In one of my favorite episodes, Mayberry has a town band with mostly business people and leading citizens, and they are awful. Andy knows they are awful, but once a year they get to go to Raleigh for a band performance, get together.

Andy goes to the mayor to get the voucher for the trip. Now, why would Andy have to hit up the town for funds so that thirty guys, mostly businessmen can have a weekend partying? Thirty guys, hotel rooms, food, that would be several hundred dollars of 1962 money, basically for a bunch of guys who dont practice their instruments and suck. Better to spend the money on the Apricot Festival to make money for the town instead of giving it to these old guys to spend in another community.

Mayor Stoner doesn't want the band in Raleigh making fools of the town and denied the money. Since not giving Andy the money for the band trip, Stoner is annoying a lot of men with some pull in the town. Floyd has the only barber shop in town and can complain to anyone who walks in his door what kind of SOB Stoner is and maybe he should be voted out.

Then Andy has to corral the Freddie Fleet and the Band with the Beat to deceive the mayor to give Andy the money to give these awful players a free trip in the town's dime. So, we have the moral center of the show deceiving the mayor to get tax dollars so these businesspeople dont have to pay out of pocket.

Stoner is usually the jerk and the antogonist, but here, he was right.

A very memorable and funny episode; one of Parley Bear's best appearances on the series, IMO. My favorite scene is when Stoner seems to notice something odd, from a distance, about the band members' faces (goatees or Van Dyke beards on the Fleet guys), and Andy explains about hair shirts...!

Another show with a recurring terrible band was Petticoat Junction, with its Hooterville group of volunteer firefighters that always tried to play "Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" (also on Green Acres, iirc).

A very memorable and funny episode; one of Parley Bear's best appearances on the series, IMO. My favorite scene is when Stoner seems to notice something odd, from a distance, about the band members' faces (goatees or Van Dyke beards on the Fleet guys), and Andy explains about hair shirts...!

Another show with a recurring terrible band was Petticoat Junction, with its Hooterville group of volunteer firefighters that always tried to play "Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" (also on Green Acres, iirc).

This episode was on last night, excellent views of the city for us Mayberry/40 Acres watchers... the huge old "reform school" building can even be seen just up the block from Andy's house.

I don't understand this episode, the band is terrible so why would andy insist on ongoing, he'll embarrass himself the band and the town of Mayberry.

That sure was a tiny bus for the band. I doubt it could have accommodated all the band members and their instruments.

In one of my favorite episodes, Mayberry has a town band with mostly business people and leading citizens, and they are awful. Andy knows they are awful, but once a year they get to go to Raleigh for a band performance, get together.

Andy goes to the mayor to get the voucher for the trip. Now, why would Andy have to hit up the town for funds so that thirty guys, mostly businessmen can have a weekend partying? Thirty guys, hotel rooms, food, that would be several hundred dollars of 1962 money, basically for a bunch of guys who dont practice their instruments and suck. Better to spend the money on the Apricot Festival to make money for the town instead of giving it to these old guys to spend in another community.

Mayor Stoner doesn't want the band in Raleigh making fools of the town and denied the money. Since not giving Andy the money for the band trip, Stoner is annoying a lot of men with some pull in the town. Floyd has the only barber shop in town and can complain to anyone who walks in his door what kind of SOB Stoner is and maybe he should be voted out.

Then Andy has to corral the Freddie Fleet and the Band with the Beat to deceive the mayor to give Andy the money to give these awful players a free trip in the town's dime. So, we have the moral center of the show deceiving the mayor to get tax dollars so these businesspeople dont have to pay out of pocket.

Stoner is usually the jerk and the antogonist, but here, he was right.

Funny episode but it doesnt make any sense, why would andy go to Raleigh and embarrass himself the band and the town with such a terrible band?