ACF 411 Episode 19 (Scott Shutt-Kewpee Showcase of Bands)

On this edition of ACF 411, Russ is joined by Scott Shutt of Kewpee to talk about the Kewpee Showcase of Bands and Kewpee's involvement in the Allen County Fair!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ryder.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
Welcome back to another edition of ACF four one one,
the official podcast of the Allen County Fair. I'm your
host Russ Decker, and joining me in the podcast studio,
which is the old milking parlor here at the Fair,
is none other than Scott.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Shut Mister kep Hi, Scott, Russ. I'm doing great. I'm
doing great.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
You're smiling, and I think it's because it's Day one
of the Allen County Fairs.

Speaker 4 (00:23):
That yes, I mean the Fairs, the premier event in
this community, and we're kicking it off this year with
the QB Showcase of Bands.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
So I don't know how it could be a.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Better and I love the Showcase of Bands.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Every year we get ten eleven or so high school
marching bands performing in the grand stand. And I know
this goes way back. This was this your mom and
dad's idea to do this, sir.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Yes, you know when.

Speaker 4 (00:50):
I was in high school and I was in the
marching band, and so they would follow me on a
different events and we would participate in so, you know,
we would go to the Mercer County Fairs Band Show
as of course earlier in August, and then we had

(01:11):
a performance at Dark County Fair, which was quite a
big event down there. It's a competition. A lot of
schools from all over the region would go to that
and then we would close out our band or our
track season in terms of the track shows for a
marching band with in those days Van Wert County Fairs.

(01:33):
So you know, my parents wondered, why, you know, then
have a band show at the Allen County Fair. And
they talked to the leadership of the fair of that
time and they said, well, yeah, it would be something
to consider if they could get the schools.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
To buy in.

Speaker 4 (01:49):
So my dad was friends of our county school superintendent
that time, Richard Hart, and talk to him and so
he actually helped facilitate that when the various schools in
the county and that's really the beginning of it.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
And now it's so exciting.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
And what I like about it is if you look
at the grandstand, if you look at the seats, it's mom, dad,
grandma and grandpa, siblings. I mean, it is really a
family event. On the showcase of band Nights, Yes, I
mean the thing is.

Speaker 4 (02:20):
That it's a show that anybody who whether they like
music or even think about the high school football games
and things you always think of marching bands, and so
again it's just just a great.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
Event for all.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
So being an old marching band guy myself, and you
just said you were, sometimes I think people maybe underestimate
or don't appreciate the amount of hours that the kids
are putting into those halftime shows that you just sort
of take for granted every week.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
I say, I agree with you.

Speaker 4 (02:55):
I mean, those kids work real hard, and you know
a lot of them really from the time the concert
bands done in the spring, marching band starts up and
last as long as the schools make it through the
football season. And and so it's a you know, marching
band shows.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
It can be so creative and and uh, you know,
and and.

Speaker 4 (03:18):
The schools, you know, it's interesting to see how they
they compare a lot of times, and and some of
them are you know, of course, uh you know, brass
and woodwinds, and then some of them are all brass
and and.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Just the style of the show and everything. It's just
really fun to watch.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
And you know, we're gonna see some great competition tonight.
And and it's not a competition tonight, it's really a
showcase of bands.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
I want to make that clear to everybody who's listening.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
But but connection with the bands will continue on for
you folks, on for QB on Sunday when you bring
in one of the best bands in the land.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
So a number of.

Speaker 4 (03:55):
Years ago, there was a discussion about, you know, adding
something to the QP showcase of bands, and my dad,
being in an Ohio State grad, thought maybe he could
get someone from Ohio State and ended up getting.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
The Tabiddle Alumni band.

Speaker 4 (04:14):
So, you know, originally, of course they would they would
perform on the track, be the opening act, so to speak.
And then a few years ago when we had that
you know, wonderful stage in the Plaza, the Nutrient Stage,
that looked like a perfect opportunity perhaps to have it

(04:38):
in a way that more people could you know, see
it before the band show, or even in this year's case, on.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
A different day.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
Yeah, And so let's talk about different days because one
of the neat things about the QP Band Show that
I always remember is that it always was sort of
the start of the fair Friday day and the bands
are playing in the grandstand and great atmosphere, and then
football sort of got in the way.

Speaker 4 (05:01):
Yes, I mean, I love football and I played football.
I just sometimes there's a little bit of calendar creep
going on that affects this fair various ways, and it
did affect this band show. But it's nice for the
one hundred and seventy fifth year or the Fair to
bring it back to Friday night for another time, and

(05:23):
we really look forward to it.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
So Scott, I know you're busy, You've got a million
things to do, but before I let you out of
the studio, I've got to ask about you know, you're
coming up nineteen twenty eight, so twenty twenty eight, you're
coming up on one hundred years of QP.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
Any special plans coming up?

Speaker 1 (05:40):
You know?

Speaker 4 (05:41):
We've started some preliminary talks about it, and we've got
some big boxes of photos to go through.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
I mean, yeah, who knows.

Speaker 4 (05:50):
Maybe we'll have a little discussion with Chad Hughes since
he's so creative for everything.

Speaker 3 (05:55):
So well, it's going to be exciting. I enjoy. I
remember the nineteen twenty eight.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
Because my mom, who is ninety seven, was born in
nineteen twenty eight, so I'm hoping that she'll be able
to have a QP on her hundredth birthday.

Speaker 3 (06:09):
That would be pretty cool, well, I'll buy forty that sound.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
There we go, Scott Shutt, have a great time this
week at the fair, all right, Thanks us and we'll
be back right after this