Yell Leaders Break Up Citing Personal, Creative Differences
After performing together for more than 110 years in Kyle Field, the Yell Leaders announced Wednesday afternoon that they were officially breaking up, citing personal and creative differences. The announcement comes after a number of erratic performances throughout the season in which yell leaders showed up visibly intoxicated, bickered with each other on the field and confused the student section with off-tempo direction.
“As much as we want to give the 12th Man our all, it has become apparent that our visions for the group’s future don’t match,” said the Yell Leaders in a social media announcement. “It would be unfair to the fans to pretend otherwise and try to perform as usual.”
Starting as an impromptu performance by freshman cadets to impress girls in 1907, the Yell Leaders became a staple of Texas A&M culture. In its early years, the group gained notoriety for their small shows at basketball games before being catapulted to College Station stardom through their longtime residency at Kyle FIeld.
Hit singles such as “Farmers Fight,” “Locomotive,” and the ever-popular “BTHO (Opposing Team)” both defined and transcended the generations for which they were written. Despite their constantly rotating lineup, young fans throughout the years fell head over heels for the classic archetypes each member represented: “The Bad Boy,” “The Junior,” “The Ugly One,” “The Blonde,” and, occasionally, “The Minority.”
Though fan support held through the ups and downs of the Yell Leaders’ history (including the critically-maligned Rick Perry era), the 2019 season ultimately proved tumultuous beyond repair. At press time, rumors were already swirling about a potential Karsten Lowe solo project.
—Hullakazoo
If you have ever attended Midnight Yell, you have unknowingly seen Hullakazoo. He marches in amongst the band wearing a Walmart army man Halloween costume whilst blasting his shrill kazoo into the midnight sky over Aggieland. You may hear his kazoo echoing down the halls of Evans library late at night, but you will never find him. Thankfully we are the only ones who could corner him and got him to join us and say some funny stuff every so often. The kazoo playing is really starting to bug us though.