Bill Flaker DCA PR Team
The heat wave that hit the Northeast the past few days was no way as hot as the competition on the field tonight at Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport. With the stands nearly full, the drum corps fans in attendance were enthusiastic and were rewarded with a great show.
The Reading Buccaneers took it up another notch this evening as they came to play and leave no doubt that they are the early favorites to regain the DCA title. Many visual changes have been made since Wildwood two weeks ago and the back half of this program will have the fans on their feet voicing their approval.
The long bus trip from Minnesota did not detract from the performance of the defending DCA champs, Minnesota Brass Inc. Even with a three hour delay due to a bus breakdown their "Bonnie and Clyde" program complete with a getaway car was a hit with the fans.
The most entertaining show this evening probably was the Las Vegas show presented by the Empire Satesmen. Complete with a solo dancer who disappears and the reappears on the field the Statesmen received a huge standing ovation as they trooped the stands.
The Connecticut Hurricanes have gone in a new direction this year as they are presenting "Blokes and Birds", with British flavored music. The color guard was on fire tonight as they captured top honors while the percussion line finished a strong second.
The Hawthorne Caballeros like the Buccaneers, have made much progress since Wildwood with the horn line and color guard leading the way with third place finishes. Their "Alegria!" program in 2012 is vintage Hawthorne that showcases several outstanding soloists.
The Bushwackers despite being small in size, presented their Americana show with heart and determination to succeed in 2012. Right now the percussion section is the corps strength and with new members coming in the Bushwackers will reach their goals this year.
The New York Skyliners Alumni Corps took the fans down memory lane with many of their trademark musical charts. An encore of "Elks Parade" had the fans on their feet and clapping with the music.
The Westchester Brassmen presented an opening exhibition with a diverse musical book and a drum line that could compete at the DCA level. Their "Mag 7" closer had the Hurricane faithful smiling and clapping in time.
The hometown corps, Park City Pride are using the music of Frank Sinatra this year and are as entertaining as they are talented. Their salute to America closer brought the house down to conclude an outstanding exhibition.
To put the icing on the cake, the Hawthorne Caballero Alumni Corps is a show all by itself. Coming off the line with their trademark "rumps" this unit has the fans attention from start to finish. The color pre of "Flamenca Cha Cha" is still a crowd pleaser that brings the fans to their feet.
The Barnum Festival committee is to be given a huge amount of credit for giving the fans an outstanding drum corps show for the value price of FIVE DOLLARS! That broke down to fifty cent per corps this evening! This is a great way to build the fan base as tonight's event may have been the best ever June competition in DCA memory. All of the corps tonight were more prepared at this time than last year and this years shows may turn out to be the most intense in recent memory. Next stop up next is the Grand Prix in Clifton, N.J. and the much waited debut of Cadets 2 on July 14th.
