The Hill Stompers Celebrate 20 Years!

The Hill Stompers performing at a Summer Concert in 2018. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

COMMUNITY News:

Twenty years ago in October 2000, the Hill Stompers held its first rehearsal around the pool table in the basement of one of its first members … and the rest, as they say, is history.

Their first gig was the 2000 Holiday Lights Parade where they played Washington Post and a handful of Christmas tunes.

Throughout the last two decades the Hill Stompers has grown from 15 to 45 fun-loving musicians and dancers. While decked out in tutus, feathers and sequins, they have entertained crowds at countless parades in Los Alamos and Santa Fe. A particular favorite is Desfile De Los Ninos, the Santa Fe Fiesta Pet Parade, where adorable costumed children come out to parade with their adorable costumed pets. A highlight from the 2019 parade was jamming with the Santa Fe High School Demon Pride Marching Band.

The Hill Stompers make annual trips to entertain the communities of Telluride and Durango in Colorado. They consider Carver Brewing Company in Durango to be their home away from home! The band has even gone on the road a few times to play in Boston at Honk!, a music festival of street bands. Parading into Harvard Square during Octoberfest is a favorite memory of many Stompers!

While the Hill Stompers are sad that they can’t have a community event to celebrate, they have found a different way to make their 20th birthday special. They are participating in the Hill Stompers Birthday Challenge! Throughout the month of October, they are completing 20 challenges, one challenge for each year of making music and mayhem with the band.

Some of the challenges include sharing photos of their first Hill Stomper gigs, writing musical poetry, Hill Stomper trivia, describing how their costume closets are organized (or not!), nominating honorary Hill Stompers, and creating Hill Stomper style cocktails.

Here are a few noteworthy submissions:

Bright notes ringing out

Bright notes ringing out
Feathers and glittery trails
Brassy Babes strutting
               —By Dianne Marquez

Ragged Time

After twenty years of working for beers
And being thrown out of bar-after-bar,
It’s time to pause and acknowledge the cheers;
To take a dip into Hatch caviar.
Time to rest our fermatose livers;
Time to thank our appreciative fans.
Merely to listen might give you the quivers
And too much of stomping could bring down the stands.
So hoist the barley and tinkle the cymbal;
Strum the drum with a digital thimble.
Play on, you Hillbillies…uh, Hillstompers,
And play it in rag.
               —By Jerry Dorbin

‘My Grandpa played the baritone in a PARADE at age 95. He also played in a drum circle weekly at that age. In his younger years, he was a physicist instrumental in the development of  television. In his older years, my Grandpa was the first to make any situation fun and was my number one accomplice in adventure. His heart and spirit was 100% Hill Stomper!!! Grandpa is photoshopped and enjoying a Hill Stomper gig!’ Honorary Hill Stomper feature submitted by Betsy Stauffer, trombone extraordinaire. Courtesy/ Betsy Stauffer

On this 20th anniversary, the Hill Stompers would like to give a shout out to The Seed and Feed Marching Abominable in Atlanta, Georgia, whom they affectionately refer to as their mother band, for providing the inspiration for this crazy street band.

The band also would like to thank the Los Alamos community for its support throughout the years … get ready to celebrate with them next October when the band turns 21!

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