Do NOT miss the Bluecoats Alumni Corps...DO NOT!!!

[ThePlanets]

To anyone who participated in the Bluecoats alumni corps-

Thank you so much for the wonderful, fun, emotional performance. I don't think that there is a corps to be more proud of. My personal favorite was "the wink". The bluecoats have raised the bar on alumni participation.

I was hoping to experience it in person in Akron but it rained on our parade. My husband was unable to participate unfortunately and I couldn't get off work yesterday to drive to Indy but I am looking forward to seeing the Bluecoats and the Bluecoats family in person next year!

Edited August 13, 2022 by ThePlanets

[Jeff Ream]

Uncle Larry, i hope you have the most enjoyable hangover of your life this morning.

 

Congrats to all, it was amazing. Especially to may many friends who performed, taught or did support

[snare_guy_83]

Bluecoats Alumni

If this doesn't move you emotionally, then you are dead inside...

Edited August 13, 2022 by snare_guy_83

[NakedEye]

It was pure joy. 😀

[nero14]

On 8/8/2022 at 9:17 AM, Super Don-O said:

Bold statement looking back at what alumni corps like 27, Star and others have given us in the past, but boy am I hoping you're right.

425. Holy hell. When they get to the big hit in The Boxer you may have frightened neighbors calling 9-1-1.

Any thoughts on the finished product ? 

[Super Don-O]

2 minutes ago, nero14 said:

Any thoughts on the finished product ? 

They had me right from the honor guard. The flag with the ribbons for each member who's left us... on the field together one more time. My eyes were blurry from that moment on.

Great performance, especially loved watching this year's kids living it with them from the front sideline. So much emotion. And then the Autumn Leaves with the new kids mixed in with the old-timers, just awesome.

[Vidal28Rdg]

Finally saw a video of the alumni corps performance in its entirety, oh my god that was unreal…

with Bluecoats being one of the VERY FIRST drum corps I heard in any kind of media as a freshman in HS(my memory is a bit hazy, Tilt was more than likely the first Drum corps show I’ve ever heard)just barely getting my feet wet in 2014. They have honestly been one of my favs since then, watching and listening to the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 shows…I kept saying I’ve seen these shows more than I probably should’ve!! The way they mashed up some of my favorite shows of mine in the activity got me all “YEAHHHHHH LETS GO BLOO!!” more than a few times out in public. They were so great in mixing the old and the new together, and I can’t really say much else, every emotion, feeling and expression was evident in that performance. It would’ve been everything I wanted and more were I have been there in person🫡🫡🫡

[oldbandguy]

OK...what corps is next?

[kevingamin]

I was in the Bluecoats Alumni Corps Friday night.

This was special for me, as the corps invited Glassmen Alumni to join them. I haven't had a corps to call him since 2013. then, both Glassmen and Empire Statesmen folded, leaving me a corps orphan. I remember writing that as Empire left the field in Annapolis, then having to all but run to the bathroom because I was overwhelmed by the emotion and couldn't think of where else I could go so I could cry by myself.

When the invitation came from Bob Higgins, who taught me at Glassmen, and Jay Wise, an incredible human being who gave up his chance to perform so the corps could be as organized as possible for this undertaking, I was honored and accepted immediately.

It was during the Bluecoats run through the Sunday before Finals, as the alumni corps sat in the stands and gave the kids the drum corps version of the Care Bear Stare, that one thought popped in my mind:

I have a home again. I have a corps again.

All of a sudden, I couldn't see the corps anymore. I could only sit there, sobbing as quietly as I could, but this time with the joy of that thought warming my heart. I actually had to stop typing this up for a moment as the feeling came back from the memory.

Then we performed.

If you've seen the video, you have an idea of the power and emotion we performed with that night. You heard and saw the crowd's reaction. You even caught glimpses of the 2022 corps, on the sideline, returning the love we gave them Sunday night.

If you were in the stadium, the impact was even more powerful because you were THERE. You were in that moment. You knew we were pulling off something special.

If you were a 2022 Bluecoats member, I hope you know how much the alumni love and support you. I think you do, based on how much emotion I saw from you when the video cut to you. You will always have your Bluecoats family.

And, if you were on that field with me, you couldn't help but be proud of what we all accomplished. We only really spent 10 days together as a full corps, 3 in July and the week leading up to our performance in August. Even after COVID tried to get in our way, WE DID THE THING.

I tried out for Bluecoats in 1991, ironically when they played Nutville as their opener. It took 31 years, but I finally performed Nutville at DCI with the Bluecoats.

I can say forever more that I AM A BLUECOAT.

Six words.

[denmum]

53 minutes ago, oldbandguy said:

OK...what corps is next?

I think it is Crossmen in 2024.