July 31, 2024 – Burlington, Vermont
I am sitting comfortably in the Almartin Volvo showroom in Burlington, Vermont. The storied Silver Bullet, my aging XC70, is in the shop. I am embarking on my auto tour of DCI competitions today, and it will be ready for another drum corps sojourn with a new wheel bearing. With the new Goodyear Assurance Comfort tires, it should be a nice, quiet ride for the anticipated 4,000 miles ahead. This year, I am returning to Michigan following the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis. I will attend the annual Celebration for the North Country Trail in St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula. Michigan is actually divided into two states, the Mitten and the UP. I begin my tour with the three-hour trip to the Boston Area tonight.
Getting to a dozen DCI shows requires lots of transportation. This season, I have flown to Grand Rapids, Nashville, and Charlotte. Renting vehicles, I attended six shows. I now leave the wings of man behind for the open road to complete the season. This is my eleventh year following this crazy obsession. The Silver Bullet has been a big part of the story. In 2018, my older XC70 passed away (failed transmission) while on tour in Pennsylvania. Lo and behold, I was 4 miles from Bobby Rahal Volvo, where the team worked to get me into the Silver Bullet. Used Volvo – $35,000. Getting to Innovation in Brass – priceless.
Two years ago, the Silver Bullet threw a shoe, needing a new engine due to manufacturing defects. Volvo stepped up to replace the engine and provided me with a loaner for my tour that year. Today, they jumped through some hoops to get me in for this last-minute repair—comfort, safety, and integrity. I have since invested in other repairs to see that this car goes the distance before I transition to an all-electric vehicle. I look forward to no more mufflers, oil changes, gas fill-ups, and expensive repairs to keep the ICE running.
Tonight, I will meet up with my drum corps brothers and friends in preparation for the DCI East Coast Showcase in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps (BAC), the host corps, will be joined by the Carolina Crown, The Cavaliers, the Santa Clara Vanguard, and the Troopers. Opening the show will be the Crusaders Senior Corps performing in exposition. This is a fine line-up that will be appreciated by the avid drum corps fans. Back in the day, the Boston area had dozens of drum corps. Today, the Boston Crusaders remain the only DCI corps, surviving 84 years. They are clearly the favorite to win the East Coast Showcase, and they will be knocking on the door for a medal in Indianapolis.
It looks like my car is done, and I’ll be on my way. I’ll keep you posted.
8:00 pm
I have arrived safely at my first destination just north of Boston to meet up with friends for another reunion. The car performed beautifully. Once again, Almartin Volvo pulled it off for me. The noisy wheel vibration that I thought was tire wear turned out to be a bad wheel bearing. I loaded up the large box on top with everything I might need for the trip. Since I have done this many times now, I have a good idea of what I will need. Each year, I seem to bring more stuff. This year, I will be heading to the Upper Penisula of Michigan following drum corps for some hiking and camping with the North Country folks, adding to the load.
I filled up the thermos with coffee and hit the road, heading south on Vermont Route 100 south out of the Valley. I took Bethel Mountain road to the interstate, a good test for the new ride on the frost-heaved, curvy highway over the ridge. Now, it glides quietly with no loud hum or vibration. As I hit the high side of the left lane of Eisenhower Interstates 89 and 93, I recalled my motto from the old days as a printing salesman when I logged hundreds of miles a week: Cafine, Cruise Control, and Rock n’ Roll.
August 1, 2024 – Lawrence, Massachusetts
Yay! It is a show day. After a fine evening of pre-show merriment with friends just north of here and a good night’s sleep, I have arrived for the Boston area show at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, MA. It is mid-afternoon and 96 degrees. Fortunately, a consistent breeze gives us some relief as we sit here, reminiscing and observing sectional rehearsals. Earlier, the brass were in each sub-section under the shade of the mature trees in the park next to the stadium. Now, the entire drum battery is rehearsing on the basketball court near us. This is the number one drumline in the universe. Later this evening, they will have several groupies watching their pre-show warm-up. They are now going through the show’s music. The percussion goes well with the musical arrangements for the horns and commands much of the show’s spotlight. It will be a whirlwind of activity, meeting up with good friends for an ideal night of drum corps for the wanting Boston drum corps fans that I am happy to once again be amid. Since I will be driving toward Allentown right after the show, I will not have time to report on the show until later. Peace out for now.