Xsnaredrummer Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I got one from this past 4th of july, After the parade, for years now, a restaurant has paid us to play a show there. Every year they hold traffic and we play to a big crowd that gathers outside the restaurant. This year we play one song, and then the cops tell us we have to move, everyone was dumb founded, I mean I have seen the cops all get together and listen. So we move in VERY close off the road and play more. Cops then say we have to stop, crowd boos the cops but right as we are about to leave, the cops car breaks down, and they allow us our last song! The bass drum runs where great when we had little kids going WOW 3 feet from our heads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Krackin' Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 In 1996, the Pittsburgh Golden Lancers did a parade in either Titusville or Oil City, PA (not sure which it was). After the parade, we were hired to play at the Town Fair in the park. We didn't find out until we got there that the corps was the opening act for the Greased Pig Contest, which was the highlight of the fair. The corps had to play to get paid, so we set up a concert arc and did our show, which was called "Flight". As we were finishing the closer, "High Flight", the pig got loose and scampered through the crowd. Several dozen people started chasing the pig through the park, while the corps kept playing. By the time we finished, only a couple of people had stayed with us. Everyone else was chasing the pig. They finallly cornered the pig and one of the people jumped on it. The pig let out a loud squeal and then....a hush came over the crowd. Unfortunately, that was the end of the contest. We turned the corps around and marched out of the park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melligene Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Farm Show Building......H'Burg, Pa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brassomaniac Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 (edited) Another Capital Brass! gig, this year: American Cancer Society wanted something "heroic", to kick off their "Relay for Life" which celebrates Survivors fight and victory over cancer. We borrowed an arrangement that we play with our friends at 20th Century Limited Drum Corps... a medly of: "Star Wars", "Indiana Jones" and "Jurassic Park". Organizer's reaction: "Perfect!" Edited July 30, 2009 by brassomaniac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldStyleCorps Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Well they may not be the strangest, BUT. Junior Corps: The very first time I performed with a "Drum and Bugle Corps" , the "Asbury Park Hurricanes" was: At the Grand Opening of the New "Grand Union" Grocery Store on Rail Road Ave in Asbury Park. We marched over. Single file the four blocks from the VFW. Did a stand still. Then back to Practice at the VFW. Also. We did the "Grand Opening" of the movie "Bridge Over The River Kwai" Although a movie Grand Opening may not be strange. We did it UNDER a replica Bridge built over Cookman Ave in front of the St. James Theater. the same year. Senior Corps: With the New York City Skyliners. We stood there playing music at the Start of the "New York City Marathon" (OH and by the way we also did our FULL field show at a Tractor Trailor "Truck Rodeo") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdugan Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 When I was in junior corps many moons ago we played inside a department store and actually marched through the aisles. After we were done they handed out free....ready for this...45's..not guns..records. BTW, Dan did you guys have pulled pork after the pig was caught? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brassomaniac Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 (edited) ooo, ooo, ooo! I got another one!!!! Last year, the MAAC Basketball Tournament was in Albany. HUGE snow storm in Western NY that weekend. I get a call on Saturday morning... the Niagara team made it to Albany, but the Pep Band is snowed in!!!! ... Could I put togther something to take their place at the Fan Rally.... TONITE? "They need their team fight song played, and they have the music for you." Well, we grab a bunch of the CB! guys and get there a half hour early. We pass out tiny booklets with some standard marches and try a few of those...OK.. those'll work... Where is the music for the fight song? "Oh, we don't have THE MUSIC..the cheerleaders WILL SING IT FOR YOU". So... the cheerleaders did a little demo for us, we figured out the key they were "approximately" in... and in a few minutes, we had a rudimentary "arrangement". A short time later... a 40-minute Fan Rally, including endless repeats of the fight song... and we had helped to avert another crisis!!!! Edited July 30, 2009 by brassomaniac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brassomaniac Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 A couple more odd Capitol Brass Ensemble gigs: Opening a new Price Chopper grocery store And, one Winter, as a fundraiser, a small contingent of CBE performed as the Pep Band for Albany River Rats Hockey Games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Oz Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I’ve told both these stories before, so I’ll give the condensed versions. Garden State Rack Track. Played at the grandstand entrance early in the day; then marched down the track (ankle deep in soft dirt ) before the big race.. A lot of people were yelling and waving their arms at us. We were thinking, “They are really digging us.” They were thinking, “You’re scaring the stuff out of the horses.” Fleetwood, PA. The annual Haloween Parade. (Don’t laugh. We made decent money at these parades.) Every year, as we were walking back from the end of the parade to our base at the VFW post, some guy would run out of his house and hit us with $50 to play a standstill for his guests. ($50 was not chicken feed in those days.) Over the years, it became a regular event and we would saddle up, hit the street beat, and nail the kickoff as we came up to his house. One year he wasn’t there. But since we always put the money on the bar, we didn’t want admit defeat. Sure enough, by the time we hit the color pre, he runs out of the house, more unsteadily then usual, with the cash. We should have given that guy a corps jacket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brassomaniac Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 (edited) This one falls between the cracks, since it was a parade.... Last year they needed music for the Children's Mardi Gras Parade, in Saratoga Springs. The parade kicked off a Festival, and was just a complete trip around one block. They didn't have much $$ to spend and wondered if CB! could put something together. We did the parade with 4 horns and 2 drummers! And, YES, we pulled it off! That was what gave us the idea for Strange News from Another Planet; a flexible, versitle group which could be quickly molded to fit many different venues and needs. Edited July 30, 2009 by brassomaniac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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