Office
First floor of the ARC near the Arc Ballroom
Website
Band-uh!
Contact information
[email protected]

🏴 September 2019  - The band has officially been discharged! It no longer exists under the flag of UCDavis

“The university will instead create a “university-supervised” band with a new name, uniforms, governing structure, bylaws and guidelines, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Emily Galindo said in a statement to campus. The university also cut ties with the alumni band, saying it will no longer be recognized and will be barred from participating in campus events.

“The group referred to as the ‘Band-uh’ will no longer exist,” she said.”

Source: Sacbee

The Band-uh! sousaphone (sousie) section on Picnic Day 2003 New uniforms in 2010

Far and wide, many have tried, but none have done it better.

The California Aggie Marching Band-uh! was the official UC Davis marching band. The band, which has roughly 200 members, plays at both home and away games to cheer on the UC Davis Aggies sports teams, participates in several parades, and performs at numerous other community events. The band members show up for their engagements in either their formal blue and gold marching uniforms, or their more casual white shirt, blue jeans, and button-laden floppy hat outfits, known as the Mav'rik Band uniform.

The Band-uh! has released two compact discs of its music, Barn Party in 1998 and Noise Violation in 2002. The band's 130+ song catalog is composed of campus traditionals like the Aggie Fight song as well as renditions of popular rock songs, such as Green Day's "Welcome to Paradise", Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein", and Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit", among others.

The announcement used to present the Band-uh! at every Aggie home game is usually as follows, with occasional minor variations:

"Fast, furious, and foaming at the mouth, Bold, blue, and bitchin', It's the pride of the Regents of the University of California, The spirit of the Davis Campus, The California Aggie Marching Band-uh!"

The Marching Band-uh! is the most insane of the Student Organizations. They are student-run, they have many and very old traditions. They still like to use the Oldschool Aggie Logo. These guys are total band dorks, and proud of it. Some of the more technically-inclined extend their participation to drum corps in the region, such as the Concord Blue Devils, the Santa Clara Vanguard, and the Sacramento Mandarins — so if you need a carpool to camp or practices, ask around!

Anyone can become a member of the Band-uh!, provided that he or she is a current student at UCD.

History

Until May 13, 1980, The Cal Aggie Band (official name of the Band-uh!) was a unit of ASUCD. Control of the Band-uh! was transferred to the university by an agreement between ASUCD President John Statton and Executive Vice Chancellor Elmer W. Learn. $15,058 in reserves was transferred from ASUCD to the Administration with the Band-uh.

The Band-uh! has a new band room in the northeast corner of the ARC, as of Spring 2004. Prior to that they used a much smaller and run-down room in the old Firehouse, also known as the Old Bandroom. This is the location of many a Band-uh! horror story; unfortunately, those who remember actually using this room have left, or are leaving very soon.

In 2007, the band hired a new director after having been without one for four years. Thomas Slabaugh II began his freshman year (in band) in July and will hopefully be instrumental (ha!) in preserving the future of the band for future Aggies. Slabaugh apparently hasn't worked out very well and has filed a sexual harassment complaint with UCD.

In January 2008, the Clinton campaign did not pay their bill for an appearance, causing the University to threaten to refer the total amount (including cleanup fees, etc) to a collection agency in April. $500 was for the UC Davis Marching Band.

A more expansive history of the Band-uh! can be found on the History webpage.

Songs

(The following listed are more commonly known as: Trads (short for traditionals)

YouTube Links

The Band-uh's UCDavisBandUHTresona official YouTube channel is managed by Tresona, a multimedia company specializing in marching bands.

There's always a recording device out among any audience the Band-uh plays for — here are some selections (and the 2007 Historian's slideshow):

General Traditions

These are just a few of the many things that the Band-uh! does.

  • They always stay around after games and play a few songs, then Aggie Fight. This is known as 'rallying'.
  • They ring the Victory Bell after every home football game.
  • They travel to UC Davis Football games across the country, and attend all home Men's and Women's basketball games as allowed by Big West regulations.
  • They do things the way the Alumni did when they were in the Aggie Band.
  • Driving buses, aka Band-uh-trans: In recent years, many of the drivers for Unitrans have also been involved with the Band-Uh! Why? Maybe we'll never know..
  • The Band-Uh Sushi Challenge not actually a thing.
  • Performing Bossy Cow Cow - Voted by Sports Illustrated in 1997 as "The Most Obtuse Cheer"
  • Always Going the Distance and never missing an Aggie Football game... EVER! Even if that means riding a bus to South Dakota for 36 hours each way!

There's really only one way to know EVERY tradition the Band-uh! has. Join it!

The Band-uh! usually has a table somewhere in the CoHo, usually in the same place. You might find them doing something goofy like making spur of the moment music, collaborating on a crossword, playing brain-numbingly exorbitant rounds of card games and Bananagrams, or even *gasp* studying.

'Band-what?'

Why is it called 'Band-uh!'? — If you carefully enunciate "band" over the microphone you end up with "ban-duh!" which turns into "Band-uh!"

That's not my name!

Speaking of the schwa (-uh!), there's definitely some confusion about what the band ought to be called. The band refers to itself as:

  • The University (of) California (at) Davis Aggie Band-uh! - how the band introduces itself at gigs
  • The Cal Aggie Marching Band (CAMB)
  • The Cal Aggie Band
  • The Aggie Band
  • The Band-uh!

The schwa can be added on any of these.

Please, please, please, when referring to the band on advertisements or ESPECIALLY if you're announcing them at a gig, do NOT call them any of the following:

  • The University of California Davis Band
  • The UC Davis Band
  • The UC Davis Marching Band
  • The Cal Davis Band (this is so so so wrong and I don't know who started it)

It sounds petty and nitpicky but saying any of the above will result in a band-wide cringe and general irritated mumbling. The band loves its CA and if you leave the "Cal Aggies" part of the name out, the CA makes no sense.

Interested?

To join, just show up to one of their Monday night rehearsals.

UPDATE: Due to the enormous number of new bandsmen this year, signups for the Band-uh were closed for the first time in history sometime during fall quarter of 2013. The Band-uh now constitutes over 300 members, and unfortunately, there simply aren't enough instruments for more folks at the present moment. "Stales" will have to wait until the Retreat before fall quarter of 2014 to join. To see them perform, come to one of the basketball games at the ARC Pavillion!

Members

Known members and wiki-ites. Ask these guys about anything Band-uh! related. Please only list registered Wiki members, this shouldn't end up looking like the CAMB roster...

Band Alumni:

In Remembrance:

 

May 2019 - UC Davis Marching Band suspended after misconduct claims

May 29, 2019, The Band has become the object of official investigation after misconduct claims surfaced.

Sources:

The Aggie

SacBee

ABC10

Comments:

You must be logged in to comment on this page. Please log in.

2005-07-05 09:03:10   I think its awesome that the Band-Uh marched and played in the San Francicso Pride Day Parade. I was marching a few groups behind them with people from all over the state. Everyone I was with was very happy to hear and see the Band-Uh —JimSchwab

2005-07-07 22:13:35   I've always wanted to ask: How about some new, modern songs? Does the person who says "Let's play a song from this decade!" get beaten mercilessly? —JoeConte

2005-07-14 10:26:11   Thanks Jim! The Pride Parade is one of our favorite gigs every year! As for Joe's question, anyone in the Band-uh is welcome to arrange new music. It just takes a while for new songs to catch on. Our Picnic Day show this year did include songs by RX Bandits and Flogging Molly, so there is hope! —KateBaker

  • Yeah the Picnic Day Battle of the Bands was way cooler then I thought it would be. Everyone played all kinds of songs. RX Bandits, Flogging Molly, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Nirvana (ok last decade yeah, but still nice), The Killers, the Offspring, and a bunch of other songs that I've forgotten by now. —ES

2005-07-18 23:44:11   Hey Kate: Do new arrangements have to made by a bandsperson, or could a normie arrange one if they wanted? —ThomasFifield

  • Thomas, did you just say "normie"? Because I'm pretty sure that isn't a word... —AllisonEriksen
    • Um, yes I did. And yes it is. Normie: (n) Someone not in the Band-uh! So there. It's part of the Band-uh! lingo. Like Ossifer. Or Yacket. Or VaJJ. OK? —ThomasFifield
  • Thomas— If someone not in band wanted to arrange, they would probably have to discuss it with the StuD (that's the Student Director for all you normies out there). —KateBaker

2005-08-10 00:23:09   Oh golly gee whiz...look at the Band-uh Wikites...smells like an EXTREME NET INVASION!!! Yes. —AndreHarris

  • So basically, Andre, you're saying that most of the net section are dorks? :oP —ThomasFifield
    • No, he's saying that the Nets are smart enough to know what's REALLY going on in Davis. —AllisonEriksen
      • Dude, Andre's right, this is extreme net invasion. But it used to be worse, before he moved to trombone! Ohhhh burn. Flutes represent! ...Or not. Damn. —MargieHalloran

2006-05-29 20:22:04   Does anyone have information concerning the major sexual harassment imbroglio in the late 80's early 90's? —PaulThober

2006-10-24 16:48:45   Band-uh has kicked major ass since I can remember —StevenDaubert

2006-12-08 11:29:13   Just in the senate the other day, Thursday December 7th 2006, and that Band-Uh shows up.. very awesome, very fun, very loud, and perhaps one of the most interesting senate meetings I have so far been to, well at least the opening. —DavePoole

  • That was our "Thanks Old Senate for the SWEET drums!" rally. :) Seriously. They rock. —AllisonEriksen

2007-04-21 19:16:22   Some of these people played at Herb Schmalenberger's (my grandfather) memorial service in the ARC ballroom in July of 2006, I think they did Sons of California. I think they did a great job, and I'm curious to know what they thought about all that and how much background they were given on him. My dad said he remembered the band playing at football games in the sixties and I think he enjoyed it this time too. —NickSchmalenberger

2007-06-03 11:40:17   Ha ha! Someone moved Dennis to the alumni section prematurely! —KateBaker

2007-06-03 13:43:00   ok ive been reading the history and i still havnt found the answer to a question i have had for a while? Why is it named band-uh. What is the history behind "uh", what does it mean and what does it stand for? —MattHh

2007-06-03 18:46:50   It's on this page under "Band what?" —AllisonEriksen

2007-08-22 16:49:55   so...to join Band-uh we just show up?? it's THAT easy? —ArianeMetz

2007-08-22 17:06:02   YES! You CAN join the CAMB by just showing up to a Monday Night Rehearsal (usually Mondays 7-9pm in the ARC Ballroom). However, the most fun way to join CAMB is by attending the annual retreat held in the dorms the week before school starts. Anybody interested in joining ought to contact the band manager to see if it is too late to sign up for retreat. Band room phone number: 530.752.6569 or email: join AT camb DOT ucdavis DOT edu. —RyanCoates

2009-01-25 19:40:36   While the band was still all-male but was clearly going to change soon it was introduced, tounge in cheek, at Picnic Day and some games I went to as the "Cal Aggie All Male Chavinist Marching Band". I was pretty young then and worried that going co-ed would mean the end of the band bringing up the rear of the Picnic Day parade wearing boxers playing kazoos. I was happy to see that my concern was unfounded.

—JohnBaker

2009-04-19 18:23:58   question! I was at the Battle of the Bands this picnic day, an every time the other bands would play something (our fight song, I think?) the Band-uh would look all pissed off and sort of flap their hands or wag their fingers in the other band's direction, like "screw you guys, just go away." What's the deal? —LaFrance

  • I was there too, and it seemed like they would play their fight song to signal that they had run out of music or time and were going to leave. I think the waving was like waving them goodbye, and to me, at least, it didn't seem like there was any malice behind it. —JoePomidor
  • I dunno about "malice," but there was flashing of the 'loser' sign at the end. I think you're right about the whole fight song / dropping out thing, though, that makes sense. —LaFrance

2009-05-06 23:02:04   I'm a member of the Band-uh, and while i cannot speak for the entire band it is my understanding that the wave we do to other schools fight songs is more of a "goodbye" wave. At the battle when a band is ready to leave the last song they play is their fight song. The "L" sign we make is usually accompanied by shouts of "Lame" as they are leaving early. As for malice, this is all usually done in good spirit and has come to be the norm for the Battle of the Bands. —ChrisOchoa

2012-10-10 01:37:42   It seems like there hasn't been any comments about Band-uh! since 2009. Let me see... New music, old music, horn movements, going to Retreat, meeting stales, rally formation, Picnic Day parade, Battle of the Bands, San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade, marching football games, attending basketball games, Pajamarino, Save the Music Festival, being a roadie, marching test, away dinner, away trip, getting fitted, freshmen and uppers, instrument rentals, song folders and slits, Monday Night Rehearsals, traditional songs, singing the fight song, perform early, perform late, donuts, carrying ladders, prop building, marching practice, going to sectionals, sending excuses, sectional bondings, electing officers, becoming officers, Monday late night at the DC, meeting new friends, hang out with everybody else, follow traditions, activities, and other secret surprises... Other than going to class, internship, or a part-time job, Band-uh! is just a fun time for anybody to join... For me, to be able to be part of Band-uh! for less than three years, I always know I should have joined earlier. Proud to be part of it, proud to be an Aggie clarinet. In a certain way, Band-uh! defines and creates a space to become more self-confident, self-fulfilling, happiness, enjoyment, and to be part of the school community, in a much committed way. Like a big family, even though you don't need to know everybody... but no matter if anybody is ever going to read this..., I love Band-uh! Long live the spirit of happiness. —PhilipYip

2014-07-08 02:30:41   I went to UCD from 1983-1988, but my dearest memory of the Band-Uh came in 1992 (I think). That year I was the WEF Quad Stage Manager and asked the Band-Uh to help me with a little gig and play one song at an ungodly time at a very odd place and in a most unique manner. The song was White Rabbit. This was to pay respect to a chance encounter in 1983 when the Band-Uh came across from friends of mine in the early morning, who were very tired from cleaning up the Quad of the mess of broken straw bales and Decomposed Granite. You came across those tired students and cheered them up with that song. I thought it might be nice for you to play that song for us again in 92. I sent word through an alum named Marie to see if you would be interested thinking maybe a few might be into it. Much to my surprise I think 75 people volunteered for this late night gig. It was a beautiful performance and I never really got to thank you all for making one of my most treasured memories. So to all of you who were in the band in 92, I thank you. I don't know if anyone is around who remembers, but I do. You are legends in my mind. —PeterMoyes

2019-09-04 09:21:05   This is a sad day. Since I came here, I have enjoyed Picnic Day the most of all, especially thanks to the Battle of the Bands. Now the band-Uh has been ruled out, Picnic Day will never be the same again. Students will be students. UC Davis seems to want a brave, new world. To me it seems, fear has taken over the world. Everybody’s afraid to be sued or slammed in the media. —ConstantiaOomen

Add tags