Mark calendars: This year's G-Day spring game will be April 14. That's the weekend after Tiger Woods returns to glory and wins The Masters.—
Seth Emerson (@SethEmerson) January 04, 2012
Well played, sir. Now if we can do something about the musical choices offered during games…
No brainer.
I guess that makes Damon Evans the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz.
Who is Damon Evans?
Musical choices? Like never playing “Baba O’Riley” again?
/ducks
//still doesn’t get how that’s supposed to fire up 18-22 year olds in the 21st century
I’ve been beating that figurative drum for a looooong time. Why a school based in a city with as rich a musical heritage as Athens chooses to ignore that heritage in favor of some way over-rated British Invasion band is beyond me.
It’s sort of like the NFL choosing Nickelback for the Thanksgiving halftime show in Detroit.
This reminds me of the struggle among the kids on what we listen to on the radio in the car.
Except for in this situation there are 90,000 instead of four in the back seat.
If we keep this up, Mr. McGarity may just do what my mom used to do many years back when this struggled surfaced and pop in a Ray Coniff Singers tape in the 8 track.
Yeah, nothing would get the boys and the crowd fired up like “Losing My Religion,” “Love Shack,” or a Widespread Panic 15-minute jam session. For my money, I’ll take a classic rock song by a band that featured arguably the best (well, a case can be made) drummer and bass player of all time. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry aren’t too bad either.
Personally, I’d prefer to go in a different direction.
Why must I be like that? Why must I chase a FG? Nothing but the Dawg in me!
I ask you, how awesome would it be to hear 90000+ people doing “BOW WOW WOW YIPPYO YIPPYAY” in unison?
Really, really, ridiculously awesome. Plus it would drive the barners nuts!
The only thing I can come up with to top it would be to invite Clinton to perform at halftime with the band.
I’d like to see it
I’ve actually called for that one for years, too. Brings in the “kids” with the ties to Snoop Dogg, and us old farts alike.
Dear God, at least you didn’t go with “Who Let the Dogs Out”….
Or you could just pick a song that the players and students listen to…. in theory, the game’s about the kids in school, not the people in the stands.
I’m telling you – “Right hand on my Heart” by The Whigs outta Athens. Crowd pumpin’ fo sho.
I’ll go along with that.
Second on the Moon/Entwistle love…how does one arrive at the opinion that The Who is over-rated?
For real, TR. I never thought that I would see the day that I would be waving my cane at a younger generation– and telling them to “Get off my lawn!” –in defense of The Who.
The Who is awesome. But while we’re giving love – how bout Flea on base from my generation. And yes I am talkin’ bout my gen-ee-ray-she-un.
23 skidoo
Yeah, because that’s clearly the best Athens music has to offer.
Maybe we could play some “Everybody Hurts” after the games? I had that song stuck in my head Monday.
lmao!
I’ve been a huge Who fan since the early 70′s, and I don’t get playing Baba O’Riley at Georgia games. I really hate canned music at football games.
And the Redcoats playing Earth WInd & Fire and Chicago is OK?
So when the G-Day attendance is roughly the same as it always is, what will the excuse be?
How about we just do away with head splitting piped in music at college sporting events. Just because there’s technology to do it doesn’t mean it’s progress.
Amen. The only saving grace is that we aren’t as bad as Vandy. Then again, their sound system was vintage 50s.
Maybe if the Redcoats were more entertaining, people would crave the piped-in stuff less. I know it may not be considered popular to criticize them but I’ve talked to a number of people who feel the same way I do.
And to be clear, this criticism is not in any way meant for the students in the band. They’re doing what they’re told and doing a good job of it, as always. This criticism is meant for the band director and any other band administrators who have input into what they play.
This may be sacrilege, but I’ve looked at a LOT of bands over the past few years and thought, man, it would be cool to have a better band. The Redcoats do a FANTASTIC job with what they do. They sound amazing. But they’ve probably added three new songs in the past five years. It’s the same old thing, repeatedly. And the halftime shows are mind-numbingly dull. It was embarrassing on Monday in Tampa to watch them walk off after pregame and then to see Michigan State’s band doing all sorts of high energy stuff all over the field, forming their logos, jumping… thank goodness for Tennessee’s “Wizard of Oz” halftime, otherwise, the Redcoats would have had the worst halftime I’ve seen this year.
After seeing the pre-game show the band put on outside the stadium in Tampa, I told my wife that we have one of the best “Pep” bands in the NCAA. Once they get in the stadium though, they are predictable and boring.
Agree on the Spartan Band. They were very good and march much better than the Redcoats. Then again, the Big Ten bands try to make up for what their football teams have lacked. They are very good.
I also liked one thing that the Spartan Band and Tennessee Bands did. I think it is pretty cool that in the pre-game they play the fight song of the visitor or in the case of Monday, your opponent. Pretty classy in Knoxville and in Tampa this week.
Someone mentioned the LSU band. I think they do a great job of keeping the fans fired up. No one in the SEC does it better than they do. Get the Redcoats more involved….I love the solo trumpeters and the Battle Hymn. Less piped in music is better.
I hope we don’t play Rocky Top or do the Wizard of Oz skit!
No worries on playing the Wizard of Oz
, I was with the pep band there when we saw it at Tennessee- it’s not coming to Athens, haha. As far as the criticism, you guys will be happy to know that we’re working on a better selection of music in the stands- we’ve added a lot of songs this year actually- All of the Lights, The Time Warp, the theme from Inception as well as others, all in an attempt to add a better variety of music. As far as marching pregame and halfime, we’re never going to march like big 10 bands do- it’s not our style. If you want something visual, replace us with 400 georgettes or something 
. Michigan State did march very well and uniform, but we blew them out of the water playing-wise, which is good, because we’re much more about the music. I was told you couldn’t even hear them on TV. Give us some credit, the Redcoats were the first band in the SEC to win the Sudler Trophy (2000), and most people have us and LSU as the top bands in the SEC. You guys are right though, they get the fans much more involved, which is something we’re definitely working toward. If you guys have any suggestions, that would be cool as well, instead of just saying it could be better. Looking forward to 2012- Go Dawgs!
Oh yeah, Time Warp. Rocky Horror picture Show is very relevant.
None of us like it either, but it is new. Thanks for the constructive comment.
It’s free right? My fiance is an LSU alum and I need to show her what a real campus looks like.
It’s free for students. I think general admission is $5.
Unless they changed it for this year, it’s free for all. I’ve never paid to get into G-Day.
Good Lord! You guys have got to be kidding…you are talking about a college marching band, not a rock show. The music at half time is NOT about the students and players. It is about the Georgia tradition and the people that fund it….that would NOT be the students NOR the players.
Jeesh, what stupid, immature comments! Get your degree, get a job and contribute several thousands of dollars to UGA. That is when your opinion will begin to matter.
So you’re sayin’ The Who IS over-rated…hmmm…interesting…
meh…did all those and still think that the experience at the stadium could be improved. Hell my gameday experience could be improved by actually hearing the band play something interesting and being able to get a cold coke in September.
(points and waves cane)
I gave no one permission to use my likeness for this trailer. Here’s my word to all of you,”Quit screwing with my Dawgs and git offa my lawn.” Else, you’ll find out where the Pope shits when there ain’t no woods.
“My advice to you is to do what your parents did! Get a JOB, sir. The bums will always lose!
If you want piped in music certain to divide the paying customers, attend the NFL games. College tradition is band music, not saying it can’t be done better because most do better. Just watch LSU and see the way they move the entire fan base with their traditonal music, not just those who love a sliver of the music spectrum. Hard to find much common to crowds who span 5 decades, or more.
Fans attending games are unified by the program they are there to support, stick with music that supports that theme. And if that isn’t being done very well, do some work and make it more inspiring.
I don’t think McGarity gets this at all. That is the singularly worst Saturday to play the Spring Game. Why select the only Saturday with any sporting conflict in the state? Seems more like something Tech would do, except they have fewer fans to disappoint. DVR again for the Spring Game. Oh well, after the way we screwed it up last year by not playing any units together, it is less enlightening than reading the scrimmage reports.
“Just watch LSU and see the way they move the entire fan base with their traditonal music.”
I’m sure it has NOTHING to do with the 100+ strippe…..errrrrr….dancing girls they have doing the shimmy. LSU band…really?! I can’t recall a single note, but can recall many of the dance moves of those cupcakes.
They aren’t bad, but I am not talking about the halftime…..it is during the game the band keeps the fans stoked. Several great band tunes for all different occasions. And the fans know, and react to every note. Now those Duck Cheerleaders could make me forget why I was in the stadium to begin with.
That’s the thing about how band people view the band and how most fans view the band. I really couldn’t care less about what they play for halftime. Halftime is for taking a leak, getting a coke, and griping about playcalling with the folks sitting around you. The band is there to contribute to the in-game atmosphere, not to show off during the only time in the stadium when nobody pays attention.
To many of them, halftime IS the reason they’re there. I understand why, because they spend a whole week preparing for their show. They just need to understand that very few people are there to see them and most just don’t care about what they’ve been doing all week.
(Unless they were a HBCU band, in which case I actually would pay attention during halftime)
Ha we more than realize that a lot of people don’t care to see halftime- we have a field’s eye view of the people who’re choosing to go get a coke instead, but that’s not gonna stop us from putting on a great show for the people who do stick around. I don’t know why most people assume that we think we’re there for halftime…it’s a Georgia FOOTBALL game, and the large majority of us realize that and are there to support the team as much/more (we don’t leave games early, no matter what) than most typical fans do. We’re just as big of fans as the people who paid to be there, the only difference is that we can make a lot more noise. So yes, it’d be awesome to have a big audience for haltime (and usually during the bigger games, there’s a good crowd) to know that the fans genuinely appreciate the effort we put into making Georgia Saturdays what they are, but if you wanna spend pregame/halftime outside the stadium, go for it. Mike Woods and CMR have our backs, and honestly, that’s good enough for me.
What’s the conflict on the 14th? It’s the week after the Masters.
Ouch! My major bad. I read the post quickly and thought it was the same weekend. Thanks, need to make some reservations after all. I am back on the bus!
So far, I think Mc Garity has gotten everything right. Not a bad start
Dear Admin, it’s urgent. Please get in touch with me as soon as possible. My email address is leylacag87@gmail.com – thanks!
Or we could pump in ‘Sandstorm’ by Darude, circa1999 and play it every possible moment ala South Carolina. That’d be AWESOME!
/end sarcasm