Getting to do it one more time

[Jeffsjetta]

It's been said you can go home again. Well, Starting Friday night at Steel High, I began that process. It was time to be a Westshoremen, on stage, at the show that we created.

With a quick 2 hour rehearsal, we got everybody together for the first time, all at the same spot, and ran thru the show for Westshore's alumni. As things started to lock, laughter was heard as well as a few "Solid's"(if you knew us, you'd know why we use that word). We then hung at Hoss's had some beers, played on pads, and told stories from all era's. I will admit to having a few flashbacks when Dan DeLong started breaking some stuff down at rehearsal, but it was a good thing.

9 am Saturday...report to the Forum Building. I grew up there...i know all the back hallways. unload the drums, quick warmup, and onstage we go for soundcheck. Goosebumps....literally. I look down at the hornline and see faces I haven't seen since my Dad marched. look out into the seats and see some alumni there checking it out...and, of course, seeing my godson and his sister there to see uncle Jeff and aunt Kristi(thanks Chris...i miss him! Move back to PA!!!)

see all kinds of faces....of course, when Jeff Gibbens and the Erie crew roll in, i just keep picturing him in his bartender uni at Empire last year. So, I ask him for a drink lol.

soundcheck went well...most jitters are gone. quick lunch at Strawberry Square...see some guys from Bucs, we bs for a few, then some more rehearsal. work out some more kinks, tho it's hard w/a missing bass drum (Deb, I know pulling double duty w/us and Bucs had to be rough, but i am glad you were there...you were always my favorite number 3!)

time to eat...get nervous. Buy Christine roses( she loved em). Go hunt down the guy w/our shirts, and time to warm up.

up on THE steps......our home spot for warmups. If you dig out the 1990 DCI tapes and watch the feature on this show, you see us warming up(man was i skinny). nerves kick in.....we had a good crowd, alumni and friends, as well as just fans watching us. stayed up til 3 am to watch the video of it...ya know, after 6 years, some things never change...#### we sound good.

go set up the stage, and wait in the back. Fran Haring( the voice of DCA and dozens of other shows) takes a pic of me and his wife Barb...the little brat she used to babysit at rehearsals is finally playing a show w/her. I wish her mom, always a die hard Westshore fan was there, and i really wish her dad, Fred Mobray was there, because he is the one person for making sure the early alumni movement was well covered in DCW. Fran, if you do do that behind the scenes article, quote me heavily, as we did chat all day!( and even if some older vets won't, i forgive you for being an 82 Sunriser.)

quick speech from Dan...we gather in a circle and start the clap...some things never die. Larry Hershman looks at us, and says "here we go Shore...it's time. Welcome home"

drumline goes out on stage...quick check to make sure all is in place, and Hoss starts tapping....boom, here comes the beat. yes that Westshore beat, the one half of DCA(as well as some of our corps) couldn't march in time too. it's clean. really clean....cuts thru inside really well. Horns are out. ####, I'm sweating. A quick look at the crowd. Ok, there's Dad, Christine and her mom. my god, look at all the faces i know. After all these years, i'm nervous like i was in 89, the first time i played the gig. Mr Hershman steps up to the mike, and introduces us..." If you are wondering why this corps is not listed on your flyer, it can make it easy for you...when we sent the flyers out, this corps didnt exist yet. Would you please welcome, for their first performance anywhere, the Westshoremen Alumni drum and bugle corps." great crowd response...like ####...Shane's behind me muttering smack...he's in the zone. I gotta get there.

hornline kicks into a chorale of the Impossible Dream, one of Shore's two signature zones. ok, I'm red lined now...I wanna hit. I got tude...all i need is war paint and my bandanna(which was in my pocket...think pink!!!!!) We kick into America the Beuatiful, our long time parade tune. horns sound good....here come....26, 2, 3, 4 and the buzz rolls we know in our sleep...wooohooo we're rockin...Shane and i hit the runs...we yell...we hit the Surf's Up visual and i see at least 20 alums doin it in the crowd w/us! the "America the Latino" section grooves....big roll....Bud Dwyer visual(if you know who bud dwyer is, yes, we're sick)....runs...unison ending...####, no noticeable ticks.

hornline plays Danny Boy....Shane and I are muttering trash talk. we call ourselves one good set of hands...as we play basses one and two, i am the right hand and he is the left. we're ready. Carnival........4 run up...it's in! the groove is happening...if you look at the drumline, all heads are bobbing....drum solo....all those notes....split flam drags, runs, rolls, the snares and the stunt sticking...everyone's left leg pumping...god i need this on video. back out of drum solo, setting up the ending....Gene Simmons KISS leg lift on the singles......do the bow, slam the sitcks down! I am like totally in the zone.....flawless. That Westshore drumline magic is back!

Blues in the Night...maybe a screamer or two short of where we want to be...but wow....loud....tons of notes...old school park and bark...crowd goes nuts!!!! Yeah, it's our crowd...it's our town....as 93.5 says, It's the home of rock n roll.

we did it! we go off stage...try and breath and grab any kind of drink, adult or not. we look around.....the drumline has every year since 1978 represented....and despite all the years, two things are constant...we love each other, and we love to play. Many watery eyes. Of course, this was designed to be a one time thing...but we all look at each and say "if we do this next year......."

I am sure we were the youngest alumni corps to ever play that stage. I know our music is probably the most recent.age matters not....if you love it, and you want it, you can do it.

I will review the rest in a minute, but special thanks to several people...

Bill Toomey...you are a pain in my ###, and have been since i was born. people thought it would never happen, and i know i disagreed with you many times, but it happened...cause you wouldn't let it die.

next year, be there early w/our shirts.

Larry Hershman, Dan Rippon, Chuck Saia, Bill and Rose Light...you are 5 star brass. without your love for your old corps, we would not have had a place to perform. Thank you for letting us come home one more time.

Hoss...thank you for the phone call and saving my old drum for me...i am there if we do it next year. Also, thanks for the use of your equipment from First Class Percussion...the best training available for drummers ages 8-14.

Shane Thomas, or as we call him, mr Serenade in Brass. the king of filling in for the day, and a 12 year friend. you are the best left hand a bass 1 could ask for, and finally dude, we got to play Carnival together.

Joy Fasick...not only being drum major, but taking charge on the musical side. You did great girlfriend. No more OJ and Nicole jokes...well unless we do it again and Garrett is in.

Jersey Surf...thank you for the use of your drums. I promise we took care of them.

drumline...snares: Bobby Ciz, "T", Hoss, Joe Cool, Swerv and Tom. Tenors: Hoov and Toddy "Hey Poole" Seville. Basses: me, Shane, Deb, Jeremy(yer still Mustard to me) and Rand-I.

plates: Kristi, Mindy and Pam. Barb Haring on keys. Jeff Shipman roadie extroirdinaire. we did it.4 rehearsals. clean. all we needed was a viewing of Visionquest. Thanks for a great ride. Next year, lets some more faces in there w/us.

Fran Haring....you finally were on that stage. Hope it felt good, and thank you for keeping me entertained all day.

if i forgot anyone, I am sorry...i am still a little hungover. I owe ya one at Hershey.

[Jeffsjetta]

the rest of the show:

get off stage, and there's Glen Hazelwood and Liz Duguay! woohoo, they made it! and um hey Liz....yes, you're a redhead, and no you aren't fat. Both had me rolling...gang, hang with these two.....and hey you guys, sorry about how the night ended. I owe ya both a big one.

Erie, I am sorry I missed ya, but i had to load up the truck....rumor has it you were great, and you kept me entertained at the party...i finally met TommyTbird, Tom Matzcak, and of course, our bartender and yours, Jeff Gibbens.( and Jeff, i didn't see the show, so i didnt see if ya missed any notes lol).

Navy.....looking and sounding good, but Gene, if yer gonna do Xmen tunes, steal the licks!!!! Jeff Weir, Gene, Stansy, Shawn and co.....you have done a great job. and to the midshipmen, i know drum corps isn't why you went there, but you do a fabulous job. I am glad there are people like you out there defending slugs like me.

Bucs alumni...great job playing a bunch of Bucs standards.....very well done. Nice to see a lot of familar faces from my Bucs days there...you do your organization proud.

Bucs field corps.....ya know, i had heard ugly rumors...they aren't true. Yeah they were missing some bodies due to proms, indoor, college stuff. what they had there did a helluva job. it's a work in progress as most field corps are at this time of year. very nice brass sound, and improved percussion(Gordo, thank you for the loudest bass note of the night...i hope you could hear me laugh!) This show may be over the heads of some fans who feel "if it isn't like the old days it sucks", but this corps has serious talent, and should be respected and applauded. get yer missing troops in, add a few more horns, and i can't count you out. Your one weakness last year was drums...you have taken steps to improve that. I look forward to seeing this at Hershey.

Hip Pickles.....what can be said that hasn't? You guys continue to amaze, and hey, Chet even shut a heckler up. when you guys do the split stuff, there are bass lines that should watch and learn from you. First rate drumming, comedy, and entertainment. Chet, always a pleasure to see you, and we missed you at the party.

Hanover Lancers....had to miss you guys...i just needed a break, and unfortunately it came while you were on. However i did see a ton of people outise..Paul from the Brass Shop, Chalet and the gang helping start Rennasiance down below York, Jamie from Bucs pit, Gordo again.....too many to remember. But, Glen had me laughing too.

Reilly Raiders...the original bad boys of drum corps still have it, led by Larry Kerchner on stage. I wish you could have played the whole show...I missed Mcnamara's. Bobby Carney, please get a stool so we can see you! Great ending of Queen's "we are the champions". Billy Kauffman still has chops guys...that boy can drum.

Boston alumni....#### me. I don't know what else to say. hava Nagilah, Captain of Castille....wow. for you young pups who think alumni drumming is old school, check the toms out....those guys can hang w/any of today's tenor lines. old school tenors, quads, snares, basses. you name it,t hey play it. Highlight for me...they played the 2000 ballad "time to say goodbye"...but instead of singing Latin, they sang the corps song "Giant", and sequed into "Conquest" and yes, i did the chant. encore of When a Man loves a Woman and wow! BAC is it gang.

a great show. a fun party afterwards. I saw too many people to remember, but i am glad i saw you all. This is the longest running Indoor show around for a reason...no one goes home dissapointed.

and yes, the traditional day after hangover feels really good.

[Guest GeorgeD]

Great review Jeff.  Thanks!

[BrigsDM]

Man, Jeff!  What a great review!!  I totally felt like I was there with ya.  I fondly remember my days at the Forum with Bucs...especially my first time as a scared little Rookie.  What a great venue to watch drum corps!  Maybe someday we'll bring the corps down that way for the early season concert, but of course St. Joe's concert is just so darn close for us.  Anyway, thanks for bringing back my memories about the Forum!   :)

[Jeffsjetta]

thanks. now i have the itch to do it full time, but bass lines are full now.

maybe next year

[Jeffsjetta]

a month later, three things:

Roger Ellis, thank you so very much for the cd. I looped it for 6 hours yesterday.

Erie....finally heard ya...Holy ###### ####!!! You guys wailed!

and Fran Haring...great write up in DCW....and FYI, I'm still a brat!!!

[sajohnson160]

Jeff,

What's the chances you could hook me up with a copy of that CD?

[Jeffsjetta]

Jeff,

What's the chances you could hook me up with a copy of that CD?

how much beer ya got access too? ^0^

[sajohnson160]

Jeff,

What's the chances you could hook me up with a copy of that CD?

how much beer ya got access too? ^0^

Name your price <_<

Unfortunately, I am crippled on the technology side at this point so you'll need to send the file on a CD via snail-express.

[Jeffsjetta]

or hand it to ya at Hershey :)