Now You've Got The Chills

Western Corps Connection

Riverside Community College / Wheelock Stadium

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Riverside, CA

Dodie and Bro picked me up and we drove to Riverside after stopping at Cost Plus to see if they had the kind of candy that I wanted.  They didn't.  The marketplace had moved back to where it used to be located due to some construction, but we didn't mind walking around because we arrived before the stadium gates opened anyway.  Well, maybe we did mind the heat, but we're used to that when it comes to this show.  I bought a CD from the Blue Knights table.  I wish they had tank tops with their signature dots (like they wear in the show, but less sparkly), because I would wear one of those.  I was also puzzled that they didn't have all of the color guard paraphernalia that they usually have, but didn't ask about that.  Dodie and I got hot dogs and I got a yummy watermelon agua frescas, and we picnicked on some stairs where we found some shade.

Dodie?  When did Dodie start going with you guys?  TODAY!  Yes, she was about to see her first drum corps show, and we were very excited for her.  She has been reading this blog regularly (Hi, Dodie!) and witnessed PC and SCV at the Hollywood Bowl last year, and thought that she might enjoy the real thing, so she decided to join us this year.  Bro briefed her on the way to my house, and we added more stuff all night long.  She seemed to appreciate it, so if any of you out there would like to go to your first drum corps show, go with us!  We'll give you the lowdown.

We went to our seats, then I received a text from Rudy, saying that he left his ticket at home.  Uh-oh.  So he did not arrive in time for the start of the show.  Our seats were on the left 40 yard line, row O, seats 7-10.  I overheard a couple of gentlemen in our row telling the gals in back of us that the gentlemen were old school Vanguard, and Gail Royer was their first horn instructor.  WOW.  I told Bro and we both tried not to freak out from our awe.

What is going on with the lack of Star-Spangled Banner at these shows?!  Dodie said that she thought it was a law.  I don't get how we're not at least acknowledging the roots of this activity by playing our national anthem.  WTF?

GOLDEN EMPIRE

Aw, Rudy's missing the lemon cookies.  They sounded A LOT better than the day before.   Two people dropped their hats.  The marimba guy got all fierce-faced at the end.  I love the passion!

Lemon Cookie Clocks

INCOGNITO

I thought they wore hats.  I guess not.  How are you "incognito" if I can see your whole face?  Is that girl using a coffee can as her percussion instrument?  Center Snare young dude was really into it with his emotion.  I see a promising future for him.  They need a pas de deux if they're doing a Romeo and Juliet / Love theme.

Incognito Drumline

WATCHMEN

Intonation, intonation, intonation.  Yikes.  Those silver/black with purple accent flags are new, right?  I don't know because we didn't get to watch them yesterday.  Dodie and I think that the CG hair is fake.

Watchmen Drumline

CITY SOUND

Rudy's here!  Oh, the pit members dance throughout the program, not just one part of the show as I previously thought.  They sounded better today.  I think it's weird to see a guy with the feathered fan.  I asked my neighbors, and I am not alone in thinking that way.  

IMPULSE

They sounded much, much better today.  Watch your feet, people!  I wonder how long that girl's arm has to be in a sling?  I asked Rudy if Mr. Turner announced the title of their program.  He said, "I think 'Sounds of Beethoven' or something."  OK, let's use that.  They play Beethoven's 5th, Moonlight Sonata, and Ode to Joy.

Impulse -- who is that man with the yellow pants?
  And where did he get them?

GOLD

A lot of drops today from the CG.  Rudy really likes them, but says that they don't need those synthesized voices.  "There were four notes."  Yeah, you really could just have a horn player do a solo for that.  It's not like there were any lyrics.  The horns sounded great!

Gold: Rifle in an Oval

<Intermission>

I bought Gatorade.  Then when I returned to my seat, Rudy showed me his new PC shirt, and demonstrated the DirecTV commercial for Dodie, which ended in tragedy as his drink spilled all over the ground and pissed off the people in front of him even though they didn't get wet and it never even dripped onto their row.  People are cranky.  The vintage Vanguard men returned and Rudy profusely apologized, but they were very very nice and said, "That's OK.  Mistakes happen so that you learn from them and they don't happen again."  Do you hear that, people in front of them?  

MANDARINS

They did not have that diamond-on-a-stick before.  I voiced that like Jeff Dunham's Jose Jalapeno On A Stick, but nobody acknowledged how funny I think I am.  I'm just gonna chock that up to the fact that the diamond reflected some sunlight right into Dodie's field of vision, and she was too blind to hear me.  Somebody lost their shoe and I was worried and distracted whenever someone stepped on it.  If the field judges had actually been walking inside the perimeter, one of them would have picked it up, but I understand that it's too early in the season to be walking between drum corps members when their blocking might not be finished yet.

Shine Bright Like a Diamond, Mandarins!

PACIFIC CREST

The kid in back of us kept saying at the start of the show, "They're the walking dead."  No, they're just dead puppets.  Those big white flags from before are now brown and silver, which adds more to the color palette of the show, but I guess the judges still don't think there's enough GE, which irritates me. I think that a show doesn't need a lot of fancy screens in order to have a good general effect.  I also think that a show doesn't need narration to explain itself, so if that's what they're looking for, I hope PC doesn't add that in future shows to please them.  I almost pulled out of my financial support when they did some narration a few years ago.  Bro didn't notice that they were wearing hoods before, but they were there.  When they take off their hood, they use the scissors flags, which shows that they're free.  Dodie got the chills.  Yay!  She was telling us on the way there that when music hits her emotionally, she gets goosebumps like that.  I'm glad that PC did that for her!  

PC with Scissors Flags

THE ACADEMY

Dodie says the CG uniforms are very renaissance-y.  I agree.  We also like the sparkly plumes.  Those red quilted-looking flags at the beginning are new and quite pretty.  I love seeing their tails flap in the wind, and when they spin and walk and...I just love those tails, I guess.  I also love the tail of the hat-scarf when it hangs in back.  They sounded much better tonight.  During the cool marimba portion, I like how they pull the last player to join them on the one marimba.  Rudy said that he saw someone fall, which was his first time seeing that.  I didn't catch it, though.

Academy in London Town

BLUE KNIGHTS

I really like those lightning flags.  Rudy: "That's so beautiful!"  Those orange rifles are new. Blech.  I wonder if the same guy still paints their flags, or maybe he still designs them, since they haven't been hand-painted for a few years now.

BK Drum Major Salute

SANTA CLARA VANGUARD

Dodie cried.  She told me not to write that down, but it was too late, and you all need to know that she cried for my favorite corps' beautiful show.  She said that it just came on very suddenly at the end of the performance.  I had a tear in my eye, but tears streamed down her face.  It was great.  Those trombones today:  I felt like I was going to fall over backward from that huge sound.  Ooh, peacock flags!  I was wondering when I would see peacock feathers to match my new SCV shirt.  Bro said that he heard the staff yell "VANGUARD!" during the change between the peacock flags and the purple flags.  Way to go, Justin!  The show was GOR. GEOUS.  Also, all 4 cymbal players were on the field today.  Happiness.  And tears.

SCV Drumline

SCV Horns

CROSSMEN

They now have one of the gypsies already shaking her tambourine during set-up.  Rudy said some weird phrase instead of the program's name, which made me think of Mulligatawny.  The horns were really blasting tonight, improved since yesterday.

X Men

BLUE DEVILS

One of the snare drummers throws his stick high into the air before he gets on the stage toward the end.  Dodie had no tears for this one, because although the show is technically flawless, it didn't generate any emotion in her.  The film strip drums and the similar graphic on the back on the CG's shirts are cool.

BD Drums

BD Rifle Toss

Encore

Crossmen played their show, as well as their corps song: "Great Gate of Kiev", which was powerful and well done.  I like that the cymbal players do the sign of the cross.

X Men Encore

Scores

Open Class:

6) 38.9   Incognito

5) 42.55 City Sound

4) 43.45 Watchmen

3) 48.85 Impulse

2) 50.7  Golden Empire

1) 56.1  Gold

World Class:

7) 62.9   Pacific Crest

6) 63.75 The Academy

5) 63.95 Mandarins

4) 68.35 Crossmen

3) 71.05 Blue Knights

2) 79.3   Santa Clara Vanguard

1) 82.0   Blue Devils

I don't know what happened there.  The recaps showed that PC got slammed on GE and Visual, but their music was better than the 2 corps scoring above them.  (This is why I went on a bit of a rant above).  SCV won the percussion category, with all other categories going to BD. Gold won all of the categories in Open Class.  All category scores from tonight were top in the nation, although the overall scores were not.  I'm looking forward to seeing what all of the corps do by Finals week.

Dodie is looking forward to next year.  :)