Bring On the Heat

Today was hot! After a long bus ride we arrived in Kansas. It reminded all of us that there is no place like home. The air temperature hovered around 102 with high humidity. We had access to an AstroTurf field today which means that 10 degrees of heat was reflected back to the members. We took water breaks every 15 minutes and every hour took a shade break.

Our evening ensemble block was fantastic. The stadium lights were turned on allowing us to practice until 10. A breeze picked up and the temperature dropped down to a comfortable 77 with thunder storms off in the horizon.

Too close for comfort

The show tonight was not set up for success. Our buses were stopped at a weigh station and the airport for longer than expected. The warm up was extremely short, which can lead to problems for the members. The members of the Mandarins rolled up their sleeves and dug deep to perform one of the best shows of the season.

We are leaving Denver now to travel into Kansas. 476 miles to go. Tomorrow's goal is to clean up the opener and change drill for a couple sections.

the bus

The drum corps bus is a unique place. Everything in drum corps changes daily but the bus is the only consistant thing we have. For the people who ride the bus it is our home. Once on the bus we can relax and forget about the trials of the day.

The Mandarins buses are rented from Star of America. In our buses this summer we have a DVD player, VHS player and a 6 disc CD changer. As if that wasn't enough for entertainment each bus has it's own Wi-Fi network. I am curious as to what the members will be more agitated about, no Wi-Fi or no ac?

There is no mistaking who in entering the parking lots with these buses either. Each bus says "Sacramento Mandarins" along the side. The banner also includes a flourish design that can be seen in the show on all of our flags.

Colorado swing

Our time in Colorado is coming to an end. We had our last rehearsal day here in Brush, CO which contained work on the opener and closer. Whew, the air is thin up here. Tonight - Mile High Stadium! Then headed to Kansas.

DCI's Field Pass: Absolute Mandarins

When it comes to the 2009 Mandarins, nothing but the "Absolute" best will do. In today's Field Pass, Dan Potter has a parking lot chat with five Mandarins drummers and listens to highlights of the corps' show.

http://bit.ly/IOvf2

Vista CA 7/5/09 - Last California Show

Arrived at John North High School in the early a.m. Had two short, but very productive rehearsal blocks today. The runthrough was very good, the staff was impressed! We did have a bit of a drive in front of us, as our housing was about 65 miles from the show site.

The performance that night was definitely the best of the weekend. One indication: "Partita" which is the Absolute Velocity portion of the program, held together from a music ensemble standpoint and the visual book looked more under control. The changes in the guard staging during the ballad also came across tonight. Overall, the corps members seemed very happy with their show when we circled up after the performance.

One last meal (of course) at the show site, then back home for a short week. Monday - off; Tuesday - rehearsal and load the trucks; Wednesday - off; Thursday - fly out to Colorado and start the Sacramento Mandarins 2009 DCI Tour!

4th of July in the Rose Bowl

The 4th of July was spent in Pasadena. Upon arrival at Pasadena High School in the early morning we encountered a bit of difficulty as the janitor (new to the job) had a key ring with dozens of keys, but none that would open the main gate to the campus. As a result, we loaded in the gym through the locker rooms until the day janitor arrived at about 9 a.m.

The pit spent the day with Tony Nunez who is with us the entire weekend. Tony has extensive drum corps, marching band, and house band experience with electronics and front ensembles. Since electronics are new to drum corps, having an expert work with the corps over the weekend will enable us to insure that we are making the most out of this new aspect of the drum corps idiom.

After the morning block, it was off to the Rose Bowl. This event is a drum corps exhibition show, capped by a fireworks display. The corps' performance was much improved over the previous evening. Tempos were more under control, guard enhancements added during the week came across well, and the entire performance was more solid.

As an encore, the brass and battery performed American Salute for the vast audience in the end zone. Why do they sit in the end zone? - for a better view of the fireworks! After the last corps performed, all of the brass lines combined for a rendition of America the Beautiful. Then, the fireworks display - it was impressive, dazzling, awe inspiring and more. The fact that the Rose Bowl sits in a valley and that the display was centered on the Rose Bowl made the fireworks quite spectacular.

After the show, it's off to John North High School in Riverside.