Okay…where to start.
First, the show was amazing! Beautiful weather and awesome DCI Drum Corps.
I’ll start with the biggest surprise… the Sacramento Mandarins! Wow just wow! For those unaware, last year was the first they’d ever made Finals. It is clear that wasn’t good enough! They were entertaining, bold, technically precise, and fun. I’m moving them in my mental preseason standings to around 8. Cadets better watch their hineys.
I do want to roll back to earlier yesterday when I watched the “parts” of the show during rehearsal in Orange Cove prior to last night’s show.
For the first show of the year, rehearsal was surprisingly low key, efficient, and extremely well executed. Lots of staff encouragement. But the moment that struck me the most was a final word from the brass team staffer who closed rehearsal with “Guys … you BELONG here!” As if maybe he sensed unspoken doubt that we belong in the closing slot of a show with SCV and Blue Devils . And he repeated “You BELONG here!”
Fast forward a few hours. The Blue Devils are winding up a remarkable run on the field and I glance to my right to the baseball field where they were staging the Corps.
And I see all 154 of our men in a locked armed huddle. I teared up. I know what had to be going through their mind…especially after hearing SCV and then Devils right before them.
“Do we REALLY belong here?”
And then came and unleashed a show on Clovis , CA they’ll talk about for the rest of their lives.
Yeah, they had a little PA glitch. Didn’t matter! The brass line was as big and bold as I ever remember hearing a hornline. I’m not a great analyst of percussion or guard, but you could tell everyone was selling the show.
And the ending? Big, loud, and amazing. Best Cavies design since Mad World in 2010. Get on the train (pun intended) … this show is barreling down the tracks.
After the show, I got my annual traditional shot with my son…he in uniform and me in show shirt… I was summoned to pick up Drew Dickey at the airport. Drew is one of the senior Brass staff and a heckuva nice guy!
After our hellos, he said something like “I’m on Cloud 9”! I must have looked confused… he said “You haven’t heard? We beat the Blue Devils in Brass!”
I about swerved off the road! Folks, that’s been EIGHT years coming since we beat BD in Brass! Then I got to listen in as he was reviewing the brass judge’s field tape. Lots of praise coming from the judge!
Yes we DO belong. And this show has bigtime legs!
The season couldn’t have started any better.
We’re on a weird schedule in that we are leaving the school this morning for Palo Alto after breakfast. The corps will have an afternoon rehearsal and then a joint BBQ event with SCV and Blue Devils. Then the show tonight and on to Sacramento!
It’s a great time to be a Cavaliers fan!
More later!
Rolling With the Cavaliers 