Bandstand Stories

The contents of this page will contain short notes of interest on a variety of
subjects, as the muse dictates. All of the stories will have something to do
(one way or another) with life on the bandstand...ours, theirs, even YOURS.
We'd love to add your favorite bandstand stories here as well!
Submit them to the SJO WEBMASTER.

by Henry Mason

This is one of those stories that we can only tell because the statute has run and/or some of the particpants have moved safely away.

In the early days of our band we got into the habit of taking the occasional road job where we would trade out playing for a weekend for accommodations in a nice resort setting. We still do this occasionally but it should be understood that the sort of business described herein is no longer practiced.

In those days, many of the band members were single or only recently married. We had good people, but they had not gotten over quite all of the wildness of college years. Sometimes after brief communion with John Barleycorn, they could occasionally get, let us say, fractious.

We were playing at a beautiful resort in North Carolina. We had played the friday night gig and were winding down. In those days, it took a bit of unwinding. We were quartered on one floor and had immediately designated two adjoining rooms at the end of the hall (away from civilized people) as the location for the band bar and party.

I had sort of been making the rounds, making sure no one had set the place on fire and ended up in the party room to see who was left standing. Suddenly I heard a gigle from the adjoining room and realized two very important things.

1 - It was altogether too quiet in the other room

2 - The trumpet section was missing.

With a deep sense of foreboding I went into the room and discovered that the drummer's wife had passed out on the bed, wearing a bikini top and short shorts. The trumpet section was gathered around the bed admiring a really artistic job of decorating the lady with a can of cheeze whiz. Discussion was underway as to the most efficient (and tasty ) way of removing the decoration when I arrived. I reminded the gentlemen that the drummer was best described as six feet five with a temper.

Fortunately the drummer (who was right behind me) thought it was funny and the Saturday night show did get played.

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