August 4, 2024 – Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Well, it was a rainout for marching in Allentown. Seven drum corps performed at a standstill once the inclement weather passed around 9:00 p.m. The consensus among my entourage was to return to the dry hotel and watch them on Flo instead of waiting around and sitting in the wet stands. Alas. I should have stayed. We watched the Olympics instead. It is always a disappointment when Mother Nature decides to intervene with drum corps. I have been so lucky this season and previous Allentown adventures with perfect weather. I suppose last night was payback when karma is considered. Not unlike drum corps, proud Americans in colorful uniforms paraded, performed, and rejoiced as we whiled away the evening in our crowded hotel room in front of the large retina screen. A fitting consolation, indeed.
After a great night’s sleep and leisurely breakfast, I am ready to continue the DCI adventure. It is time to take the dollar store route. I picked up a side-kick, drum corps brother Chuck. We will be touring together to Indianapolis for the finals. He will fly home while I head to Michigan for a late summer adventure with the North Country Trail folks. Chuck is on the board of Inspire Arts and a Boston Crusader alumnus. Formerly a corporate IT security specialist, he now operates his own wellness center and is a very successful coach on personal health and fitness. We are like-minded on several issues, but he is someone that I have listened to intently and have learned from on my summer sojourns. He was at the standstill performances. He was disappointed in not seeing the Boston Crusaders, who decided to bail for the safety and wellness of the members. Reports were that Carolina Crown stole the hearts of the fans with additional pieces at a standstill and an impromptu performance on the road following the formal presentation. Class and spirit exemplified.
Today, we will attend Big Sound in Motion, a DCI show that features DCI All-age Corps as well as four World Class DCI Corps, Jersey Surf, Madison Scouts, Carolina Crown, and Boston Crusaders. This will be fun. First, we will take our wellness walk. Chuck researched Brandywine Meadows Preserve natural area with a 2.5-mile trail nearby. As I check my emails, my friends Ron and Nancy, who I invited to the Lawrence show, wrote, “Nancy and I really enjoyed last night. We’d never seen anything like it. We just made a donation to pay for one of the team’s meals.”
I will keep you posted.
9:50 PM
Wow! That is the word most often used to describe the experience, but it is so very trite under these circumstances. The Boston Crusaders were catching babies thrown from the stands following their performance. Glitch has become the crowd favorite, and the judges are beginning to agree. Before that, the crowd was fully primed by the many fine drum corps that preceded. Madison Scouts kept up the pace set by the previous corps but with that championship level of sound and motion. What impressed me the most was the quality of the all-age corps. Bushwackers, Hawthorn Caballeros, and Reading Buccaneers each performed shows with great design and repertoires much to the liking of the local drum corps fans. Carolina Crown closed out the evening with another highly polished drum corps show that is not quite scoring above the medal fold, but there is still time to take it to the next level. The John Makey piece has been growing on me all season.
Tomorrow, the traveling vagabonds of unaffiliated, non-credentialed drum corps fans that I am touring with will attend the final outdoor show of the season in Canton, Ohio. I plan to take the Lincoln Highway (Rt. 30) for much of the way to avoid the crowded interstate and see some of the Pennsylvania heartland. The Bluecoats home show, Innovation in Brass, is the highlight of the year for me. The weather forecast is for a chance of thunderstorms. I have my fingers crossed. I will catch up with you later.