Occasional Musings by Kevin Russell
August 20, 2018 Upon Further Reflection of 2018 The state of drum corps is alive and well. Let’s drink to that! I have been home on the Mill Brook for a couple of weeks now after my 2018 Drum Corps International (DCI) tour. Coaching high school golf, hiking and working around the house on deferred maintenance to occupy my time, as drum corps continues … Continue Reading →
August 12, 2018 Homeward Bound 2:00pm The journey eastward from Indianapolis began this morning. It is Sunday, the day after the DCI final championship performances and I am homeward bound. Setting the on-board navigation system for Waitsfield, Vermont showed the usual interstate highway system routes. I chose to deviate to a less traveled route and put the Silver Bullet, my newer Volvo, in motion. … Continue Reading →
August 11, 2018 11:45 PM I am in the cafe area within Lucas Oil Stadium after the final performances of 2018 taking a minute to get these words down. After an exhilarating afternoon and evening of intense music and motion, the final line up of twelve DCI World Class drum and bugle corps finished in the reverse order of performance with no change … Continue Reading →
August 11 – Saturday, Finals Day 1:30 pm I am at the Indiana Convention Center, a block away from Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. This vast indoor environment would rival most shopping malls for indoor space. There is a comfortable lounge for me to sit, plug in and write. The air-conditioned building is a very welcome escape from the mid-Summer, mid-Western heat. I … Continue Reading →
August 9, 2018 11:00pm It started in the wee hours of the morning. Drums, horns, marching members, staff, and the attending props and regalia of forty drum corps began to arrive and assemble at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Today was the Preliminary Competition of the Drum Corps International Championship Series. Twenty-four World Class corps and sixteen Open Class performed to the drum corps … Continue Reading →
Tour of Champions – From the Fifty August 7, 2018 Oh, what a great night for drum corps it was last night in Ohio! Eight awesome corps entertained the full house crowd in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon for the last DCI show of the regular season before the championships later this week. Yes, I finally made it to the show after losing … Continue Reading →
August 6, 2018 I am at Bobby Rahal Volvo in Wexford just outside Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, taking some time to get caught up on my posts. I arrived here by pure providence early this morning around 1:00am. Old Grey finally gave up her tired old transmission first pulsing, then shuttering and bucking. Easing him over to the shoulder before he reached the final slipping point, … Continue Reading →
August 4, 2018 Ugh! Another rain affected drum corps show. This time it was Allentown on Friday last night. DCI called it off after a couple of soggy performances including a standstill by Mandarins after they blew their soundboard and amp system. It was interesting to hear the pure brass and percussion, though the keyboards do not compete as well with the full frontal … Continue Reading →
August 1, 2018 I am calling an ‘audible,’ that is a change in play or plan at the last minute. Skiing with friends, that is what we call a trail change on the fly. Instead of going to Chester Pennsylvania for the Tour or Championship show, I have decided to take an extra day back here on the Mill Brook and then go to … Continue Reading →
NightBEAT: from the fifty July 30, 2018 Last night was one of the best drum corps shows that I have attended yet. BB&T Field and the hosts, the Carolina Crown family did not disappoint at NightBEAT in Winston-Salem North Carolina. Sitting in my excellent seat in the mid 40’s (47-yard line and 46 rows up), I had the best vantage for the amazing night … Continue Reading →