Several of us gathered Friday night downtown for the DCA
I&E/Mini Corps competition. The weather was perfect as it turned out
to be the entire weekend. Some of the notables that competed were
Kenny Petersen (Three Tenors), Bob Hagelberger (rifle), Tim Allen
(solo soprano), Dan Moscicki (Prime Time Brass) and of course
several of our friends, current and alumni members of MSJ with Ghost
Riders. It was another great night for DCA and congratulations to
all of those that put in the extra effort to entertain us all. I’d
also like to add a little plug here for GR. I thought you guys did a
great job and deserved a little better than 5th place. Your
performance was very entertaining and crowd pleasing. Good luck in
the upcoming MCA Championship the end of this month.
Along came Saturday morning and the WDCHOF luncheon and
induction ceremony. This was a special banquet this year as it has
been in the past for others in the corps. This was the year that our
own Larry Darch would be inducted and several of us were there to
cheer him on. According to the MC, it was one of, if not, the best
attended luncheons they had ever had. All of the acceptance speeches
were short (from fear of the MC) and eloquent. But I would be remiss
in not mentioning something very special from Larry’s induction. As
he proclaimed his best memories, it was not specific to him, not
championships or any special moment that he produced, BUT it was the
feeling he has gotten over the years that has allowed others, mostly
in MSJ, to accomplish their dreams and goals through their efforts
and his support to give them those opportunities. I consider myself
one of those that Larry has helped fulfill their dreams. Thanks
again, Larry Darch (WDHOF), from the bottom of my heart. You have
done and continue to do great things for MSJ and the people who
surround you.
Amy & I decided to forgo the prelims this year in lieu of
getting some things done at home and helping our son move. Albeit I
was able to monitor the show through Drum Corps Planet and
oftentimes had the scores before they were announced at the stadium.
It was excellent coverage by those from DCP including several
pictures from the event and even a short 60-90 second video of each
corps shortly after they finished their performance.
On to Sunday, the Alumni Spectacular: As we all started to
arrive we found that we were locked out of the Kodak parking lot and
were scrambling to find a place nearby to park. Much to our
surprise, as many of us were milling around the gate trying to
figure out what our options were, one of Rochester’s finest pulled
up on his ‘larger-and-faster-than-Sully’s gator and asked what the
problem was. With a little help from Don Price’s mini tool box, the
officer removed the gate and in we went, although several of us
ended up getting charged ($$$) later in the day just for being
there. Guess the officer didn’t want to deal with the congested
parking situation we may have caused on all of the little side
streets around the area. As I said earlier, it was another
perfect-perfect day weather-wise and also for the corps. We were as
big as we had been all year, 43B, 20P, 6G, 13AG, 3DM and ALL of our
instructors, staff and friends. We put it all together in the
parking lot as we warmed up. The corps was definitely ready, even
those that were just filling in that morning. One comment that was
shared from our warm-ups came from Steve Cooley’s wife Darlene. She
mentioned that drum corps stuff never really got her too excited,
but this was the first time she could ever remember having
goose-bumps after listening to a corps. Not sure if this ever gets
back to outsiders, some of DC’s finest, but thanks Darlene and
congrats to you, Steve, on your induction into the WDCHOF, too.
Off to Paetec we headed at about 12:00 after a spirited speech
from our director, Sully. I could not help feel somewhat intimidated
by our position in the show, but was assured by those around me that
it’s not about where we are in the lineup but about whom we are,
Mighty St. Joe’s, and why we were there. This was one of the best
Alumni shows ever assembled from top to bottom. Every corps had
their own specific brand of entertainment and MSJ presented our 2008
show to its finest. The following is the “live from the press box”
clips as we performed. Some of the comments are not quite accurate
and the information that Curt & I forwarded to Tom Peashey certainly
did not get used. But here it is anyway:
· St. Joe's coming onto the field now.
· The 2008 Mighty St. Joe's Alumni program consists of:
Irish In Your Face
New York In Less Than A Minute
My Shawl
2008 Drum Solo
The House I Live In
Triplet Jack
Temptation
Georgia On My Mind
· The Irish In Your Face arrangement is the same as 1998
Pioneer used to open their show.
Drums are playing on indoor percussion marching snares with
the really short shells. Kind of a strange sound, although the
single tenors sound the same. These snares sound wetter. (Seem to
hear this in every review).
· A group of St. Joe's members started off the show carrying
Irish flags, what with the opener being all Irish music. They're now
joining the honor guard and exchanging the Irish flags for other
flags I don't recognize. It's a huge honor guard with 12 members.
In the time it took me to type this, we've already gone
through New York (in less than a minute, no less). Snares and single
tenors are now playing on cymbal and tom racks while the regular
cymbals play various hand percussion instruments for My Shawl.
· Color guard (6 members) have removed their shakos and are
doing a lot of spinning in the back field.
Drums now coming front and center for their solo.
· Honor guard moving backfield as the snares do a bunch of
stick visuals up front.
· The House I Live In. I don't know this song, but it opens
with a soprano soloist. Color guard has changed flags in the back.
They're red, white, and blue, so I"m guessing a color presentation
is on it's way.
In fact, here comes the honor guard to the 50.
OK, NOW I recognize this song. From Sound of Music, right?
Horn line opens up and allows the honor guard as another sop
soloist plays.
· One of the flags in the honor guard is from DCI,
commemerating the '94 27th Lancer Alumni Corps and the '95 Mighty
St. Joe's Alumni Corps performances at DCI both years.
· More Latin percussion in the back as a sop soloist plays the
melody to Triplet Jack (I think).
· Not getting a lot of crowd reaction from what I can tell. I
think Bridgemen may have spoiled them, which is unfortunate for St.
Joe's because it's not like they're having a bad performance.
· Contras playing rumps, horns coming off the field as they
prepare to rip some face up close and personal.
Ex MSJ here enjoying the coverage from Wakefield, MA (Boston
suburb). Kevin and crew thanks so much for the blow by blow
coverage. Wish I was there! [Geoff Whiting (Doc) – comment]
· Sopranos are screaming away at the end of the piece. THAT
got the crowd to react.
· That must have been Temptation they just played because
we've got a soloist playing the opening to Georgia, Spirit's
arrangement (of course).
· Crowd claps along with the street beat as St. Joe's leaves
the field.
And here’s a comment from a review of the ‘Alumni Spectacular’:
St. Joes...huge rise in quality this year, and definitely had
the hometown edge! (Jeff Ream – DCP – Alumni Spectacular review)
DCP was also there doing the live feed to their website for all
of those who were unable to attend the show as they did in both the
prelims and the finals. So besides the large numbers that attended our
show there were also many around the DC world who were watching and
listening as each and every corps performed.
After the show we all gathered in the Kodak parking lot to
celebrate another great year for MSJ. Thanks to Sully for putting
together a little luncheon for the corps including hots, ‘ice cream’
with special cones and rolls. A special thanks to Cooper for doing the
grilling and to Curt & Margaret for supplying the dessert, our
quarterly birthday celebration cake. It was a perfect opportunity to
wind down, relax and review 2008 with all of our friends. Many of us
stayed around for the DCA finals that were hotly contested and an
extremely entertaining show for all in attendance. Again as in the
past the playing in the streets by all of the corps after the finals
is one of the best moments of the year for both the members of the
corps and those who brave the late night to watch. And yes a few of us
even went out to breakfast after this long, long DC day. So great to
be with friends!