Racine Scouts Birthday Bash

[ScribeToo]

Okay.. so we're finally home after a long day and a good first show sunburn.

We got to the stadium around 1:30 and even though the flyer we referred to (linked through DCP) said the gates opened at noon.. about the only people we found there were a couple of Classic Cavalier guys and their re-covered snares. The Racine Scouts were there, too.. but when we were told the gates would open at 3, we decided to go off in search of a corps practice.

I knew The Kilts would be practicing.. and figured they'd be at Gilmore so we headed over -- just in time for lunch break. We watched the drumline for a short time and they sounded kind of rough... though there were some cool parts and the bass drum line sounded pretty good. We also got a chance to watch the guard practice for a little bit, too.. and they looked pretty good, too. I was laughing at some of the old guys gawking at the cute young girls in bikini tops practicing. They walk kind of slow past the guard when they go by.. that made me laugh. It was also nice to reconnect with some old friends. Kathy (who was in the pit my final year in the corps) was there and aside from a little confidence issue, she seems to be doing really well on the cymbal line. It was also nice to see Kathy Strege again -- she didn't recognize me and that made me laugh, too. I sometimes forget I don't look the same as I did when I marched. Here's a picture I took at Gilmore:

I don't know if someone was sleeping at the rehearsal site or what.. that just made me laugh.

when the rest of the corps broke for lunch we decided to head back over to Case HS to see if the place was hoppin yet.. indeed it was. Pioneer was warming up in the parking lot.. people were milling around.. sitting on the hoods of their trucks to watch and listen. As we pulled in we saw Ed and Christina Dempsey standing outside talking to Steve Vickers. We went inside with them. Mike was excited about getting his first show dog of the season. We paid our $20.. got our tickets and coupons for cake and ice cream and went to get the first show dog of the season. I give it about a 5.

We wandered back and found some seats low on the 50 since there were no lines painted on the field and we figured there wouldn't be any drill.

First corps out was the Racine Junior Scouts. They were pretty small and clearly very old school. For those of you out there who long for the old days where kids just joined off the streets and learned by rote.. you all should be clamoring for a spot on this corps' sponsor roll. in all, they were pretty decent.. and they seemed genuinely happy for the applause and picture taking.

next out were the Racine Explorer Scouts -- better known by drum corps audiences as the Chrome domes.. they put on a nice show and they had the full corps out there. Even Guard for a few pieces. Eventually, they were joined by the Racine Scouts Alumni Corps -- and they played some pieces together with the current corps.. that was also nice.

I do have to say that we've got a competition brewing. Last year, Mike and I dubbed the kid playing ratchet in the pit for Racine Scouts "The King of Drum Corps" -- and guess what.. he's back! I say he is still the King of Drum Corps.. but he's got competition. In the Racine Junior Scouts, there's a young man who plays the cymbals and I tell ya, he's a contender! He's awesome. Mike pointed out every time he crashes, he flinches but he never messes up at all! So there may be a usurper to the throne! We'll keep you updated on that.

I also have to say the announcer they had for this performance was .. well.. he was awesome. At first he was just kind of this background buzzing.. you know, sometimes when announcers talk too much you just tune them out.. and he started out that way.. but then somebody caught wind of something he said that was totally random and completely funny and from that point on, we were just in stitches. I don't know who he was but he was hysterical. He was wearing a Kenosha Queensmen corps jacket, though so if anybody knows who he is or knows him, please pass along how much we enjoyed his commentary.

After the Racine Scouts came Pioneer -- already in full uniform, too! wahoo! Even with what, I presume were some holes from kids who had school or family commitments, they seem bigger this year. Their drum major stood in the stands just behind us and a little girl in the bottom row was positively fascinated with that guy in white who, everytime he waved his arms around, he made the music happen. I'll be looking forward to hearing their full show. In all honesty, I really liked the improved sound in the hornline -- though I hope they have more bodies behind horns making that sound.. it was really starting to be kind of pretty!

After a lot of announcements and proclamations, the Classic Cavaliers came out and they were awesome (even if one of those snare guys sent his stick flying on the cool visual -- hahaha!) They were playing all early drum corps classic music and the snares are all tuned nice and loose so it's real meaty and fits well with the sound of the hornline and the arrangements. I also watched this corps (or pieces of it) perform yesterday for the folks seeking shelter under the stadium at the Cavaliers kickoff BBQ and I have to say, those guys can jam.. and the guys in the junior corps all love to gather around and cheer them on.

shortly afterwards, the Cavaliers junior corps arrived and arced up in front of us. We picked out the guy in the Tuba line and caught him at parade rest but with a big grin on his face. Mike shouted out to him to stop smiling and his smile just got bigger. We found out later he was laughing at us because he could hear us talking about pedicures or something. Funny kid. Soon he won't be a new guy anymore and we can't give him any guff anymore... :) we get to enjoy it while we still can. here's a picture of us with our kid:

We're sending him Jolly Ranchers in his first care package.

They played music we'd heard them play the day before.. but not all of it -- so for those of you who were there and read my comments earlier about "Jennifer" -- you didn't hear it today. You will, though.

For those of you who want to know source music -- it's hard to say "movement 1 was this piece and that piece.. movement 2 was that piece and another piece.." because it's really not like that. You'll hear melodies you know and some you don't.. and then you'll hear them again later in the show.. One of the boys was kind enough to talk to us about it yesterday and explained it by saying when "Movin' Out" was written, it was done so using existing Billy Joel music to create a narrative.. and that's sort of the same approach that was used. So without going into too much detail -- not because I was asked not to, but because it's really hard to figure out how to do it -- the show will be a combination and re-combination of a series of pieces. They are using phrases and themes from The Stranger, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Angry Young Man, Invention in C Minor, Pressure and, I think, a few others. We only heard the first two movements today.

We also adopted the bass line who are all rook-outs this season. We met them while they ate their ice cream and cake on the grass in the breezy sunshine. Such nice kids .. polite and funny. Good kids.. even if they are rook-outs

after tasting all the drum corps goodness Racine had to offer today, we set off for home.

It's good to be home. It's good to have the season underway.

Funniest random comment heard by the snack bar (not from any corps member) was about the funniest tattoo ever seen. Apparently, Roman Blenski has a tattoo on his forearm that says, "better every day" -- the random commenter said, "he should have, it can't get any worse on the other arm!" Harsh, but funny. I love drum corps fan humor.

[uncle z]

I think that's Casa de Scerpella!!!

[Scerpella]

I think that's Casa de Scerpella!!!

Correct. Us 1/2 Irish northern European types need somewhere to get out of the sun every now and again. I actually did end up taking about a one half hour nap in there at lunch!

[Altoid Shirley]

Correct. Us 1/2 Irish northern European types need somewhere to get out of the sun every now and again. I actually did end up taking about a one half hour nap in there at lunch!

now thats when someone should have collapsed the tent on you...that would have been funny

[Voyager]

so, was Pioneer wearing new unis? Descriptions? Pictures?

[uncle z]

so, was Pioneer wearing new unis? Descriptions? Pictures?

Looked like the same uni to me.....but then, the color guard or pit was not in attendance.

[Scerpella]

We also got a chance to watch the guard practice for a little bit, too.. and they looked pretty good, too. I was laughing at some of the old guys gawking at the cute young girls in bikini tops practicing. They walk kind of slow past the guard when they go by.. that made me laugh.

I think you mistake interest in the guard because we have one and because they have some nice work this year for something else.

[PhantomR]

So they're playing music from Movin' Out? That's awesome... saw the play live on broadway in 04. It was quite interesting to say the least, but the music was REALLY good. I bought the cd after the play was over, but I think I may have left it in New York, because I haven't seen it since.

~>conner

[ScribeToo]

So they're playing music from Movin' Out? That's awesome... saw the play live on broadway in 04. It was quite interesting to say the least, but the music was REALLY good. I bought the cd after the play was over, but I think I may have left it in New York, because I haven't seen it since.

~>conner

I don't think they're playing just the music from Movin' Out, I think that there are a number of those pieces in their show.. but that the idea behind Movin' Out (the narrative constructed out of existing music) was the inspiration. Plus we didn't hear as much of the show on Sunday as we had on Saturday.. it was all cool, though.

Someone told me pretty much all the source music could be found on the 12 Gardens CD (I hope that's the name, I can hardly remember now)..

Stef

[PhantomR]

Very cool. The fact that they're at least playing bits from Movin' Out makes me so much more excited about the show. That was some great music.

~>conner