Come Join the Band

From humble beginnings, the St. Louis Park Community Band has grown into one of the most beloved groups in town.

The roots of the band trace back to 1891, when the Monitor Drill Band formed. According to the St. Louis Park Historical Society, this band consisted of 10 members and took many trips, playing regularly at the Minnesota State Fair and local Fourth of July celebrations.

Over the years, however, the Monitor Drill Band had trouble finding a place to call home. Two of its regular bandstands were destroyed by storms, and a third building was demolished to make room for area railroad construction. As a result, the band slowly went away.

On Memorial Day of 1900, the new St. Louis Park Village Band debuted in a parade. This band would present concerts every Friday at a bandstand in what is now . They also played at the county fair and in parades in Minneapolis. Not long after it formed, the band started getting an annual appropriation from the city—in the amount of $100.

The village band played a number of festive shows during the early part of the century. Band members knew how to make these performances fun—and sometimes too much fun, according to this story told to the historical society:

"The band caught the train in St. Louis Park and rode straight to Chanhassen. One member couldn't make the train that morning, so he walked the railroad tracks all the way. He couldn't locate the band, so he inquired as to where they might be. The people of Chanhassen wanted to know why he wanted to find the band, and once they found out he was a member, they ran him out of town without so much as an explanation. He soon learned that the band had arrived early, got drunk, and raised particular hell so they were all run out of town. And then this poor guy arrives late after walking from St. Louis Park and asks, 'Where's the St. Louis Park Band?'"

While the band clearly enjoyed itself over the years, it disbanded by 1955. But in 1972, under the direction of Lorraine Brasket, the St. Louis Park Community Band was born. The original community band had 16 members.

A few years later, saxophone player Jim Rhodes took over as the band’s president, a role he has held ever since. The band has grown to about 50 members and now plays concerts year-round. The band's next show will be its fall concert on Nov. 22 at Edinborough Park in Edina.