Moonlight Classic
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Sacramento State -- Hornet Stadium
I woke up and decided that i needed to exercise, so I went downstairs to walk on the treadmill for an hour. I don't have a treadmill at home, so I kind of didn't know what I was doing, but I figured it out OK and somehow didn't injure myself. I had received a text from V before I went downstairs, stating that her plane was delayed. Then after my workout, I received another text from her, stating that the passengers had been deplaned. Bro was up by then, so I told him about the messages, and he and V tried to get her another flight. Just as he found a solution for her, she heard a message at the airport to inform her that they found another plane. Poor thing was in the airport for several hours when she could have slept in a little more.
We thought that we would have breakfast downstairs, but they only had a buffet available and we would have to pay, so we decided to go somewhere else for a smaller, more inexpensive breakfast. We figured that it would take us a while to go there and get back, so we finished packing and went to Le Croissant Cafe in downtown Burlingame. I had a Le Petit Dejeuner with a hard-boiled egg, which came in a little egg cup. I want some of these for my house! Bro's Florentine Croissant looked yummy. I also got an almond croissant to go, because that's my favorite. We went to the bank for a minute and were on our way to Sacramento.
We had both packed for warm weather, and saw that the forecast was again calling for showers. So we decided to go shopping and stopped at the Vacaville Premium Outlets. I bought some irregular Jelly Belly Sports Beans to try, as well as some "chocolate dipped strawberry" flavored ones. We were both able to find jeans, and I also bought a sweater to cover me up when I was going to wear my sundress. Seriously, it's been chilly. It's June!
We had both packed for warm weather, and saw that the forecast was again calling for showers. So we decided to go shopping and stopped at the Vacaville Premium Outlets. I bought some irregular Jelly Belly Sports Beans to try, as well as some "chocolate dipped strawberry" flavored ones. We were both able to find jeans, and I also bought a sweater to cover me up when I was going to wear my sundress. Seriously, it's been chilly. It's June!
I had notified my friend Arielle that we'd be in town, and since she wasn't able to join us at the show, we decided to get together with her beforehand. After we checked in to our very nice suite at the Hampton Inn at Cal Expo, we went to Johnny Garlic's for a late lunch. Last year when I was there, it was called Tex Wasabi. It's still owned by Guy Fieri, but it has a different menu now. I ordered Grilled Mushroom Chicken and a Pinky and the Brain cocktail, which contained Stoli Citrus, Cointreau, house made sweet & sour, and cranberry juice in a sugar-rimmed glass. Arielle and her hubby Brad joined us for a drink, and we had a great time chatting. They took us to Leatherby's, which is an ice cream parlor owned by a relative of one of their neighbors.
After saying goodbye to our friends, Bro and I returned to the hotel to get our stuff together for the evening's show. We drove to Cal State Sacramento, which is also known as Sac State. When we got to campus, there weren't any signs pointing to the stadium, so we drove around a bit and then finally asked someone how to get there. The gal was very nice and we pretty much had to drive around the entire campus to find Hornet Stadium. Our seats were in row 1 of the second set of seats. Bro had asked for the highest row on the 50-yard line. APPARENTLY, the ticket seller did not know how the rows are numbered. So we were sitting where people would walk in front of us all night, plus we had a rail just below our sight line. It was kind of annoying at times, but we dealt with it.
Ooh , the "S" on the field has a stinger at the end.
Ooh , the "S" on the field has a stinger at the end.
The Freelancers opened the show by playing "America the Beautiful". They also played the Star-Spangled Banner, and we had no flag.
Hey, Ryan Turner is here! He told us that the rain was not going to hit us, according to the forecast. He said that the electrician was going to stay and keep the lights on, too. I guess the lights went off last year.
The Freelancers continued their program with songs that I know but I don't know the name. They also played one of my favorite hymns, "Eternal Father", followed by the Biebel "Ave Maria".
BLUE DEVILS C
Uh-Oh. Raindrops are falling, and they're washing their cars in the rain! (That reminds me: when we got in our car last night after the show, the first song we heard on the radio was "Carwash". Funny). The little trumpeter is so cute!
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| Little Rifle Dude |
BLUE DEVILS B
Those tarps weren't there yesterday. They're dangerous! People were tripping and falling all over them. It was like watching a train wreck. The percussion feature rocked! I like their drums.
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| Before the Train Wreck |
At this point, so many people had walked in front of us DURING the shows that I became unhappy and wanted to trip everyone, or put up a barricade or something crazy.
SANTA CLARA VANGUARD CADETS
I like the hint of sparkle in their loin cloths. "Night on Bald Mountain" had more energy today. What's cool about a show about war is that there is a lot of rifle work. They need to fix those lines. Cool....a couple of the marimba players use a cello bow against one of the keys, making for an ethereal harmonic sound.
<Intermission>
People need to learn that the restrooms that are at a farther distance from the crowd are likely to be the ones that do not have a long line. Everyone was using the ones in back of the stadium seats, including the corps members. I went to the other side of the field and there were, like, 2 people inside.
MANDARINS
They premiered their new uniforms, which are a very nice purple with a dragon loin cloth in red and yellow. Pretty! The shakos have their three-lined symbol on the front. I noticed today that when the guy is answering the interrogator using numbers, the corps plays that many notes after he says the number. "How many steps to the door? Seven!" and then they play seven notes. I also didn't hear yesterday that the mother had folded the paper into a paper dragon. I like this show.
PACIFIC CREST
Those double yellow flags are new. They didn't have those last night. I love that PC sound! Please fix those lines, especially in the blocks. OK, I got faked out again, but Ryan T did not. Nor did Ryan Bro.
BLUE KNIGHTS
The pit showed up an hour early, like at an intermission, and then they left. Bro: "Oh. It's the Blue Knights. Again." Oh, yeah. Too much talking. And recorded singing. I love the "O" flags, though. Also, we got a rainbow!
SANTA CLARA VANGUARD
What I love is the way that the songs end, like "At the End of the Day". It's done at half time, and it's just different and cool. Even the flags do it! The "Bring Him Home" solo was perfect. I heard little notes down the scale while their horns were in the backfield during that song. Oh, the red and black flags have fleur de lis, too! It's no wonder that I love this show so much.
BLUE DEVILS
The poles are on rollers, so I guess that's how they don't tear up the field as they drag so many of them onto it. Oh, I like the show now. It's as if Stravinsky wrote it for today's world. The guys in back of us kept giggling at stuff, especially the plume that has a plume, and something about the White of Spring. I missed taking a picture of when the CG looks like archers. Maybe next time. Dare I say that this is my 2nd favorite show this year? How did that happen?!
CAROLINA CROWN
Gosh, I love the music, but the narration makes me bored. I still don't understand what all the talking is about in the beginning. There's counting, lyrics to "Those Were The Days My Friend", and other stuff that I don't get. Are the uniforms supposed to be atoms or protons or something? I don't know.
Encore
SCV! Yay!
Bro and I walked to where we wouldn't have people standing in front of us, and got seats in the front stands.
But Ryan T told the leaders to get onto the field before Clowns started, which meant that they were walking behind SCV during that song. Irritating.
SCORES
Open Class:
3) 47.55 -- Blue Devils C
2) 64.10 -- Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets
1) 64.30 -- Blue Devils B
World Class:
6) 61.25 -- Mandarins
5) 63.65 -- Pacific Crest
4) 69.60 -- Blue Knights
3) 73.55 -- Santa Clara Vanguard
2) 76.50 -- Carolina Crown
1) 76.90 -- Blue Devils
There was no booing. What the heck is up with the people at that Stanford venue?
SANTA CLARA VANGUARD CADETS
I like the hint of sparkle in their loin cloths. "Night on Bald Mountain" had more energy today. What's cool about a show about war is that there is a lot of rifle work. They need to fix those lines. Cool....a couple of the marimba players use a cello bow against one of the keys, making for an ethereal harmonic sound.
<Intermission>
People need to learn that the restrooms that are at a farther distance from the crowd are likely to be the ones that do not have a long line. Everyone was using the ones in back of the stadium seats, including the corps members. I went to the other side of the field and there were, like, 2 people inside.
MANDARINS
They premiered their new uniforms, which are a very nice purple with a dragon loin cloth in red and yellow. Pretty! The shakos have their three-lined symbol on the front. I noticed today that when the guy is answering the interrogator using numbers, the corps plays that many notes after he says the number. "How many steps to the door? Seven!" and then they play seven notes. I also didn't hear yesterday that the mother had folded the paper into a paper dragon. I like this show.
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| Dragon Tails |
Those double yellow flags are new. They didn't have those last night. I love that PC sound! Please fix those lines, especially in the blocks. OK, I got faked out again, but Ryan T did not. Nor did Ryan Bro.
 |
| Pacific Crest |
BLUE KNIGHTS
The pit showed up an hour early, like at an intermission, and then they left. Bro: "Oh. It's the Blue Knights. Again." Oh, yeah. Too much talking. And recorded singing. I love the "O" flags, though. Also, we got a rainbow!
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| Rainbow over the Blue Knights |
SANTA CLARA VANGUARD
What I love is the way that the songs end, like "At the End of the Day". It's done at half time, and it's just different and cool. Even the flags do it! The "Bring Him Home" solo was perfect. I heard little notes down the scale while their horns were in the backfield during that song. Oh, the red and black flags have fleur de lis, too! It's no wonder that I love this show so much.
 |
| Snares during Do You Hear the People Sing |
BLUE DEVILS
The poles are on rollers, so I guess that's how they don't tear up the field as they drag so many of them onto it. Oh, I like the show now. It's as if Stravinsky wrote it for today's world. The guys in back of us kept giggling at stuff, especially the plume that has a plume, and something about the White of Spring. I missed taking a picture of when the CG looks like archers. Maybe next time. Dare I say that this is my 2nd favorite show this year? How did that happen?!
 |
| Major Plumage |
CAROLINA CROWN
Gosh, I love the music, but the narration makes me bored. I still don't understand what all the talking is about in the beginning. There's counting, lyrics to "Those Were The Days My Friend", and other stuff that I don't get. Are the uniforms supposed to be atoms or protons or something? I don't know.
 |
| The Bench that I Don't Want to Hear About |
Encore
SCV! Yay!
Bro and I walked to where we wouldn't have people standing in front of us, and got seats in the front stands.
- Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
- Les Miserables
- Send in the Clowns
Send In The Clowns
But Ryan T told the leaders to get onto the field before Clowns started, which meant that they were walking behind SCV during that song. Irritating.
SCORES
Open Class:
3) 47.55 -- Blue Devils C
2) 64.10 -- Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets
1) 64.30 -- Blue Devils B
World Class:
6) 61.25 -- Mandarins
5) 63.65 -- Pacific Crest
4) 69.60 -- Blue Knights
3) 73.55 -- Santa Clara Vanguard
2) 76.50 -- Carolina Crown
1) 76.90 -- Blue Devils
There was no booing. What the heck is up with the people at that Stanford venue?
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| SCV Leads |
We picked up dinner from Del Taco on the way back to the hotel, and sat in our spacious suite. Bro made sure to watch something on the other TV because, well, because we can, especially At The End of the Day.
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| Bro talking to V in our Living Room |
Boo on the Blue Devils B tarps! Didn't they learn anything when Blue Devils A used tarps on the field in the 1990 Tommy show? Hopefully those plastic eyesores will be put back in the equipment truck and remain there for the rest of the season.
ReplyDeleteAgree 1000% with your thoughts on narration. The acoustics within different stadiums vary so much that you never know if and how well it's going to be heard. Relying on it for your show is a total mistake. This is definitely one DCI experiment that I wouldn't mind putting into the "We tried it, but it really didn't work out" category.