[Shotimes] OT outliving a stadium

[Donald Mallinson]

You know you have put on a few years when you (meaning me, and a lot of 
you SHO folk out there) have outlived an entire stadium!

Story today in our paper mentioned that this is the last year of use for 
Busch Stadium in St. Louis.  I thought to myself that it was kind of 
early to be tearing it down, but then they mentioned that it was opened 
in 1966.

I have fond memories of Busch Stadium as a member of the Marching 
Saluki's band as a trumpet, then Mellophone player and finally the 
announcer for the half-time shows starting in 1967.  That is why I 
remember the stadium as being new.  Haven't been there in many years, 
but it's unique arches always looked cool to me.

Also as a performer at half-time for NFL games I loved the fans in St. 
Louis.  We played at a few other NFL stadiums and always (especially at 
Green Bay) the fans could care less about the half-time, sometimes 
becoming hateful that we were delaying the reappearance of their beloved 
team.  Not really, but in their beer addled brains we were not 
entertainment!

Busch stadium though was like having 50,000 aunts and uncles.  We 
rewarded the fans by being the only half-time band ever to that time 
(maybe ever to today) to play to the side of the field opposite the TV 
camera's during a nationally televised game!  Back then they still 
showed at least some of the half-time, but today you don't see any of 
the half-time unless it is a big production number with body parts being 
exposed.  College bands can't get a break today.  WE would come off the 
field from giving it all and could not take a step without someone 
shoving a beer in our hands!  (now this was cool to someone about 18 
years old!).

Best memory is the special version of the Tribute to America that we did 
for pre-game.  Started with a special version of Aaron Coplands Tribute 
to the Common Man and blended into a single snare with the band at one 
end of the stadium in front of the goal post.  Then a single trumpet on 
the upper level of the stadium at the opposite end from the band would 
do the first section of the Star Spangled Banner.  For the second 
section another solo trumpet would play from the first level behind the 
band, then the band would come in and build to a great crescendo for the 
remainder of the song.  I swear you could hear a pin drop on the 
astroturf at the beginning, as the crowd enjoyed this so much and had so 
much respect for the performance and the tradition.  This was not a 
version that people sang along with till the third portion of the song.  
KMOX Television used a recording of us for their sign on/sign off for a 
couple of decades, and may still use it.

I will miss Busch Stadium, and it feels funny to outlive (assuming 
nothing bad between now and when it comes down) an entire landmark!  ;)

Don Mallinson