Fran Haring Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 (edited) Not a full review here... we'll get a much more in-depth look at the show from Jeff and Big W, I'm sure... but as I wind down back home in Baltimore on a Sunday night, some quick thoughts on the Downingtown DCA show: The venue... the stadium at Downingtown High School West.... is GREAT, at least from a "watching the show" point of view. Excellent field surface and lighting, good acoustics... and one of the best PA systems I've ever had a chance to work with. I wish I could bring that system with me to Clifton next month. It seemed most of the corps... with one exception... ran out of steam to varying degrees in their finales. Chalk it up, perhaps, to a long day of rehearsals on a very warm day. The corps are fixing things and getting into "intense cleaning mode" as we move toward August. The one exception to the "running out of steam" thing... the Buccaneers. High energy, from Note One through the end. And it's nice to see that, this year, they are performing a MUCH more audience-friendly show than last year. They had a great corps last year, but their show had a much more dry "technical" feel to it. This year... fun to watch. Other things that stood out to me from the show....and my apologies if I don't mention every corps... Bushwackers had, by far, their best run of the season. Quite a step up, in energy level and execution, from my last viewing of them at the July 11 Clifton show. The newly-added sound effects help sell the theme. Electronics are a good thing, when used well... like they are here. Ducking for cover now from my old-school friends. LOL. White Sabers are creating their own brand. We may not necessarily recognize all the music they're playing this year, but they are really selling the program and engaging the audience. The horn line seemed to get a bit tired late in the show, but until then.... wow!!!! Hurricanes' featured soloist, Rich Yelinek, is absolutely terrific. The guy nails everything!!! I wish more DCA corps would feature their top player(s) a bit more.. it's been one of the strengths of all-age corps for decades. For a corps that was supposed to be all but dead a few months ago... well... the Hurricanes are very much alive and kicking. I have long since learned my lesson to never count them out. The United States Marine Silent Drill Platoon is ridiculously good. 10.5 pound rifles, with fixed bayonets... not for the faint of heart....LOL... and flawless execution. Nice to see the time-honored marching precepts of "dress and cover" are still alive with them. What a great way to start the evening. OK...of course, I'm gonna mention the food from my trip. Finding cool places to eat is half the fun of a traveling weekend for me!!! My girlfriend Brenda lives nearby and works in Downingtown... so I've gotten to know the area a bit better in the last year or so. It's a very nice town with some terrific restaurants, including the Greek place where I had lunch Saturday... Grapevine Cuisine. Everything is made from scratch, from family recipes.... and it's a very "European" atmosphere, meaning they don't rush you there. If you're in a hurry for a quick bite, not the place to be. LOL. I had the moussaka, and it was excellent. After the show.... the Downingtown Diner... a classic steel-car, open 24/7 diner.... for some good late-breakfast grub and a chat with my buddy Big W. And Brenda joined us, on her way back from the Bayonne DCA show where she was performing with the Caballeros Alumni. Together, the three of us solved half the world's problems. The other half, we'll leave to the rest of you. Remember the 1950s schlock-horror movie "The Blob"? Well... this diner is the one The Blob attacked in that movie. I'm assuming it liked the food. LOL. A huge "thank you" to Amy Snook and the Buccaneers and Downingtown show crew for giving me the opportunity to be there. They do a great job running this show!!! Edited July 28, 2015 by Fran Haring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish66 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 (edited) "Hurricanes' featured soloist, Rich Yelnick, is absolutely terrific. The guy nails everything!!! I wish more DCA corps would feature their top player(s) a bit more.. it's been one of the strengths of all-age corps for decades. For a corps that was supposed to be all but dead a few months ago... well... the Hurricanes are very much alive and kicking. I have long since learned my lesson to never count them out." Fran, your comments on Yelinek are spot on.....He's been featured as a premier soloist for the Hurcs for over thirty years, dating back to 1981! It seems amiss that the Buglers Hall of Fame hasn't taken notice of his body of work yet. The Hurricanes are alive, working hard and having fun! Edited July 27, 2015 by fish66 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Have Art Hylwa nominate Rich for consideration next year ... BHOF members are the only ones who can submit names and bios ... then let the process take its course ... :-) Fran, your comments on Yelinek are spot on.....He's been featured as a premier soloist for the Hurcs for over thirty years, dating back to 1981! It seems amiss that the Buglers Hall of Fame hasn't taken notice of his body of work yet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onthe50 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 You sounded great Fran! Both live and recorded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 You sounded great Fran! Both live and recorded. During that recorded thing, I almost feel like a ventriloquist. I can even sip water as I'm speaking. LOL 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Hmmm ... is this anything like Phil Rizzuto doing the play-by-play for Meatloaf???? HOLY COW!!!! ... HE'S GONNA SCORE!!!! :-) During that recorded thing, I almost feel like a ventriloquist. I can even sip water as I'm speaking. LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.