- Production and presentation
of the UW Varsity Band's Spring Concert
is provided in part
by Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.
- Band: Step close.
[cheers and applause]
* [distinctive horn fanfare from "Jump Around" House of Pain ] *
[repeating high-pitched "Jump Around" squeal]
[crowd cheers enthusiastically]
* ["Wells Fargo Wagon" from The Music Man] *
* ["Heaven on Their Minds" from Jesus Christ Superstar ] *
* ["Hey Song"]
* - Hey!
* Hey!
Hey!
[eight rim shots]
* ["On, Wisconsin!"]
- Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen,
the University of Wisconsin Varsity Band!
* ["On, Wisconsin!"]
[audience cheering]
*
* ["Hot Time"]
[increasingly brisk tempo]
[quickening tempo reaches a fever pitch]
- Mike Leckrone: Oh, thank you!
[audience cheers wildly]
Can you hear the trombones OK, lady?
[audience laughing]
This is the University of Wisconsin Band!
[audience cheering]
And not long ago, we were at the Pinstripe Bowl
where we beat Miami 35-3.
Remember that day? [cheers and applause]
This is exciting for us tonight.
First of all, I've got three sellouts in a row.
You're the third audience.
You'd better be the best one!
[cheers and whistles]
Well, always on this concert,
we feature the tuba section.
[cheers and applause]
I was a little concerned this year
because one of the guys came up and said,
"Mike, I'm having a little trouble with school this year
and I don't know if I can keep doing the concert."
He said,
"I'm failing every subject, but one."
And I said, "Well, that's tough."
[audience laughs]
I said, "Have you studied enough?"
He said, "Yeah, I thought I did."
I said, "Well, what subject is it that you're failing--
that you're not failing, rather?"
He said, "I'm failing every subject but one
and that's calculus." [audience laughs]
I said, "Well, why is it that you think
you're not failing calculus?"
He said, "I'm not taking calculus."
[hearty laughter]
- Band: Ssss... Boom.. . ahhh... [skyrocket whistle]
How is Mike like a spring concert?
Ssss... Boom.. . ahhhhh...
[skyrocket whistle]
They both finally sold out!
[audience laughs, groans]
- They wrote me a poem. [audience laughs]
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
We're not as dumb as you think we is."
[hearty laughter]
We're going to feature our tuba section!
- Ssss... Boom.. . ahhhh... [skyrocket whistle]
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
You're not as funny
as you think you are!
[groans, laughter, applause]
- We'll see about that when grades come out.
[band groans loudly]
Here's a song that's also been around for 50 years.
It was originally the Sesame Street theme.
We're going to do the "Muppet Song" for you.
[cheers and applause]
- Band: And up!
- Leckrone: One, two, a one, two, three, four.
* ["Muppet Song"]
[fast, bright ragtime tempo]
[vaudevillian music]
[tubas playing lengthy sustained notes]
[playing sustained notes in descending pitch]
[audience cheers]
[brass plays a blue note]
[band resumes playing bright melody]
*
[enthusiastic cheers and applause]
Our tuba section!
Early on, too, we like to get you involved.
You sound like you're a great audience tonight.
We like to get you involved
with a little thing called "The Hey Song"
where you jump up and holler, "Hey!"
Remember when we do this? - Audience: Hey!
- You jump up and holler,"Hey!" Let's try it!
Let's see if they remember. Start at letter 'B.'
- A one, two, a one, two, three, four.
* - Hey!
[stadium anthem music]
- Hey!
Hey!
HEY!
- What--
What part of the instructions
didn't you understand?
[audience laughs]
Jump up and holler, "Hey!"
And you, too, Phil. You can do it, too.
Let's try it again for these two guys.
A one, two, a one, two, three, four.
* Hey!
I still see some slackers out there.
We're going to have a little sway back and forth with this
and you got "Rock & Roll 2."
Here we go, one, two, a one, two, three, four.
* ["Rock & Roll Part 2"]
[rolling beat]
- Band chants: I hate the trombones!
Hey!
[distinct, engaging beat]
[driving jock rock]
Hey!
- Band chants: One, two, you know what to do!
*
Hey!
[energetic cheers and applause]
- About 27 years ago, a woman came to me and said,
"You know, you wear a lot of different kind of clothes."
I guess that's putting it mildly.
She said, "I would like to start to design some of them
and construct them for you."
So, ladies and gentlemen, this is Lois Levenhagen.
[cheers and applause]
She's been my--
- Band: Whoo-ooo!
- She's from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
She's been doing this for 27 years for me,
coming up with some new outfits. - Levenhagen: Yep, yep.
- We'll show you what one of them looked like
when we were starting to do this.
- Band: Whoo-whew!
[whistles]
Audience: Whoa!
[cheers and applause]
- How about that?
Do you like that one, Lois? - Oh, yeah.
- I like this one a lot. - Yeah.
- So, thank you again, Lois Levenhagen,
and thank you for all the years
you've done for the band.
Thank you so much. - Thank you!
[cheers and applause]
- I feel like I should be working for Purina.
[laughter]
I know most of you go to Camp Randall
and you get to hear the band play, but you notice lately,
the band has had to take a back seat a little bit
to some of the stadium productions
where they put audio-- yeah, you know.
Where they play some of the special things
and some of them are fun to play
and you join in
and I think it's fine for them to do that,
but I kind of miss--
I kind of miss letting the band play more.
[cheers and applause]
But I understand they gotta mix it up a little bit.
I thought it might be fun for you to hear some of the songs
that they play over at the Stadium
and have these guys play it.
[cheers and applause]
So, we put together a medley of songs
that people sing along
as the stadium sound system goes along,
but now you can sing along with us.
We call this medley, very cleverly,
"The Camp Randall Sing-Along."
- Band: Ohhhhh...
Band: Hey-up!
* ["Twist and Shout" The Isley Brothers ] *
*
[drum solo]
* ["Brown Eyed Girl" Van Morrison ] *
*
[drum solo]
* ["Build Me Up Buttercup" The Foundations ] *
[drumroll]
- Band: * Build me up
* Buttercup
* Don't break my heart
[singing bass] * Don't break my heart
[applause]
- Leckrone: One, two, three.
[distinctive "Jump Around" horn fanfare]
* ["Jump Around" House of Pain ] *
[repeating high-pitched squeal]
*
One, two, three, four.
* ["Crazy Train" Ozzy Osbourne ] *
- * Aye aye aye
[thumping rhythm]
[dark music in a minor key]
[drumming]
* ["Sweet Caroline" Neil Diamond ] *
* Ba, Ba, Ba!
* Sweet Caroline
* Ba, Ba, Ba!
* Good times never seemed so good *
* So good, so good, so good!
* Sweet Caroline
* Ba, Ba, Ba!
* I'd be inclined * Ba, Ba, Ba!
* To believe they never would *
* Sweet Caroline
* Ba, Ba, Ba!
* Good times never seemed so good *
* So good, so good, so good!
* Sweet Caroline
* Ba, Ba, Ba!
* I'd be inclined * Ba, Ba, Ba!
* To believe they never would *
*
[exuberant applause]
- Well, in sort of keeping with the anniversary theme,
I'm going to bring back a couple of guys
that were in the band a long time ago.
The first one out is a man named David Jones
from McFarland, Wisconsin.
[cheers and applause]
- Band: Boom AH. [skyrocket whistle]
- David was in--
- Band: Dave Jones.
- David was in
the very first concert
that we did with the Wisconsin Band, back in Mills Hall.
Back that first year we ever did it, Dave was--
[cheers and applause]
David went on to great things,
playing professionally all over the country.
He's been at Disney World for a number of years,
playing all sorts of things.
He plays in the local bands there.
He's an arranger.
He does a lot of programming for the Band.
So, we're very proud of him as one of our alumnus-- alumni.
And the other guy,
[cheers and applause]
was also in those bands.
We got to move, I think, into the Field House
when Grant was in the band.
This is Grant Manhart from here in Madison.
- Band: Boom AH. [skyrocket whistle]
[cheers and applause]
- Band: Grant Manhart.
- Grant went on with a great professional career
with Buddy Rich for a while, with all sorts of bands.
Played all over the world.
They're going to do a tune that I particularly like
because of the title.
It's called the "Brotherhood of Man,"
which is what I think this band is all about.
And also, it's kinda remarkable
cause this is the first time
both these guys have played together on the same show.
So... this is a first for me to hear them play at the same time.
So, this is Woody Herman's "Brotherhood of Man",
Grant Manhart and David Jones.
[applause]
*
[high-pitched trilling]
[cheers and applause]
[David Jones plays trumpet solo]
[cheers and applause]
[Grant Manhart plays trumpet solo]
[Manhart and Jones play together]
- Grant Manhart, David Jones! [cheers and applause]
Boy, are we proud of the guys.
Aren't we proud of these two!
[thundering applause]
Aren't they great?
We're so proud of these alumni.
So proud of what they've been able to do with music.
We'll bring them back a little bit later, too.
For a long time,
one of my favorite musicals
is sort of a period piece.
[audience exclaims] - Whoo!
[cheers ascending and descending]
- This is the part I like the best.
[audience laughs]
The period was at the turn of the century
where bands were all over America.
Bands were the things that everybody listened to
and there was a man who wrote a lot about band music
because he was a member, originally,
of the John Philip Sousa Band .
He was a piccolo player
with the John Philip Sousa Band .
With that band, he got a chance
to tour the world and play a lot of different things.
And while he was doing that, he decided to write a musical play
about some people he had known.
The guy that he primarily wrote about
was a man named Harold Hill.
Harold Hill was the kind of guy--
Well, he wasn't much of a musician at all.
He was kind of a phony.
He took advantage of people.
He lied.
He cheated.
He stole.
He told people he was a great musician and he really wasn't.
He led them to believe he could do almost anything with music.
Kind of like my life story. [laughter]
[applause]
But in the play,
Robert Preston as Harold Hill says,
"No one can forget that glorious day
when Creatore,
Pat Conway,
Liberatti,
W.C. Handy,
and the great John Philip Sousa
all came to town
on the same wonderful day.
[rousing marching music]
[tuba solo]
* ["76 Trombones" from The Music Man ] *
* ["Till There Was You" from The Music Man ] *
* ["The Wells Fargo Wagon" from The Music Man ] *
* ["Gary, Indiana" from The Music Man ] *
*
* ["Lida Rose" The Music Man ] *
[pitch pipe] - Quartet: * Whoooo
- * So here is my love song
* Not fancy or fine
* Lida Rose, oh, won't you be mine be mine *
* Lida Rose, I'm home again Rose to get the sun back in the sky *
* Lida Rose, I'm home again
* Rose about a thousand kisses shy *
* Ding, dong, ding
* I can hear
the chapel bell chime *
* Ding, dong, ding
* At the least suggestion
* I'll pop the question.
* Lida Rose, I'm home again
* Rose, without a sweetheart to my name *
* Lida Rose, now everyone knows
* That I am hoping you're the same *
* So here is my love song
* Not fancy or fine
* Lida Rose, oh, won't you be mine? *
* Lida Rose
* Oh, Lida Rose
- * Dream of now
* Dream of then
* Dream of a love song
* That might have been
* Do I love you?
* Oh, yes, I love you
* And I'll bravely tell you
* But only when we dream again
* Sweet and low
* How sweet that memory
* How long ago
* Forever, oh, yes, forever
* Will I ever tell you?
* Ah, no
- * Lida Rose, oh, Lida Rose
- * Dream of now
- * Lida Rose, I'm home again
* Rose to get the sun
* Back in the sky
* Lida Rose, I'm home again
* Rose about a thousand kisses shy *
- * Do I love you? - * Ding, dong, ding
- * Oh, yes, I love you
- * I can hear the chapel bell chime *
- * And I'll bravely tell you - * Ding, dong, ding
-* But only when we dream again
- * At the least suggestion I'll pop the question *
- * Sweet and low
- * Lida Rose, now everyone knows *
- * Sweet and low
- * Without a sweetheart to my name *
- * How sweet that memory
- * Lida Rose, now everyone knows *
* That I am hoping you're the same *
- * Forever - * So here is my love song
- Oh, yes, forever * - * Not fancy or fine
* Will I ever tell you? - * Lida Rose, oh, Lida Rose
- * Ah, no - * Lida Rose, oh, Lida Rose.
[vocalizing]
[applause]
* ["Marian the Librarian" from The Music Man ] *
*
* ["76 Trombones" from The Music Man ] *
[playing "76 Trombones" chaotically]
*
[playing "76 Trombones" in an orderly fashion]
*
[pyrotechnic explosion]
[cheers and applause]
- Back in 1942, a number of composers
were commissioned to write
a series of fanfares for the war bond drive.
And it's very successful
because one of the fanfares that was written
became a standard in symphony orchestras all over the world.
It was written by Aaron Copland.
Mr. Copland wrote this fanfare
intending it to be a very solemn thing,
but then a guy named Woody Herman got ahold of it
and he thought it would be not only a great fanfare piece
but also kind of a jazz-rock thing.
So, he transformed it into that.
Mr. Copland totally appreciated what he did,
and was very complimentary about it.
The band, it's one of their favorite numbers,
so I thought I would include it in this year's program.
This is Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man."
[cheers and applause]
[cymbal gonging]
* ["Fanfare for the Common Man" Aaron Copland ] *
*
[pyrotechnic explosion]
[cheers and applause]
This is musical nepotism
of the Nth degree.
Because I've invited a couple of friends
who are going to play for us here.
Andrew Kenney on keyboard.
Terrific keyboard player. [applause]
Patrick Kenney.
Patrick Kenney, yeah.
And back there is--
What's his name again? [laughter]
Todd Thompson who's a longtime member of the band.
[cheers and applause]
and a great member of the trumpet section.
And then, I'm going to introduce my granddaughter,
Raychel Wilson. [cheers and applause]
My grandson, Michael Mitmoen.
[cheers and applause] - Men in audience: "Yeah!Whoo!"
And my son, Erik...?
... uh, Leckrone. Erik Leckrone.
[laughter, cheers, and applause]
And I hope you'll permit us to do this
because I asked them to play a couple of tunes
and these are songs that are very important to my family.
[in a sentimental voice] So, thank you.
[cheers and applause]
- Two, three, four.
*
* ["Me and Bobby McGee"]
* Busted flat in Baton Rouge
* Headed for a train
* Feeling near as faded as my jeans *
* Bobby thumbed a diesel down
* Just before it rained
* It took us all the way to New Orleans *
* I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana *
* And it was blowing sad while Bobby sang the blues *
* With them windshield wipers slapping time *
* and Bobby clapping hands with mine *
* We sang every song that driver knew *
*
* Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose *
* Nothing left is all he left for me *
* Feeling good was easy, Lord, when Bobby sang the blues *
* Feeling good that's good enough for me *
* Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee *
* From the coal mines of Kentucky *
* To the California sun
* Bobby shared the secrets of my soul *
* Standing right beside me, Lord, *
* Through everything I done
* And every night he kept me from the cold *
* Then somewhere near Salinas, Lord, *
* I let him slip away
* Looking for the home
* I hope he'll find
* And I'd trade all my tomorrows *
* For a single yesterday
* Just holding Bobby's body next to mine *
* Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose *
* Nothing left is all he left for me *
* Feeling good was easy, Lord
* When Bobby sang the blues
* Feeling good
* That's good enough for me
* Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee *
[Mike Mitmoen playing tuba solo]
[cheers and applause]
[playing melody with tuba]
*
[cheers and applause]
[Erik Leckrone drumming solo]
[Patrick Kenney playing keyboard]
[cheers and applause]
* From the coal mines of Kentucky *
* To the California sun
* Bobby shared the secrets of my soul *
* Standing right beside me, Lord *
* Through everything I done
* And every night he kept me from the cold *
* Then somewhere near Salinas, Lord *
* I let him slip away
* looking for the home I hope he'll find *
* And I'd trade all my tomorrows *
* For a single yesterday
* Just holding Bobby's body next to mine *
* Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose *
* Nothin' left was all he left for me *
* Feeling good was easy, Lord
* When Bobby sang the blues
* Feeling good,
* That's good enough for me
* Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee *
* La da da da da da da da
[Lecrone belts out his song] - * You are my sunshine
- * My only sunshine - * La da da da
- * You make me happy - * La da da da
- * When skies are gray - * Da da da da
[sings at top of lungs] - * YOU'LL NEVER KNOW, DEAR - * La da da da da da
- * How much I looooooove you - * La da da da da
- * Please don't take - * La da da da
- * Please don't take my sunshine away - * Me and Bobby McGee
- * You are my sunshine - * La da da da
- * Yes, you are my sunshine - * Da da da da
- * You make me - * La da da da
- * Happy when skies are gray - * Me and Bobby McGee
- * You'll never know, dear - * La da da da da da da da
- * How much I love you - * La da da da da da da da
- * Please--don't--take - * La da da da
-* My sunshine away (vocalizing) - * Me and Bobby McGee
[enthusiastic cheers and applause]
* Good enough for
* Me and my (vocalizing)
* Bobby (vocalizing)
* McGee
*
[excited cheers and applause]
Thank you! [jangling tambourine]
[warm cheers and applause]
- That's the Leckrone Family Band .
[Mike Leckrone chuckles]
Thank you so much!
*
* ["Could we Start Again, Please" Jesus Christ Superstar] *
[Emily Whelan as Mary Magdalene] - * I've been living to see you
* Dying to see you, but it shouldn't be like this *
* This was unexpected
* What do I do now?
* Could we start again please?
* I've been very hopeful so far
* Now for the first time
* I think we're going wrong
* Hurry up and tell me
* This is just a dream
* Or could we start again please? *
* I think you've made your point now *
* You've even gone a bit too far to get the message home *
* Before it gets too frightening *
* We ought to call a vote
* Or could we start again please? *
-* Could we start again please?
- * Oh, could we start again please? *
-* Could we start again please?
-* Could we start again?
[percussion rumbling]
[cheers and applause]
[trumpet solo]
[pyrotechnic explosions]
* ["Opening Theme" Jesus Christ Superstar] *
* ["Heaven on Their Minds" Jesus Christ Superstar ] *
* ["Last Supper Theme" Jesus Christ Superstar ] *
* ["Hosanna" Jesus Christ Superstar ] *
* ["I Don't Know How to Love Him" Jesus Christ Superstar ] *
* ["Everything's Alright" Jesus Christ Superstar] *
- Emily Whelan: * Try not to get worried
* Try not to turn on to
* Problems that upset you, oh
* Don't you know
* Everything's alright, yes
* Everything's fine
* And we want you to sleep well tonight *
* Feel the world turn without you tonight *
* If we try, we'll get by *
* So relax all your troubles tonight *
* Sleep and I shall soothe you
* Calm you and anoint you
* Myrrh for your hot forehead, oh *
* Then you'll feel
* Everything's alright yes
* Yes, everything's fine
* And it's cool and the ointment's sweet *
* For the fire in your head and feet *
* Close your eyes, close your eyes *
* And relax
* Think of nothing tonight
*
* Close your eyes, close your eyes *
* And relax, think of nothing tonight *
*
* Close your eyes, close your eyes *
* And relax, think of nothing tonight *
* ["King Herod's Song" Jesus Christ Superstar] *
[raucous, comical vaudeville-style music]
*
* ["Judas Theme" Jesus Christ Superstar] *
- * Ah ah ah ah
* Ah ah ah ah ah ah
[drumming]
* Ah ah ah ah
* Ah ah ah ah ah ah
* ["Thunderstorm" Jesus Christ Superstar ] *
[lightning and thunder]
* ["Gethsemane" Jesus Christ Superstar] *
*
[drumroll]
[pyrotechnics hiss]
[cheers and applause]
* ["Amazing Grace" with bagpiper Sean Michael Dargan] *
[playing bagpipe with flowing legato]
*
* ["Carillon"]
[applause]
* ["Carillon"]
* ["Auld Lang Syne"]
*
[cheers and applause]
*
- We close as we always have
for the last 45 years on this concert
with a medley of songs
about our great university.
[declaring with verve] Isn't this a great time to be a Badger?!
[booming cheers and applause]
Sing along with us
and enjoy.
* ["Songs to Thee, Wisconsin"]
* Songs to thee, Wisconsin
* Ever let us sing
* Praise to alma mater
* Ever let us bring
* Queen of all the West
* College we love best
* Queen of all the West
* College we
* Love best
[drumroll]
* ["If You Want to be a Badger"] *
*
[drumroll]
- Band: Ah... How do you like me now?
[tubas play very low bass notes]
* ["Varsity"]
* Var-sity!
* U-rah-rah!
* Wisconsin!
* Praise to thee we sing [echoing] * We sing
* Praise to thee, our Alma Mater
* U-rah-rah
* Wisconsin!
[drumroll] [cheers and applause]
[fanfare of trumpets]
Hey!
* Praise to thee, our Alma Mater
*
[chanting] U-rah-rah! Wisconsin!
- Band: Hey... up!
[drumming]
- Mike Leckrone: One, two, one, two, three, four.
Thank you so much
for being a part of this night.
I can't thank you enough
for all the years.
Thank you.
* ["On, Wisconsin"]
*
I've always said here, "We never say goodbye,"
but we've got a couple of goodbyes.
One of which is a very special group of people.
The seniors, I'd like for you to stand.
This is their last concert.
[cheers and applause]
And as for me,
[with sentimental emotion]
you've made this...
...an unbelievable--
[getting choked up]
[cheers and applause]
Thank you. It's--
Multiply that by 10 times
what this place is holding, and--
Well, it's not enough.
Thank you so much for what you've meant
to these kids and to me.
I won't say goodbye,
but
we'll see you real soon...
[cheers and applause]
...and 'On, Wisconsin!
Two, three, four.
* ["On, Wisconsin"]
[firecracker whistling]