 |
|
The biggest show in the
music industry? Yeah, we've been there! We opened NAMM 2010
by marching through the halls of the Anaheim Convention Center as part
of the Fernand L. Petiot Marching Band, with Grand Marshall Quincy Jones
(and named for the inventor of the Bloody Mary). Later that afternoon,
we hit the Outdoor Stage with one of GAL's high-energy brassy shows.
In the March 2010 issue Music Trades magazine said "Their
enthusiasm was contagious." Read more about our "good-looking
grandmas in spangles right here.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Halftime Magazine featured GAL in its May/June 2009
issue, spotlighting founders Bob Pulido and John Lind. "You can travel
the country, see the president, entertain and make a difference … all
as a member of a community marching band." Read
the full article to learn more about the "little band that could".
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
We had the honor of marching in the Presidential
Inaugural Parade in Washington, DC on January 20, 2009. You may have missed
us since the networks cut away from coverage before we reached the reviewing
stand, but fortunately C-SPAN
was there to capture Michelle Obama rocking out to "We're An American
Band". Stay tuned after we pass out of video range; that's GAL
in the background performing "Louie Louie" for that nice military
unit from Utah! (Click on our note from The White House
at right to enlarge.) |
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Many thanks to the folks at Making
Music Magazine for a terrific story on GAL in their July/Aug 2007 issue.
The online
version of the story is shorter, but still says enough nice things to
make us blush! |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
We made it to national radio!!! National Public Radio's All
Things Considered did a wonderful 5-minute segment on the band on their
Sept 25, 2006 broadcast (thanks a million, Miriam!!!). Click
here for the story and to listen to the segment. ATC also did a follow
up during their "letters" segment on Sept 25; click
here to hear it. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Thanks to the NPR story (above), we were contacted by the
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. On Fri Sept 29, 2006 GAL appeared
on the Assignment America segment of the evening broadcast as one of three
"story potentials". Unfortunately, our fans were enthusiastic
but not sufficiently voluminous to win the final vote. But hey - it was
a great 6 seconds of fame! |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Wanna learn more about our twirlers? Try this
story from The Oregonian, published in 2005. |
| Event |
Location |
Years |
| NAMM 2010 Opening Parade & Stage Show |
Anaheim, CA |
2010 |
| Macy's Holiday Parade |
Portland, OR |
2009 |
| San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade |
San Francisco, CA |
2009 |
| Presidential Inaugural Parade |
Washington, DC |
2009 |
| Puyallup Fair |
Puyallup, WA |
2008 |
| Gasparilla Pirate Fest Parade |
Tampa, FL |
2008 |
| Walt Disney World Parade |
Lake Buena Vista, FL |
2008 |
| San Antonio Fiesta Flambeau Parade |
San Antonio, TX |
2001, 2003, 2007 |
| King William Parade |
San Antonio, TX |
2007 |
| Queen Victoria Days Parade |
Victoria, BC |
2006 |
| Time-Based Art Festival |
Portland, OR |
2006 |
| Pasadena Doo Dah Parade |
Pasadena, CA |
2005 |
| Disneyland Parade |
Anaheim, CA |
2005, 2010 |
| Animal House 25th Anniversary Celebration |
Cottage Grove, OR |
2003 |
| Boise River Festival |
Boise, ID |
2002 |
| Meier & Frank Holiday Parade |
Portland, OR |
2002, 2003, 2004 |
Albany Veterans Day Parade
[largest Veterans Day Parade west of the Mississippi] |
Albany, OR |
2000, 2006 |
| Seattle SEAFAIR Torchlight Parade |
Seattle, WA |
1999, 2000, 2001, 2009 |
Not a complete list since it took us a while to start keeping track -- but
here are a few places that made nice on the band!
 |
|
May 2010: 1st Place in the Alternative Musical Unit category
at the 60th annual Loyalty Days celebration in Long Beach, Washington |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
January 2010: Our third visit to a Disney Theme Park
finished off a 1-year clean sweep of major West Coast cities in which we
played major events in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
July 2009: On behalf of Summerfest, the mayor of Troutdale
presented this plaque to the band at our standstill show, commemorating
GAL's 15th anniversary and the band's roots at Troutdale Summerfest. "Troutdale
Summerfest Parade is where it all started in 1994". Thanks for a wonderful
surprise and fond memories! |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May 2009: 1st Place in the Novelty Marching Unit category
at the 59th annual Loyalty Days celebration in Long Beach, Washington |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
February 2009: 1st Place in the Adult Marching Band category
of the 2009 Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade (San Francisco).
The Year of the Ox! |
With SF's legendary Willie Brown
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
July 2008: Thanks Vernonia! GAL was awarded the Mayor's
Trophy at the Vernonia Jamboree |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May 2008: Somebody finally figures out EXACTLY how to
think of us -- we win 1st place in the "Novelty Marching Unit"
category at Loyalty Days in Long Beach, Washington. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May 2007, our tallest trophy ever: We carried home the Sweepstakes
Award as the top entry in the May 2007 Loyalty Days Parade (Long Beach,
Washington). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Woody Allen (among others) has been credited with saying "90%
of life is just showing up". In April 2007 the band made its third
visit to San Antonio for Fiesta and came home with the
"Furthest Entry" award from the Fiesta Flambeau Parade. |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In 2006 we did our first event in Long Beach, Washington.
Here's the beautiful First Place award from the Loyalty Days Parade. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
They like us in Astoria! Here's our 2005 1st Place award for
Bands in the Astoria Regatta Grand Land Parade. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Astoria's Grand Land Parade bestowed the President's Award
on us in 2004. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here's the Chautauqua Award we brought home from the 2004
Gladstone Chautauqua celebration. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
San Antonio's Fiesta Flambeau Parade is one of our all-time
favorites. We came home from our 2003 visit with the Best Out of State BandAward
- yeee-haaaaa! Here's the nice letter
they sent us to accompany the plaque. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Showing off the Grand Award from the 2000 Multnomah Days Parade |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Way back in 1999, we snagged First Place Band and First Place
Drill Team in the Astoria (OR) Grand Land Parade as reported in The Daily
Astorian. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
