July 11, 2010 - Boilermaker Road Race Utica, NY

This year to date we have played twice as many parades as concerts. What a switch it was to sit and play while our "audience" (13000 runners) literally is racing past us!

We also played Marcia Reale 17 times (John Piazza kept count) as the wheelchair contestants sped by.

Because we were stationed only 2 miles from the start - it didn't take long for the runners to appear - but once they came it was continuous for about 45 minutes.

Previous years we always had runners using both sides of the median and running right up to Arlene to have a little dance, cheer, and applaud us.

This year the intersection just before us was barricaded with yellow tape and had a police car there forcing the runners to stay in the lane furthest from us.

Since we part of the International Mile, we we playing many festive Italian songs...but the minute we started "The Washington Post March" - the runners charged across the median so they could run as close as possible to our Band.
What a fun concert- the dress code was a little more relaxed to fit the event...white shirt, shorts, no ties and red, white and green Italian beads.

The weather was perfect and trombonist, Geno Brown, showed up sporting a handsome handlebar moustache.
A Wonderful Summer Event!




VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!

Please click on the following link for more photos

Boilermaker Road Race