: Its rare to get through a sporting event without hearing the iconic song "YMCA," and if you are one of the thousands who plan on attending this year’s Brut Sun Bowl, you’re going to get the song from the source; the Village People are coming to El Paso to perform during the halftime show at the Brut Sun Bowl. Joe E. Valenzuela, the Sun Bowl Association president thinks they are perfect for this event because, "Their music has become a mainstay at stadiums across the country during sporting events." That's not the only reason the Village people were asked to be a part of this year's halftime show Valenzuela adds, "We are really excited to get a musical group, such as the Village People, that transcends generations."
The halftime show won't be all fun and games. The Sun Bowl Association is taking it one step further by attempting to break a Guinness World Record. During the Village People's performance a brave cop, construction worker, Indian, cowboy, biker and G.I. will attempt to lead the crowd in singing "YMCA" for long enough to break the Guinness World Record for the longest YMCA dance. The current record is five minutes. The executive director of the Sun Bowl Association, Bernie Olivas, explains why they set their sights on this goal, "'YMCA' is such a fan-friendly song, that we decided if we can get the entire crowd at Sun Bowl Stadium involved, it would be a way to get El Pasoans involved in a Guinness World Record." Olivas went on to say, "We realize that it is just a small footnote in life, but what a neat way to remember our 75th anniversary."
The previous record was made in 2001 during a baseball game between the Omaha Spikes and the Salt Lake Stingers. There were over 13,000 people in the stadium in Omaha, Neb. who danced to the song for five minutes to set the record. Sun Bowl Stadium can hold over 50,000 people, so in pure numbers El Paso already has Omaha beat.
2008 is not only the Sun Bowls 75th year anniversary, it also marks a milestone for the Village People who are celebrating their 30th anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, they performed at a variety of fairs, universities and sporting events on their world tour, including stops in France, Spain, South Africa, while still making time for our own Sun Bowl before the end of the year. Fan can expect to hear favorite hits like "Macho Man," "In the Navy," "Can't Stop the Music," and more.
The members, Alexander Briley (the G.I.), David Hodo (the construction worker), Raymond Simpson (the cop), Felipe Rose (the indian), Jeff Olson (the cowboy), and Eric Anzalone (the biker) have all done work outside of the Village People including modeling, stage acting, and pursuing other musical interests, however none of that seems to compare with the magic that is captured by the music they make when they are all together.
So when December 31st rolls around don't miss your chance to be part of history and join the ranks of El Pasoans attempting to break a record.
