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Not necessarily a review, but a few random/rambling thoughts about the Serenade in Brass indoor concert in Harrisburg:

The weather..... yikes. We had been lucky the past few years, with dry weather and some nice temperatures. This year, the day-of-show weather returned to "typical" Serenade standards: chilly and rainy. Thankfully the rain cleared out by late afternoon, giving all the corps some outdoors time to rehearse/chat, etc.

"Thank you" to the folks with the Westshoremen Alumni for again giving me a chance to participate... very much appreciated. And I didn't break any percussion equipment this time around. B) I'm looking forward to next year's show!!!

After our stage rehearsal time Saturday, we had something like six hours to kill before our pre-show report time. So several of us from the Westshoremen Alumni pit took some time to take a tour of the State Museum of Pennsylvania, near the state capitol complex. FREE admission (always a good thing) and lots of neat things to look at. Of course, we also spent some time sampling the food court offerings at Strawberry Square.

Say, folks.... need a home, office building, or other free-standing structure demolished? Hire the Park City Pride hornline.... they'll knock it down for you. The Bridgeport-area alumni corps has without a doubt one of the loudest hornlines I've ever heard in over 30 years of following drum corps. Yes, they might have a few rough edges. Guess what? I don't care. If you want to hear a corps playing good, old-time, straightforward, 1960's-era charts, all while bringing some SERIOUS heat, Park City fills the bill quite nicely, IMO.

The Hawthorne Caballeros have most definitely put a very rough 2005 season in their rearview mirror. The Cabs were ready to roll at this year's Serenade, with a terrific brass and percussion sound (despite the fact they were missing about 15 horn players or so due to other commitments). The Cabs are primed to continue their habit of following a down year with a very good year.

Erie Thunderbirds, Cabs Alumni and Skyliners Alumni: as usual, good stuff from all three corps!!! Great to see the T-Birds back in Harrisburg.

Hip Pickles: what else can I say but... Chet, YOU DA MAN!!!!!

Didn't get a chance to see any of the other corps at the show... sorry 'bout that.

Big turnout at the post-show party, complete with entertainment from the Hip Pickles and the Caballeros' Latin Express mini-corps.

Thanks for reading! and.......... let's hear it for PHIL MICKELSON, the 2006 Masters champ!!!!!!!!!!!

Fran

Edited by Fran Haring
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b**bs Serenade In Brass did not disappoint at all. From the begining it was classic drum corps performed quite well by everyone. Park City Pride could well be classified as the WALL OF SOUND and the Midshipmen brought some more modern and musically challenging drum corps that was well done. I sat in third row from stage and to watch the personalities(I just got here do you mind if I warm-up a little) just added to the fun. Five Star did a great job...I will be back for more...I hope Mighty St. Joes and Park City return as well as Erie and maybe throw in some more variety(please don't take that wrong, the whole show was just fantastic) If you missed it, shame on you!!! b**bs

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I'm with Fran, it was great to hang out and talk to everyone and catch up on old times. It was also a blast to go out on stage with the Westshoremen and blow the house down B) I'm really looking forward to coming back next year for the second leg of our world tour. Fran, I have some leads on the red wig for next year. :P

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Since it's all Westshore so far posting on this, here's my off beat review posted on RAMD.

OK, my sound bite review of the night.

Need more souvie tables or different stuff. Mainly t-shirts, CDs and

Buccs little stiffed animals. Tried to add to my pin and patch

collection to no avail. Favorite t-shirt is a side shot of Kenny Ace

Peterson of Mighty St Joes, caption read "You're never too old to

play". (How young is Kenny anyway?)

Buccs Alum - opened with nice version of National Anthem. Seemed

cleaner and maybe bigger than last year.

St Joes - Wonderful opener. Ace Peterson jamming while the rest of the

corps rambles in and turns their back to the crowd. After the corps is

set up, Kenny stops jamming and starts the opener to Georgia on my Mind

and the corps turns around while building (ala Spirit of Atlanta) to a

crescendo that say HELLO, THIS IS DRUM CORPS. Whoa.....

Westshoremen Alumni - I owe Hershman (not in a good way) for making all

Alumni in the audience stand while they played Grand Old Scag (errr,

Flag). Since I was there with my sister and wife I HAD to stand. ("Get

yer ### outta the seat, God (Uncle Larry) wants YOU").

US Navy - very clean but didn't really recognize the music. I enjoyed

but......

Park City Park - missed them (kinda) because the knee replacement

person needed a walk and my kidneys were full. PCP were loud enough you

could really hear them in the concourse. Even joked with two cops about

the volume.

Hip Pickles - more I see them the more I enjoy. Guess it just grows on

us non drummer types.

TBirds Alumni - one of the two smaller corps but still a full sound.

Just a fun show and the corps seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Bandstand Boogie is still a blast after over 25 years. (Yeah I'm

biased, the only corps there tonight we had a good rivalary with when I

marched.)

Cabs Alumni - Whoever did the Bull Call had his wheaties. All

conversion stopped dead when that kicked in. When it was announced

Larry Kirchner(sp?) was filling in for an ailing Jim Russo our side of

the crowd could see LK crossing himself with an "Oh ####" look on his

face (priceless). LK then promptly screwed up bringing the horns up.

Credit Larry for turning to the crowd and saying it was his fault. When

it came time for the Cherry Pink encore looked like confusion on Larrys

part on how to start it off. (Could hear someone say "off .... street

beat".) Actually worked out as it gave the soloist time to go in the

middle of the floor in the Forum (in the crowd) to play. Not downing

Kirchner it just added to the fun memories and I'd buy him a round

anytime for filling in.

Sky Alumni - HOLY #### are these guys *****ing loud!!!! Typical Sky

from when I started in '74 and all three of us loved every second of

it. Sitting on the contra bass side of the audience during Elks Parade

was the primo spot to be. Yeaaaaaah Babbbby.....

Cab (Competative) - Really good show and looked like a big improvement

from last year music wise. Disclaimer is I only saw them outdoors at

Prelims and Finals last year and not indoors.

Finale of the night was combined Cabs (Alum/competative) doing Flamingo

Cha Cha (Cha Cha Flamingo??). Still a toss up if Sky was louder but

highlight was watching 16 contras trying to bring their horns up with

out clobbering each other.

PS - Got to meet bugleboy1048 and his daughter finally. Glad you made it back safely Craig.

Edited by JimF-xWSMBari
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Cabs Alumni - Whoever did the Bull Call had his wheaties.

That was me Jim....

Actually worked out as it gave the soloist time to go in the

middle of the floor in the Forum (in the crowd) to play. Not downing

Kirchner it just added to the fun memories and I'd buy him a round

anytime for filling in.

That was also me Jim....

Sorry I didn't get a chance to meet you in person. I probably looked right at you, or in your direction about 30 different times too!!!

Thanks for the great comments, and I really hoped you enjoyed ours as well as the competing corps performance!!!

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Since it's all Westshore so far posting on this, here's my off beat review posted on RAMD.

OK...so far all horn reviews. Where are the comments on the Drumlines? I know...they haven't recovered from the after show blast. Come on guys, someone must be coherant by know. I couldn't play this show this year and would realllllyyy like to know how the lines did.

:mmm: :mmm: :mmm:

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ok, here we go..............pictures to come. all Shore based sorry.

Bucs alumni and St Joes, due to schedules, i did not get to see you at all during the day. I am told both were quite good, and Bucs especially showed huge improvements over recent years. Jay Landis is apparently trying to out do Dave Bruni in the classy look department :P

Navy....did not get to see the full corps, tho i was priveleged to clear security and attend a drumline rehearsal in the afternoon. I will say the book is very challenging, and sure, it had some fuzz, but man did the basses sound good. props to whoever tuned them! oh and thanks to Midshipmen Clay for driving back to Annapolis to get the missing tenors and still get back in time to perform for his howmetown fans.

Shore..........yeah, I'm biased but we kicked ### for the hometown fans. It still amazes me what we can get done in 3 rehearsals, and even along the way, when it feels like it may suck, on show day that magic happens. IMO, the drumline this year is the best of any year since we started up as an alumni corps.

from the 2nd riser, i can tell you the brass was kicking. the contras behind us made the walking 8th lines in Suite sound really kick ###. that contra line is ####### LOUD!!!

America kicked ###. Grand Old Flag was awesome seeing the alumni in the crowd standing. Suite For Jazz orchestra thre down. it's been a long time since I got to hear Sylvia wail like that in the meelo cadenza. trust me folks, the piece is a ##### to line up and when it clicks, it feels soooo ###### good.

bassline.......thank you for your hard work in a challenging weekend...with people in and out, i dont know how we do it, but from the first note of Sob on, i knew it was there. Men, we nailed some big ### runs and rolls and split you name it. beer's on me.

to my wife....i love being up there and being able to look down and see you play your mello. To see you enjoy it makes you even more beautiful.

as always thanks to Susquehanna Twp HS and Bill Perbetsky for the rehearsal site, love, and instruments. also huge thanks to Hoss and First Class percussion, and also Carlisle HS for percussion equipment. Bill, Gary, Larry, Dave...all of Five Star...thanks so much for allowing us to come home.

and Alma.....that one was for you. I love you and miss you.

Park City.....holy #### you guys kicked ### again! oh that snare line was ###### sweet. loved the "drill too". it is awesome to see you guys represent Bridgeport's past playing all of those tunes. I especially loved Stormy Weather

Hip Pickles hip Pickles wooooooahhhhhhh.......

you guys never cease to amaze me. you guys split #### with such quality basslines everywhere should study you. always fun, always twists on familiar Pickles themes. Chet you guys can never be duplicated, and thank god for that!

TBirds....fun show! with Gibby and DA up there, you knew that leadline was the real deal. Gary back there wailing on tenors...dude you were kicking my ###! first chance i had to see you guys for a few years with the full corps, and you didnt miss a beat.

Cabs Alumni.........####! Frank nailed the Bull Call, the latin guys kicked into the groove, the battery got set up and jumped in with the beat, and it was over.....you had the crowd. Loved the entire show...lotsa new tunes, yet McArthur was back, and it sounded better than last year. Ponzo on a flugel....sure was and did great. in fact, and no, i'm not sucking up to Frank, but he delivered all night. Duke kicked some ### too. drumline sounded really good, especially in the solo. Larry did a great job conducting in a pinch.

Sky...........ladies and gentlemen...Ron Allard has said there was always something about that sound...........and he's been right ever since. Brass line blew people away. great solos ( loved the Dizzy horn) and my faves were Hava Nagilah and Elks. Konga did his soft shoe even!

what a ####### drumline!!!!!!!!!!!!! i say it ever year, but god #### guys......you never stop flooring me. I dont know what Wes feeds you, but christ almighty. if you guys gave a clinic, i'd pay to see it.

Cabs field corps.....oh that brass opener. oh my...who woulda thought you could have a ballad type piece that involves the rumps. so sweet. drumline then kicks in throwing down serious notes...clean btw....and when the brass comes in, you can just see in your mind bell bottoms flapping in the wind as they fly around he field.

Concierto....very very nice. add in staging and some more pit stuff, and hello goosebumps ballad at DCA. hey Adam.......even PV could hear your "backfield" note. Malaga...wow. total throwdown. swing section seemed a little stiff in the perc book, but it's early and staging may make a difference outside.

oh and hey Cabs..watch that Williams kid on tympani. he is known to break stools in the middle of a performance :P

folks....2005 is over. the Cabs have rebounded in a big way. was told they were missing a bunch of horns ( ###### real world) so if you thought they were loud, they will get louder. the show has meat where needed, but doesnt seem over written musically.

post show party was fun, but it gets so ###### loud in that room...after all day being around drums and in front of our contras, my ears hurt.

lots of good times...saw so many people, to name them all i know i'd forget people.

and how cool is it that when you sing your corps song, you sing the version you know, your wife sings the female version, and your dad behind you sings the 60's version?

the Westshoremen 60th anniversary world tour is now over. thank god, my wrists hurt!!!!

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one last thought......i LOVED Hershmans comments about HERCO.

nah, he's not bitter :P

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