The DCI Celebration Begins

 DCI So Cal Classic

Sunday, July 25, 2021

Duarte High School Stadium

Duarte, CA

Drum Corps is back!  Kinda.  Last year's season was entirely canceled due to COVID-19, but this year, many of the corps are back for what they are calling a DCI Celebration Tour.  Since many corps organizations opted out this year, the performances are all exhibition only, with no judges, no competition.  SCV and Blue Devils are among those whom opted out, and since it's still kind of scary out there, we will not be going to Indianapolis this year.  I'm sad about that, but I'm also a little relieved as it would have just been a bit more stressful to deal with whatever protocols are in place (if any) in another state.  So I'm just going to go to the shows that are nearby this year.

First up is so close to me!  I can't believe I've never been to Duarte HS before because I've lived in this area all of my life, but I guess my school isn't in the same league as them.  Anyway, Rudy and Dodie met me at my house so that we could carpool.  We parked behind the school at the senior community center, and I was, like, "Hey, that's where my dad gets lunch for three dollars!"  Rudy figured out the way to walk to the stadium, which is very nicely kept.  It reminded me of the one at Santa Clara, where we would attend SCV Family Day.  Aw, SCV.  I miss you.  I had our tickets on my phone, but we needed wristbands, so we checked in and they had my name listed.  It was like Family Day!  We even got cool wristbands.  I couldn't stay away from the aguas frescas, so I got a large mango drink and some kettlecorn.  I mean, tradition needs to keep going somehow, you know?  We bought 50/50 raffle tickets after I clarified with the guy that I was not getting 5 tickets for $10, and instead was receiving 10 tickets for $5.

Custom wristband!

Seating was general admission, and we sat on the right 30-yard line, about 3/4 of the way up the stands.   It was a warm day, and I'm glad that I had braided my pigtails because more hair on my neck = more heat.  We were separated from people for the most part, so I didn't wear my mask.  Also, I was eating and drinking and writing and entirely too distracted and hot to wear my mask.  I'm just glad that I'm vaccinated.  Do you see that, people?  Get vaccinated!  

Our announcer was none other than the Voice of Southern California, Ryan T.  I said that he didn't have so much gray hair before, and also said that I didn't have so much gray hair before, either.  As he was reading something, he said "u-nyke" and then realized that the word was "unique".  I may be using that in my vocabulary now.  

The Star-spangled Banner was performed by the Freelancers Alumni Corps.  Oh, yay, and there was a flag on the pole!  

Freelancers Alumni Corps

I think they were the special guests of the day.  I don't know because I didn't scan the QR code to get the program; I was too excited about food and drink.  They performed at a standstill.

• "Happy Days Are Here Again" - I liked how I couldn't figure out what they were playing until the main theme.
• I didn't know the name of the next song, but I did see someone's music being blown away by a gust of wind and thought, "I hope they have that memorized!"
• "Sound of Silence" -- Nice baritone solo!  Or is that a euphonium?  I need to learn these things.  You'd think I'd know by now, but I don't.
• Some Spanish jazzy latin song that we really liked.  Rudy suggested that the name of the piece was "Malagonia" because it sounded like "Malaguena", but wasn't.

Golden Empire

Their corps is much smaller this year, marching 16 horns, 12 color guard, 11 pit members, and 21 battery.  So that's 16 total horns and 32 percussion.  WHOA.  Rudy said that they were wearing Vanguard baggy pants, a la Babylon.  

• Nice ballad, especially the baritone solo. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was a baritone.
• Mello sustain!  (They ARE trying to be like SCV!)
• That rifle guy is really good!  I would tell you how many times the rifle rotated during his high throws, but that's too fast for me to count, especially when I'm only thinking about counting it 6 days later.
• Yay, a drum cadence!  I mean, with that big battery, there should be one.
• The horns played something that sounded familiar to us, but Dodie and I know it was not "Edelweiss", as Rudy suggested.  Have I told you that Rudy likes to mess with me?

When I went to the restroom, I felt bad that I forgot to wear my mask while passing by all of the people in my row.  I tried to keep my head down so that I wouldn't breathe in their faces.  A woman in the restroom was frustrated with her kid being all squeamish about a roach in the corner of the stall.  This is a very different scenario than the one that I experienced a week ago.  You'll get a glimpse of it when I finally post the DLR LotD from that adventure.

Gold

Looking snazzy with the shiny gold drums and shiny white and blue uniforms!  Props on the field were tables with candles, and the drum majors were dressed like 1920s gangsters.  I thought that maybe they were doing a "Godfather" show, and I told Dodie about Blue Devils' 2006 show, "Godfather, Part Blue", with their horse head flags.  Then I noticed the big door, and figured that it was probably a speakeasy.  I told Rudy, and he said, "Yeah, they just announced that the show is called 'Speakeasy'."  Oh, I TOLD you!  

• "Proud Mary" was their first song, and I loved it.  Doing that Tina Turner dancing thang, and I immediately missed when we would do that song during Zumba class.
• "This is Dedicated to the One I Love".  Hey, there's choir corps!  I really like those flags with the moon and stars.
• Their last piece during the field show was some jazzy swing number, and it was fun!  One of the CG gals did a cartwheel without using her hands.  I don't know what that's called.  I need to ask the niece.
• "When You Wish Upon A Star" by the horns was very nice, and the main theme kind of snuck up on me.

Pacific Crest

Uh oh.  Tarps.

• Great trumpet solo during "It's a New Dawn".  That whole piece is great.
• Their show has something to do with an experiment.  It might be called "The Experiment" and I wasn't really paying attention because I was concerned about the tarps being on the field.
• "X" on flags.  I like those, and the color guard does good work with them.
• I like their drum major.  She kind of dances at some points, and she has a nice smile.
• They played one of the pieces from last year's "Everglow" show.  That's the one with the music that would get in my head.  I like it.
• They ended their program with their corps song, the Biebel "Ave Maria".

Afterward, we had dinner at Los Gueros, and I told Dodie about the horrifying tarp of Gold's 2015 show "Pop Star", with the Britney Spears music.  I had to whisper, though, because of what I call that thing.

Later that evening, Rudy texted to inform us that they never called the numbers for the 50/50.  HEY!  THAT GUY TOOK MY MONEY!   I don't know who to complain to about that, but I'm pretty sure there wasn't any show left to play by the time we walked out of the stadium.  Hmph.

At least we got to see some live drum corps!  Yay!

Next up:  So Cal Arena Showcase