marched in a Corps from the Boston area, I don't think anything could top a North End Parade. They were all held on a Sunday in the summer, with the Saint being honored carried down the streets,with sheets stretched out around the bottom. At most, the parade was a 1/2 mile, but they took about 6 hours to do. By the end all that was visible on the Saint was the face, they use to tape the bills like streamers from head to toe. We used to have to stop at every corner to play while they put more money on the statue, then form a line into the shrine, or club, or somebodys house, go in the front door, grab a sandweech, a shooter, and then a beer as you went out the back door, back into the line of march. This would go on all afternoon. About half way through people would start chang-ing instruments, to the point where no one was on their own. I'm saying there were times when all the drummers were playing horns and horn players were on the drums. By this time the parade powers that be just wanted lots of noise. As long as the sheets were getting full of money, they didn't seem to care.

"CAKES"

[wishbonecav]

Zeppelin Bar...Rio De Janiero...Empire Statesmen...1993

[HornsUp]

http://racinekiltiealumni.org/Silverstein_Brass_1.html

The Silverstein Brass, pioneers in the deployment of multi-key instrumentation by drum corps alumni, held annual barnstorming World Tours for a third of a century. Some memorable impromptu venues for their boisterous Christmas music were:

The produce department of a supermarket

The Little Girls' department of a clothing store

A Bingo game in progress

The annual sonic invasion of Schultz Jewelers

A beauty parlor

The sit-down gig at Johnson Furniture

Crashing a piano recital in a music store

and of course standing on a traffic island, serenading a liquor store

[brassomaniac]

http://racinekiltiealumni.org/Silverstein_Brass_1.html

The Silverstein Brass, pioneers in the deployment of multi-key instrumentation by drum corps alumni, held annual barnstorming World Tours for a third of a century. Some memorable impromptu venues for their boisterous Christmas music were:

The produce department of a supermarket

The Little Girls' department of a clothing store

A Bingo game in progress

The annual sonic invasion of Schultz Jewelers

A beauty parlor

The sit-down gig at Johnson Furniture

Crashing a piano recital in a music store

and of course standing on a traffic island, serenading a liquor store

NICE, Ken!

We've started our own, similar, Christmas tradition, 3 years ago... a 2-week "tour" of Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Malls. At first some simple carols; lately more complete arrangements. Very satisfying activity at Christmas time. We'll do it again, this year.

[tympmom]

Hey Tom, where u there for the concert for the prisoners @ Niagara County Jail??? They came out to their exercise yard and Crusaders played their show for them in Lockport. Afterwards the warden and his wife who lived next door to the prison made lunch for the corps? Remembered this last nite while having an enjoyable evening over @ the Shea's watching old Wally Filkin's movies on DVD.

[lewpubco]

Every Memorial Day in the late 60's and early 70's the Bon Bons would spend the entire day behind the tote board at the Garden State Race Track. In between races, we would come out from behind the board, alternating sides, and play a number. We grew to hate Memorial Day because of that. The best was when we would have a contest after that. We never did a good job................I wonder why.

Haddon Heights Vagabonds did the same gig....hidden in the tote board during the races so we didn't scare the horses...

[AlanAndreasen]

Played the Albert Hall two years in a row. Now that was hype. We were the Horspath Scouts but didn't wear uniforms - instead we wore gowns and mortar boards and called ourselves the Oxford Dons.

[Vern Contra]

The Grey Knights of Johnsonburg in 1997 did a freebie gig for a handicapped fish rodeo 2 miles up a dirt road in the middle of the Moshannon State Forest. If anyone has ever been to the Elk Country of Northwestern PA, that is kind of where it was!