November 8, 2008
The Men in Jackets
AEJ and I went to the UT – Baylor football game this afternoon here in Austin. Like a few weeks ago in Columbus, I was at the game as a guest of the band. (This is not a rough life.)
The man to thank for the tickets today: Professor Jerry Junkin, Director of Bands at UT Austin. Yes, he always looks this cool.
Junkin does it all.
Conductor…
… father…
… and golf cart chauffeur.
It’s a lot of fun going to these games. Always lots to see — like the pre-game fly-over.
And tubas.
A lot of people don’t appreciate the burden of being a tuba player. These are some serious guys. The burdens of tuba are, indeed, heavy.
Where do I get a “TUBA!” baseball hat?! Somebody? Come on, Christmas is coming!
“Psst… You guys wanna buy some gasoline?”
Here’s the UT mascot. What’s his name? It seems like I should know his name if I’m going to be a real UT fan.
Some of the conductors unintentionally reenact the last scene of Oceans 11.
The Scarlett Letter was nothing. Commit adultery in Waco, and this is your punishment.
I didn’t have sideline access for this game (like I said, my life is really rough), but we had a great vantage point to take pictures of the guys conducting the marching band in the stands. Here’s Damon Talley, posing for his upcoming album cover, “Jazz Cats.”
Rob Carnochan’s album cover is a bit more introspective.
Cormac Cannon monitors band security during the game. Whenever they spot Junkin approaching, it’s always “Bertha is On Foot. I repeat, Bertha is On Foot.”
Scott Hanna doesn’t take any shit from the clarinets. “Where does the music come from? It’d better F-ING come from RIGHT F-ING HERE.”
I feel like this one should be the cover of an instructional video — something only available on VHS. “Do Re Mi Yi Haw: Teaching the Fundamentals of Texas Music.”
Belt buckle not included.
Oh — there was a football game, too. Well, of sorts. It was tied at one point, but when we left, I think it was 45-14.
Victory is sweet. Hanna gloats.
It was a good time. Hook ’em!
Comments
Andrew Hackard says
The actual, live, could-be-cut-up-for-really-bad-steaks steer is called Bevo. The current one is Bevo XIV. The stories you hear about how he got his name are probably untrue.
The person in the uncomfortable-looking costume is Hook 'Em. Well, no, that's the person when wearing the costume. I'm sure the person has a normal name that he or she uses when not dressed up like an ambulatory side of beef.
Brett A. Richardson says
Let's play "Jazz Cats."
Connie Miller says
Being a guest of the BAND sounds like a dream come true. You can actually *hear* them from there, as opposed to anywhere else in the stadium since they moved them into the corner. And you can see them without binoculars. (disappointed band mom).
Next time, make sure you get a photo of the cymbal section, and my lovely daughter Sami.
Or at least some really good action shots of our boys cuz I need some new material for a sports painting.
Andrew Hackard says
Yeah, I've noticed that the band seems a lot quieter, too. I think they moved them because the north end would cause weird echoes otherwise, and because on the students' side, it was always nearly impossible to hear the band unless you were right next to them. But without the east stands acting as a big baffle to contain the sound, I think some of it is getting lost.
Not sure what the solution is -- put them on the north end, maybe? (But those seats are $$$$ for the athletic department...)
Karl Schindler says
I thought that one picture ("Teaching the Fundamentals of Texas Music") was Big Tex at first. :)
http://www.baasclub.com/images/thumbnails/bigtex.jpg
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