DeanInChicago

In Kalamazoo, you could not hear the last 30 seconds of the Madison show, as the crowd went nuts over the rotating company front. I totally expect Andrea, Ann, Scott, and Deborah to scream crazy when Madison spins in Centerville tonight.

Amtrak schedule, Saturday, July 7 Eastbound ... Depart Kalamazoo, 7:29 PM Eastbound ... Depart Kalamazoo, 9:16 PM Westbound ... Depart Kalamazoo, 9:18 PM Say yes to Michigan.

Great news. If you are holding a ticket from the rained out June 28 Merrillville IN show, the Whitewater box office will give you a free general admission ticket.

Cadets - a beautiful "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Glassmen - powerful opening number Phantom Regiment - goosebumps at end Spirit of Atlanta - the showgirl and her black sparkling cape Spirit of Atlanta - the hypnotic, sweeping reveal of the face card flags Bluecoats - great mask theme Blue Stars - nautical fish flags, "anchor" formation to end the program Pioneer - the debutante pearls on the guard Looking forward to K-zoo, Lisle, and Rockford.

After the "Rewards Ceremony", bratwurst and dogs were just a dollar at concessions.

Judy, Sharon, Ashley, Josh, and I are feasting on unlimited breadsticks and sslad at the nearby Olive Garden before heading to Ames Field. Sitting in row 16, middle section, seats 26-30. (At the stadium, not the restaurant, Duh.) Stop by and say hello. Everyone should make a trip to see a show sometime at Michigan City. There is no track, so you are right on top of the action in the intimate seating area. A new Astro Turf field was put in 2 years ago. Concessions are always good, and often at the end of the night are half-price. A Dairy Queen just east of the Field enthusiastically welcomes fans. Townspeople are introduced before the show -- you know, the mayor and city council. There are neighborhood kids who sneak a peek at the action through the small open endzone fences. A few nearby fireworks enhance the scene as night falls. Showtime can't come soon enough.

Hello from Chicago. Though I have no tickets available, I recommend being like a neighborhood kid, and watching the event from the east endzone though the open fence posts. That'll make it easy to beat the rush to DQ after the show.

Annually, one of my favorite autumn Saturdays is the Indiana State High School semi-final contests. In all, 80 Hoosier high school bands converge in the Indianapolis area - usually late October. There are 4 simultaneous contests to choose from. Twenty bands at each site. Greenwood, Jasper, Northview, Concord etc perform at the Class B site. Avon, Homestead, Lake Central, Warren Central, Center Grove, Lawrence Central, Northrop perform in Class A. Class C shines at its own site, as does Class D. Schools can elect to compete in a higher class - based on school enrollments. Ben Davis HS has been hosting the class A semi-finals for several years. Twenty bands nearing their peak for under $10 in an outdoor Saturday afternoon show. Bliss.

If the Cadets withdrew their 12/25 program for the 2012 summer tour, and instead had an Easter/Passover show, what would the drill and music be?

Great facility in Muncie for a WGI show. Guests were allowed to bring concession stand food to their seats. Free plentiful parking. Attended the Saturday prelims. Did not keep any written notes - just soaked it all in -- so may not recall which guard did what move. I only see one guard show each spring, and usually in the Indy area. Talked to a mom, who said the blonde girl who fainted at end of Jennison show is fine. Did the guard quickly help her off the floor to avoid a penalty? Enjoyed Purdue University's take on "A Chorus Line". Tall red velvet drapes were a great visual. "Oh G-d I need this job, Oh G-d, I need this show" lyric effectively used. One show was a tribute to The Elephant Man -- John Merrick -- with an odd ending. The shadow work behind the drapes was blurry and not well lit. But good use of 4 tall mirrors. One show revealed the word HOPE at the end - but then a woman did the splits next to the revealed word. Ummm, maybe a more angelic move could be used here. One show had a bird theme - clucking, and the like - imaginative bird costumes and theming. Glad to see that the little front line spacing cones/cherubs/lunchboxes/gnomes have mostly disappeared. Many groups used simple tarps. South Shore Drill Team, and SS2 were big crowd pleasers. Their equipment moves were/are thrilling. Satisfying big shows from Zydeco, Onyx, and Pride of Cincinnati to end the evening.

I mailed several decks of Vanguard playing cards for Purim to my drum corps friends. Just $1.50 per pack. Available at the Vanguard Bingo Hall.

Broken Arrow has had several terrific BOA shows. The 2010 "Wizard of Oz" program was especially memorable. And last year, I can not erase the visual in my mind of each guard woman jumping into the arms of a musician. As an annual host of a summertime DCI show, the kids in Broken Arrow are exposed to DCI quality.

We do not see the Tony Award judges on stage listening to Audra MacDonald. We do not see the Academy voters on the screen in "The Descendents". We do not see which Floride primary voters selected Mitt over Newt. We do not see the Kentucky Fried Chicken secret recipe. We do not know why Madonna is only singing one new song at the Super Bowl. Anyway, The on-field judges have always been distracting, especially the judges who find themselves suddenly galloping to avoid a near-hit with a corps member.

Happy Holidays! Isn't the snowman named Sam the Snowman, aka Burl Ives, who narrates "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?" and warbles "Silver and Gold", and "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas". Christmas greetings to one and all.

The Super Bowl is the first Sunday in February. Meanwhile, tonight is the 5th night of Hanukkah. Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish posters.

Sat, June 16 Akron? Rats, no. Missing a great line-up. This is the annual Camp Crunch Weekend. Our great JCC summer camps start Monday, June 18. Four thousand kids start camp on Monday, June 18, so I will remain in Chicago that weekend to help process an avalanche of paperwork. Sat, June 30 Michigan City? Definitely. One of my favorite small, no-track stadiums. Dairy Queen across the street. Knothole viewing in the endzone for the neighborhood kids! Current lineup is 8 World Class Corps - perhaps a Michigan City record. Sat, July 7 Denver? Mmmmm. Enjoyed this venue in 2010, to see "the other half" of the corps. Tempting, but ... Sat, July 7 Kalamazoo? Strong probability. Nearly a repeat line-up of Michigan City, minus the Troopers, yet with the addition of Legends and Madison. The Madison factor wins this toss up. Fri, July 13 Lisle? Definitely. Santa Clara Vanguard just a Metra train ride away. Exciting line-up. Sat, July 14 Minneapolis? No. Too long a day, and a noisy Jumbotron. Sun, July 15 Rockford? Huge yes. Tour of Champions show. Fri-Sat, Aug 3-4 Allentown? No questions. Yes. Favorite show of the year. The 2-night format keeps me coming back year after year. Fri, Aug 10 Indianapolis Semis? No. Last day of JCC summer camps. Sat, Aug 11 Indianapolis? Yes. Megabus to Indy. Finals.

For parking, I highly recommend parking above the stadium, instead of below. The congestion is nearly non-existent high on Chew Street. This is immediately west of the fairground's farmer's market. There is plenty of free curbside parking on both sides of Chew St. Once you have parked, walk past Greenwood Cemetery to one of the two gates on either side of the press box side.

I had just arrived in New York a few weeks ago on Wednesday afternoon, September 21, schlepping two suitcases from Grand Central station to the 47th Street YMCA. I am one of those fools who do not rely on maps nor taxis, and just wanted to start walking. I thought the Y was in the 200 block of West 47th. At the corner of 47th and 5th Avenue, I run into drum corps fan George Hopkins. "Hello Mr Hopkins," I blurted out. He was beaming about the Cadets playing at the U.N. that day. I confessed "I love everything you do. Keep up the great work." I then continued west past the jewelry stores on 47th, and even a wee bit past Times Square, still schlepping the 2 suitcases. Auugh. I decided to look at a print-out, and realized the Vanderbilt Y was on East 47th Street.

Congrats on new sales record. Maybe the higher prices for the 2012 Eastern Classic helped set the record. J Birney Crum has always been a great value - this show has been a steal pricewise for several years. The higher prices are in-line. Looking forward to returning. Already Pricelined a $45 per night hotel for both nights. Annually, I redeem points (formerly credits) on Southwest to fly in to Philly free.

When the broadcast moved to ESPN2, I visited (now closed) the ESPN Zone in Chicago in River North. Though the restaurant had over dozens and dozens of TVs, not one was tuned to the DCI program -- it was all sports. I asked a manager that night if they could at least turn one small set to DCI, and the answer was "no".

Immediately after the Spirit of Atlanta show, the Film Noir front sideline panels were being sold at their souvie table.

Withdrawal means unpacking. Denver/Omaha suitcase. Rockford day pack. Allentown yard sales. Indianapolis uniform catalogs to learn the names of different hats.

Crown's Herbert slowly walking off the turf at the end of Saturday's show. When he reached the tunnel, about 12 Crown staff applauded his exit.

ATM = awesome talented musicians

Lockers are available at the Amtrak/Greyhound station on South St, very near Lucas. Bring 5 dollars worth of quarters for a 24-hour locker.