Cover of the Pigskin Revue program of 1938. (Courtesy of SMU Historical Archives)
Alumni and current Mustangs will have the opportunity to embrace tradition this Friday as the 77th Pigskin Revue makes its way back into Homecoming festivities.
The Pigskin Revue, a variety show that began at SMU in 1933, will feature six acts ranging from music to magic. Comedy, skits and videos will also be mixed into the show. However, the largest part of the Pigskin Revue, and what makes the show unlike any others, is the Mustang Band.
The band will play various works in between the acts centered around this year’s Homecoming theme “Bright Lights, Big City.”
“The only thing that pulls us together is that we’re all SMU students,” Evan Taylor, the drum captain of the Mustang Band, said. “We’ll all be at this event just sharing our talents.”
Taylor has been in the band for two years but has not had a chance to be a part of Pigskin Revue on SMU’s campus.
Two years ago, the tradition came to a halt primarily due to a lack in funding. Last year, Taylor participated in a smaller scale Pigskin that took place at the Hotel Palomar, only involving the Mustang Band.
Although the event was a scaled-down version, past Mustangs believe it was better than nothing.
“As far as I’m concerned, it was Pigskin Revue,” Charles Campbell, the announcer to the Mustang Band, said. “As we often say, it was close enough for jazz.”
Although this is Campbell’s 14th year as the announcer, his days at SMU started long before 1998.
He was a drum major for three years and played bass trombone when he attended SMU as an undergraduate and graduate student. He attributes his close ties to SMU to the Mustang Band.
The name Pigskin Revue is closely related to the football season, “pigskin” referring to a football and “revue” referencing an entertainment event. In earlier years, SMU would hold Pigskin in McFarlin. Although Pigskin Revue isn’t as big as it once was, Taylor is honored to be one of the people that is helping to bring the tradition back.
“This year is our first year to have everyone involved again,” he said.
The Mustang Band is hoping Pigskin will return to its original location, McFarlin Auditorium, as early as next year and hopes to have more acts, including sorority and fraternity participation.
“We’re definitely growing,” Taylor said. “As soon as this one is over, we hope to start up again planning the next one.”
