Bedazzled

Corps at the Crest - Oceanside

Friday, July 1, 2016

El Camino High School

Oceanside, CA

Bro, his kids, and their dogs picked me up at my house in the morning and we went to my parents' house down south.  After lunch and a nap, we picked up Rudy and made our way to Oceanside.  We were able to park in the lot because, unlike previous years, the buses were parked elsewhere.  Some of the parking spaces were painted.  Bro wanted to park there, but I can't remember which one he chose.

We shopped around for a bit before Rudy and I got food.  I tried the cup of corn with all of the seasonings, which was tasty.  I thought that I had bought seats in the top row, but we were one row down.  Later, Bro found out that they had messed up the ticket sales, and hadn't sold any of the seats in the top row.  So they sold them that day at the box office. 

There were a couple of little kids that got drum sticks, but when they started to play with them, their parents shushed them.  Well, maybe you shouldn't buy them until after the show then.  

The Star-Spangled Banner was performed by the trumpet line from Pacific Crest.  Rudy didn't care for the arrangement.  He thought they were too flippity floppity.

PC Trumpets

INCOGNITO

Repertoire: "Falling" - Heaven by T. Nguyen, Earth (Falling Slowly from Once) by G. Hansard & M. Irglova; Hell (Erikonig) by F. Schubert

They have new uniforms.  Most of the drums are white with a blue ombre, but one of the snares was black.  I don't think that was on purpose. The CG wore white robes with gold crosses.  Good equipment work from the color guard, except for the flag work, perhaps due to the wind.  

THE WATCHMEN

Repertoire: "Goliath" -- Goliath by P. Rendon

Rudy: "Who is this?"  Sherry: "The Watchmen.  You know, you ask that every year."  Rudy:  "I do?"  Sherry: "Yes."

Watchmen

The props looked like chimney sweep brooms, but perhaps they were catapults.  I thought that maybe I'd see a slingshot, but I didn't.  They have beautiful flags.  The one with lightning reminded me of the Blue Knights flags in their 2014 show.

IMPULSE

Repertoire: "Music Is ______?" -- Beautiful Dreamer by S. C. Foster;  Symphony 25 in G minor (K-183)- Allegro con brio by W. A. Mozart;  Firebird Suite by I. Stravinsky; Great Gate of Kiev (from Pictures at an Exhibition) by M. Mussorgsky

Music is annoying when I cannot hear it due to the excessive narration in this show.  I like all of the pieces, but the talking was a buzzkill.  Bro wishes that the energy they have when passing the stands could also be felt during the show.  The emoticon flags are cute!  

One of the little kids with the drumsticks said to the other one: "Let's go play Drum Corps now!"  Totes. Adorbs.

GOLDEN EMPIRE

They've finished their show.  I like the yellow and blue flag with what looks like a dancing man or one of those windsock things that stand outside gas stations.  Rudy did not like the trite pattern during one of the songs, and kept singing it so that I wouldn't like it either.  Uh oh.  The drum major fell while trying to get off of his stand.  I hope he's OK, because they had him leave on the tractor that pulls the pit instruments.

Red Rose Flags

GOLD

Repertoire: "Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)" -- Movement 1: Processional; Movement 2: The Offering; Movement 3: Celebration, all original music by S Director, N. Jasniewicz, and S. Gordon

They have new uniforms.  The only gold in them is on the drum major's uniform.  Rudy told me to watch the DM because he liked the way he conducted, but he wasn't doing anything special by the time I looked at him.  They have 6 cymbal players, whom all played on one of the ramps.

<Intermission>

I got a cookie even though it wasn't the trail mix flavor that I wanted.  I got the coconut almond flavor, which was still tasty.  

MANDARINS

Sounding good!   Great flag work, too!  I like the part when the horns are playing section by section.

THE ACADEMY
Death starts from the left side now instead of the right upper corner.  Awesome guard:  here, let me carry this girl on my back, toss up my saber really high, and catch it with one hand without dropping the girl.  The xylophone players at the graves now wear skulls on their heads so that when they look down at their chests to play, they look like skeletons.  Love the added effect!  That "Unchained Melody" solo was gorgeous.  I've missed this show.

PACIFIC CREST
I thought that there was a duo flag toss in the center of the field, but I didn't see it today. Bro asked if I was confusing this show with Vanguard's show.  I don't think so.  

BLUE KNIGHTS
That portion with the horn triplets then glissando, then triplets again...Oh, my heavens! Sher re CG: "Damn, she dropped it!"  Show is still not done.  Rudy was all ready to get into a frenzy, and then it ended, and his frenzy did not happen. He was, however, bedazzled by the show. The horns were absolutely amazing tonight, and those drums?  BANG THOSE THINGS!  

MADISON SCOUTS
The trombone player's mic was out, which made Bro happy.  Rudy asked why Judas gets to wear white at the end.  I think that it was part of curtain call, but I don't know.  Did Judas go to hell, or was he redeemed with all of the other believers?  Discuss. One of these days, I will get a shot of that star formation.  I need a new camera.

There was no encore, but I guess I can't complain after the other night.

SCORES

Open Class
5) 37.00 - Incognito
4) 44.00 - The Watchmen
3) 45.20 - Impulse
2) 49.60 - Golden Empire
1) 50.40 - Gold

World Class
5) 58.55 - Pacific Crest
4) 59.95 - Mandarins
3) 63.35 - The Academy
2) 65.60 - Blue Knights
1) 66.65 - Madison Scouts

I'm glad that Rudy could join us and get all crazy like we do.  We dropped him off before going to my parents' house for the night.

Next up:  Rose Bowl