Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band...

Cathy handles that banking duties up in here. She makes sure all the bills are paid and occasionally sends me to the bank to get some cash (I've never operated an ATM) essentially operating as a bag man and I'm happy with this arrangement. When we go to a music festival like the recent Honk!Tx in Austin, Tx. I pick the bands to see. I pick good and Cathy is also happy with this. 

I picked the Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band as a must see. I did no research as is easy to do with google and all that but I thought it was a cool name. The music was cool also and just the right mix of Balkan, Klezmer, funk and thrash metal as they describe themselves and that Balkan thing is what Cathy (check out her collection sometime if you have the time) really likes.      

Actually as we found out later Emperor Norton was a real person. A San Francisco failed businessman Norton proclaimed himself Emperor of the United States in 1859 and later when Napoleon invaded Mexico "protector of Mexico." He was somewhat celebrated in the bay area and received special favors such as free train and ferry passage, meals, had a currency issued in his name which was honored at his favorite establishments and spent a good bit of time in libraries and at musical performances. On his death in 1880 up to 10,000 people lined the streets to pay respects. 

They don't make them like this anymore or at least since the invention of better mood stabilization medications and it's great that this band, though they are from Somerville, Massachusetts honors the great Emperor. I have never been able to make the backstory thing work as a band name and I respect the industry involved here.      

The tuba player used a helicon which is often seen in Central and Eastern European music. Cathy recently remarked that I needed one of these and I take that as evidence that the bank account is in good shape and also as purchase approval. At this festival I could not help but feel good about this helicon, a guy with a green trumpet and a drummer with a purple bass drum and how happy they must have been the day day they walked into a music store somewhere and bought those distinctive instruments.    

An accordion player like cowbell, harmonica, banjo and tuba means more fun. There were many good bari sax players at this festival. A couple of concert seasons back I sat by a young bari player in Civic Band. I told him, "Hey you get in the right band you can really raise hell with one of those things." He looked at me incredulously and pointed at his instrument, "With this?"     

Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band. Get the music on bandcamp.