Game 73: Howard and Ruth Hirsch - Mexican Party Dip Platter

In 1979, the NBA was reeling from a decade-long malaise. It was a 2nd-tier league in American sports, a status exemplified by tape-delayed airings of the NBA Finals. But that all changed when Jerry Buss bought the Lakers. The real estate magnate wanted to turn the Lakers into the hottest ticket in the entertainment capital of the world. He redid the former owner’s quiet stadium bar and turned it into The Forum Club, the most exclusive nightclub in Los Angeles. He spiced up the lulls in between game action with the skimpily dressed Laker Girls, the NBA’s first dance team. And to set the right celebratory mood, he replaced the stale organ music with a live band composed of members of the USC marching band. That band, the Laker Band, hasn’t stopped playing since.

For over 40 years in both The Forum and Staples Center, the Laker Band has performed for the fans, players, and Dr. Buss -- who set up the band right next to his owner’s box -- at games, media events, and championship parades. One of its longest serving members was Geo Valle, who played bass in the band from 1983 through 2014. For Game 73, I talked with Geo about regularly playing a concert for 18,000 people, what it’s like to ride on a championship parade route, his encounters with Lakers from Kurt Rambis to Kobe Bryant, the differences between playing at the low-ceilinged The Forum and the cavernous Staples Center, and the time an NBA official almost kicked him out of The Forum.

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PABLO: You joined the band in 1983, four years after Jerry Buss bought the team and came up with the idea of having a live band play at each game. What led you to that point?

GEO: I was born in East L.A. and my dad moved us to Culver City when I was about six years old. I started playing bass when I was thirteen years old. I went to a private music school and had a lot of friends who went to USC. The Laker Band is comprised of the USC marching band and back in the day, there weren't the programs that are around, the jazz programs and all that. So they needed a bass player and I had a lot of friends going to SC. I wasn't going to SC but they would ask if I could come play in the band. And I said of course!

So I played in the Laker band and did it until the end of ‘85. But by ‘89 my replacement got kind of flaky so they asked me back in. And of course I loved to go see the games. It was so much fun. And I played there until seven years ago. I have my own big band here in LA. I've had it here for sixteen years. And I do everything from commercials to musicals to church services. I'm a hired gun and very blessed to be mixed up with a bunch of people who keep me busy.

Back at The Forum days, the band was right next to Jerry Buss' owner's box. What was your relationship with him?

First off, Jerry Buss was one of the nicest guys. He always acknowledged the band and was a big supporter of us. Always. He would send boxes of jerseys to the band. One time during my second season, he sent us boxes of purple satin Starter jackets. He just loved the band and took care of us. 

And the celebrities that were over there! People like Hulk Hogan and the Macho Man. Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertenelli. It was just whoever was the most popular celebrities at the time. I remember Sammy Davis Jr. was there and I kept yelling "Sammy!" and he waved me down to come meet him. One time we were all sitting down and this gentleman gets up and keeps walking to the band. And I realize it's Gene Kelly. And the whole band stands up to clap for him. And Mr. Kelly was like "No no no, I just came up here to sit down with you guys." He with us and just talked with us, asked us how our days are going. I had to tell some of the younger guys that this was a living legend. Everybody was so nice in that section. It was a great time.

I know that Kareem was and still is a big jazz aficionado. Did you have any interactions with him or any other Lakers who had a deep appreciation of music?

I wish I could say that Kareem was nicer. He wasn’t that approachable which was OK since he was tired after games. Do you remember Tail o’ the Pup back in North Hollywood? One day I went there to grab a hot dog and I realized Kurt Rambis was right behind me. So I turn around and let him know I'm in the Laker band. That I'm the guy going "dun dun DE-FENSE" chant and he's like "We love you guys! You get the crowd rocking!"

There have been some guys on other teams who were very standoff-ish, which is a shame because sports is such a beautiful thing. Some Lakers have always been respectable and they talk to you, which as a fan makes them more connected to you. Even players from other teams. Like Larry Bird. As much as I hated Larry Bird, he would shake your hand. The way I was raised, when someone goes to shake your hand, you shake it. So I have that kind of respect for him. Even if he was the enemy.

In the era before NBA arenas pumped in pre-recorded music, you were the first band to pump up the team and crowd with live music. What was that adrenaline rush like?

It was like being in the Rolling Stones playing at The Forum. People just really dug it. Back in the day we would come in and open up the whole show by playing music. Then we would play at halftime and after the game. Eventually it got to the point where the Laker Girls would do a routine to our songs, so we were all working together to create a show. It was a blast. The people around us loved it. 

When the Staples Center opened in 1999, it was definitely a big transition for the band. Instead of being next to the owner's box in a relatively small arena, you guys were put way up in the cheap seats in this cavernous arena. Do you feel that the team and AEG overlooked the band in designing Staples?

Well... you could say yes. But at the same time, we were taking up real estate. There were seats that were pushed back so that the band could sit where we sat. I feel that Jerry Buss had something to do with it because Jerry always liked the band. He would always wave at us when he came in. We weren't microphoned or anything, that came in later down the road. Because it was so big, we were lucky if a third of the arena heard us.

How long did it take for them to start micing the band up?

I would say four or five years.

Oh wow. So it wasn't a mid-season fix during the opening year?

Oh no. It took some years to do it.

Did you talk to anybody about it? Did you feel like your complaints were going unheard?

Hey, we were at the Laker game so we were having so much fun. Win or lose, we had a great time. More when we won. There were always people who would come by and tell us they moved seats a little closer to hear us.

Did you ever have complaints from fans who were sitting so close to an entire brass section?

Oh no, I don't think so. The only time I had a complaint, you'd have to go way back. In The Forum days, I used to bring a keyboard with me to pump it through my bass amplifier. So when the opposing players shot free throws, I would make all these noises and sounds. Like cows braying. I remember once for the playoffs, a guy from the NBA came up and gave me a warning. Said if I kept doing that, I would get thrown out. 

But we never had complaints. It was part of the game. We didn't step on anyone. Me and the drummer were the ones doing the defense chant. Boom boom, DE-FENSE. So we were always playing. We were always in the game. The brass section, they played during timeouts. But back in The Forum days, even during the time outs, they would let us do three minute songs. Once we went to Staples, it got a lot different. They had the organ player Dieter Ruhle and the Laker girls performing a lot more. 

Bruce Springsteen opened the Staples Center in 1999 and has infamously never returned to play there because the acoustics were so bad. Do you think it's ever worked as a music venue?

Oh yeah, I've seen concerts there. It's really big. Even the sound system for the Lakers has been redone and it got a lot better. I mean, it's a big room. And it takes a really good engineer to master that room. The Forum is still one of the best rooms to see music now. I think Staples is OK but it's not my favorite place. It gets a little boomy. 

I've read that Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers has visited the band in the past. Did he ever try and sit in with the band?`

Oh no, he never sat in with the band. But Flea and Anthony Kiedis are big Laker fans. And Flea's a great trumpet player too. He played the Star Spangled Banner on trumpet. He did it once on bass and I was like, "Man, I should've been down there." He's a character. And a really nice guy. They interviewed him when Kobe died and he was a very articulate person. He has a good head on his shoulders.

You watched over three decades of Lakers basketball in person. What are your favorite memories?

When we won a championship on the Celtic’s home court in ‘85. You didn't get to see Red Auerbach light up a cigar. That was one of the sweetest moments ever for me. The back to back to back championships too. To experience that game 7 against Portland where we were losing in the 4th quarter and Kobe and Shaq put it together. I've never had such an emotional roller coaster. I remember hugging people that were on either side of the band. There was so much love and excitement just from what these guys did, win a basketball game. I don't know if I’ll ever see something like that again.

And the parades were always such a blast. They would put us on these old fire engines. And here we are, me and the drummer, playing “Dum dum, World Champions!” on a fire engine with 200,000 people cheering. . Everybody gets so rocked out and the Lakers are behind us on busses. It was a blast. In 2009, we all went into the Coliseum after the parade route and it was unbelievable. I can still remember the Lakers coming down the stairs and they were goofing around and soaking it in. They deserved it. And we deserved it too, the fans. It was so great to cherish it with everybody. But you need people. The excitement comes from people. We help the team. There might be five Lakers on the floor but it's the fans that are the sixth player pushing the team forward.

I also saw Kobe’s 81 point game. So that year I was playing at Crystal Cathedral church services on Sunday nights. So I had my sub covering those games. But I got a call earlier that week saying there was no service that Sunday. So I show up and Kobe shoots eighty one points! We always hear "That guy's in the zone." I know what the zone is because I got to see it right in front of me. It was incredible. Kobe would have three guys on him and he'd light it up from behind the three point line. Swish. That guy was on fire that night. Nothing was gonna stop him. It was one of the most magical things I ever saw. I was like, "Good thing I didn't go to church today!" I mean, I saw Kobe grow up since the beginning. I remember I was at church and as I finished the last song, I got a text from my brother and I just started crying. It was like I lost a brother. It took the air out of L.A. 

Back when we first moved to Staples Center, we didn't have an area to leave our equipment. So I had to drive in and as I'm getting past security there's this beautiful black Ferrari behind me. And I look back and it's Kobe. So security lets me go down and park my car and unload. And Kobe's behind me going "Hey, hurry up! I gotta get to the locker room!" And I go, "I'm in the Laker band!" So he gets out of his Ferrari and shakes my hand.

Like "Hey man, I've been with the Lakers longer than you. I’ve got priority."

Yeah, I've been around longer! [laughs] It was just perfect.

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Mexican Party Dip Platter

1 pint sour cream

1 package Lawry’s taco mix

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Shredded cheddar cheese

Shredded Jack Cheese

Chopped cilantro

Dorito chips

Tabasco sauce

1 small can of salsa

2 to 3 avocados

Chopped fresh tomato

Small green onions

Sliced black olives

Mix together sour cream, taco mix, and Tabasco and place in a large platter or dish. Mash avocados; add salsa and lemon juice and spread over first layer. Sprinkle with cheeses, then layer tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro and top with sliced olives. Serve with Dorito chips

Loaded nachos rule. A plate of nachos covered in cheese, jalapenos, meat, onion, tomatoes, and gauc? That’s a top tier shared bar snack. An executive decision, in that case, has been made to airdrop 7 layers on top of chips. The chips will get soggy, so it’s optimally designed to be eaten by multiple drunk people. It’s something you could get in almost any bar with a kitchen in America. And it will almost always be good. A perfect dish.

Conversely, I do not understand 7 layer dip, whether it’s Howard and Ruth Hirsch’s version or Jerry Buss’ recipe from several months back. It has almost all the same basic ingredients as loaded nachos. But when it’s deconstructed and then reconstructed in a casserole dish, it loses its flavor. Not its literal flavor. That’s still there. But dipping a single chip -- in this case a Cool Ranch Dorito -- and getting all 7 layers on it is never satisfying. With loaded nachos, its ingredients fall haphazardly all over your hands and the table and those new shorts you just bought online. It’s part of the fun. There’s no fun in a 7 layer dip. I’m eating a chip where gauc and tomatoes and sour cream mix combine to soggify (very good word that doesn’t exist) the chip. I couldn’t even taste the Cool Ranch.

I also had a 20% chip break ratio where my Cool Ranch Dorito would get stuck in my dip. It’s one of the most embarrassing things that can happen to you at a party snack table. Truly devastating stuff. You just don’t recover from that move.