Princeton University Band
Encyclopedia
The Princeton University Band serves as the marching band
and pep band of Princeton University
. Like most other Ivy League
bands, it is a scramble band
. To members and fans, it is often known as the PUB or simply The Band. Many alumni refer to it as the Tiger Band.
for the season's only away game, beginning a long tradition of the PUB attending all football games, home and away.
For over a decade, the PUB performed on a tight budget, clad only in black sweaters with bow-ties and white pants; however, thanks to the contributions of many alumni supporters in 1936, the band was able to afford new instruments, music, and, most notably, new uniforms — black blazers with orange collars and a Princeton Band insignia on the breast pocket.
In 1937, the PUB expanded its role at Princeton by playing not only during football games, but also basketball and ice hockey. By the 1940s, they were playing at nearly all home basketball and hockey
contests, as well as at several lacrosse
matches and in some more formal spring concerts.
band at one point or another, as well as those of Stanford
, Virginia
, Rutgers, and Rice
. The trendsetting new uniform was even featured on the cover of the October 1955 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine
From 1949 to 1981, the PUB did not miss a single football game. At 32 years and 293 games, this is one of the longest streaks in the history of college marching bands, and substantially longer than the streak of the current holder of consecutive games attended, USC
's Spirit of Troy
. The PUB has never missed a home game.
From the early 1940s through the end of the '50s, the band's field-show format transitioned from corps style to scrambling accompanied by comedic scripts. Field scrambles without spoken accompaniment were used occasionally in field shows as early as 1941 ('38 according to some alumni), with gradually increasing use over the next 15 years. In 1955, the band began experimenting with scripts to go along with the half-time scrambles. The first script on record was in a home opener against Rutgers University in 1955, by which time scrambling was a well-established feature of field performances. However, the band didn't entirely stop marching until the 1970s.
The PUB's halftime format has caused problems over the years. Not only have a number of institutions banned it from performing, like the United States Military Academy
at West Point and, until recently, Lafayette College
, but there was serious talk in the 1970s and '80s of disbanding the group at Princeton.
As Princeton football became less nationally competitive in the latter half of the 20th century, the PUB began to focus on basketball, ice hockey, and lacrosse, following many teams to NIT, ECAC-HL, and NCAA tournaments, including several national championships, since as early as 1965. From 1990 to 2000 the PUB played at over twenty NCAA tournaments alone, including the 1998 field hockey national championship.
, Head Manager ("Mom"), Student Conductor (the "Stud Conductor"), Treasurer, four Drillmasters ("DMs"), Alumni Coordinator and two Librarians ("Libes"). A professional music advisor, paid out of the band's operating fund, is the only non-student involved in directing the band.
During the fall football season, the band performs at all Princeton home games and all away games to which it is allowed by the host institution. At each game, besides playing in the stands during pauses in the game, the band performs a pregame show and a halftime show, each of which consists of one to three songs with accompanying formations, accompanied by a humorous script. The PUB also has a repertoire of cheers which are invoked throughout the game - often mildly offensive, but amusing nonetheless.
Like every other Ivy League scramble bands, the PUB has a section of unusual instruments, which the PUB calls "trash percussion."
Every Halloween, the band is invited to participate in the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, to which it is particularly well suited thanks to its orange and black uniforms and colorful performance techniques. The band has also made appearances in a number of other parades including the South Amboy St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Gross National Parade, and Philadelphia's Independence Day Parade.
After the conclusion of the football season, the Band transforms into a pep band and plays in the stands at as many Princeton men's and women's hockey, basketball, and lacrosse games as possible, including some away games. The band makes an annual trip to Penn's Palestra for the Princeton-Penn game, as well as occasional trips to nearby schools such as Columbia, Yale, Brown, and even Cornell for basketball and hockey contests. As Princeton's basketball and hockey teams are often among the best in their respective conferences, the band regularly travels with the teams to post season tournaments. Other than the absence of scrambling and formations, the Band's presence at these events is much the same as at football games.
At the end of the academic year, the band remains on campus for Reunions, a three day celebration of Princetonians past and present. Since 1936 the band has led the annual P-Rade, a parade of alumni that begins with the University President, the oldest alumnus, the band, and the 25th reunion class.
, and other formal events, consists of black pants, white shoes, a white dress shirt with solid black tie, Italian "boater
" hat, and the distinctive orange-and-black plaid jacket. The drum major and student director wear white pants, long-tailed dinner jackets and bow ties. The plaid wool used in the uniforms was custom manufactured and donated by a Princeton alumnus in 1952 at Bennington Mills in Vermont
. As such, the band owns the exclusive rights to the particular plaid design found on the jackets.
Also, graduating seniors find a way to adorn their beer jackets
with the plaid in some fashion, making alums of the band easy to spot.
2006
2005
2004
2003
2001
1993
1981
1967
1959
Traditionally, the PUB ends its football pregame shows with a formation known as the "Double-Double Rotating P." The formation is a large outline letter "P" comprising an outer loop in a "P" shape and a smaller inner loop forming the interior of the letter. In this formation, the PUB plays the march
"Going Back to Nassau Hall." When the band reaches the trio
, the P itself remains stationary, but the members of the band start to move around the perimeter of the P, with the outer loop moving clockwise and the inner loop moving counterclockwise. The band plays the trio twice, and upon beginning the second time through the trio, the two loops reverse their respective directions.
At home games, this performance immediately leads into performance of The Star-Spangled Banner
.
After football victories at Princeton Stadium, and regardless of the game's outcome if the Brown University Band
is present at Princeton, the Band goes to the fountain at the Woodrow Wilson School and plays a concert from inside.
and holds an eating contest. No time limits are enforced. Whoever can eat the most Slyders is named King of the Castle for that year. The top-eating girl can be referred to as Queen of the Castle, but the title is not traditionally considered part of one's title. Style points are awarded for some eating methods, including:
The current record holder is Marcus Theus '12 who in 2011 ate a recorded 33 burgers in one sitting. For more information on the competition, refer to the official website.
The Band's repertoire includes dozens of other songs, principally featuring classic rock
and, more recently, '90s hits.
Princeton University Band - 1927
Princeton Symposium of Music - undated (1940s)
Rally Songs by the Princeton University Band - 1947
Songs of Princeton: In Praise of Old Nassau - 1951
Band - Tiger Tones, Boomerangs, etc. - 1955
Going Back: The Songs of the Ivy League - 1960
Traditional Songs of Princeton - 1962
Princeton University Band (shield album) - 1978
Going Back... Marching Forward - 1985
The Orange and the Black - 1989
Goin' Back: Songs of Old Nassau - 1994
Songs to Beat Yale By - 2000
The Princeton University Band (The Plaid Album) - 2007
Songs in the Key of LOUD - 2011
, (2) publishing the FOTB newsletter, and most importantly (3) providing support, both financially and in dealings with the University administration.
Temple H. Fielding A.B. 1939 - (drum major) Authored the series of travel guides that bear his last name.
Kit Bond
A.B. 1960 - (band member) The senior United States Senator from Missouri
.
Dr. Adam Ruben
A.B. 2001 - (drum major, mellophone) Biologist and comedian on Food Network's Food Detectives
.
Brittany Haas
A.B. 2009 - (quad toms, fiddle) Fiddler and member of the band Crooked Still.
Also:
Robert Sour
A.B. 1925, who went on to co-write lyrics to jazz ballad Body & Soul
and become President at BMI
, did not play in the band as a Princeton student (he was a pianist); however, he was very involved as an alumnus, offering support and writing songs for the band.
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
and pep band of Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. Like most other Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
bands, it is a scramble band
Scramble band
A scramble band - also known as a scatter band - is a particular type of field-performing marching band with distinct characteristics that set it apart from other common forms of marching bands; most notably, scramble bands do not normally march...
. To members and fans, it is often known as the PUB or simply The Band. Many alumni refer to it as the Tiger Band.
About The PUB
Foundation & early history
The modern Princeton University Band was established in October 1919 when a group of undergraduate musicians decided that a regular musical presence was needed at Palmer Stadium, home of Princeton's multi-time national champion football team; however, these events were in many ways merely a reorganization of the preexisting R.O.T.C. Band that had served a much smaller role on campus several years earlier, making Princeton's Band one of the oldest in the country. Some of the band traveled to perform at the Yale BowlYale Bowl
The Yale Bowl is a football stadium in New Haven, Connecticut on the border of West Haven, about 1½ miles west of Yale's main campus. Completed in 1914, the stadium seats 61,446, reduced by renovations from the original capacity of 70,869...
for the season's only away game, beginning a long tradition of the PUB attending all football games, home and away.
For over a decade, the PUB performed on a tight budget, clad only in black sweaters with bow-ties and white pants; however, thanks to the contributions of many alumni supporters in 1936, the band was able to afford new instruments, music, and, most notably, new uniforms — black blazers with orange collars and a Princeton Band insignia on the breast pocket.
In 1937, the PUB expanded its role at Princeton by playing not only during football games, but also basketball and ice hockey. By the 1940s, they were playing at nearly all home basketball and hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
contests, as well as at several lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
matches and in some more formal spring concerts.
A change in style & increased national profile
The nineteen-fifties witnessed an era of great transition for the band, as it gradually became more like the Princeton University Band with which most are familiar with today. In 1952, the band switched from black to orange-and-black plaid blazers and continued to wear the straw hats that had been introduced a year or two earlier. With this change, the band started the tradition of wearing colorful formal wear on the field — something that has since been emulated by every Ivy LeagueIvy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
band at one point or another, as well as those of Stanford
Stanford Band
The Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band is the student marching band of Stanford University. Billing itself as "The World's Largest Rock and Roll Band", the Stanford Band performs at sporting events, student activities, and other functions...
, Virginia
Virginia Pep Band
The Virginia Pep Band is a student-run band at the University of Virginia , officially known as The Award-Winning Virginia Fighting Cavalier Indoor/Outdoor Precision Marching Pep Band, & Chowder Society Review, Unlimited!!!...
, Rutgers, and Rice
Marching Owl Band
The Marching Owl Band is the Rice University "marching band" in the sense that it is the official ensemble that performs during football games, some basketball games, parades, and other public events...
. The trendsetting new uniform was even featured on the cover of the October 1955 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine
From 1949 to 1981, the PUB did not miss a single football game. At 32 years and 293 games, this is one of the longest streaks in the history of college marching bands, and substantially longer than the streak of the current holder of consecutive games attended, USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
's Spirit of Troy
Spirit of Troy
The Spirit of Troy, also known as the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band , self-described as "The Greatest Marching Band in the History of the Universe," represents USC at various collegiate sports, broadcast, popular music recording, and national public appearance functions.The...
. The PUB has never missed a home game.
From the early 1940s through the end of the '50s, the band's field-show format transitioned from corps style to scrambling accompanied by comedic scripts. Field scrambles without spoken accompaniment were used occasionally in field shows as early as 1941 ('38 according to some alumni), with gradually increasing use over the next 15 years. In 1955, the band began experimenting with scripts to go along with the half-time scrambles. The first script on record was in a home opener against Rutgers University in 1955, by which time scrambling was a well-established feature of field performances. However, the band didn't entirely stop marching until the 1970s.
The PUB's halftime format has caused problems over the years. Not only have a number of institutions banned it from performing, like the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point and, until recently, Lafayette College
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
, but there was serious talk in the 1970s and '80s of disbanding the group at Princeton.
The P.U.B. today
To placate the concerns of administrators and alumni at Princeton, the PUB hired Jack Hontz, a marching band director from Strath Haven High School in Pennsylvania, as a musical advisor. The brother of a former band member, Hontz has helped the band make the most out of its musical performances and steered the band away from behavior that may have attracted the ire of the university. While very helpful, Hontz has filled only a consultory role for the PUB, offering advice only when it is needed and leaving all leadership and decision-making responsibilities to the students.As Princeton football became less nationally competitive in the latter half of the 20th century, the PUB began to focus on basketball, ice hockey, and lacrosse, following many teams to NIT, ECAC-HL, and NCAA tournaments, including several national championships, since as early as 1965. From 1990 to 2000 the PUB played at over twenty NCAA tournaments alone, including the 1998 field hockey national championship.
Organization
The PUB is a recognized student organization of Princeton University and is almost entirely run by a twelve-member officer corps consisting of the President, Drum MajorDrum Major
A drum major is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band, usually positioned at the head of the band or corps. The drum major, who is often dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the band or corps, is responsible for providing commands to the ensemble regarding...
, Head Manager ("Mom"), Student Conductor (the "Stud Conductor"), Treasurer, four Drillmasters ("DMs"), Alumni Coordinator and two Librarians ("Libes"). A professional music advisor, paid out of the band's operating fund, is the only non-student involved in directing the band.
During the fall football season, the band performs at all Princeton home games and all away games to which it is allowed by the host institution. At each game, besides playing in the stands during pauses in the game, the band performs a pregame show and a halftime show, each of which consists of one to three songs with accompanying formations, accompanied by a humorous script. The PUB also has a repertoire of cheers which are invoked throughout the game - often mildly offensive, but amusing nonetheless.
Like every other Ivy League scramble bands, the PUB has a section of unusual instruments, which the PUB calls "trash percussion."
Every Halloween, the band is invited to participate in the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, to which it is particularly well suited thanks to its orange and black uniforms and colorful performance techniques. The band has also made appearances in a number of other parades including the South Amboy St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Gross National Parade, and Philadelphia's Independence Day Parade.
After the conclusion of the football season, the Band transforms into a pep band and plays in the stands at as many Princeton men's and women's hockey, basketball, and lacrosse games as possible, including some away games. The band makes an annual trip to Penn's Palestra for the Princeton-Penn game, as well as occasional trips to nearby schools such as Columbia, Yale, Brown, and even Cornell for basketball and hockey contests. As Princeton's basketball and hockey teams are often among the best in their respective conferences, the band regularly travels with the teams to post season tournaments. Other than the absence of scrambling and formations, the Band's presence at these events is much the same as at football games.
At the end of the academic year, the band remains on campus for Reunions, a three day celebration of Princetonians past and present. Since 1936 the band has led the annual P-Rade, a parade of alumni that begins with the University President, the oldest alumnus, the band, and the 25th reunion class.
Uniforms
"Full Uniform"
The standard full uniform of the PUB, used for football season, parades, Princeton ReunionsPrinceton Reunions
The Princeton Reunions are an annual college reunion event held every year on the weekend before commencement at Princeton University. It is known as the most well-attended college reunion in the world, as well as the largest single order of beer after the Indy 500...
, and other formal events, consists of black pants, white shoes, a white dress shirt with solid black tie, Italian "boater
Boater (hat)
A boater is a kind of men's formal summer hat....
" hat, and the distinctive orange-and-black plaid jacket. The drum major and student director wear white pants, long-tailed dinner jackets and bow ties. The plaid wool used in the uniforms was custom manufactured and donated by a Princeton alumnus in 1952 at Bennington Mills in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. As such, the band owns the exclusive rights to the particular plaid design found on the jackets.
Off-Season Uniform
In 2001, the band had custom orange-and-black striped rugby shirts made for use at home basketball and hockey games. Prior to this, the band wore its signature hats and jackets with blue jeans and t-shirts for winter sports, something that is still done for away and major home basketball and hockey games, lacrosse games and other spring performances today.Also, graduating seniors find a way to adorn their beer jackets
Princeton Reunions
The Princeton Reunions are an annual college reunion event held every year on the weekend before commencement at Princeton University. It is known as the most well-attended college reunion in the world, as well as the largest single order of beer after the Indy 500...
with the plaid in some fashion, making alums of the band easy to spot.
Incidents, Banishments, & Arrests
2008- On September 20, 2008, The Princeton University Band traveled to Charleston, SC for Princeton Football's opening game against The Citadel. The morning of the game, the entire corps of cadets confronted the band during their traditional campus march around, which was pre-approved by The Citadel administration. In an attempt to defuse the tense situation, the band "scrambled," which led to a number of physical altercations between Princeton Band members and Citadel cadets. The situation escalated rapidly. During the brief scuffle that ensued, some hats were stolen and a clarinet was broken. After only a few moments, Citadel administrators intervened and invited the Princeton Band to continue their campus march around.
- Later that day during the game, the Princeton Band performed one of their characteristic half-time shows that had been approved and censored by both Princeton University and Citadel administrators. Despite these precautions, the large student section booed loudly during the entirety of the field performance, and many students, alumni, and other fans were offended by the band's unique brand of humor.
- During the second half, approximately fifty cadets left the Citadel student section to surround and heckle the Princeton Band. After stern admonitions from Citadel administrative officers, the students returned to the student section. The band inadvertently performed Princeton music while Citadel cadets were ceremonially folding the American flag after the game. This only inflamed the anger of the cadets.
- The Cadets' behavior prompted apologies from numerous persons affiliated with The Citadel including President Gen Rosa, (who didn't apologize and actually noted he "can certainly appreciate the enthusiasm," by the cadets), Lt Col Graham, the student body president, and many alumni and Charleston residents. The Band suffered no negative consequences.
2006
- After performing in the lobby of the Statler HotelCornell University School of Hotel AdministrationThe School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University is a specialized business school for hospitality management founded in 1922 as the first four-year intercollegiate school devoted to the field...
, the Band President was taken to Cornell'sCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
Public Safety Department and interrogated. The Band has been only begrudgingly welcome back to Cornell in years since.
2005
- Having arrived in New York City early for the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, the Band decided to perform in the library at New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(NYU). Security guards detained the Conductor for several minutes and dialed the NYPD. He was promptly released with no consequences.
2004
- After performing in the library at the University of San DiegoUniversity of San DiegoThe University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs...
before the Princeton vs USD football game, the band's leaders were confronted by Public Safety officers wearing shorts. The Band suffered no repercussions.
2003
- During a performance in Harvard'sHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Fogg Art MuseumFogg Art MuseumThe Fogg Museum, opened to the public in 1896, is the oldest of Harvard University's art museums. The Fogg joins the Busch-Reisinger Museum and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum as part of the Harvard Art Museums....
, a band member "lobstered"Rock lobsterJasus edwardsii, the southern rock lobster, red rock lobster, or spiny rock lobster, is a species of spiny lobster found throughout coastal waters of southern Australia and New Zealand including the Chatham Islands. This species is commonly called crayfish or crays in New Zealand and in Māori...
on the museum curator's desk, which was supporting a piece of artwork undergoing restoration. Later that day, Harvard Public Safety officers came to Harvard StadiumHarvard StadiumHarvard Stadium is a horseshoe-shaped football stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Built in 1903, the stadium seats 30,323. The stadium seated up to 57,166 in the past, as permanent steel stands were installed in the north end of the stadium in 1929...
to detain the President and the guilty band member for questioning. Harvard and Princeton University Presidents Larry Summers and Shirley Tilghman traded heated letters. The Band suffered no negative consequences.
2001
- A band member is arrested for stealing a green blazer from the Dartmouth BandDartmouth College Marching BandThe Dartmouth College Marching Band is an officially recognized student organization of Dartmouth College, and is the oldest marching band in the Ivy League .-About the DCMB:...
. Ironically, the Dartmouth Band bailed him out of jail. No charges were filed.
1993
- The band plays "The national anthem... of France" during their pre-game show and pokes fun at Lafayette with a flurry of France jokes. Lafayette is not amused and does not allow the PUB to Lafayette for the next 14 years.
1981
- After a football victory, the Band marched down the middle of the street in parade formation. The Drum Major, Steve Teager '82, was arrested for parading without a license, and then-Governor of New Jersey Brendan Byrne '49 officially pardoned him.
- The Band is prohibited from attending the football game at West Point Military Academy on October 17, because it was not considered appropriate entertainment. This broke the band's 32-year streak of unmissed Princeton football games. The band had not missed a game, home or away, since 1949 — approximately 293 games, which may be the longest continuous streak in the history of collegiate athletics. During the game, the Band listened on the radio from its practice field and performed their halftime show for a crowd of Princeton students and spectators. The following year, when West Point played at Princeton, the Band ended its halftime show with a tongue-in-cheek version of "Duty, Honor, Country," a musical adaptation of an address by General of the Army Douglas MacArthur to the cadets of West Point and marched off the field with corncob pipes.http://www.princeton.edu/~puband/old/halftimes/1982.html
1967
- After begging the network to air their halftime show, ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
hesitantly televises the beginning of the Princeton Band's show against Harvard. The first formation was "ABC," which promptly switched to "NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
." The network was extremely unhappy and did everything it could to prevent the Band from ever being televised again. The Band for years was known as "the band that no one dares televise." http://www.princeton.edu/~puband/old/halftimes/1967.html
1959
- During its Penn halftime show, a tribute to Liz Taylor, the PUB called the star "Elizabeth Trailer" and characterized her as a home-wrecker by forming a triangle after referencing her "present husband and his wife," which prompted the threat of legal action from her lawyers. Upon the advice of Princeton's legal counsel, the band sent Taylor a dozen roses, and all charges were dropped. http://www.princeton.edu/~puband/media/1959.html
Double-Double Rotating P
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
"Going Back to Nassau Hall." When the band reaches the trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
, the P itself remains stationary, but the members of the band start to move around the perimeter of the P, with the outer loop moving clockwise and the inner loop moving counterclockwise. The band plays the trio twice, and upon beginning the second time through the trio, the two loops reverse their respective directions.
At home games, this performance immediately leads into performance of The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
.
Fountain Gigs
Brown University Band
The Brown University Band is the official band of Brown University. Like all Ivy League bands except Cornell's, it is a scatter band. The Brown Band is famous for being the world's best and only ice skating band. It is the source of much of Brown's school spirit, and often appears as a public...
is present at Princeton, the Band goes to the fountain at the Woodrow Wilson School and plays a concert from inside.
The White Castle Meat Product Tolerance Marathon
At the conclusion of each school year, the band takes a trip to White CastleWhite Castle (restaurant)
White Castle is an American regional fast food hamburger restaurant chain in the Midwestern United States and in the New York metropolitan area, and the first of its kind in the US. It is known for its small, square hamburgers. Sometimes referred to as "sliders", the burgers were priced at five...
and holds an eating contest. No time limits are enforced. Whoever can eat the most Slyders is named King of the Castle for that year. The top-eating girl can be referred to as Queen of the Castle, but the title is not traditionally considered part of one's title. Style points are awarded for some eating methods, including:
- Stacking two burgers and eating them simultaneously (Two-at-a-Time, Three-at-a-Time, etc.)
- Stuffing the entire burger in your mouth and swallowing it (the White Castle Chug)
The current record holder is Marcus Theus '12 who in 2011 ate a recorded 33 burgers in one sitting. For more information on the competition, refer to the official website.
Awards
The Band is famous for its irreverent antics and illicit behavior. As an incentive to motivate members to maintain this tradition, the band has for many years presented several awards to its members commemorating a variety of outrageous acts:- Current Awards
- Arther H. Osborn, Class of 1907, Senior Award for Dedication & Service to the Band - a large trophy-cup given to the senior or seniors who have not been band officers, but have demonstrated exceptional service and dedication to the band during their undergraduate years.
- Turkey of the Year - awarded to the member that has exercised the worst judgment in an official, band-related capacity that year. From the late '70s until 2009, a turkey-shaped certificate was passed down. Now the award has taken the form of the clarinet broken at The Citadel mounted on a commemorative plaque.
- Grossest Member - an award, in the form of a rancid drink, given to the member who has done the "grossest" thing at an official band event that year. It is now customary to drink or chug as much of the award itself as possible upon receipt.
- Freshman Lush - "The Little Whizzer" statue is passed down each year to the freshman who best exemplifies the spirit of the band while intoxicated most frequently.
- Freshman Lushless - an award given to the freshman that best exemplifies the spirit of the band without indulging in alcohol.
- Retired Awards
- Mickey Mouse - a position offered to the most enthusiastic freshman during football season. It was the Mickey Mouse's job to entertain the band as they entered the stadium.
- T&A - an honor bestowed upon the most attractive freshman female member.
- Charms - intended for use on a pocket-watch chain, charms of gold, silver, and bronze were given to members in recognition of their service to the band during the first half of the twentieth century.
Favorite Songs
- Princeton Songs
- The Princeton Cannon Song
- Going Back to Nassau Hall
- Princeton Forward March
- Tiger RagTiger Rag"Tiger Rag" is a jazz standard, originally recorded and copyrighted by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917. It is one of the most recorded jazz compositions of all time.-Origins:...
- The Princeton University Band March
- Here Comes That Tiger
- Princeton's Sons (Class of 1907 Song)
- The Orange & The Black
- Old Nassau
- Chuck MangioneChuck MangioneCharles Frank "Chuck" Mangione is an American flugelhorn player and composer who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-pop single, "Feels So Good." Mangione has released more than thirty albums since 1960.-Early life and career:...
's Grammy-winning theme to "The Children of SanchezThe Children of SanchezThe Children of Sanchez is a 1961 book by American anthropologist Oscar Lewis about a Mexican family living in the Mexico City slum of Tepito, which he studied as part of his program to develop his concept of culture of poverty...
" - "Rock Lobster" - traditionally, at a certain point in this song, band members lie down on the ground and wave their legs like lobsters, a perennial crowd-pleaser.
- TequilaTequilaTequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
, by The ChampsThe ChampsThe Champs were an American rock and roll band, most famous for their Latin-tinged instrumental "Tequila". Formed by studio executives at Gene Autry's Challenge Records to record a B-Side for the Dave Burgess single, the intended throwaway track became more famous than its A-Side, "Train to... - "Kiss 'Em Goodbye" follows "Old Nassau" after every victory.
- "Welcome to the JungleWelcome to the Jungle"Welcome to the Jungle" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on its 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction. It was released as the band's second single on October 3, 1987, and reached number #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number #24 on the UK Singles Chart...
," by Guns 'N' Roses, is played before every home basketball game as a reference to the "Jadwin Jungle" student section. - The theme from Underdog is played during every NCAA tournament game when Princeton is lower seeded and winning.
- "We Are the ChampionsWe Are the Champions"We Are the Champions" is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. One of their most famous and popular songs, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems...
," by QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, is played after every Ivy or ECAC-HL championship victory.
The Band's repertoire includes dozens of other songs, principally featuring classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
and, more recently, '90s hits.
The Princeton University Band March
The lyrics to the band's theme song:- Oh here we are, the Princeton Band,
- Playing songs of Old Nassau.
- That old refrain will sound again,
- And you will hear the tiger roar!
- The slide trombone, the saxophone,
- And the bass drum sounding grand!
- With a boom, boom, boom!
- And a zoom, zoom, zoom!
- Oh, when you hear the Princeton Band!
Discography
Memories of Princeton Vol 1 - undatedPrinceton University Band - 1927
Princeton Symposium of Music - undated (1940s)
Rally Songs by the Princeton University Band - 1947
Songs of Princeton: In Praise of Old Nassau - 1951
Band - Tiger Tones, Boomerangs, etc. - 1955
Going Back: The Songs of the Ivy League - 1960
Traditional Songs of Princeton - 1962
Princeton University Band (shield album) - 1978
Going Back... Marching Forward - 1985
The Orange and the Black - 1989
Goin' Back: Songs of Old Nassau - 1994
Songs to Beat Yale By - 2000
The Princeton University Band (The Plaid Album) - 2007
Songs in the Key of LOUD - 2011
In The Media
- The PUB has an ongoing presence in, of all media outlets, Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. Among the highlights:- The PUB appeared on the cover of the October 17, 1955 issue. This was the first time any Ivy LeagueIvy LeagueThe Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
students appeared on the cover.http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1955/1017.html - After Princeton's stunning knockout of the UCLA men's basketball team in the 1996 NCAA tournament, SI wrote "If there really is a hoop heaven, the house band would be Princeton's, troubadours in straw hats who played the theme from "Underdog" late in the Tigers' victory."
- More recently the PUB was cited in the on-line version of SI. Paul ZimmermanPaul ZimmermanPaul Lionel Zimmerman is the son of Charles S. Zimmerman and Rose Zimmerman. Zimmerman, also known to readers as "Dr. Z", is an American football sportswriter who wrote for the weekly magazine Sports Illustrated, as well as the magazine's website, SI.com. He is sometimes confused with Paul D...
, in his column of February 26, 2004, claimed "for years, the fastest rendition [of the Star-Spangled Banner] I regularly clocked was that of the Princeton band. Always around 53 seconds."http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/dr_z/02/26/insider/index.html
- The PUB appeared on the cover of the October 17, 1955 issue. This was the first time any Ivy League
- The Band won ESPN's Battle of the Marching Bands in 1996, beating the Stanford Band, another scramble band, in the final round. The other competitors in this online poll were: Rice, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Grambling, Michigan, Stanford, and Texas A&M. It is suspected, though unconfirmed, that the Band won partly due to very strong voting in their favor by bands previously eliminated who did not want any of their rival bands to win. None of Princeton's rival bands were in the competition, therefore the PUB was something of a neutral choice.
- The Band has been on national television playing for the Princeton University basketball teams at the NCAA tournament. In 2010, they followed the women's team to Tallahassee as they took on St. Joseph's in the first round.
- The Band has also made television appearances at the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. They played at Princeton's first-round loss to the Bulldogs of University of Minnesota DuluthUniversity of Minnesota DuluthThe University of Minnesota Duluth is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota system located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 13 bachelor's degrees in 74 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a two-year program at the School of...
at Minneapolis in 2009 and the year before when they lost to University of North DakotaUniversity of North DakotaThe University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
Fighting Sioux in Madison.
Alumni and Friends
Friends of Tiger Band (FOTB) is the official organization for alumni and other supporters of the PUB. Proving that the PUB is forever, band members automatically become members of FOTB upon graduation. FOTB has three key functions: (1) hosting Band Reunions following the Home Big Three game and the P-RadePrinceton Reunions
The Princeton Reunions are an annual college reunion event held every year on the weekend before commencement at Princeton University. It is known as the most well-attended college reunion in the world, as well as the largest single order of beer after the Indy 500...
, (2) publishing the FOTB newsletter, and most importantly (3) providing support, both financially and in dealings with the University administration.
Notable Alumni
Frederick Ewing Fox A.B. 1939 - (manager) University recording secretary and keeper of the Princetoniana until his death in 1981.Temple H. Fielding A.B. 1939 - (drum major) Authored the series of travel guides that bear his last name.
Kit Bond
Kit Bond
Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004...
A.B. 1960 - (band member) The senior United States Senator from Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Dr. Adam Ruben
Food Detectives
Food Detectives a food science show hosted by Ted Allen that airs in North America on Food Network. Ted Allen, backed by research conducted by Popular Science magazine, investigates various food-related beliefs, such as the validity of the five-second rule or the effectiveness of ginger as a means...
A.B. 2001 - (drum major, mellophone) Biologist and comedian on Food Network's Food Detectives
Food Detectives
Food Detectives a food science show hosted by Ted Allen that airs in North America on Food Network. Ted Allen, backed by research conducted by Popular Science magazine, investigates various food-related beliefs, such as the validity of the five-second rule or the effectiveness of ginger as a means...
.
Brittany Haas
Brittany Haas
Brittany Haas is an American fiddle player. She is currently a member of the Boston-based alternative bluegrass band, Crooked Still. She graduated from Princeton University in 2009 and was a member of the Princeton University Band. Previously she was a member of Darol Anger's Republic of Strings...
A.B. 2009 - (quad toms, fiddle) Fiddler and member of the band Crooked Still.
Also:
Robert Sour
Robert Sour
Robert Sour was a lyricist and composer, and the president of Broadcast Music Incorporated .In 1940 Sour worked for Broadcast Music as its lyrics editor, and by 1966 had risen through company ranks to become BMI's president. Two years later he had become the company's vice chairman and was...
A.B. 1925, who went on to co-write lyrics to jazz ballad Body & Soul
Body and Soul (song)
"Body and Soul" was recorded as a duet by Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse in 2011. It was the final recording made by Winehouse before her death on July 23, 2011. The single was released worldwide on September 14, 2011 on iTunes, MTV and VH1....
and become President at BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
, did not play in the band as a Princeton student (he was a pianist); however, he was very involved as an alumnus, offering support and writing songs for the band.