Ensign Fritz "sits in" with the band

by Musician 1st Class Jeremy Middleton
Three cheers for Country Current tour manager Musician 1st Class Pat Gulley and the conclusion of his portion of Country Current's 2012 National Tour! MU1 Gulley planned all the logistics, from hotels and travel to concert publicity for eight solid concerts. So far, the tour has been a great success because of MU1 Gulley's professionalism and attention to detail. The next nine are all mine - Texas and Oklahoma, here we come.

Last night's show brought us to the heart of Aggieland! Directly adjacent to College Station, Texas, home of Texas A&M University, we played our show to an enthusiastic crowd at the Palace Theatre in Bryan, Texas.

Show highlights:

U.S. Navy Band Specialty Groups Department Head Ensign Gregory Fritz made a flawless debut as guest drummer for Country Current on Blake Shelton's "Sunny In Seattle", earning praise from city officials in attendance who "appreciated an officer who kept his chops up!"

During a western swing number, "Swing Like That", children danced in the aisles, spinning and twirling their way through the tune.

At the invitation of a local resident, some of us visited the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial and Veterans Park, which displays a beam from the World Trade Center.

Today brings us to Austin, Texas where we'll play at the Texas State History Museum. Country Current sound engineer MU1 Kenny McLaughlin hails from this great town. Check in tomorrow for a writeup of a hometown show!

About the Author

Musician 1st Class Jeremy Middleton A native of Clarksville, Tenn., MU1 Middleton joined the Navy Band in December 2008. Prior to his appointment to the Navy Band he was a five-year veteran of the Navy music program, and a 10-year veteran of the Army bands program. As a member of the Navy music program he served as unit leader for Navy Band Southeast’s contemporary music ensemble “Pride”, and during his Army tenure he served proudly in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a member of the world-renowned 101st Airborne Division (AASLT) Band.