Re-learning gameday

People who are accustomed to seeing me on football gamedays over the past three years (probably more like 6 years) know that I’ve been very dedicated to Badger Pregame Parties.  From my e-mails, all the way down to the caliber of my 7:00 AM breakfast/bloody mary hour, a lot has been expected of me.  However, when Dave and I were enjoying a 5th Quarter in fabulous Las Vegas after the Badgers/UNLV game last Fall and I made a comment how awesome it would have been to be in the UW Drumline, he responded, “why don’t you give it a shot?”  So I did.  I tried out with all the other freshman and after undoubtedly the hardest week of my life (aka “Reg Week”) I am now the oldest freshman in the UW Marching Band – quite a unique way to spend my fifth year of college.  Although a lot of people (including Tequila Dan) miss the pregame parties I used to throw, aside from being a lot more work than drinking and eating brats before the games, my gamedays as a Cymbal player have a relatively similar schedule to my gamedays as your average pregame partier.  Here are the differences…

Partying Gameday
UW Marching Band Gameday
5:30 AM Still passed out Wake up
5:45 AM Still passed out Arrive at Camp Randall with Bagels that I brought for the upperclassmen because I’m a “freshman”
6:00 AM Still passed out Begin Drumline music rehearsal
6:30 AM Wake up, put on Euro Trunks, blast Jump around, and wake up roommates. Drumline plays football on Camp Randall field
7:00 AM Warren, Matt, and Lee have typically already arrived before I’m even out of the shower. Bloody Mary Hour begins. Entire Band rehearsal begins
8:00 AM Bloody Mary Hour ends Band rehearsal ends
8:30 AM Flip cup commences and/or Peter takes four-beer beer bong Drumline begins playing “rounds” (playing cadences at bars in exchange for cases of beer)
9:30 AM Mom and Dad arrive at Party bearing cheesy potatoes and brats. I try to hide inebriation. End rounds, head to Union South.
10:00 AM Tequila Dan serves hundreds of brats to the masses, while my mom serves pounds of cheesy potatoes. Begin concert at Union South.
10:30 AM Lose Yourself is played and David dances on back porch. Play cadences into Camp Randall
10:45 AM Party approaching drunken peak. Begin Pregame and Run on Show
11:00 AM Leave for game Game begins
11:05 AM Light cannons outside of Camp Randall
11:15 AM Enter Camp Randall

So maybe they’re not that similar… at all. However, I’m having just as much fun, albeit a very different kind of fun.  I’ve already been quoted in the Wausau Daily Herald too.

This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. David K

    I find it funny that the bloody mary hour exactly coincides with band rehersal. Who knew?!

  2. David K

    Question…for the night games, aka for The Ohio State when I come in 2.5 weeks, do you still have the same morning schedule with the 5:30am wakeup?

  3. Matthew

    Another ironic coincidence is that now that I’m in band, me starting to drink directly coincides with me taking a nap on my previous gameday schedule. Also, for night games, I’m pretty sure that I’ll still have a very early wake up call, but I may have a bit of a break in the afternoon.

Leave a Reply