GREEN BRIGADE (II)

[SilverEagle]

OK, now that the season is over, anyone care to assess the newest version of the Green Brigade?

Let me start.

Pre-game.  

We actually have one now. We start with the big announcement of pre-game starting and then the Band opens with a Fanfare. An original North Texas based composition. This is historical. No one has ever done that. Incorporating the spirit/curfew bell outline into the tribute to America routine was fantastic......and also historical. I don't think that has ever been done either.

 

Half time shows

If "Fessor Cook" and the GB keep coming up with shows like this....or better

 

then they are really going to be deserving of the brag "Best Band in America".....but they're not there quite yet.

In the stands

Great energy and great promotion of fan participation. The Band was having fun and it was infectious. 👍

So how does everyone else feel?

 

Edited December 4, 2019 by SilverEagle

[Hunter Green]

I really enjoyed the pre-game show and we actually made an effort to get there early to watch it. Huge improvement from years past. I hope they continue to think bigger and better.

[greenjoe]

I'm not qualified to critique the Green Brigade except as a casual fan.  But this year's edition was the best I recall.  I liked the opening show and especially the well thought out version of America.  The giant US Flags is a great touch.  The flags make me proud every week. 

 

I still don't get the dancing rifles.  Nothing else about the Green Brigade suggests a military style band.  I'd like to see them twirl something else.  Perhaps a Mean Green Battle Flag.

GO MEAN GREEN

[rws69]

I absolutely love the America the Beautiful into into the National Anthem, and the halftime space theme performance is great.

I still wish we would show the same respect that the UT band showed us in Austin a few years ago by playing the alma mater of our opponents who come in without their band. If our opponents bring their band, give them time to play their alma mater. It saddens me when we take the band to SMU and other locations and are not given a chance to play ours. Let's set a good example by showing respect to our opponents.

That said, my only complaint is the Green Brigade was too loud when in the stands and playing between every play - especially last Saturday with not enough fans to absorb the sound. 

I must add that the part of the halftime where the UNT and Houston bands played together was really special. 

[rhaprez03-04]

I LOVE THIS THREAD!!!! and hope this conversation keeps going. If not, so where else on GMG.com. The Band plays just as an important role in make football, football. Thanks to media formats YouTube, Twitter and Netflix putting a spotlight on College Bands especially the Green Brigade. 

Just as I am proud whenever I hear people talking about NT Football, I am equally proud when and if the GB is mentioned. 

Please keep this Convo going and I hope the GB director has a chance to read this and see that we Alumni are proud of you. #GMG #GGB

[greenminer]

49 minutes ago, greenjoe said:

I still don't get the dancing rifles.  Nothing else about the Green Brigade suggests a military style band.

Rifles are in a ton of marching bands, and it's not just college.

[Cowtown]

I would like us to go back to our 3rd down music/ chant. And I would also like to hear more from the drumline, isolated in game.  Having said that, this year was the best brigade I have seen/heard in decades. Loved the UNT JAZZ routine the first time I saw it.

 

[SilverEagle]

Just now, greenminer said:

Rifles are in a ton of marching bands, and it's not just college.

I'm not sure why they are popular at all, other than bands from military schools. I guess it gives more people an opportunity to participate with the band. 

For those alumni like me who attended NT around the time (Viet Nam) that Scrappy was re-named Eppy  because "Scrappy sounded too war-like". can you imagine the amount of s*it the Band would have had to deal with if they had tried to incorporate a rifle group into the half-time performances?

[NTSU52]

I've been very pleased with the changes the band has made this year. I remember when they used to not play the fight song when we scored, and played other things after touchdowns. Thank god they stopped that.

[greenjoe]

Other than military bands, as in the U.S.Armed Forces, high schools and colleges, what marching bands are there ? 

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

I agree SE. This year was special... I really hope they continue. 

On top of what they added, let's appreciate what they stopped. They no longer do that start/stop/chant game thing they would do in the fourth. 

[untjim1995]

They were definitely an upgrade from years past--a welcome change

[DeepGreen]

Anyone have video of the "pre-game" performance?  Halftime is one thing, pre-game is another.  Video of pre-game performance or it never happened!

[Hunter Green]

And no more GREEN ACRES! God I hated that!

[Snowy]

5 hours ago, Cowtown said:

I would like us to go back to our 3rd down music/ chant. And I would also like to hear more from the drumline, isolated in game.  Having said that, this year was the best brigade I have seen/heard in decades. Loved the UNT JAZZ routine the first time I saw it.

 

I completely agree w/ going back to the 3rd down chant. It was a great way to get loud on 3rd and 4th down. Now I feel as though less people yell on 3rd down.  

[Christopher Walker]

6 hours ago, greenjoe said:

Other than military bands, as in the U.S.Armed Forces, high schools and colleges, what marching bands are there ? 

I mean, DCI is a massive industry and summer competitive circuit.

 

[NTSU52]

2 hours ago, DeepGreen said:

Anyone have video of the "pre-game" performance?  Halftime is one thing, pre-game is another.  Video of pre-game performance or it never happened!

Here's the one from last year. Not near as good though.

[TIgreen01]

Agree with dang near everything already said.  This year’s pregame and halftime performances were a huge leap forward.  I do miss the 3rd down prompts from the past 3-4 years.

Overall, this was a great year for the GB.

[Mean Green Matt]

The band was awesome this year and a definite step forward. If I had to nitpick some things (as definitely a non-expert) it would be the following:

1) I agree with those saying the GB should play the other schools Alma Mater. That would be neat. At the very least we need to let the visiting band play it (if they are there). Neither SMU nor La Tech let the GB play ours pregame. Rice (who has a terrible fan base and about 20x oversized stadium, but actually has pretty decent game day presentation) did.

2) when the band marches in through the Parking lot I think they should be full playing. Not just playing drums and chanting. 

3) I’m sure this is easier said than done, because it has to be a lot of work, but it seems like we repeat halftime performances 2 or even 3 times over the course of the season. 

4) I think we need to make “You’ll Never Wall Alone” a bigger deal. Somewhat similar to what Liverpool FC does. It would take some time and effort to get people to participate, but it would be awesome. 

[keith]

Was able to make two games this season and I thought the performance and engagement of the band during the game was a significant improvement over years past. Well done Green Brigade.  

[SilverEagle]

On 12/4/2019 at 10:37 PM, Mean Green Matt said:

The band was awesome this year and a definite step forward. If I had to nitpick some things (as definitely a non-expert) it would be the following:

1) I agree with those saying the GB should play the other schools Alma Mater. That would be neat. At the very least we need to let the visiting band play it (if they are there). Neither SMU nor La Tech let the GB play ours pregame. Rice (who has a terrible fan base and about 20x oversized stadium, but actually has pretty decent game day presentation) did.

2) when the band marches in through the Parking lot I think they should be full playing. Not just playing drums and chanting. 

3) I’m sure this is easier said than done, because it has to be a lot of work, but it seems like we repeat halftime performances 2 or even 3 times over the course of the season. 

4) I think we need to make “You’ll Never Wall Alone” a bigger deal. Somewhat similar to what Liverpool FC does. It would take some time and effort to get people to participate, but it would be awesome. 

The last time the North Texas Band played the fight song of the visiting team on a regular basis was during the Maurince McAdow era. We were in the MVC at that time. As I recall they played the visitors fight song. I remember being very impressed with the Civil/sportsmanship-like gesture. But we all know how important sportsmanship and civility is these days.........🙄

Before this gets a bit out of hand, I'm guessing that our Band director is limited to performing "North Texas/USA stuff in pregame. He's not in charge of the clock.

 

[UNTMG]

The band is great, but someone over there needs to figure out how to play with the flow of the game.

When we are on defense, they play extremely loud on 2nd down. Fantastic. But there has been countless times where they don't make a peep on 3rd. That needs to change.

Also if I hear one more peep out of the band when we are on offense I am going to lose my mind. The band should not play on offense. You should be able to hear a pen drop in Apogee when our team is preparing to snap the ball.

Not that it makes me some expert, but I was in drumline in high school (even considered trying out for the NT drumline, but decided to move on from that) and even our small school crappy band knew when we were suppose to play in the stands.

[ipd054]

As a multiple decade basher of the band, probably the most negative I have been on the board, I think this was the best version I have ever seen at North Texas.  I enrolled in '93 and graduated in '96.   They were uniform and involved in the games.   I have absolutely nothing to complain about this year that is not just my personal preference and  that doesn't matter.   Thank you Daniel Cook.

[THOR]

12 hours ago, SilverEagle said:

The last time the North Texas Band played the fight song of the visiting team on a regular basis was during the Maurince McAdow era. We were in the MVC at that time. As I recall they played the visitors fight song. I remember being very impressed with the Civil/sportsmanship-like gesture. But we all know how important sportsmanship and civility is these days.........🙄

Before this gets a bit out of hand, I'm guessing that our Band director is limited to performing "North Texas/USA stuff in pregame. He's not in charge of the clock.

 

that seems like an excuse...so when an opposing band comes to the ap, they can't play their song because of the north texas/usa pregame stuff?  is he limited due to the clock or the admin saying they can't play the visiting teams song?

[Mean Green Matt]

16 hours ago, SilverEagle said:

The last time the North Texas Band played the fight song of the visiting team on a regular basis was during the Maurince McAdow era. We were in the MVC at that time. As I recall they played the visitors fight song. I remember being very impressed with the Civil/sportsmanship-like gesture. But we all know how important sportsmanship and civility is these days.........🙄

Before this gets a bit out of hand, I'm guessing that our Band director is limited to performing "North Texas/USA stuff in pregame. He's not in charge of the clock.

 

We don’t need to be playing anyone else’s fight song. I won’t even sweat it if we don’t play their Alma Mater. But if that team brought their band, they should get a chance to play their Alma Mater before the game.