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Beelzebub is nice and cheesy.
I've had positive feedback with the 1st mvmt. of the Gregson
Effie the Elephant is great..not all of the movements though
One of the Carnival of Venice's will work

Ralph

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The Sonatina by Jan Koetsier is a nice crowd pleaser, and very fun to play. Pretty difficult piece.

TUBA TIGER RAG IS GREAT!!

And I second the Effie Suite and Gregson Mvt. 1 as well. Gregson is very triumphant and tonal, and really shows what a tuba player is made of (if you've ever played the third page, you'd understand.)

But yeah, TUBA TIGER RAG!! It's in the Canadian Brass Quintet series for something like $25 but is just a phenominal crowd pleaser. It lends itself to some pretty crazy acting too. I believe the last time my quintet performed it, we made use of a plunger and the trombone players head!!

LOL!

tubatunes by arthur frakenpohl. I played one of the movements at a recital using a bass drum and a high hat with my feet while I played my tuba and the people loved it.

Speaking of Canadian Brass, their version of Largo al Factorum can be a hit, especially if you dance around like Dallenbach does. Also try Variations on the Cobblers Bench (pop goes the weasel). If you have the technicality, try playing Flight of the Bumblebee or Monti's Czardas. You could also find a popular solo for a compleatly different instrument, and transcribe it for yourself to play. Another route is to simply take songs traditionally considered boring, and spice them up a bit using more contrasting dynamics and tempos.

I've had good feedback for the Wilhelm Concertino. It leaves room for a wide range of character and style change within the piece. However, it can be a little boring if not "overdone" stylistically so I would recommend for more advanced college players considering the technical aspects with that also. Plenty of virtuoso moments and best played on Eb or F tuba. The movements are fairly short as well (maybe 3-5 minutes each at the most).
-James

If the audience has the maturity to sit through most of the 1st mvt of the Vaughan-Williams, never underestimate the "wow factor" of the cadenza. I performed it at a few different "events" (read: auditorium filled with a couple thousand college kiddies) at the very end of my college career, and you could hear a pin drop during the rests. Be prepared to give it everything you got, from dynamic contrast to musicality to range. There are so many different things you could do with it. It is little wonder that the VW cadenza was one of only two solos (and the ONLY original tuba solo) on the gargantuan NY Phil audition list. Fletch, Floyd, and Jake are among a few good but different approaches, but ultimately come up with your own.

Anything by Sanae Kanda! Beautiful stuff!

Mike Milnarik
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