US Navy Band on Tour 2012

[Karl H.]

Greetings TubeNetters!

Time for my annual call for fine victuals along the road... and also notification of a fine series of concerts from the Navy Band. We'll be traveling primarily through the mid-west this year, with the tour starting on March 6 and continuing through the end of the month. Here's a link to the performances (ew, today there is a pic of some old tuba player at this link):

http://www.navyband.navy.mil/tour_concert_band.shtml" target="_blank

As always, all concerts are FREE, but you may/probably need tickets (ticket info and location details are at the link). Don't wait too long as our concerts often packed and seating is usually first-come, first served. Make sure to come say 'hi' to the tubas and euphoniums; this year they are:

Karl Hovey and Andy Carlson, tuba
Bryce Edwards and Bobby Behrend, euphonium

This is Bobby's first, and Karl's last, tour with the band, so give them a hearty hail and farewell!

We have some interesting music, and fun featured soloists this year. Pick your venue: if you're close enough, two consecutive ones as we have a couple of different programs. And, most importantly, let us know the best places to grab a bite to eat and slake our thirst.

Concerts are so dehydrating...

I'll add comments on our progress in this thread as long as Sean allows me to, and also try and post some pics on another social website.

Here's a little preview. Can-can fans can skip to about 7:30...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA8WEK1T ... ature=plcp" target="_blank

Hope to see a lot of y'all on the road!

Karl "once more with feeling" H.

[tofu]

Tickets for the March 14th concert are long gone.
Looking forward to the show.

[Rick F]

Karl,

I noticed that YouTube link was from a very recent concert (Feb. 2012) and EXCELLENT! Always enjoyed Orpheus. It's a bit strange not seeing Roger Behrend in the euph section, but looks like his son Robert was there? Also, Phil Eberly did a nice job on the solo as did all the soloists.

If you happen to watch the video, stick around and watch some of the next video offered. Excellent as well!

[Karl H.]

http://www.navyband.navy.mil/Sounds/Con ... abbath.mp3

' on tour...

Sorry Bloke, no .

[Karl H.]

Thanks for the kind words, Rick!

The Navy Band has a YouTube account (/user/usnavyband), and you can see/hear 44 videos of our different units. There you'll find some special performances for POTUS, and some special venues, like the Quebec Tattoo.

Here's a little preview of a tune I think will make the tour list...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_qIN_fg ... ature=plcp" target="_blank

Karl "gettin' geeked up already" H.

[MSchott]

Bobby Behrend, Roger's son is now playing in the Navy Band? I feel old. Roger and I were the two top Euphonium players back in the day at Michigan State (with me being 2nd most of the time ). I've followed Roger's career as Navy Band solo euphonium and we've seen each other a few times over the years. How amazing that his son is now following in his (and his grandfather's) footsteps.

[Karl H.]

Maybe Snuffy,

But this is where I've posted it for the last couple of years. We do so many dates (23 this year, I think) that a single listing in "events" doesn't seem appropriate. Truthfully, I've done this every year to promote the concerts and to develop some camaraderie between myself and the often faceless 'Netters I communicate with here.

And I have something to gain personally: the recommendation of discerning diners as to the best establishment for obtaining quality victuals!

So can y'all help a hungry tuba player out? Our first couple of stays are in Washington, PA and Cuyahooga Falls, OH. No recommendations so far...

Karl "don't make me starve for Lent" H.

[MTFULRUTUBA]

Uh oh!
Bryce Edwards and Brian Kiser together again in Ohio, look out Youngstown

[Karl H.]

Off to a great start! No time for fine dining tonight, just had time for Red Lobster, in the spirit of Lent. I'll try to eat better tomorrow...

BTW, as mentioned previously, there is an official Navy Band blog detailing events during this year's tour. You can find it here...

http://usnavyband.blogspot.com/2012/03/ ... .html#more" target="_blank

... and the first entry is by me.

Uh oh!
Bryce Edwards and Brian Kiser together again in Ohio, look out Youngstown

Confirmed! I witnessed them planning world domination through giggling in the hotel lobby this evening...

Great seeing tuba playing friends on the road!

Karl "not all conspiracies are evil" H.

[Karl H.]

I seem to have lost some motivation now that this thread has been banished to the events area. But I will carry on, in the best tradition of tuba players confronted with all-you-can-eat beer and brats buffet.

If you ever find yourself in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio there are two places you simply must visit. First, for breakfast, you need to make the hike from downtown up Sackett Ave. for about 13 blocks and stop at Flury’s Cafe. Don’t be put off by the small size of the room: there is some serious cooking and baking going on. I rustled up to the counter and, being a Texan, immediately noticed #15, the country fried steak combo. Price seemed right, and I was powerful hungry. One of the nice ladies (there are only two: one to wait on you and take your money, the other wo-mans the grill) mentioned their special was a strawberry crépe. I wasn’t sure, so the nice grill lady says, “I’ll just give him one on the side”.

Well.

Faster than you can say Cuyahoga I had two steaming hot plates of goodness in front of me. The country fried steak portion was nothing to write home about, but the meal included a slightly sweet biscuit, a slice of country sausage, and a heap of scrambled eggs, all but the eggs drowned in oh-mama-I’ve-died-and-gone-to-heaven sausage gravy! I’d like to say I lingered over this mound of wonderfulness because of the incredible taste (which I did), but even if I had scarfed it down like a starving trombone player I would have been there a goodly portion of the morning. And the crépe! Oh lawd! A tissue-thin feather of delight, stuffed with the expected delicious crème and strawberries (fresh: cleaned and cut right in front of my eyes), and covered with powdered sugar and rivers of hot caramel! As Sulu would say, Oh, my!

Second, you need to end your evening at Hunt’s Bar and Grille. Didn’t try any food, but this bar could NEVER survive in D.C. Why? Well, it is kind of a dive, and it’s not much bigger than the average hotel room, but that’s not the reason. The only employee, Sharontini (I swear I am not making this up) asks what you’d like to drink. You’ve got 4 draft choices in beer. Apprehensive, you’d start thinking this place is a mistake. But you notice one of the choices is Guinness, and there’s not much else open this time of night, so you decide to have at least one beer. Ms. S deftly pulls a perfect pint, and shoves it in your hands with a big smile. You do the “How much?” thinking you’ll just pay upfront rather than running a tab, and she says they’re on the honor system.

Blank stare.

“At the end of the night, just tell me what you had and we’ll go from there.”

Jaw drops.

That’s why it’d never work in D.C. Sharontini was good to her word: she kept pouring and mixing (her mixed drinks were the alcoholic equivalent of a straight triple) all night, and at the end I honestly remembered my ‘what’ and ‘how many’ and she took me at my word.

Karl "it's easy to count to two" H.

[Karl H.]

Onward!

I received some good tips from opus37 for March 18-20 (although I’ll take other options those days, too), but need lots of advice for other dates/places. Tonight and tomorrow we’re staying in Ann Arbor. Suggestions? Especially for the Chicago area: we’re staying for nearly 4 days in Evanston and doing run-outs to the surrounding areas…

Great crowd/concert tonight at Pioneer High School. Only a single U of M tuba student came to the concert (!) and they missed one of their graduates, Jonathan Yanik, bring done the house with his solo. Too bad. Maybe the Spartans (East Lansing tomorrow matinee) will better Represent!

BTW, had a VERY average Mexican meal for lunch. Something called ‘Los Amigos’. It was 100 feet from the hotel, I didn’t have much time, and I love Mexican. Maybe I should be truthful and say it was considerably below average. I’m really not that picky, but I ordered a combo platter with 5 different items: they all tasted exactly alike. Of course, eating that quantity of food was a mistake before Firebird, Dvorak, et al. and my stomach reminded me throughout the evening.

Karl "still have a bad taste in my mouth" H.