Navy Bands Left High and Dry
The shutdown of the federal government Tuesday did not stop the marching among combat units in the U.S. military, but it did stop the music--at least for members of the Navy Band.
While maneuvers and training continued unabated despite the budget crunch, the Commodores--the jazz ensemble component of the Navy Band--wound up stranded in a Midwestern hotel when the budget clock ran out.
The 18-member group had just finished a Monday night stint at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and was preparing to drive to a second performance in Huntington, Ind., when the Pentagon issued orders canceling all such concerts.
As a result, the Commodores spent Tuesday somewhat at sea, awaiting further orders in a motel somewhere in Indiana.
The same fate befell Country Current, the Navy Band’s country and bluegrass group, which apparently took refuge somewhere around Baltimore, Ohio, after its scheduled performance there on Tuesday was torpedoed.
Pastin says the uncertainty should end today, when authorities decide whether to dig in for a long siege--and call the Commodores and Country Current back to their home ports--or free them up to continue their concert schedule.
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