Wednesday, October 29, 2008

A funny thing happened at the band competition

There were lots of bands of all different sizes at the Red Rocks Marching band competition. Our band is rather small -- we compete in the 2A division, which is the second smallest.
With half a dozen bands in each of five divisions, the competition was a long drawn out thing. Our band performed at 5:45pm, and the awards ceremony was scheduled for 10:30pm. After we finished performing, we went back to the buses, put equipment away, changed out of uniforms, and ate dinner. Then we trooped back down to watch the 4A and 5A competitions.

The big bands are truly impressive, in sheer size and volume. We have around 50 band members, and only a few color guard girls. The bands in the 5A division have 150-300 band members, with dozens of color guard, fancy uniforms, and lots of supporting percussion in the stationary Pit which includes gongs, huge bass drums, xylophones, etc.

Here is one of big bands performing. But the great thing about this video isn't the band. Watch the drum major (he's in the lower left corner at the beginning). I'll zoom in on him in a few seconds. Check out the feathered plumes on the uniform hats that are next to him on the platform.



The band calls those feathers "dead chickens" or just "chickens" for short. Perhaps it was the lateness of the hour (10:30 pm after a very long day of traveling and chaperoning and standing around in the hot St. George sun waiting and running on the field setting up props and watching the band and then taking the props down and riding on the cart holding the props on so they wouldn't slide off and nearly falling off the cart myself and laughing hysterically all the while) or the fact that I was bored (0r both), but those dancing chickens were the FUNNIEST thing I had seen in a long time. I still laugh every time I think of this.

If you don't think it was funny - I want to hear about it. Because I really want to know if my sense of humor is just whacked. So tell me, is my Funny Bone broken?

That is all.

14 comments:

  1. I personally think it's very funny! Why do they have dancing chickens on the stand at their competition? It cracked me up!

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  2. They actually call them that? Susan's band had one two. Aren't they leading the band? They are kind of funny. He had his legs going so good, I expected him to leave the ground.

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  3. No no... the kid leading the band is called the Drum Major. The feathery plume thing on the hat is called a "chicken". At least by our band.

    And Sara, I don't know why he put them on the stand with him. Every other band set them on the ground. I don't think the dance was a planned part of the entertainment. IMO the chickens totally stole the show!!

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  4. No, no broken funny bone for you. Hee, hee! I got more than a few giggles out of it, too.

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  5. OK, I finally found the chickens. That's really funny. What makes them dance?

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  6. Yes it is funny, but I am sure the conditions of the day added to the funniness. Did you volunteer for that gig, or get recruited? Sounds like a fun, but very long weekend. Did you get to drive or did you have to go on the bus? You probably got to drive because you still have your senses about you.

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  7. That's way funny...I wish I could've WALKED over there and seen it myself! :)

    Hey...I tried to reply to you in GOOGLE chat and BOOM you're gone! Sorry...would've loved to chat!

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  8. Ok,that seems like it could be funny in theory. My sense of humor has been in the shop since yesterday, though, so I cannot be sure.

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  9. Haha... yeah those dumb chickens smell bad too. Eww. But they're fun to stick in your saxophone and also put them in people's faces. Cause we band people are mean like that. :)

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  10. And also I didn't even notice the groovy chickens while we were watching that show because I, for one, was watching the BAND, which was amazing just so you know. They were from Oklahoma, isn't that sweet? seems like an awful long way to travel for a band competition though. I wouldn't want to do that.

    Plus pay attention to the amazing xylophone players behind the dead chickens! HOLY CANOLI dude. I know for a fact that they are better than our xylophonists.

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  11. Okay, I had to watch that twice. Girlfriend, it was the sun.

    Just joshing. That was hilarious! hhhheeee heeee ha ha.

    I love stuff like that after a long boring day in St. George.

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  12. Hmmm sorry Lisa. Its not getting me.

    Also Susan... Us choir folks travel clear to Missouri to sing and dance, although I guess we don't have instruments to haul. We do have risers and giant tvs and show bands though, so I guess that probly counts.

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  13. It's funny, especially if you pair it with a big Mountain Dew, some Halloween candy, and trumpets. Then it's stinking hysterical.

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