If you go to the Stanford game, you might be subjected to the “Countermarch” during the USC band’s halftime show. It’s meant to mock the Stanford band and it might be funny if it is the first time you see it. But keep in mind Art Bartner’s probably done it for every USC-Stanford halftime show at the Coliseum since at least 1981. It’s run it’s course.
If it happens tomorrow, you were warned.
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ugh, Bartner deserves the Crotch Kicks wolfman gives him!!!
UCLA and OSU delight the nation with creative new shows every week! meanwhile Southern Cal rolls out its unfunny routine and plays Tusk 93 times.
Yesterday U, man.
Does the Wolfman ever kick anyone somewhere other than the crotch? Has he ever kicked a guy in the knee?
Wolfman and Bucket get no kick from champagne…….
Did you just compare the UCLA band and the Spirit of Troy? Talk about contrast.
Way to ruin the surprise for a fans first time experience…. BTW Wolf…. The shoe FITS!!!!
Embarrassed to say I had journalism classes with Wolf. Surprised he graduated…
No kidding?…. what year did he “graduate”?…..
I thought I saw his bio somewhere that said ’85…same as me.
Did you ever see Wolf wearing a zipper jacket and parachute pants, moonwalking his way into the classroom?
It was quite a sight…
I graduated in ’83…… I took a creative writing/journalism class with Don Mosebar……
With good ol’ Mosebar?? Whoa.. sad how his pro career ended: getting poked in the eye by dirty Chad Hennings of the Cowboys in a Preseason game.
I think Wolf was sick the day they taught writing.
that is amazing….what an honor!!
that is like saying you took art class with Pablo Picasso!!!
is it true when the wolfman had all his hair he looked like a more muscular Cary Grant??
Don’t worry there’s tickets to see it ‘live’ on the ‘morrow….strutting to the geriatric Bartner’s dictum…after all it’s what, such as he, need i.e. no different than a ‘fireman’ racing after an ambulance “I need to drive after the ambulance because there are no fires to put out and I need to justify my high starting 5 figure income…I am a fireman and don’t you ever ask me to actually put out a fire…fireman….Bartner…40+ yrs…..the pension sucks…you better not lay me off….I am boring…I am an old fogie….
With all due respect, please leave Bartner’s dictum out of this conversation. ……..
My well my reply was deemed to be offensive – oh well….while strolling through the park this day….I sensed I saw someone who was ?@y….he proceeded to raise his eyes as I leveled a gun at his thighs and LAPD bunko squad said ‘lead the way!’
Hmmm WA 24 Ucla my sucla 27….oh the horror….go sucla!
Man those sucla uniforms look tacky – no color scheme – I could array them with something ‘fun’ – a 20 point lead down to 3 – oh the horror
I loved the counter march when I first saw it as a student in the early 80s. The Fucla band is equivalent to a jr. high band. Boring, stupid and not creative. The Ohio St. band is awesome.
From the bands Facebook page:
Every two years, when Stanford plays USC at the Coliseum, Trojan fans look forward to The Spirit of Troy’s famous “Stanford Countermarch.” While the halftime show is a highly-anticipated fan favorite, few understand what it actually means and how it parodies the Stanford Band.
The story of the Countermarch began in 1963 when the previously-traditional Stanford marching band changed into a student-run, Ivy League-style scramble band. Throughout the 60s and 70s the Leland Stanford Junior
University Marching Band became notorious for its irreverent shows, lack of cohesion and haphazard musicianship.
In 1979, composer Jerry Bilik – a longtime friend of director Dr. Bartner – had the idea of designing a show around a countermarch routine where a traditional, staid marching band would gradually devolve into chaos, satirizing the slow devolution of the Stanford Band.
The marching band countermarch derives from a centuries-old military tradition where the front of a marching unit turns back on itself to face 180 degrees and marches in the opposite direction. It’s still a staple of the Texas A&M and Texas bands.
Like the Texas Longhorn Band, the Trojan Marching Band’s countermarch is accompanied by “March Grandioso,” a stately 1901 composition by Roland
F. Seitz that epitomizes the rigidity of the classic, Sousa-style marching band.The TMB marches toward the Peristyle end of the Coliseum and back using the heel-to-toe “glide step” marching technique while
playing one chorus of “March Grandioso.”
After the band turns back toward the east, one section of the band breaks into chaos, playing an up-tempo version of the 1970 one-hit wonder “Yellow River” by the British rock band Christie. The rest of the band continues “obliviously” marching in the traditional style. As the march
progresses, a second section joins in the mayhem, then two sections simultaneously until finally the entire band performs “Yellow River,” dancing wildly. It ends as each rank of the band quickly turns in alternating directions then takes a knee in unison.
Preceding the Countermarch are fanfares based on the official Stanford fight song, “Come Join the Band,” melded with a musical homage to Stanford’s original mascot, the Indians. Some years, the Countermarch has been
accompanied by a recreation of “The Play,” the infamous kickoff return from the 1982 rivalry game between Stanford and Cal. With four seconds left, the Stanford Band prematurely entered the field of play while Cal
players ran back the kick. A Stanford trombonist was knocked over in the end zone by a Cal player as he scored the winning touchdown. For the re-enactment, TMB alumni portray the Stanford Band and members of the USC club rugby team recreate the action on the field.
Now you know why you love the “Stanford Countermarch” and dislike the Stanford Band. Cheer and boo accordingly tomorrow.
How about this – get rid of Bartner – he’s had that gig for over 42 years now and dump this goofy parody as well – as noted it’s a bore just like Bartner.
Bartner truly a grandpa from h3))
All I want to know is what the ‘blank’ is that weird looking collections of feathers on the top of the clown with the sword? Man every year it gets even more comical looking than the year before – is that a ‘maroon’ mop on his head or what?
If the school insists on having this guy with the ‘skirt’ and the sword sashaying out there at least make the helmet match the one on Tommy Trojan.
Almost forgot- for you bel-airians can’t wait for that gender challenged fruitopian that drags his ‘cat-in-the-Hat’ look to all your games – let’s see he’;s arrayed in powder blue and yellow striped ensemble with his ‘festive’ tam-o-shanter on top and his ‘John Lennon’ glasses with his ‘hi sailor’ moustache – always a giggle to see what a degree from bel-air gives thee…he waits every year for the moment when he can attempt to mimic that ‘gal’ who directed Stanford’s band last Thursday night….you go sailor…sail on…hmmmmm
Really I bet Wolf is hunting beers at half time and couldn’t play and march in any manner even banging the cymbals is beyond him. He is a really sad man who needs to be Kiffined ASAP