The show review that wasn't
Jeff Ream
of.
first off, huge thanks to Tom Peashey and Kelly Bitner. At Tom's encouragement,
i was put in touch w/Kelly, who is the editor at DCW, and boom, next thing i
know i am a DCW show writer. Way too coool...Tom thanks for the nod, Kelly for
listening to 1000 questions, and special thanks to Ace Holleran for being a
mentor. maybe next year.
anyways, after all day at the NJA clinic, Christine, Wieseman and i speed up 15
to go to an old friend...Christy Mathewson stadium, on the campus of Bucknell
University, Lewisburg PA. This show was its roots back to 1949, and was started
by the Milton Keystoners sr corps(who, the program said won the 1957 VFW
open....Ron? Chris? i never heard that one)
parking a bit of an issue....campus has grown since the last show there in
86ish. but hey we get there, find everyone i had tickets for except Liz who
was still en route, and inside we go. Stadium looked great...individual seats
for all between the 20's, awesome turf, better lighting....nice place for a
show already.
after getting Christine off to the seats w/all of her family in tow, i head off
to find Matt Wagner of the show commitee who got me press box seats( as always,
as he has since 1985, Matt comes thru in the clutch.). Work my way
upstairs...and...oh no. lightning. it's 7:05.
so i get myself organized, heard the hs band behind the stadium getting ready
for the national anthem....and boom. it's 7:15 and we have storm.
one hell of a storm. wind blowing hard, borderline gales....rain blowing
sideways, hail, and quite a light show. So, i call Tom P to let him know um,
we're delayed.
the press box is frantic as people are trying to find out what's going on.
Bucknell AD, John Hardt, helps me kill time while explaining to me how the
field drains, and literally, you could watch the field and see it work...very
cool. His son is in Lewisburg HS band, so for an AD, he is very band
friendly...bonus.
rain dies out...we're told about 25 minutes til he show starts. so, i go find
Christine and crew, who were soaked( man did i get looks for being dry)
apologized a lot, and asked her father, a Lutheran minister if he could help us
out any. His reply: " I am in sales Jeff, not management"
that phrase scared me...i knew it could be ugly.
so, i call Tom P back give him the update, get settled again, and here comes
the combined band of Lewisburg HS and Mifflinburg HS. For the life of me i cant
remember the directors name for Lewisburg(program is in the car drying) and
Matt Wagner, band director at Mifflinburg did a great job getting the kids
together to play America the Beautiful and the Star Spangled Banner. Plus, they
did an armed forces medly, and it was great to see vets from each branch stand
up when their hymn played.
then, the announcer calls Carolina Gold to the gate...running late i guess. and
then...more lightning. Gold's pit starts setting up. Even more lightning....i
see Mickey Petrone give the judges upstairs the clear out sign.....the
announcer tells people to get out of the stands for safety...not good. Carolina
Gold starts serenading the fans outside the stadium...wow...brass in hand with
lightning...um...ok. not me thanks.
i go downstairs to try and get some official word, bs w/Chris Killian from Bush
for a second, and rain...so i run back upstairs. word is out show is off, so I
call Tom P, and boom the power goes off.
my first thought....####, this will screw up seeding.
so, when it dies down somewhat, i gather my stuff, head for the car and
boom...accident on 15 south. branches all over the road.
Christine, who grew up in the area finds us back roads and to her moms house we
go to dry off.
sigh. it looked like it would be fun. i was hyped to see all the corps.
Thanks to Tom P for taking all the calls. Graham Showalter Esq, and commitee
thanks for trying. Matt Wagner, as you have since you walked into Camp Hill HS
in 1985, thanks for being the coolest band director on the planet.
well.....god i love the last 2 weeks til finals.
Jeff Ream
"I'm the drummer your guard captain warned you about"
Sis
Hehehehe. That's the longest show review of a show that didn't happen
that I ever read!
;-)
Jackie
Jeff Ream
>Subject: Re: The show review that wasn't
>From: Sis sist...@worldnet.att.net
>Date: 8/17/2003 2:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <3F3F200...@worldnet.att.net>
JimF-xWSMbari
>rain dies out...we're told about 25 minutes til he show starts. so, i go find
>Christine and crew, who were soaked( man did i get looks for being dry)
>apologized a lot, and asked her father, a Lutheran minister if he could help
>us
>out any. His reply: " I am in sales Jeff, not management"
Something about Lutheran ministers and dry (no pun intended) senses of humor.
Our previous guy would have said: "Do something about the weather? What did I
get a promotion?"
>so, when it dies down somewhat, i gather my stuff, head for the car and
>boom...accident on 15 south. branches all over the road.
So that's what it was. Had an ambulance sitting next to me until the police
funneled us down a lane and a half wide goat path to clear the highway. Guess
the ambie was there as a precaution. Figured both sides of 15 was closed as
cars (and guy pulling a boat) were coming the other direction on the path. Add
flashes of lighting, being soaked from the waist down and the fan on full blast
to keep the windshield from fogging up to make you think staying at the stadium
might have been a better idea.
Keith Hall
out any. His reply: " I am in sales Jeff, not management" >>
Now that is funny!!!! I guess because I am Lutheran as well.
Reminds me of a pastor at a church in Buffalo who told the choir a story about
him taking a theology student on nursing home rounds. They get to this one
woman and he knows the visit isn't going anywhere so he says, "Let's have a
prayer." With that, the old woman says, "F*#@ the prayer!" Without skipping a
beat he continues the short prayer and looks at the young student who is trying
with all her might not to crack up. As they walk to the car, he says sometimes
these things happen.
Keith Hall
Royal Coachmen 1969-77
Frontiersmen (summers 1977and 81)
On staff with:
Lockport-Rochester Renegades (summer 1982), Rochester Patriots,
Schlossgarde (DCD Champs 1987,88), Rochester Crusaders and Heatwave (Orlanda,
FL)
Jeff Ream
>Subject: Re: The show review that wasn't
>From: Ron Allard R...@Diceman.com
>Date: 8/17/2003 4:54 AM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <dhgujvosbr420q3bf...@4ax.com>
>
>On 17 Aug 2003 06:08:01 GMT, jeffs...@aol.comspamthis (Jeff Ream) wrote:
>
>>
>>anyways, after all day at the NJA clinic, Christine, Wieseman and i speed up
>15
>>to go to an old friend...Christy Mathewson stadium, on the campus of
>Bucknell
>>University, Lewisburg PA. This show was its roots back to 1949, and was
>started
>>by the Milton Keystoners sr corps(who, the program said won the 1957 VFW
>>open....Ron? Chris? i never heard that one)
>
>Me, neither...
>Reilly won the '57 VFWs...
>(Maybe they mean a State Championship?)
>
>
>--
>Ron in Vegas
>ron.allard(at)att.net
>
>"Because there was always something about the Skyliners...
>and that music..."
>- Donnie Solinger
>
>Diceman Radio: 24/7 Old Time Drum Corps
>http://www.live365.com/stations/diceman719
>
>Senior Corps History site:
>http://www.SrCorps.com
Jeff Ream
news reported PA had over 700 lightning strikes last night
>Subject: Re: The show review that wasn't
>From: kaf...@aol.com (JimF-xWSMbari)
>Date: 8/17/2003 8:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <20030817082701...@mb-m12.aol.com>
Lou Labetti
find me!!!!
BigLou
http://www.drumcorp.com
"Jeff Ream" <jeffs...@aol.comspamthis> wrote in message
news:20030817020801...@mb-m12.aol.com...
Jeff Ream
>Subject: Re: The show review that wasn't
>From: "Lou Labetti" llab...@tampabay.rr.com
>Date: 8/18/2003 12:42 AM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <IOY%a.54885$On2.2...@twister.tampabay.rr.com>
Lou Labetti
"Jeff Ream" <jeffs...@aol.comspamthis> wrote in message
news:20030818004800...@mb-m12.aol.com...
JimF - xWestshore
hopefully every one is safe. - Jim
August 17, 2003
Storms cause problems throughout the region
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By John Finnerty
The Daily Item
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNBURY — The Valley escaped the worst blackout in U.S. history
Thursday, but Saturday the region got a taste of that medicine as
severe thunderstorms caused scattered power outages among other
problems.
Among the most high-profile problem areas were Route 15 and Route 11,
both in Monroe Township. A stretch of Route 15 was closed for a period
after large trees fell onto power lines, which then fell onto the road
around 7:30 p.m.
About an hour later, emergency crews were called to a stretch of Route
11 to cope with numerous trees that fell onto the road there.
The storms caused the cancellation of several Valley events Saturday
night, including the boat parade planned as part of the Sunbury River
Festival and The Calvacade of Champions at Bucknell University.
The drum-and-bugle corps show was canceled after the storm knocked out
power at the Bucknell stadium, but the blackout wasn't very
widespread. An emergency services dispatcher said the Lewisburg area
only experienced pockets of power outages due to the storm.
Widespread power outages were reported in Northumberland due to the
storm.
E-mail comments to jfin...@dailyitem.com .
Jeff Ream
it was a little scay when the lights went out, as the rainw as moving
sideways, and i was trapped in the press box.
it wasnt one of my top ten laugher moments
>Subject: Re: The show review that wasn't
>From: NanciD nan...@dreamscape.com
>Date: 8/18/2003 9:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <1pj1kv00scua1oms0...@4ax.com>
>
>On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 04:56:26 GMT, "Lou Labetti"
><llab...@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
>
>>I sure do. Man did it get a little scary when the lights went out.
>
>Now, that's funny. Big Lou is affraid of the dark. Aww...
>LOL
Lou Labetti
BigLou
http://www.drumcorp.com
"NanciD" <nan...@dreamscape.com> wrote in message
news:1pj1kv00scua1oms0...@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 04:56:26 GMT, "Lou Labetti"
> <llab...@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
>
> >I sure do. Man did it get a little scary when the lights went out.
>
Big Rich Soprano
Lou.... seek professional help....lol