The Spotted Owl Show, Stanford Band at Oregon

In what might be the most infamous marching band performance in history, the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (LSJUMB) put on a halftime field show in late 1990 at the University of Oregon's Autzen Stadium, poking fun at the northwestern state's ailing logging industry and its troubles with the endangered northern spotted owl by, amongst other things, suggesting that Oregonians try growing marijuana for a living instead of cutting down trees.

The show, needless to say, didn't go over well with the home crowd. Not well at all. Even Stanford's spirited rendition of Monty Python's "The Lumberjack Song" failed to soothe the bruised sensibilities of angry Ducks fans.

It would be three long years before the Stanford Band would even be allowed back into the State of Oregon, by order of the Governor, and more than a decade would elapse before it was again invited to perform in Eugene.

SELECTIONS FROM THE SCRIPT:

FORMATION: Chainsaw
NARRATOR #1: "Attention all trees! Those guys with the red flannel shirts and cute li'l suspenders may not be that cute at all. Believe you me, their bite is worse than your bark. So pack up the bushes and shrubs and get the elm outta Dodge."

FORMATION: "OWL" goes to "AWOL" in the middle of the song.
NARRATOR #1: "Mr. Spotted Owl! Mr. Spotted Owl! Your environment has been destroyed, your home is now a roll of Brawny, and your family has flown the coop. What are you going to do?"
NARRATOR #2: "Me? I'm going to Disney World."

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• LSJUMB
• Stanford
• Band
• UO
• Oregon
• Autzen
• Eugene
• logging
• spotted
• owl
• marching
• Tree
• Dollies
• halftime
• fieldshow
• field
• show

[Ranger4402]

I am an Oregon grad and I loved this when I read about it and love this video. The state of Oregon over reacted. The Stanford band does edgy things like this. One must expect it then and now.

[piman314159265358979]

They didn't even insult the Oregon Ducks or anything, they just poked fun at (and maybe criticized) the state's logging industry and environmental destruction. I thought Oregonians were progressive and cared about the environment and would enjoy satire like this! And the governor took the time make the band banned from the state? What a waste of legal effort! If I were the director of the Stanford band I would have totally defied that order and continued performing in Oregon.

[adelle0001]

nice one! thanks sa video!

[bigfilmhat]

Lisa Simpson discovers a marching band video game-

"This [ video] game has all the marching bands. From the precision footwork of Ohio State; to the lame dead-on-arrival humor of Stanford!"

[lolusuck386]

@timsk I cut down trees, I wear high heels, suspendies and a bra

[holymadgod]

Their advice was to grow marijuana instead of cutting down trees? Say what you will about their performance, but that's good advice, and advice we took.

[meloyellowduck]

WELL, I'm a Duck, but good show Stanford! Our state's industry has been destroyed because of the environmentalists worried about the Spotted Owl, which is still dying off even now that logging is extinct--due to its natural predator the Bard Owl!! Thanks a lot all you enviro's for destroying our state's economy!!!!!

[timsk]

~ 3:15

"I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok, I sleep all night and I work all day" LOL

[djtrumpet11]

I think the Stanford band is there just to get a rise out of people and that they're not serious.

[AccurateMistake]

It's called a scatter band. @jngwatson

[LoveForWazzu]

You idiots know that the Stanford band represents everything a band doesn't normally do right? Like not marching in formation, wearing unorthodox band uniforms.