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Saturday, August 8, 2020

PellaPosse Palladium

So many people are bummed today: all of the people who would have been at DCI Finals today being a big bunch of them.  DCI is having a March On! Telethon to raise funds for the activity today, so here I am blogging about it as I watch.  Goal is to get 2020 donors.

Bro, V, and the kids were happily a part of my day today as they brought lunch for us all to eat outside on the deck.  They went to London Gastropub nearby because they had flatbread.  I also had various flavors of Stella Rosa.  The unanimous favorite:  watermelon flavor.  All of this was so that we could make our own little Tastings experience, as this would have been the day we'd visit our favorite Indianapolis restaurant.  Bro and I wore our SCV face masks while not eating, and we were wearing our SCV clothing.  They left because it was getting too hot and they can't really come inside to watch with me anyway.  

The marathon is taking place on YouTube, and I'm glad I could start it from the beginning even though I was late, because I don't want to miss anything!  

Steve Rondinaro was shown in Lucas Oil Stadium, talking about how eerie it was to be there without all of the drum corps activity.  DCI CEO Force Ghost Dan Acheson showed up with Blue Devils' Ghostlight prop, saying that according to legend, it would be lit until the next performance.  Nice.  

At first when Steve started talking in the DCI offices, there wasn't any sound.  Live shows!  

The festivities started with the Star-Spangled Banner, played, of course, by The Commandant's Own USMC Drum & Bugle Corps.  

Fellow DCI commentator Dan Potter joined from his office, and they brought in fellow commentator Dennis DeLucia from his office.  I've been watching the videos of the different finals scores being announced through the decades, and it's been fun to watch Steve's appearance change as he aged.  I've only watched the 70s and 80s, and will watch the 90s and 00s later this weekend.

First "Run It Back" video:  2008 Phantom Regiment:  Spartacus

• YES!  On the screen with Dan is drum major Will Pitts, Percussion Arrangers Paul and Sandi Rennick, Exec Director Rick Valenzuela, Show Director Dan Farrell, Brass Arranger JD Paul, and Program Consultant Don Hall.
• Phregiment did Spartacus shows in the early 80s, but decided this year to change it up a bit and use different music, not just the Khachaturian.  They talked about the pre-show, which I LOVE.  Dan calls the different DVD shots of the pre-show "vignettes of cruelty".  They gave the performers some direction, but the performers are the ones that created their own characters.  Fun to hear them talk about the first time Will got speared.  Sandi's like me:  we cry every time we see the show.  

Performance:  Jersey Surf brass (at home): "Pure Imagination"

Performance:  Troopers brass (at home): "Battle Hymn" by John Meehan

• I like that they're even showing all 4 of the drum majors conducting them.

Dan A talked to Steve about what it was like to go from full speed ahead in January to a screeching halt in March, and planning for the future.  Furloughed teachers are still working with the corps.

Performance: Blue Stars brass (at home): "La Vie en Rose"

Flo Marching folks talked about their upcoming video: "DCI Rewind: The After Party"

Performance: Shadow brass (from their homes):  "Overture to a New World" by Bjork.   It was dedicated to one of the corps guys who died at 20 years old.  Sad.  

Performance:  Distant Harmonies (River City Rhythm at home): "Hymn for a New Day"

Performance: Blue Knights: To Build A  Home (at home)

Snippets of people saying, "Drum Corps taught me..." were interspersed throughout the show.

Dan Potter talked to "Finding Drum Corps" podcaster Keith Kelly about his series.  I still need to listen to it.  

Run It Back: 2013 Carolina Crown : e=mc2 

"Two Lovers" is what I think of whenever I think of this show.  They have a lot of people on the screen talking about the "Purple Pants Band" and I'm too slow to keep up.  Except for the narration, I loved this show because the brass was tremendous!  I remember playing their rehearsal video over and over back then because I was so amazed by it, and it didn't include the narration.

Tribute to Blue Devils' first drum major, Davd Dugan & Jim Ott: Blue Devils brass (from their homes): Chuck Mangione's "Chase the Clouds Away".

Preview for Blue Devils documentary: "Nineteen in Nineteen"

Performance: a short tune from Spirit of Atlanta (at home)

Performance: a little ditty from The Cadets alumni (at home)

Performance:  Carolina Crown Brass and vocalist tribute to health care workers: "Smile"

Performance: Bluecoats alumni representing all years and current:  "Autumn Leaves" but with no sound.

March On Task Force leaders Stuart Pompel of PC and Vicki MacFarlane from The Colts talked.  Hi, Stuart!

Run It Back: 2016 Bluecoats: Downside Up

They gave Dan Potter a championship ring because he recorded the intro!  How cool!  On the screen is the design and instructional staff.  Shane's wink:  he did it during Prelims for the Big, Loud, Live audience, and was told not to do it for semis.  But then during finals, the cameraman put a sign on his camera stating "Wink Here".  The corps director loves hearing the crowd at that point, and they realized that changing the traditional uniform gave the chance for the performers to shine.

InStep leaders talked.  Just like on Finals Night, I left the room for this segment.

The directors from Open Class Corps Golden Empire talked with Steve, Dan, and Dave Edelman.  I like that they also talked about one of the aspets that this year's batch is missing is the socialization of being in a corps.  GE tries to have some social activities online with the corps members.

Run It Back:  1991 Star of Indiana: "Roman Images"

They talked about the famous "cross to cross" formation designed by George Zingali.  

Performance:  Cavaliers (at home)  -- "Over The Rainbow" with video snippets of their 2019 show.  I didn't know their intro was the Coast Guard theme until just now.

Performance: Crossmen (at home) -- Great Gate of Kiev?

Video showing Gold's journey to getting their first Bronze medal in Open Class, for their "Pursuit of Happiness" show.

Performance "Virtual Strangers" by Colts Brass

Leadership Award for World Class:  Corps Director Stuart Pompel of Pacific Crest!!!!  Congrats, Stuart!

Leadership Award for Open Class:  Tim Heasley of Golden Empire

Scholarships awarded.

Performance:  Madison Scouts (at home) singing "You'll Never Walk Alone"

Performance:  Blue Devils B brass (at home): "Eternal Father, Strong to Save"

Performance:  USMC: "Music in Motion"

Aw, Dan Potter is talking about what happens when he's off camera during the telethon, and he and his wife are crying during the virtual performances.  They're worried for the activity.  So then I started crying.  Dammit.

Presentation of "Together as One", by Varsity Performing Arts, available for the next 2 years for anyone to use.  It's like a mashup "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and "Summon the Heroes".

They reached a little bit over 1000 donors by the time the broadcast ended. I hope they reach their goal.

I don't subscribe to FloMarching, so I didn't watch the DCI Rewind: After Party.  Too bad, because they were playing both 2004 and 2014 SCV Scheherazade performances.  

I'm going to go back and watch the Finals ceremonies from the 90s and 00s.  I'm going to look for us in the crowd even though I probably won't see us.  

Next Up:  Santa Clara Vanguard, one more time for 2020