[Shotimes] Re: OT outliving a stadium

[Ron Porter]

Yep. I was there for the first game, as we had Lions season tickets the first season (my buddy's cousin got four season tickets, after having two at Tiger stadium).
 
I went there for a lot of things like the annual Supercross (great!!) a couple of tractor pulls (sorta OK) and even one dirt sprint car race (too small, with no passing....they never tried it again). Went to one of the last Lions games a couple of years ago (they lost, of course!!)
 
Makes me feel old when it will be torn down!!
 
Ron Porter

Charles Cooper <aqua86@comcast.net> wrote:
Hey there tearing down the Pontiac Silverdome next year former home of the 
Detroit Lions and it was built back in the mid 70's.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donald Mallinson" 
To: "'v8sho'" ; "SHOtimes" 
Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2005 6:34 PM
Subject: OT outliving a stadium


> 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