BSO Christmas Show Memories

Since we don't have a tour this year, I was thinking we could share our experiences at past Christmas shows.

My family and I went to the 2006 show at the Oneida Casino in Green Bay. The tickets went on sale on a Sunday morning, right between worship and Sunday School. So I had the secretary let me into the office, and I placed my order about a minute after they went on sale. Then I had to wait for seven weeks!

Oneida was the first or second show on the schedule that year. It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, which happened to be my last day of school before the long weekend. The kids (9 and 5 at the time) had no idea about the show - they just thought we were going out to dinner. Then we got to the casino, and when my daughter saw the Gretsch display with Brian's picture on a big banner, she just turned to me and started laughing.

The doors weren't even open yet, so we had some time to kill. When I saw the prices on those guitars, I was kind of afraid to ask to play one, so I just snagged a catalog and a couple of picks. Then when we finally got in, we were thrilled to see that we were in the second row, dead center!

I wasn't sure how the kids were going to respond to the show - I was a little concerned that the sheer volume would be kind of overwhelming for them. But they were fine. My 5-year-old crawled up onto my lap, and lasted at least until the Grinch, but when I glanced down a few minutes later, I discovered that he was totally unconscious. So I was pinned down for the last hour of the show. I remember wondering if The Brian, in the middle of all the lights and noise, might be aware of a little kid sleeping not 10 feet away from him. (Probably not...plenty of other things to think about!)

So the show finally ends, and I haul our little snoozer out to the car, and he wakes up just as I set him into his car seat, and says, "I'll remember this night for the rest of my life!"

Pretty cool.

Awwww....what a great story! The hubby and I were in the fourth row, center section, near the left side (facing the stage) at this show. If memory serves me correctly...was that the year the "drunk" people were conga line dancing wedding style in the aisles?

Maybe I'm getting my years confused!
hrg

HRG,

I didn't see a conga line in 2006. Security tends to be pretty tight at Oneida - if there was a conga line, it probably wouldn't have made it all the way up to the front by the stage. Maybe they let people have more fun in previous years!

I have Boogie Woogie Christmas playing right now - Dig That Crazy Christmas was spinning yesterday. Boy, I wish there was a show this year...but wishin' don't make it so. I'm kind of regretting not going last year, but it was a weeknight, so we skipped it. Oh well. I'll have to settle for the DVD!

You guys were allowed to have conga lines? I was at the State Theatre in Easton, PA in 2006 and 2007 and I think they yelled at some guy who was standing up having a good time. I felt like an animal trapped in a cage. How could you not want to dance to BSO?

Other than that though hubby and I had a great time at both. In '07 we brought my kids, ages 5 and 7, they thought it was pretty cool but halfway through my lttlest was asleep on my lap. Shes done that at a B-52s concert as well.

Oh yeah, seats were down front middle section and I paid the membership fee to to get the good seats.

I'm pretty sure it was 2006....Brian said something about dancing in the aisles, and a couple of older people started dancing in "conga lines" down to the stage. When they reached the stage, they were promptly sent back to their seats. My hubby and I danced to fishnet stockings in the aisle (but we were really close to the end, only had to climb over two people. ) Bear, being in the center, you might not have seen this going on. Or maybe I have my years mixed up too...this is when I wish I had Rickabilly's encyclopedia brain!

The first year we were there (2003? I can't remember the year...sorry), the ballroom was set up with reserved seating, and a pretty big dance floor up front. There was one couple who was dancing at the beginning of the show, then it was a mass rush to the stage, and a lot of people were standing up front....no dancing. I think if I had paid money for front row seats, and then all of these people rushed the stage and stood in front of me, I'd be a tad upset. My hubby and I had decent seats, but we rushed the stage as well. I wanted to see the BSO, not somebody's big ol' bottom standing in front of me.

Anyway, it would be super cool to have a dance floor at a BSO show, but then the dilemma...watch the incredible show, or dance? I'd love to just be able to stand, groove to the tunes and see the show. At the shows at Oneida, there's such a wide age range and variety of people there, that it'd be rude to stand and dance in front of the older person who was lucky to be able to move to their seat that day (or the little kid who's seeing their first BSO show). So, we move around like we have ants in our pants, and politely stay seated.

Bummer...I'm missing the BSO show this year! Maybe next year....or maybe a non-holiday show, or maybe, just maybe, a reunion of one of Brian's trios????? That would be special!

Who knows?

Take care,
hrg

well, it was a cold december morning in 2005 , when i went to my local record dealer.

i knew he would open doors at 09:00 am . and at 09:05 am, i had that dvd in my hands !

just half an hour later it was in my player ....so loud , that all the neighbours could listen to it as well.

i live in a small village and the next neighbour is about 100 meters away ! ha ha .
well there are just three neighbours. so the whole village and all of the cows ( about 300 )
where singin´and dancin in the snow . ( mooooo )

I'm sure the theaters they have in the various casinos are nice, but there's nothing like seeing the BSO in an old theatre, or better yet, an old dance ballroom. I saw my first BSO show in November 1998 at the Sokol Ballroom (aka Sokol Polka Hall) in Omaha, Nebraska. It was the height of the swing revival, and the main floor was reserved for people who wanted to dance. Plenty of people dressed the part, and while I am not a dancer, I enjoyed my view from the very low balcony level. Ornate chandeliers adorned the ceiling, and rustic draperies framed the bandstand that had had hosted so many great bands of the past, including Artie Shaw, Count Basie, Wynnonie Harris, Woody Herman, Paul Whiteman, and Les Brown, to name a few.

8 1/2 souveniers - a 1920s / early 30s-themed small combo group opened the show. I really enjoyed them, and the crowd was appreciative, but restless for something they could jitterbug to. When the BSO hit the stage, it was bedlam. For those of you are willing and able dancers, that was a great place to see a BSO show. Even people who weren't skilled dancers gave the lindy-hoppers plenty of room. And just like the 30s and 40s, people would pass written requests up to the bandstand. Brian has been a little short in the past with idiots who yell out requests during the shows, but he was in a good mood that night, and would occasionally read some of the notes. I remember Brian reading a note that said "In the Mood," and he politely said, "We don't have the charts for that one, but how about this one?" And he launched into "She's Sexy and 17." That was one of the highlights of the night for me, despite the fact that someone in Omaha may have unwittingly given Brian the inspiration to record "Gettin' In the Mood" a couple of years later.

The hall couldn't have held much more than 1,000 people, but it was loud. I remember Brian seemed to be genuinely impressed at the reception. ""Omaha? Who knew? Thanks a lot. We'll definitely have to come back here."

I'm still waiting. But I have very fond memories of watching the BSO at the height of their popularity in a dance hall that was at the height of its popularity in the 1930s and 1940s. Not to be a humbug, but it really was a great time to be a BSO fan. No Christmas albums, and no Vixens. Just Brian and a rockin' big band. The way it oughta be.

Missin' the Keswick tonight-a-billy

December 2000 - 29th,30th and 31st. Atlantic City. Caesar´s Palace

But even better memories from January 1st, 2001. Free show at the Casino bar, surrounded by the jackpots. 68 Comeback Special trio. The band hasn´t still released their debut cd. But lots of us already had the famous bootlegs from the San Juan Capistrano shows at the time. It was special... no fences, no stage, no distance. About 100 people going nuts with Brian/Bernie/Mark energy.


And the most important, that´s the place where I met some true friends for live.

Seats?.....we don't need no stinkin' seats not in Detroit '05,06. If ther were people sitting they musta really been on the floor. My wife and I were right up front both shows no pushin' no shovin' just a lot of great rockin' at the State Theater! There was a lot of connection between Brian and the crowd those nights and you could see he was visibly moved by it all.

Yeah, the State Theatre is a great place.

Ahh yes the days when the BSO did the Rockefeller Xmas tree lighting in NY. That was such a treat. I felt like a kid in a candy store.

Tonight after reading who the performers would be I wasn't even interested in watching. Instead I just wanted to come here and reminisce, maybe complain a little. OK feeling better.

Amity wrote:

Ahh yes the days when the BSO did the Rockefeller Xmas tree lighting in NY. That was such a treat. I felt like a kid in a candy store.

Tonight after reading who the performers would be I wasn't even interested in watching. Instead I just wanted to come here and reminisce, maybe complain a little. OK feeling better.

We could just put in the tape of the tree lighting ceremonies from a couple years past, and pretend the BSO was under the big tree this year.

Sometimes being in denial is easier than accepting the truth.


hrg