A visit with Chicago Blackhawks organist Frank Pellico

[Maafa1619]

He used to play in Diablo Cody's father's supper club when she was a kid. 

[MrTexmetzger]

Gang.... I think the new Theater Pipe Organ they put in the Forum down in Tampa Bay tops the Allen in the United Center.... sounds much more like the old Barton..... This guy blows Pellico away...

[Trojans175]

Nice voice crack at 2:43

[ChachaChapati]

Best organ in the league goes to Chicago...coming from a Pens fan.

[stagea11]

is there any organ music played by an arena organist at bulls games at the United Center?

[bowler2383]

@stagea11 To my knowledge, there is no organist at the Bulls games.  It's all recorded music.

[stagea11]

is there any organ music played by an arena organist at bulls games?

[AllTheStopsJB]

Atlantic City is the largest. Wanamakers is second. Get your facts straight buddy. That Allen is pitiful.

[bowler2383]

@AllTheStopsJB Agreed. The Wanamaker is incredibly powerful. The Allen at the UC is like you said, pitiful. It can't even rumble the place like the Barton would at the Stadium. I think it's the equivalent of a 3-manual, 19-rank pipe organ, which in a large sports arena is nowhere near adequate. They either need to get a bigger organ

[bowler2383]

@AllTheStopsJB Agreed. The Wanamaker is incredibly powerful. The Allen here in the UC is like you said, pitiful. It can't even rumble the building like the Barton could in the Stadium. When you replace a 6/51 or 54 organ with a 3/19 digital piece of crap, you can see and hear the end result.

[snowman5676]

So this is the asshole who talked Wirtz into not bringing the pipe organ across the street.

[bowler2383]

@snowman5676 Yes that would be the asshole lol. I don't like him anymore than you do.

[tregnier279]

From what I understand, the main reason the organ wasn't installed in the new stadium as because Frank told the builders that it would have cost many millions of dollars to recondition and reinstall the Barton (it would be more like less than half a million), which led to it being axed from the new stadium. So... yeah.

[gearroomman21]

FIRST OF ALL..GENE HONDA IS THE BEST P.A. MAN IN SPORTS...SECOND..IT'S CALLED MODERN TECHNOLOGY...THIRD...SIT DOWN AND GROW OLD BY YOURSELF....CORNPUFF!!!SMH.

[snowman5676]

@gearroomman21 You Idiot I guess your not old enough to remember Harvey Wittenberg the hawks old pa announcer.

[bowler2383]

@snowman5676 Harvey was the best wasn't he? An absolute Chicago legend.

[danielmkubacki]

The Wanamaker Organ is the lagest. or Bordwalk hall

[MrWurlitzerfan]

@danielmkubacki true but the barton was the biggest theatre/cinema pipe organ ever built

[3dwurli]

@MrWurlitzerfan Wasnt the biggest, there were larger, but it was one of the biggest!

[scoobydoorocks100]

They should make a new Barton, And Use The Same setup that they used back into the 80's and 90's

[snowman5676]

They need two do three important things at the United center #1 Get rid of p.a. anouncer Gene Honda and bring back Harvey. #2 All theose stupid electronic boards around the three levels need to go. #3 Turn out all the lights except the ones on the ice beacuse that's what we pay to see!

[miaflaguy]

According to one website, Frank was a supporter of the decision not to bring the Barton organ over to the new stadium. Odd that he'd want to scrap the Barton and go with an Allen that's 1/2 the size. Sad, really.

[bassclef48532]

In Frank's discussion I lost a ton of respect! The man had control of an "organ treasure" (the big Barton). But he knows darn well that it was NOT the biggest, nor the loudest! What was that all about? Fitting then he loses a six-manual console for an instrument that is literally imitating what he had!

[jgraif]

it's great stuff, and it's fading fast, unfortunately. frank should know better, however, that the old barton was not the largest pipe organ ever built. it is arguably the largest "pure" theatre organ ever built. loudest? in my estimation, that distinction goes to the midmer-losch in atlantic city, the "ophicleide" of which is louder than most locomotive horns. in any event, organs are "the best".

[stevejam20]

i don't get why they play any modern music at all at blackhawks games. fans loved it in the chicago stadium when frank just played the organ all night long. if they want the old school atmosphere of the stadium, they should hand the reigns over to frank full-time.

[monsterbowler]

He would come down to the Quad Cities a few years back and have "olde time hockey nights" where they played the organ all night long. It was a blast. Incredible to hear.

[luvthoseclips]

Frank played at Wrigley Field earlier today for the Winter Sports Classic. I remember when he played regularly at Wrigley back in the 1970s, & I still have some cassette tapes of his National Anthem performances there.

[Streetcar1743]

At the Hockey Arena here in St. Louis, we have an organ, but I am surprised that we don't use it for the Star Spangled Banner. They installed it to use it.

[compton357]

well, its a shame he doesnt know that the old organ wasnt anywhere near the largest organ or loudest. Was something special tho!

[latribe]

From over in the UK we look on you Americans as delightfully crazy! It's fantastically outrageous to have such an organ at a hockey match! UK football stadiums aren't equipped with organs! Perhaps if they were I'd have developed an interest in football . . .

Thanks for posting this video. Pity it's not a real pipe organ though.

[KCMDButcher42]

It's a damn shame what happened to that pipe organ from the old building. It should have went to a pizza parlor or department store--something other than a grave.

[accousticdecay]

Allen Organs aren't real pipes, but they are certainly the best immitation I have ever heard. I play a small Allen that has more virtual pipes than our entire sanctuary could hold if they were real. It is a blast to play every Sunday. And no tuning, revoicing, or sticky Pittman valves.