Allentown, Field of Dreams

[mfrontz]

Dusk. Dan Acheson stands, head bowed, on the 50 yard line of an empty J. Birney Crum Stadium. A slick show promoter is standing at his side with a pen and a contract. Terrence Mann wanders the field nearby.

PROMOTER: So there's no dome. Bleacher seating. No amenities. No club boxes. The press box is ancient. It's hardly wired for internet. The field's a hundred feet from the stands. It's not air conditioned. A hill that half the spectators need golf carts to get up. It's not near a major airport. You have no parking. There's a diner and a hot dog restaurant and not much else nearby. The population's graying and the area band circuits are declining. Sign here and let's go somewhere bigger and more comfortable and near a decent microbrewery.

TERRENCE MANN: Dan.

Dan looks up.

People will come, Dan. They'll come to Pennsylvania for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll park along Linden Street and walk through the park and past the creek not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at that gate as innocent as children, longing for the past. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it, for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk up the hill to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect evening. They'll find they have reserved seats between the 45s, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll eat funnel cake and they'll watch the show and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces.

Mann gestures, and Dan turns to his left. We see the 1977 Bridgemen, the 1980 27th Lancers, the 1992 Star of Indiana, the 2004 Glassmen and other corps from the past entering from the gate. With them are Royer, Warren, Seawright, Zingali, Ott, Brubaker, Kempf, Owens, Wolner, and a host that perhaps cannot be counted. Bob Bennett is with them. Paul Cain sits at the announcer's table.

The one constant through all the years, Dan, has been Allentown. The activity has marched by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rewritten and erased again. It's been domed, turfed, synthed, amped, propped, miced and danced. But Allentown has marked the time. This hill, this field, this show; it's a part of our past, Dan. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. Oh…people will come, Dan. People will most definitely come.

GEORGE ZINGALI: That was beautiful, man. ####### beautiful.

DAN ACHESON: I won't sign.

PROMOTER: Until next year...

 

Wish I were going. Next year in Allentown.

 

 

Edited August 1, 2019 by mfrontz

[Jeff Ream]

beautiful. absolutely beautiful

[Terri Schehr]

I love that. 💕

I never marched in Allentown but I do feel that way about Whitewater. I marched there when I was 14 and when I was 44.  When I was 44, I was on the field in retreat with my kid.  

So Whitewater is my field of dreams. 

[Ghost]

5 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

 So Whitewater is my field of dreams. 

Way back when was Manning Bowl and Boston College.   Currently it's any senior softball field I play on.

[Jeff Ream]

Having marched there, tho for DCA, taught kids that performed there, and then judged there for band stuff, that's JBC. It used to be Hershey ( which i did all 3 at also), but HERCO screwed that all up. So now it's JBC for me.

[Eleran]

You had me until you said "sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect evening".

Always feels north of 90/90 degrees/humidity to me.

Edited August 1, 2019 by Eleran

[DWW11]

Such a well written, beautiful piece, but i agree with Eleran... when i leave Allentown, i am always soaking wet, either from torrential downpours or sweat.  But i still go.... every year.

[OldSnareDrummer]

Good stuff. We all have venues that hold special memories and/or traditions and are near to the heart. Certainly Whitewater, and Mile High for me.  

[Glenn426]

This place has a special and emotional connection for many Corps.

Cadets and Boston have special traditions that date back decades.

The Outdoor Championship. No Excessive Reverb or Rim shots bouncing off the roof here.

For Purist this is the Mecca.

[Old Corps Guy]

This works for me at both JBC and Whitewater.  I have marched/taught for both locations.  I also attended UW Whitewater.

Well done.