J.C.'s Review
Independence Day Weekend Report – July 3-5, 2010
Three parades, two field shows, and a 6 hour rehearsal block. WHEW! That’s one busy weekend! The Kilties once again helped local Wisconsinites celebrate the anniversary of our great nation’s independence and we were rewarded with wonderful appreciative ovations wherever we appeared.
Our busy weekend began in the wee hours of Saturday morning July 3rd. Many of us met the bus at the Wal-Mart parking lot and headed to Madison for 9AM breakfast followed by 6 hours of rehearsal in the hot sun. We painted 3 fields and split the corps into 4 rehearsal sections; the battery took a field, the guard took the main field, the brass line took a field, and the pit rehearsed in the parking lot. After lunch we got the whole corps together on the main field for full corps coordination. It was a hot muggy day and we broke often for water. I thought we rehearsed well despite the fact that the heat was rather brutal. I’m happy to report that the final run-through was our finest to date, setting us up well for our evening performance at the big MACBDA show at Sun Prarie High School Stadium, hosted by the “Sound of Sun Prairie” marching band.
After rehearsal, we invaded the East Town Mall food court for dinner and relaxation. I must say, the food court pleasantly surprised me with a great selection of 10 restaurants, fast service, and large eating area that allowed large groups of Kilties to dine together. My Bourbon Chicken from the Cajun buffet was excellent!
At about 6 PM we headed to the stadium, relaxed, dressed and headed for warm-ups. About the time that we headed for warm-ups, swarms of the Wisconsin state bird; the mosquito arrived. Luckily, I had practically bathed in mosquito repellant, but I felt bad for the folks that didn’t. They were all busy doing the mosquito dance.
Our performance was what I’d call strange. I think maybe we were a little spent from the afternoon heat, and a little confused by the 2 sets of hash marks on the field, but lots of weirdness occurred. Some brass players fell down in Bohemian, a few sets were not hitting as they normally do, and musically we were a little tentative. It wasn’t a terrible show, but I think it had some warts on it. The large crowd still loved it, and they showered us with a huge standing ovation, but I’m not sure we all felt great about the performance.
The bus ride home featured renditions of a few of the classics by the Kiltie Khoir. We didn’t arrive back at the Wal-Mart until about 1 AM so we were thankful that we could sleep in a little. We didn’t have to be back on the bus until 11:45 AM on Sunday.
Sunday July 4th was, in a word, hot! We were scheduled to be in the big Kenosha parade in the afternoon and appear in the MACBDA Kenosha band show in the evening. Since parking at the beginning of the Kenosha parade is nearly impossible, all Kilties were required to take the bus on Sunday morning, meaning that 2 busses met us at the Wal-Mart parking lot. We quickly loaded up and headed to Kenosha. Upon our arrival, the brass line, guard and percussion sections split up for warm ups. The brass line found a shady area next to a church 1 block south and 1 block east of the start of the parade. We warmed up slowly and at a little after 2 PM a parade marshal with his hair on fire arrived in a golf cart and told us to “RUN! You’re late for your slot in the parade”. So we all hustled the 2 blocks to the beginning of the parade to find the American Squad, the guard and the battery already marching down the street. YIKES! We all hustled into parade formation and managed to be settled in and playing “Scotland the Brave” by the time we had left the staging area and were on the official parade route. WHEW!
The parade was pretty brutal. It was 95 degrees and muggy when we stepped off, with no breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. We never stopped once, cooking in our black jackets and wrapped in wool. Then when we marched around the square that used to signify that there were 3 blocks left in the parade, we discovered that they had added another half mile to the parade route through downtown. About this time I was starting to feel a little weak, and I was not alone. When we were done, us grizzled veterans all agreed that this was one of the most brutal parades that we have ever marched. But at least it was well attended with an estimated 50,000 spectators on hand, making our appearance worth the effort.
Thankfully, we had the rest of the afternoon and early evening off to recover. Then it was off to Ameche Stadium in Kenosha to prepare for our scheduled 9:10 PM exhibition. A few clouds had rolled in as the sun was setting, cooling things down a bit which helped to get us psyched for our appearance on our new “home field”. As we entered the stadium we caught our first glimpse of the large crowd which was spread between the 20 yard lines. We delivered a good show, highlighted by a great guard performance, and by another great performance by our rapidly improving percussion section. Talking to drum major Mike Taylor after the show, he told me that the brass performance was also much improved from our Sun Prairie effort.
Our busy weekend continued at 7 AM Monday the 5th. We gathered at the Wal-Mart parking lot where we loaded our equipment into the luggage bays of 2 chartered coaches and headed off to our first parade in Union Grove, WI. We were on a tight schedule, because the Union Grove parade and the Racine parade both start at 9AM. Since we were near the front of the Union Grove parade, and unit 139 (out of 139) in Racine, we were able to pull off the improbable appearance in two simultaneously scheduled parades.
We kind of lucked out weather-wise. The forecast called for a 60% chance of thunderstorms, but they all tracked just north of us, leaving us with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s and muggy in Union Grove. We stepped off to the strains of “Scotland the Brave” and I’m happy to report that the parade route was lined with the largest crowd that I’ve seen at this parade to date. They really gave it up for the Kilties, which made the hot muggy conditions a little more tolerable. Thanks Union Grove!
We quickly loaded the busses and were rewarded with crisp juicy apples, granola bars and bottled water for the bus ride to the corner of Goold and Main Streets in Racine, the official start of the big 4th Fest parade. Our great home town parade was recently rated by the USA Today as one of the “Top 10 4th of July Parades in the USA”, something local Racinians have known for a long time. Crowds of 100,000 or more people are the norm, making this parade the largest audience of the year for the Kilties. And the citizens of Racine do love their Kilties! We disembarked from the buses right onto the parade route and turned the corner onto Main Street playing “Scotland the Brave” to a cheering throng. Playing for that crowd never gets old!
The parade was a little easier on us than the last two parades despite the fact that it is our longest parade of the year. The temperatures in Racine were a little cooler than in the Grove due to the proximity to Lake Michigan, and there was a nice breeze coming right at us out or the South. We played a LOT before stopping for water at the Main Street Bridge. We made our annual stop at the Meredith funeral home and played Auld Lang Syne in memory of all former Kilties that have left us. Then we played “Scotland the Brave” for the VFW in honor of our veterans. It’s hard to describe how cool it is to march with the Kilties in this parade. There is a rare bond between our corps and the community that is manifested in the great ovation that we receive. The outpouring of appreciation that is showered on us gives me goose-bumps every year, and I hope that it never changes. I think that only people that have marched in this parade with the Kilties can understand what it’s like. I’m thankful that I get to experience it!
WWBD,
J.C.
