Decatur, IN

Location: Bishop Dwenger High School, 1300 E Washington Center Rd, Fort Wayne, IN

The corps scored a 65.5 last night in Erie as we once again saw a new panel of judges. At this point in the season it is about getting seen and getting clean, there is still much to add to this show (Pre-show, Movement, Flags, etc.)! We have headed back to Decatur and will have a much needed rehearsal day before leaving to South Milwaukee for the show on July 1st.

Erie, PA

Location: Mercyhurst North East Campus, 16 W. Division Street, North East, PA 16428

No rain out last Night! At the Waves of Thunder in Decatur, Indiana, Revolution received a score of 68.5! Congratulations on a fine performance! While the judges want to see more of the 4 elements of the show they do appreciate the high level that all sections are performing. There is a DCP thread that gives a play by play of the show.

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=126057&st=60

The corps is currently in Erie, PA having arrived there early this morning after a fuel stop by all the vehicles. We will rehearse and hope that tonight's show does not get rained out. 50% chance of showers come show time. The best news is though that they are in much cooler weather than this 100+ degree Texas heat!

Show Site: McDowell’s Gus Anderson Field, 3580 W 38th Street, Erie, PA

Rain Out

Location: Bishop Dwenger High School 1300 E Washington Center Rd, Fort Wayne, IN

The show last night was rained out.  While we did get to perform and get judges tapes we were not given a score.  The performance continues to improve as the members get more confident in their show.  Today's weather is nice and cool and hopefully NO RAIN OUT!!!!!!

Show:

Bob Worthman Stadium - Decatur H.S. 

1000 E. North Adams Drive 
Decatur, IN 46733

On to show #2

Location: Brooks Middle School, 350 Blair Lane, Bolingbrook, IL 60440

The corps had a wonderful stay in Lamoni. The folks there were so friendly, and even Carlos made a new 'friend' that literally chased him around. Woof, Woof, Carlos!

After a terrific performance at Graceland University last night for the great folks in Lamoni, the corps boarded the buses and headed for their second show tonight in Naperville, IL. We will post their score from tonight's performance as soon as it is available. GOOD LUCK, REVOLUTION!

Show site: Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium - North Central College, 455 South Brainard Street,  Naperville, IL 60540

Great first show!

Revolution 65.300

Congratulations!! The season is off to a great start! Even with first show jitters, missing plumes and borrowed pit carts the corps still put on a great show! This is the highest June debut score in Corps history!

The corps will be doing a show for the town of Lamoni today at Graceland University at the request of the residents of the town. Lamoni has been very receptive and has taken the corps under their wing. Graceland University donated water and gatorade and offered the corps the use of their field to practice on. The city of Lamoni has been very good to our corps!

West Des Moines, IA - (First Show)

Location: Lamoni High School -202 N. Walnut Street, Lamoni, IA 50140

The corps arrived in Iowa last night after leaving Kansas during some heavy thunderstorms. The Walmart stop was finally completed last night and they have their first show this afternoon. We will post scores and results as soon as they are available. GOOD LUCK!!

Show Site: West Des Moines Valley Stadium, 4440 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, IA 50266

Kansas City, KS

Location:
Wyandotte High School
2501 Minnesota
Kansas City, KS 66102

The corps has arrived in Kansas City and will once again be putting on a clinic for the students at our host school. The corps continues to get a little better as we learn to adjust to life on the road and deal with all the tour madness. First show is tommorrow so the group will be doing uniform runs today to get better prepared.

On The Road Again!

Location:
Spring Creek Baptist Church
11701 N. MacArthur Blvd
Oklahoma City, OK 73162

The Corps is officially on the road and Tour 2009 is in full swing! EVERYONE was glad to get out of TX and get this show on the road! While we have not escaped the heat it is nice to get away and see a different location. We had bus issues last night (Late/missing seat/Storage Bays) that pushed our departure back but we managed to make it all work and get on the road. We are very grateful to the Akins HS housing site for our wonderful 2 week stay.

Menu:
Breakfast: Cold Cereal with Bananas
Lunch: Enchilada Cassarole
Dinner: Spagetti with Meat Sauce

2009 Texas Drum Corps Preview

The corps performed last night at the drum corps preview on the steps of the Texas Capital here in Austin. They were nothing short of amazing. They sounded great, and looked sharp in their Revo Under Armour and black shorts. As hot as it's been here lately, their uniforms would just be too uncomfortable.

After their performance, many in the audience (and not just Revo supporters) were on their feet cheering for the corps. John Rodriguez received the following email today:

"I just returned home from watching the Texas Drum Corps preview. What a great surprise to hear the corps this year! The hornline may be smaller than The Crossmen but your hornline put out much more power and better quality sound. Your arrangers have done a great job with the musical program this year. I can't wait to see the show on the field. I was in Madison cherring for Revolution with my little Texas flag in hand the year that Revolution won the Divison 2 championships. Good luck this season!"

Today was laundry day for the corps, and tomorrow they will rehearse and get ready to hit the road. What a great two weeks this has been! I'm so proud of what the corps and the staff has accomplished, and I am truly in awe of these fine young men and women.

The heat continues

The past few days have been miserably hot, but the corps continues to work hard on the show. It's really rewarding to see how the corps. has grown not only in their musical abilities, but personally as well. The members have really become a family unit over the past week and a half. It's great to hear them giving each other encouragement and motivating each other to continue on.

We made a mail run this week, and quite a few members received letters and cards from home. Please remember to check the blog and website for the next mail drop.

Don't forget about the Texas Drum Corps Preview this Saturday at the Capital. Hope to see you there!

The heat is on!

The corps continues to work hard on the show. They are now working on the third movement and are doing great.

It's been very hot and humid for the past couple of days, so there have been a few dehydration issues. The staff is keeping a close eye on the kids and are encouraging them to drink lots of fluids. The staff has also reminded the corps that if they aren't feeling well, to let a staff member know immediately so appropriate action can be taken.

Last night the corps moved from the gym into the Akins band hall due to a basketball tournament taking place this week. While the boys were gathering their belongings on their side of the gym, a small field mouse ran out from under a suit case. (Akins High School is in a rural area so there are a few critters around). You never heard a group of boys scream so much in your life! Meanwhile, the girls are trying to catch the mouse and commenting on how cute it is. So much for being macho, guys!

We have three birthdays to celebrate in the next couple of days. Aaron who is in the color guard is celebrating his birthday on June 12, while Tommy with the front ensemble and Norihito who is on snare drum both celebrate theirs on June 13. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL OF YOU!

Oh, and one more thing - if you want to know how many trips to the store one has to make in order to fix mashed potatoes, ask Sheri. And we're taking instant mashed potatoes! Sheri ended up having to go to the store twice! Uh, Sheri, next time read directions on the box before you leave the store.

The show is taking shape

It's amazing how much work the corps can do in a 24 hour period. The difference between last evening and this evening is incredible. The intro and ballad are done. It looks and sounds phenomenal, and it's only been a few days! By the time they get to Indy for the finals, it will indeed be a masterpiece.

Rehearsal was cut short this evening due to some severe storms that moved through Austin. Everyone marched from the field and into the Akins gym where they were treated to birthday cake. Ashley, one of the members of the guard, is 19 today. It's also Ashley's mom's birthday as well, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY to both of you!

Today's bone head move of the day is brought to us by Dan. He locked the key inside the band director's office. This isn't just any key, it's the only master key the corps has to get into the different areas of the school. Lucky for Dan the Akins band director is a really nice guy and came to the rescue. It's OK, Dan. We still love you!

Rehearsal-Day 2

There are a lot of sore feet and sore bodies, but overall the kids are doing great. Parent volunteers are keeping everyone well fed and are making sure everyone is eating a well balanced diet, including their veggies. Some of the kids commented that the parent volunteers sound like their own parents at home: "I don't see any vegetables on your plate!"

The Akins High School head band director was on site for a brief time today and watched the drum line for a bit. He was very impressed and commented on how great they sounded.

Mark your calendars for the Texas Drum Corps Preview on June 20 at the State Capital in Austin. The performances start at 7:30pm. And don't forget to drop a note or card in the mail for your child. A few words of encouragement from home can do wonders!

The 2009 Season has begun!

This evening, the corps settled into their new home for the next two weeks, Akins High School in South Austin. The corps will begin rehearsals tomorrow.

The kids seem to be very excited and can't wait to get to work. Crhistian Salinas said he is "excited to be here, it's a new experience." Second year vet Adam Castaneda is "a little nervous but pretty excited overall."

James Haynes spent the evening walking around the school wearing one of the new uniform hats. He wanted to get a good feel for the hat and also wanted to make sure the Velcro holding the star on would take the abuse of marching on the field. He gave it two thumbs up!

I'll be updating the blog every few days until the tour starts, so check back for the latest news!

by Connie Gaddy