Pastimes with a PellaPusher: Crest at the Crest

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Crest at the Crest

I remember the first time I saw a Pacific Crest show. It was "Dracula". I'm a fan of vampire stuff anyway, but this show made me pay attention, because I really liked the way they interpreted Feeney's "Dracula". It started with the color guard on their knees, with faces to the ground, and flapping their bat wings (double flags) to the sound of heart beats. It was soooo cool! I wish I had photos of that show to include here.

When I heard that this corps was giving its members a chance to concentrate on summer school or summer jobs and would only be doing local shows, I thought this would be a great corps to support. I've been supporting them ever since, even when they have a year or two in a row where I'm not that thrilled with their shows. They have since negotiated with DCI to do shortened national tours, and eventually increased their shows, but I still really like this corps and their style.

For the past several years, Pacific Crest held its home show, Corps at the Crest at the Rose Bowl, and it's even listed now as "Drum Corps at the Rose Bowl", but I still call it Corps at the Crest. I've always loved going to this show, mostly because I wouldn't have to drive very far to get to it, but also because I feel like it's my home show, too! I don't really like the seating at RB, though, because it's so tight. One of these days, I'm getting a suite for us or whatever the VIP section is called, so my friends and I can stretch out a little bit and enjoy the formations from higher up in the stands.

Back to PC, though. My top five favorite PC shows:

1999: "The Dracula Ballet" -- did not travel to DCI Finals
2004: "On Dangerous Ground: The Music of Bernard Hermann" -- 19th place
2012: "The Spectrum" -- 16th place

The video is a look back by corps members
Blog from Corps at the Crest 2012:
PACIFIC CREST
Repertoire: "The Spectrum" -- Butterfly Yellow by L.J. Buckley; Tarantella Red by L.J. Buckley; Yellow by G. Berryman, J. Buckland, W. Champion, C. Martin; Blue Sapphire by R. Cichy, End Credits (from "The Green Lantern -- First Flight") by R.J. Kral; True Colors by B. Steinberg, T. Kelly

The CG starts with white uniforms to show off their flag colors, until the last piece, wherein their uniforms are the whole rainbow. I like how they kept the PC teal on one of their arms. Beautiful yellow double flags. I like the blue sparkly umbrellas, but one got turned inside out. Nice, big opening sound! They really sound great.

2017: "Golden State of Mind" -- 21st place

This video is of a rehearsal run through at my alma mater
Blog from Corps at the Crest 2017:
PACIFIC CREST

Uh-oh. Sounds like the adrenaline from the jazzy piece got to the soloists today. The jazzy piece was well done, though. They just need to keep up the energy through the end of the show. I think one of the formations is the continental US. Bro doesn't.

Rays of the Sun

2018: "Here's to the Ones Who Dream" -- 20th place

Euphonium Cam!
Blog from Corps at the Crest 2018:
PACIFIC CREST

I do love that mambo, during which they do the tap dancing. Oh, there's an Esther Williams segment, too, with some of the corps members providing the legs as the color guard soloist rises out of the "water". Cute. Are those flags Lakers colors on purpose because it's Los Angeles? If so, thank you, PC! If not, don't tell me. Pretty solos, especially the mellophone. If this was louder, the show would have much more impact, especially in big stadiums like this. I hate to say that they need amplification, though. My no-amplification side is struggling with this a lot right now. Some people were laughing during the show, and I didn't catch what happened. Later, V told us that someone lost their plume, and another person placed it back on their shako at the precise moment of the *ding* of the xylophone.

Star

Tap Segment

Hollywood