Skip to content
Entertainment
Link copied to clipboard

Strike up the (String) Band: This year's lineup of musical Mummers

The String Bands will begin their march up Broad Street at 11 a.m., after congregating at Marconi Plaza, just below Oregon Avenue. Here is what you can expect to see when the strutting begins. (The number behind the band's name is how they placed in last year's parade.)

The parade is one of the nation's oldest.
The parade is one of the nation's oldest.Read more

The String Bands will begin their march up Broad Street at 11 a.m., after congregating at Marconi Plaza, just below Oregon Avenue. Here is what you can expect to see when the strutting begins. (The number behind the band's name is how they placed in last year's parade.)

1. PENNSPORT STRING BAND (did not march last year)

Captain: Charlie Nicholas

Theme: Marching to Our Own Beat

Pennsport returns to Broad Street as a marching band led by drum major Charlie Nicholas, who conducts the show. Authentic band and majorette uniforms are interpreted with Mummers style. Featured are complex band maneuvers and a drum-line solo.

2. FRALINGER STRING BAND (1)

Captain: Thomas D'Amore

Theme: At the Golden Gate of Kiev

Fralinger's band of Kozaks celebrate Ukrainian traditions, culture and pride with a commanding and intricate musical score of Ukrainian folk songs and colorful costumes and characters representative of the country's culture. Thomas D'Amore (last year's first-place captain) portrays the Hetman (commander). Drawing an earlier marching position than in previous years, Fralinger is going for an unprecedented nine consecutive first-prize finishes.

3. WOODLAND STRING BAND (6)

Captain: Tom Robison

Theme: Gator Done - Bayou Style

Woodland's Ragin' Cajuns revel with gators and crawdads. The swamps come alive with Cajun rhythms and characters that include fishermen, hunters and Southern gamblers. Watch for the airboat, houseboat, washboard players, and a dancing gator and crawfish finale. Captain Tom Robison is King Creole.

4. PETER A. BROOMALL STRING BAND (14)

Captain: Peter J. Broomall Sr.

Theme: Different Strokes for Different Folks

Mummers as house painters. Staging takes place at the not-so-typical PAB Paint Store, so come in and get your favorite colors mixed. Painters dance on ladders, with pails, rollers and brushes.

5. SOUTH PHILADELPHIA STRING BAND (4)

Captain: Denny Palandro

Theme: No Boat Like Showboat

The glitter and glam of the Showboat, with tambourine-playing musicians and tap-dancing Dixie canes straight out of the 1920s. Show includes banjo minstrels and a performance of the Showboat Hall Jazz Band. Music is a selection of familiar Southern tunes. South Philly is always a top finisher.

6. DURNING STRING BAND (11)

Captain: Joe Pomante

Theme: Irish You a Merry Christmas

Durning is noted for its creative, comic themes, and this year is no exception. Santa and his elves land in Ireland on Christmas Eve, but the leprechauns want nothing to do with Santa's helpers, and a feud ensues. Can the elves and leprechauns co-exist and rise up against the Grinch? Captain Pomante is Santa, complete with reindeer, sleigh and a sack of toys. Music selection mixes holiday and Irish favorites.

7. GREATER KENSINGTON STRING BAND (8)

Captain: Jim Tatar Jr.

Theme: The ROAR-ing '20s

A return to the 1920s, with a twist. Colorful animal characters are living it up at Leo's nightclub, the hottest speakeasy in town. Tigers, hippos, zebras, bears and penguins entertain - watch as the penguins transform into flappers. Captain Tatar is Leo the Lion, speakeasy proprietor.

8. AQUA STRING BAND (12)

Captain: Ron Iannacone

Theme: Aqua Has a Peel

Aqua's going "out on a limb" and is "ripe" for the picking. A tribute to our favorite musical fruits . . . apples, strawberries, grapes, bananas and oranges. At the street market, Captain Iannacone is Huckster Ron in his 1931 Ford Model A truck.

9. POLISH AMERICAN STRING BAND (7)

Captain: Mark Danielewicz

Theme: Shipwrecked

Stranded on a deserted island, the Pirates of Port Richmond explore their new home. Joined by spine-tingling skeletons of pirates past, Polish American's band of rip-roaring buccaneers are prepared to fight to the death. Music selection is inspired by familiar sailor songs played with different musical styles. In 2010, Polish American was the overwhelming winner of Channel 17's "People's Choice Award" as determined by online voting.

10. ORIGINAL TRILBY STRING BAND (16)

Captain: Joseph R. Kaminski

Theme: Mumtoberfest

Dressed in their best lederhosen and dirndls, Trilby brings you to Germany for an Oktoberfest set in a beer garden you'll never forget. Traditional holtzhackers (dancers) perform at the Bavarian festival, and the sound of polkas fills the air. Trilby is the oldest string band, marching in the first official Mummers Parade in 1901.

11. UPTOWN STRING BAND (10)

Captain: Ryan Radcliffe

Theme: Shake, Rattle & Casserole

Are you hungry? Many aromas pierce your senses as the maitre d' and restaurant staff celebrate your dining options. Uptown's dancing waiters and musical chefs take over the dining room, but through the clanging of dishes, beautiful sounds fill the air as you enjoy complimentary musical entertainment with your meal.

12. HEGEMAN STRING BAND (9)

Captain: John P. Baron

Theme: Hegeman's Spurs Up Trouble!

It's high noon, and the cowboys of Hegeman are gathering in the center of town to entertain the cowpoke way. Dressed in their best boots, awesome chaps and traditional Stetsons, they belly up to the bar for some fun saloon tunes and the best cancan show. Captain Baron is Sheriff Dale S. Maverick.

13. DUFFY STRING BAND (13)

Captain: Ted Kudrick

Theme: Back On Track

The scene is a train station with a boxcar, dining cars, coal tunnels and trains waiting to depart. Duffy presents a fun-filled locomotive that comes and goes as the band performs train songs. You may also see a few hobos. In 2011, Duffy's Cheryl Crowe and Margaret "Peggy" Rullo will become the first two women to be elected to the String Band Hall of Fame.

14. QUAKER CITY STRING BAND (3)

Captain: Charlie Roetz

Theme: My Kind of Clown

Clowns in a carnival atmosphere doing what they do best . . . clowning around. A perennial contender, Quaker City brings you clowns of all shapes and sizes playing games, juggling, dancing and even walking the high wire. Keep your eye out for the clown car. Happy, up-tempo circus favorites provide the musical background.

15. AVALON STRING BAND (5)

Captain: Jack Hee Jr.

Theme: Holiday in Havana

Take a scenic, nostalgic trip to the beautiful Caribbean nation of Cuba. Avalon showcases Latin rhythms, beautiful tropical scenery and the romance of Old Havana. Regularly placing in the top five, Avalon performs popular Cuban hits while keeping true to the unique rhythms that define Latin music.

16. GREATER OVERBROOK STRING BAND (15)

Captain: Carmen Vitanza Sr.

Theme: The Sidewalks of New York

Greater Overbrook presents a nostalgic look back at the sights and sounds of life in old New York at the turn of the 20th century. From the Bowery to Central Park, Overbrook's musical tour of this bygone era includes an appearance by John Philip Sousa and his Marine Corps Band.

17. JOSEPH A. FERKO STRING BAND (2)

Captain: Anthony Celenza

Theme: Ferko Stakes Their Claim

It's California, 1849, and the gold rush is opening up the American West. At the Ferko Mining Co. camp site, it's another day of picking and panning, where prospectors, miners and other gold-seekers believe in hard work and hard fun in their quest for riches. There will be some hootin' and hollerin' with unique twists on traditional songs. Always a contender for a top prize, Ferko is the last band in the line of march.