Cozy’s Corpsdom ~ Rolling Aught Sevens
Hereabouts on Lake Corpsdom, watching all the jedi skis 'n bass boats, I recall that last year on Memorial Day weekend, I was working a drum corps fundraiser in charming Charlotte, NC. I worked in the Home Depot suite, which went nuts when Tony Stewart won both days. This year, not working for the CorpsVets and Home Depot, I watched as Tony Stewart had to rush in for a splash of gas, allowing Casey Mears to win his first NASCAR in Concord, NC.
My next door neighbors invited half the county to christen the unofficial first holiday of the summer, while the other next-door buddy hired a live band. Truly, the revelry of summer is upon us. All over corpsdom, you corps nuts have lit the fuse to begin the corps season. I've heard a lot of fine country and rock music, but drum corps is what I like best. This past weekend, I sang at a houseboat party after a quick dip in Lake Corpsdom. The summer is nigh!
"Sweet Home Alabama" in 'Bama is a spiritual experience when sung, where folks hold their beers aloft as long as their thirst can forgo quenching, where the band stops singing knowing the onlookers and dancers will chorus the lyrics.
Mad Plaid host Kilties Klassic June 22
Just as "Sweet Home Alabama" is a Dixie hit, "Auld Lang Syne" is a drum corps standard. The Kilties will be hosting the Kilties' Klassic in Racine, WI. Steve "Hairbear" Masters will be there covering the event for DCWorld. Five Wisconsin corps, Madison Scouts, Pioneer, Capital Sound, Racine Scouts, and the Kilties, along with the Troopers, will reel 'em in June 22.
Be prepared for this season — Troopers are back big time. Buccaneers are better than ever! Get your tickets and feel like you've been rolled over by a damned ol' train.
Corpsdom has changed: Corps nuts can get off Amtrak at the scenic Irvine, CA, station where BMWs are as prevalent as commuting bicyclists. Make your plans for Pasadena. Amtrack works and works well, timely. One also has options for several airports in the L.A. metroplex. Jet Blue, baby!
Alliance, MCL, CorpsVets, MBI, Govies, Texas corps host shows outside the Northeast
Alliance is hosting their first DCAssociates show August 19 in Alpharetta, GA, the day after the CorpsVets run their annual Rockmart, GA, contest. On August 4, Music City Legend invite corps in for their initial effort to host the DCA South Regional in Nashville, TN. With the two Minnesota contests August 18 and 19, and all the Texas, Louisianna, California, Ohio, etc., contests, the DCA calendar sure does offer so much more than the proverbial Northeast shows. One can also see DCA in Salem, OH, Louisiana, Louisville…! Buy those tickets!
Does Alpharetta sound familiar? It should. DCI is hosting a show in Alpharetta June 23.
BD/SCV Alumni + SCV Active march 110 trombones…uh, horns
JohnD called from Stockton, CA. "Want to hear the BD/SCV Alumni? They played last night at Precision West." Later, JohnD shared, "It is Vanguard's 40th anniversary and BD's 50th. This was special. They had a similar number of horns (c. 110) at the Precision West show Saturday night with the BD A corps."
Folks, they were awesome. It might have been over a cell phone, but it was truly incredible. The low brass were kicking butt. "The Bottle Dance!" What I heard from the combined alumni of California's two legendary corps along with Santa Clara Vanguard's active corps tremored the seismographs.
Jeff Pearson, SCV director, announced to the Stockton crowd, "We enjoyed playing BD music last night. We hope you enjoy SCV music tonight."
Catch the SCV/BD Alumni in Stanford folks. As Lee Rudnicki, Renegades pooh-bah, stated, "Genius!"
I did ask for it. I called a passle of corps Doms last year while at camps from Sherman's March territory to Torrance HS to let them hear music as I stood taking it all in around the pit. Now, these @#$%&s are reciprocating, rubbing it in. Dave Medeiros likes to call from CorpsVets camps to let me hear "La Fiesta," the only chart I didn't get to experience through February camps, the one I wanted the most to toot.
Medeiros revealed, "We have close to 30 in the guard."
I talked to Tom Colgan, CorpsVets biz manager, Saturday. Colgan said, "We're getting ready to do a run-through in the hats to get used to them." Wearing the CV Aussie is a rush!
Mike Nash, SoCal Dream potentate, e-mailed asking how I'm doing? I've been gnashing my teeth a bit, missing not marching this season. I'll be at the shows this summer, wishing I were on the field. How I do wish I led a more intriguing life. In my next life, I want to be more than a mortal, hoping to review Hollywood manuscripts.
Roll 7s, emo.
Publisher's Note: Cozy's Corpsdom features updates from the world of drum corps as only Cozy Baker can deliver ….. in his own unique style and presentation. A featured Drum Corps World reporter and contributing columnist for many years, Cozy travels the country as a competitive marching member, instructor, observer, and commentator on the state-of-the-activity. The opinions expressed in this column are strictly those of the author. (Cozy mug photo by Christina Mavroudis-Dempsey.) You may write to Cozy directly at mailto: Cozy [at] drumcorpsplanet [dot] com.
