Change is Inevitable. Change is Constant.

Mid Cal Champions Showcase

Friday, June 23, 2017

Veteran's Memorial Stadium -- Buchanan High School

Clovis, CA

It's drum corps time!!!!!  This year is a special year as Santa Clara Vanguard is celebrating its 50th anniversary.  Bro and I have been planning this trip for quite a while due to SCV festivities and special stuff.  More on that in the coming days.  

I packed earlier in the week.  Then stuff happened and I needed to think of another outfit.  Then Bro reminded me to bring the clear stadium bag for the Stanford show, which I couldn't find because stuff has been moved around in my house since I bought it.  So I did not get my nails done as planned and instead went to Rite Aid to buy another one and get more nail polish.  I drove to Bro's house and he, V and I had lunch at their local Vietnamese restaurant.  We said goodbye to V and hit the road, looking around for the BAT CRU car that we saw last year.  So far, no luck.

We arrived in Clovis and checked in to the Hampton Inn.  We wanted to get dinner before the show, and decided to go to Olive Garden so I could try some drink that I saw online that one of my friends had a few weeks ago.  But the nearby Olive Garden did not have the drink available because, well, they weren't quite open yet.  They would be open on the 29th.  Oh.  So we drove around to find other Italian places that Bro had seen online.  We ended up in a strip mall with a few restaurants, none of which were Italian.  He decided we'd try a place that looked kind of cool: Limon.  When we got closer, we realized it was a Peruvian restaurant.

They asked if we had reservations, but we didn't.  That was OK.  They had plenty of tables available.   Yay!  We took a look at the drink menu and decided to have Pisco Sours, which we had seen on a show a few years ago called "Three Sheets".  I miss that drinking show.  They had a few types of Pisco Sours.  Bro chose the Mango.  I asked our server, Fernando, his favorite flavor.  He said he preferred the regular flavor because he doesn't like his drinks to be sweet, and the others were too sweet for him.  Usually, I go for the sweet, but I wanted to try both, so I chose the regular flavor.

Sher and her Pisco Sour

Bro and his Mango Sour

Ooh, it was delicious, tasting almost like a margarita.  The mango was also good, and had we some more time and no show to watch, I would have had that in a second round.  We shared three plates: Anticuchos di Carne (grilled steak skewers), Pollo Empanadas, and Ceviche de Pescado y Camaron.  I asked Fernando what "cancha" and "choclo" were, and he explained that they were two types of Peruvian corn.  OK, let's go for it!

Fried Goodness

Big Ass Corn Kernels

Mmmm....meat.

Wow.  We were not disappointed in the least.  Everything was wonderful: the presentation, the taste, the just-right portion size.  Mmmm...I would definitely come here again if I was in the area.  We would have ordered dessert if we had time: we had our eyes on a Budin with Mango.  

After getting some candy at the Save Mart, we drove to Buchanan HS.  We opted out of the $7 premium parking and parked on the street.  The line was pretty long to get in, even though we were in the "All Ready Have Your Tickets Line".  Yes, that's what was on the sign.  Yeesh.  We checked out the merchandise at the SCV booth, but didn't buy anything today.  I bought a program and we climbed the stairs to our seats after hearing the Star-Spangled Banner, played on trumpet by a member of the Blue Devils.  Very nice.

Well, what a nice start to the season!  Top row, 50-yard line.  Section CC, Row 32, Seats 10-11.  We could stand up, and I had a little desk behind us.  We would probably only be happier if it wasn't so darned hot.  When we arrived at the hotel, it was 108 degrees.  It was down to 96 degrees at dusk.  Every little breeze was welcome.  No matter.  Summer means drum corps, so here we go!

BLUE DEVILS C

Repertoire: "Come Fly With Me" -- Married Life by M. Giacchino; Come Fly With Me by J. Van Heusen and S. Cahn; Learn to Fly by D. Grohl, T. Hawkins, and N. Mendelh; Danger Zone by G. Moroder and T. Whitlock; Staying Alive by M. Gibb, R. Gibb, and B. Gibb

I normally don't take pictures on the first day of drum corps viewing so I can concentrate on the show, but we were in a prime spot, and we really liked the props for this show.

Da Plane! Da Plane!

 The color guard is dressed like old-school flight attendants and they have suitcases.  Cute!  Bro asked me if they seem to double in size every year, and I felt the same.  I enjoyed "Danger Zone", and not just because of the cool drum feature.  Nice solo on "Staying Alive"!  Well done, BDC!

GOLDEN EMPIRE

Repertoire: "Discovering Gems Within" -- 1. Emerald: Vetrate Di Chiesa (Church Windows): II. St. Michael The Archangel by O. Respighi; 2. Ruby: Bright Colored Dances: IV. Tarantella Red by L. J. Buckley; 3. Sapphire: One Day I'll Fly Away by W. Jennings & J. Sample; 4. Diamond: Palladio by K. Jenkins 

During the show, Bro asked me which movement we were watching.  I told him we were on the second one.  Then he realized that he could have guessed from the color of the flags.  The blue flags are very pretty, but the green ones are my favorite, at least so far.  The show is not yet finished, so we only go to the third movement.  Nice low brass sound.  I felt bad for the CG guy when he tossed his rifle really high at the end of the ripple and missed the catch, because so many people in the audience said, "Awwww!"  They need to work on the ballad because the show just kind of fell apart there, which is too bad because I like that song and it's even in my head the next morning as I write this.

SANTA CLARA VANGUARD CADETS

Repertoire: "In Pieces" -- Feedback by F. Gabas, F. Lomeňa, J. Martin, M. Abad, M. Wright, N. Sawhney, R. Giménez, S. Ramos, and X. Turull (Ojos de Brujo); Temen Oblak (Dark Clouds) by C. Tin; Kaleidoscope by F. E. Smith; Harvest: Concerto for Trombone & Orchestra by J. Mackey

We got to hear some behind-the-scenes action due to the sound engineer staff sitting next to Bro.  Nice opening saber toss by the ensemble!  Go, Drums!  I like how the cymbals get our attention on the stages, then the snares get on the stage and use the kick drums.  Nice gymnastics with the run of backflips on the stage!  The show is not done yet.  

BLUE DEVILS B

Repertoire: "The World the Children Made" -- Satellite by Above & Beyond; Spiritual Planet by W.Hokoyama; Pure Imagination by L. Bricusse & A. Newley; Original Works by J. Meehan, D. Glyde, and M. Peterson; Worlds (Narration and Voice Samples) by P. Robinson

They took forever to start because of power/issues with their electronics.  They even had extra time due to SCVC not finishing their show, and they still didn't have everything fixed by the time they finally started.  They didn't get a penalty, though.  CG does not have their uniforms or their silks.  I recognized their flags from previous shows, especially the one with the moon they used last year.  They have their legs in the air a lot.  I'm tired of hearing drum corps play "Pure Imagination".

<Intermission>

We didn't have as long of an intermission than originally scheduled, so I couldn't get to the bathroom or buy water in time for the next corps.  So I remained thirsty the rest of the night and was jealous of everyone that I saw drinking out of water bottles.  Next year, I'm bringing my own water.

MANDARINS

Repertoire:  "Inside The Ink" -- Flow by K. Poulan, D. Van Derpoel, and B. Nungaray; Drip by K. Poulan, D. Van Derpoel, and B. Nungaray; Allure: Sound of Silence by P. Simon & A. Garfunkel; Ink: Crazy by P. Cline; Inside the Ink by K. Poulan, D. VanDerpoel, and B. Nungaray

Big Fountain Pen Nib

Those are some big fountain pen tips.  There was an "Ohhhh" response from the crowd when the show title was announced.  It made us giggle.

DARKNESS!  Ooh, I LIKE this show!  

Bro: "That's more than one person."

Love the ink stretching between the pen nibs.  "Sound of Silence" was awesome.  Marimbas!!!  I want those pants/skirt things the CG wears.  I would not wear the hoods that cover their faces, though.  Nice flag work by the CG while they are in the block formation.  

PACIFIC CREST

Repertoire: "Golden State of Mind" -- California Dreamin’ by J. Phillips and M. Phillips; Kaleidoscope of Mathematics (from A Beautiful Mind) by J. Horner; Arrival of the Birds (from The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos) by J. Swincoe (The Cinematic Orchestra); Alfonso Muskedunder by T. Terje; Moving On (from Lost) by M. Giacchino

Short narration at the beginning that I hope does not get longer as the season progresses.  The amp was way too loud during the recorded singing.  Great solos, especially on "California Dreamin'" and "Moving On".  I like the corps' balletic movements.  No CG uniforms or silks yet.  They seem to be having fun during the jazzy portion.  I know I was!  This is kind of a different feel for PC, and I like it, even though I always did love their darker programs.  After all, Dracula is the reason I became a fan of this corps.  Bro would like to see them put more feeling into the show, and I agree.  It would help the audience connect to them a lot more, which they deserve for this show.

ACADEMY

Repertoire: "By A Hare" -- Peer Gynt Suite no. 1, Morning Mood by E. Grieg; Hunting Wabbits by G. Goodwin; Overture to The Barber of Seville by G. Rossini;  Danse Bohéme by G. Bizet; Ride of the Valkyries by R. Wagner; Habanera by G. Bizet; Hungarian Rhapsody by F. Liszt;  Anvil Chorus by G. Verdi

That's a Big Prop

It's Wabbit Season!  Bunnies!  Cool to hear hints of Valkyries near the beginning of the show for "Kill the Wabbit".  Cool drum feature.  I love when they catch the rifle and go directly into shooting position.  Go, Guard!  Toss those rifles!  Marimba played by 4 people is very Bugs Bunny.  I guess they've conquered Disney and now it's Warner Bros.' turn.  The new uniform works with this show, but I do miss the old one.  

BLUE KNIGHTS

Repertoire: "i" -- Wave by Beck; Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra by J. Schwantner; 107 Steps by Bjork;  Hide and Seek by I. Heap

This corps sure does like their Bjork.  They also like their shiny, blinding props.  They're trying to blind us with their eyes!  Nice brass feature.  Eye formation!  I  guess they're trying to spell "hide" but the "h" is backwards and I was confused.  

SANTA CLARA VANGUARD
Repertoire: "Ouroboros" -- Interplay for Piano Four Hands and Orchestra by D. Gillingham; The Triumph of Time by P. Graham; Song of Eight Unruly Tipsy Poets by Z. Long; Into a Virtual World by A. Bhatia; Remembering the Future (from Wait of the World) by S. Melillo

Snake Eating Itself

Whoa.  Hey, where did the brass go?  That was reminiscent of 1989 SCV.  How are they doing that sound with the horns?!?  Very cool movements while the big props are being moved around.  The crazy stuff isn't done yet: that last piece is going to be insane; we can feel it.  

BLUE DEVILS
Repertoire: "Metamorph" -- Birth of Eternity, Dreamscape, Facing Future by D. Glyde; 
The Triumph of Time by P. Graham; Flight of the Bumble Bee by N. Rimsky-Korsakov;
Everything Must Change by B. Ighner; Crystal by S. Dobson

I love the start wth the CG sabers.  The snares play the intro to "Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor" as they march across the field at the opening.  Very cool, and a nice nod to the corps' legacy.  Those horns: wow!  Jazzy ballads are not my thing.  They have a lot of stairs, but I'm trying to figure out how they fit in with the theme.  The CG was having difficulty with the double flags while standing on them because of the wind.  Yes, the wind was a blessing to us, but a curse for them.

PHANTOM REGIMENT
Repertoire: "Phantasm" -- Finlandia by J. Sibelius; Symphony No. 12 by D. Shostakovich;
“Entering the Nightmare” from Dreamscapes by M. Jarre; Piano Concerto No. 2 by S. Rachmaninoff; Symphony No. 3 by A. Khachaturian

Scary red flags.  I need more "Finlandia" in this show.  The CG uniforms will have more to them, right?  It's weird to see them without a lot of clothing, except for the red cover on their faces.  I also think the show needs more drama, as with other Phregiment shows.

A lot of the shows this year deal with change.  I guess that is the theme for 2017.  Hence the title of this blog post, a quote from Benjamin Disraeli.  And now I have Rockapella's "People Change" in my head.  

SCORES

Open Class
4) 44,95 - Blue Devils C
3) 49.70 - Golden Empire
2) 55.15 - SCV Cadets
1) 57.85 - Blue Devils B

World Class
6) 60.5 - TIE between Pacific Crest and Mandarins
5) 63.65 - Academy
4) 64.65 - Phregiment
3) 66.00 - Blue Knights
2) 70.05 - SCV
1) 71.75 - BD