Dancin' at the Moonlight

DCI Moonlight Classic

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Hughes Stadium at Sacramento City College

Sacramento, CA

Thankfully, we had an uneventful morning: our car was intact when we got up to go to breakfast.  It's Hobee's Day!  Bro and I sat in the back section because the front was full with the Sunday Morning crowd.   I commented that I didn't see my favorite scramble on the menu, and Bro reminded me that this had already happened last year.  Oh.  Perhaps I had wishful thinking that it would return.  Anyway, as long as they have their yummy cinnamon tea and blueberry coffeecake, I'll keep coming back.  Bro had the sweet potato hash and let me taste it. It is tasty, but I'd ask for them to hold the bleu cheese.  Bro said that there was too much sweet by the time he was halfway through, so maybe a side dish would help cut that taste a little bit.  I had a basic bacon & eggs with hash browns breakfast.

We returned to the hotel to rest (and blog!) before heading to Sacramento.  Our late lunch was at Chando's, my favorite taco stand.  Bro enjoyed his fish tacos and carnitas tacos.  My carne asada taco was a bit overcooked, but my shrimp taco was tasty.  It had a little bit of a kick with the Chando's sauce, but I was still able to eat it (I can't eat spicy food due to a medical thing, so I'm not used to much spicy stuff now).  When we returned to our car, we realized that it was cooler in there than outside in the 98 degree heat.  

We went to Sacramento City College and this time, they posted helpful signs to let us know the floors of the parking structure where pay stations were available.  Why don't they have them on the first floor?  None of the spaces on the first floor were labeled as permit only or faculty, so this puzzles us.  Wouldn't people parking on the first floor also need to pay?  

The Star-Spangled Banner was performed by the Freelancers Mini Corps, which we heard as we started to go up to our seats.

Hi, announcer Ryan!

Our seats were on the left 40-yard line, section 9, row 23, seats 31-32, now quite at the top of the stairs, but right next to those seats.  Bro wisely did not select the top row because there is not a lot of space between the bench and the wall, which makes it very crowded for our legs.  The stadium doesn't give much room for people to get to their seats anyway, and some folks had trouble passing us to get to their seats. Bro said that he wouldn't buy seats to this show next year because a) it's always damn hot, and secondly, these seats.   I've heard him say this a couple of years in a row, so we'll see if that happens.  The nice thing is that our seats were in the shade.

Exhibition Performance:  Freelancers Mini Corps

Freelancers

BLUE DEVILS C

Nice California Girls solo!  Does the California Dreamin' soloist always have to leap across the field to get to his dot?  I didn't notice that before.  "Hooray for Hollywood" was better today.  I love that people get excited for Axel F.  I think they are people of my generation that know the movie, but these little ones won't (or shouldn't!) know it.  Maybe people are excited because the drummers are hitting their sticks on the rim of the drum, because that is fun.

Cute Drum Set Player

See, if you don't let go of the balls, they don't roll away.

Cute little trumpet player

My favorite guy in BD - C, dancing away!

BLUE DEVILS B

Very nice flag solo during the pre-show with the flagpole on his chest.  Great rifle work, too!  The color guard changes their costume during the show.  I didn't notice that before, but I'm sure they've been doing it since the first show.  Yay -- no ball drop!  It's the little things that make me happy.

Morse code patterns on drums

Pretty BD - B Flags

VANGUARD CADETS

I like the way the cymbal players come down the runway and do the shimmer roll thingy.  The motions are very pretty.  Their show is still not done.  While they were walking to their spots for the standstill of the last piece, the guy behind me said that he doesn't like this transition.  I don't think he was kidding.

SCVC Corps Back View

Plank Position

Announcer Ryan then announced that we were at the first intermission of the night, but didn't know what time we would be back.  First?  How long is this show?

We chose not to run over in the heat to look at stuff,
but look at the cool banners!

<Intermission>

TROOPERS

Great rifle and saber solo high tosses.  Was that the same person?  My prediction is that those red practice flags are substitutes for pretty yellow ones.  It's kind of the trend.  I love the color of their drums, a pale minty blue.  

Pretty Troop Flags

More Pretty Troop Flags

ACADEMY

Oh, they're already playing "London Bridge" at the beginning!  It's the low brass (baritones?) that starts me getting teary during Troubled Water.  Did the trumpet soloist forget to turn off her mic, or are they supposed to be singled out during the reprise?  I like the hip action during the playful part of "London Bridge".

Pretty Water Flags
I think they need more of them.

Love that metallic orange lining peeking out

MANDARINS

Composer Key Poulan came up to our portion of the stands to watch them play his music.  This time I watched the intruder character for the whole show, and I understand more.  It also helps that I read about the show on the Mandarins' website, and we heard a little bit about it while we listened to the DCI Field Pass podcast on the way to Sacto.  Anyway, the intruder is holding a lantern at the start of the show, and happens upon the celebration.  They don't seem to like his presence at first, but then he does a pas de deux with someone during the ballad.  So, did they fall in love, and then the drum major got jealous, so they fight, and then everyone gets mad at him, and they kill him for their sacrifice?  I'm not sure, but it sure is entertaining.  By the way, the pas de deux is well done, and both partners have great leg extension.  That intruder guy can really dance!  The drum major is very proud of himself when he pushes the intruder off of the podium, beating his chest while turning around to face the audience.  Cool drum feature during "Run Boy Run" when they're attacking the intruder.  Oh!  I realized that when they shove the intruder against the wagon thing, he is impaled by a spiky thing.  Maybe.

Spiky Wagon

Congas

Intruder with Lantern

Celebration with a big pole ladder thing

Are those rifles in their mouths?

Upside Down Guard

BLUE DEVILS

They have a violinist in the pit section.  Why didn't they have violinists in field shows when I was that age? That would have been fun!  The portion of the play that is being recited isn't at the beginning of "Oedipus Rex", but in the middle.  I guess that's the more popular line so that people recognize it.  The guy that's talking is the same one they used for their Tempest show.  He must be some kind of Shakespearean actor.  Oh, they have a sousaphone solo, too!  He likes to spin around.  Nice high saber toss from the CG ensemble, great unison!  I paid attention to the shoe dance this time, which is fun!  Is the white/yellow color of their uniform supposed to represent the ghost light color?  Bro thinks that the light is on at the beginning of the show, and is turned off at the end.  But I can't see that the light has ever been on, so I don't know.  

Drama

BD Drums

BD Drummers Emoting on Ladders

Ghostlight and Solo Trumpeter

CAVALIERS

That brass feature at the beginning while the trombones are on the top of the train trestle?  It's crazy good.  I love it!  I tried to follow the story of the show, but I didn't know if I was watching the right character.  Is it a bunch of characters that are on the wrong side of the tracks?  Bro said it's just a bunch of Irish guys fighting, and there are no characters to watch.  Maybe I should have asked the Cavaliers staff guy (Evan Woods) that was sitting in our row, because they mentioned him in the podcast.

Trombones on a Train Trestle

Rifle Catch + Flag Toss

SANTA CLARA VANGUARD

Hmmm...did I hear a little bit of "My Body is a Cage" in the opening song?  Leobardo is the King of Brass.  He has TWO awesome solos with different instruments!  I love the duet with him and the trumpeter on the ladder, as well as the duet he has with the high note guy, whom I think is named Mikey, from what I heard from our neighbors in the stands.  

King of Brass

Upside Sideways Guard

Marveling at a Super High Note

Announcer Ryan told us to stay in our seats for a special encore.  I would have liked to see the rehearsal that was taking place on the track by the end zone, but then I'd have to walk over there and walk back and lose my seat.  (We had moved to the back row because other people were dumb and left).

Encore

The Cavaliers and SCV horn lines got together to play each others' corps songs.

"Over the Rainbow"

"Send in the Clowns"

It was gorgeous and special, and I'm happy we were there to witness it, despite the challenges with the seating and the heat.

SCORES

Open Class

3) 44.30 -- Blue Devils C

2) 56.65 -- Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets

1) 59.80 -- Blue Devils B

World Class

6) 62.70 -- Troopers

5) 65.75 -- Academy

4) 69.70 -- Mandarins

3) 72.10 -- Cavaliers

2) 73.90 -- Blue Devils

1) 74.30 -- Santa Clara Vanguard

The gap is getting tighter between BD and SCV, but SCV hasn't played their closer in competition, and we all know that BD won't provide their big ending for a while.  SCV is still tops in the nation, with the Mandarins scoring higher than the Cadets, which is WOW.

Bro drove us back to our hotel in Cupertino, while we listened to "The Book of Mormon". That has a very different "Hello" song.  

Next up:  SCV Family Day