Hungry March Band: It's Tara Fire Ball

other projects	Flaming Tulip Family Circus, Fire Arts, Madagascar Institute, Metal Arts, Puppeteering. Past Historical Musical Projects: Torch Job, Tung Fa Lupa, Thrust, Dirty Martini's
interests	Buccaneering, Cultural and Personal Evolution, Group Psychodynamics, Brass Street Bands, the Tulip, Albert, NPR, Horticulture
HMB Stories	I haven't words to write but there are stories in the pictures. Please check out my Flickr pictures and to optimize your viewing pleasure do so while listening to the music of the Hungry March Band.

Tara Fire Ball's HMB Web Diary

Thu, Oct 19, 2006 Socrates Sculpture Park Harvest Festival

The sun was very bright on the this day, and the wind was blowing off the water. The band was dressed in their finest because the New Yorker was coming to take pictures of us for an upcoming issues and we were all a bit wound up about this. We've played here before and an invitation to play at Socrates is always a thrill for me because I am a huge fan of Mark di Suvero, who is the founder of Socrates. I have never had the opportunity to meet him, I've been afraid to ask because I admire the man so much and it gives me that quivery feeling inside when I think about it. I am sure he is a nice person just like anyone else but when I see his pieces, I swoon. We've been up to Storm King a couple of times and I was simply in awe of his work. We wanted to get married on the grounds by one of his pieces but they wouldn't allow weddings. I remember the first time I walked out of my office when i worked by Madison Park and saw them erecting some pieces. I ran over and asked the guy working on them if they were Mark di Suvero's and he had no idea, later in the week they put a plaque and I was correct. I loved going to the park back then, they're gone now and I don't work there anymore. I do wish there was a park I could sit in with his sculptures around me again, they were so inspiratational.

Back to the Harvest Fest! We had a great time playing. I was surprised at the number of families and children there. The face painters were amazing and the everyone was having a great day. We played two sets and people seemed to enjoy us. It is so great to see children getting into the groove, dancing and enjoying themselves as well as their parents and with sincerity. We played one of our birthday number and it was our own Cuz J's B'day along with a little girl from the audience. Here's a link to the photos from the park..

http://flickr.com/photos/tarafireball/sets/72157594328379505/

Here's a link for Socrates: http://www.socratessculpturepark.org

Here's a pic of the Cuz J, the birthday boy of the day...

Thu, Oct 19, 2006 our man Quince is back from Europe
Welcome back Quince!

Thu, Oct 19, 2006 the Almost Last Show at CBGB's

CB's gallery was the setting for the almost last show ever at CB's. It was a long day into evening event starting with children's programing at the begining. The DD & I & the little one did our first puppet show. It didn't work out quite like I had envisioned but it was okay. We finished our set design moments before arriving. We'd been waiting for the paint to dry and had to fasten the curtain when we got there. Jason and Anton were on had to help me set up along with Sammy and I really needed that help. Our show was ok it needs some more work. The plot came undone and we had to ad lib the entire performance but we did it...The Flaming Tulips! Our first professional gig and there are no pictures! ah well. There shall be more.

The band went on to play two sets. For our first set, Michael Ballonheadz put Jeanne into a giant balloon. Here is my favorite picture of jean with okkon playing in the background

I love this one too, you can see the Mad Ballon Scientist Michael Balloonheadz at work

I had such a good time at that show. It finally hit me that CB's was closing. I ran into many of my old school friends from back in the day there. I got to spend time with the love SNUKA Cloe and the lovely talented Gina.

The band played two great sets, by the second set I was in such a good mood that I had a hard time holding the camera still so the pictures tend to be on the arty side. The DD knew I needed a night out and I stayed almost until they put the chairs on the tables. I was happy and sad all at the time and overwhelmed with memories of those bygone moments but seeing so many people still alive and me with surrounded by all this brass and a family home tucked in made me a big mush. You can look at the art shots here.

http://flickr.com/photos/tarafireball/sets/72157594325827899/

Wed, Oct 18, 2006 Our Impromptu Funeral March to CBGB's
The Last Supper?

We'd talked about doing a march to CB's for the last night since the original last night turned into an extended second last last night and by the last night I mean the end of CBGB's on the Bowery forever. It seemed liked the best idea to us and Lenny Kaye agreed. Jason had called him to ask him about us swinging by & playing before the show and he said the more the merrier. He is Patty smith's guitar player and Patty Smith was doing the playing the last show ever at CBGB's, the for real last show. So we cooked up a plan in Socrates Sculpture Park the day before where we had a tremendously good time playing for the Harvest Festival. so....

We met at Tompkins Square Park for rehearsal instead of Sugar Park and we were lucky to be spotted from across the street by a lovely lady at Doc Holidays. We planned on marching at 7pm but then...

Sara had called and told us not to come after all that so we stood around pondering what to do and somehow we were invited by this bar lady to come to Doc Holidays to play for beer. We drank and played, and had a good time then decided to march over anyway, despite the begging by Sara via phone call to Jason, not to do it. BUT her husband Kris Anton convinced us that going across the street to to play at the Bowery PC would be a good idea instead and he went on to further bribe us with promises of a round of beer, so how could we refuse? We did not take the route I had earlier suggested. We pranced straight down St Marks as Samantha decided this was the best route and she was leading the way as we were without PS except for Albert & Liberty and it was her call. This was a wise decision. It was awesome to see all those happy smiling dancing faces. OH and our bartendress,..Alicia from Doc Holidays, Jason & Quince insisted we wait for her to come and I thought that was ridiculous but then realized when she finally came to join us that she was to be our Queen for the night. I was glad they insisted on that, consensus at work. We paraded down to the Bowery via St Marks with a lot of followers and friends including Matt Fass, Jenny, it was a grand grand time dancing and laughing everywhere and not a copper in sight the whole time. We played across the street from CB's and I still think we should have went in front of the club but we didn;t want to upset Sara. We played outside and in the BPC, Anton
bought us some beer and there was chicken to eat. Albert would not leave me there by myself for some reason so I left with him. That girl was going to buy me shots. What else happened? what did I miss?

Tue, Oct 10, 2006 Pleasure Society - Next Generation Liberty Tulip r

Tue, Oct 10, 2006 New member Don

Tue, Oct 10, 2006 Band Dog

Tue, Oct 10, 2006 HMB family on tour at the Fusion Festival in Germa

Tue, Oct 10, 2006 Big Mama T & Liberty Tulip on Drum

Tue, Sep 12, 2006 Skeleton Puppet
working on Halloween, wondering why photo will not post.

Tue, Aug 29, 2006 Once There Was a Village
A few pictures I shot during a rehearsal as well as the teaser performance at Linclon Center for the Once there was a Village performance piece, which the HMB is performing the music for. This group generally works with marionettes & puppets and the performance was not exactly that but with some imagination, they could become that, almost. They used found objects from the street in the performane as if these objects were puppets. It was interesting to watch & participate in. It was a good experience overall, even the cranky old lady who called us a four letter word was a pleasure. After the performance, we went out to dinner with our friends Gabriella and Vikki who attended the show. Gabby arrived at the perfect moment as Popa was late. Booboo fell asleep and I need a pedicure.
Here's the full set of photos, they're shot from the angle of in the pit with the percussion section during a break in the music
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarafireball/sets/72157594251635020/

Tue, Aug 29, 2006 Spiegeltent
The Hungry March Band played for the Spiegeltent opening weekend and then we stuck around to watch the Absinthe show afterwards in the tent. The outdoor area is wonderful, right on the water with a marvelous view. It's a bit hidden and takes some effort to find but well worth the effort and it is not touristy like much of the Seaport is. You've got to find the old market place and walk in front of that, then make right down an alleyway. They have wonderful cocktails and frozen drinks as well as some fantastic performances included the greatest march band in the whole world! I highly recommend making the trip down.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarafireball/sets/72157594232211138/

A pic of band where you can see a bit of the view

Here's the Bunchkin doing her thing with Evelyn's pom pom's

Mon, Jan 16, 2006 another day
so we're in Spin magazine. Are we famous yet? When does one know if they are famous? Do we care? I want Spring more then I want fame right now. it's dark & cold outside but warm inside. Are you here because you want to hear about the HMB? The last time I saw members of the HMB was volunteering at the Golden Festival near Inwood Park. We stopped by to see our long lost trombone player Ethan, his wife Peggy & their daughter Alice. What a cutie. She gave us all bandiads for our wounds, I got a lot of mileage out of that one bandaid. Liberty & Alice had a good time & then we went over to the festival which was an incredible experience. There were people there from a few months old to 102, dancing, music, food, tents, crafts & more music! What a great time!

Wed, Dec 07, 2005 Another Favorite Picture
They love this one too, sweating men beating on drums with no shirts..There should be 2 photos here if this is working, both of the same thing. I want to see if one will appear on the main page. Don;t try it with a super big photo or it will screw everythingup. I tried that already but had to delete it.

oh la la percussion!!! at Locanda Atlantide featuring Hungry March Band & Titubanda

Tue, Dec 06, 2005 Atsushi inside, a big favorite - by abject photo
I am testing out uploading flickr pictures to blogs. This seems to work. this picture is very popular on Flickr. It was taken by Abject Photo. I put it up on my Flickr site. They love this picture and naked statues. it's a crazy world

Mon, Jul 04, 2005 Report from Sardina
Albert Liberty & I arrived via Frankfurt a few days ago.