Mardi Gras, tonght (facebook vid's/comments/pic now linked...)

[bloke]

I completely forgot that (since last year) I SOLD my 4-valve sparklephone (forgetting, I suppose, that I occasionally play stand-up gigs and parades), did NOT get that satin-silver Conn Pan American (14K) fixed up in time to use on this gig (illness/work/gigs/etc.), so I borrowed a King fiberglass from a private school out here in blokesville.

The sousaphone is "new-style" with the "old-style" neck (just noticed - and I really didn't want to spend two hours cranking my neck...) so I went out in the shop, scrounged parts, hurry-hurry just now made a "new-style" neck, and bent a nice long (old eyes) lyre - JUST IN CASE I need my cheat sheets (two sides of two index cards.)

After reviewing this tune list (texted to me) I'm pretty sure I won't be needing those cards, but whatever...



and here's the stuck-together "new-style" neck and lyre:
...I couldn't find any King braces, so I messed with a (albeit flimsy) Jupiter brace (found ONE) and made it fit.
I also had to round up a bell screw, and whoop up on the tuning bits until they no longer leaked.
JUST remembered...It needs a new main slide spit cork...so (ok...) right after this last edit...


It pays less than $300 - and is a 1:45 minute drive (x 2) - as bloke CHOSE to move out to the wilderness, but the parade route and the following party are short, I only see this particular group of guys occasionally, and it should be fun.

...and yeah...It's supposed to be on TUESDAY (before Ash Wednesday), but peeps says: "we gotta woik".

[bloke]

some videos and a pic of the band guys...(facebook)...so some of you will be able to have a look...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/tubaeup ... 9902644812

fwiw...
I the cheat sheets stayed in my wallet.

[sweaty]

I just read about the shooting last night. Was it on your route? What was your experience?

[bloke]

I just read about the shooting last night. Was it on your route? What was your experience?

I wasn't in New Orleans were five were shot, and I didn't go through the Whitehaven area of Memphis where eleven were shot, because I know not to go through there.
This job was in a college town in Arkansas.
If someone wants to avoid being in an area where there's a lot of shooting, all they have to do is look at a detailed voting map. Even when I drove to Wisconsin last summer, I chose my route based on the voting map.

I wish there was a bridge across the Mississippi River other than the two at downtown Memphis. If you look at a map of Memphis, I think it would be wonderful if Interstate 269 continued west - well above Memphis, crossed the river, and hooked up with Interstate 55 in Arkansas. In order to cross the river without going a hundred miles north or south, everyone has to risk the inner loop interstate shooting gallery in Memphis. The speed limit is 65, but most people go 85 or faster to get past there as quickly as they can.

When offered jobs in Memphis, I weigh the money and the pleasure of them against the chance of having my car broken into or being robbed/shot. None of my cars have any insurance on them, other than liability. There were two concerts I really would have liked to have gone to in Memphis recently, but did not go due to safety considerations. One was Asleep At The Wheel (only $25), and the other was Eddie Van Halen.