Call me a party pooper, but I hate the latest stuff on the band scene. I loved it when I was in school and the band did band reviews on fall weekends (and a couple in spring, too).
Band reviews were parades which featured only bands competing against each other. You didn't have to pay to watch a band review. It was out on the street. The bands played a standard military march in a military formation. Nothing could be simpler or more elegant. And it was fun...
There are still a number of band reviews still going on. Southern California doesn't have anymore spring reviews.
The most memorable ones: the El Primero Band Review in Santa Monica, the Maytime Band Review in National City, the Autumn Band Review in San Diego, and the All-Western Band Review in Long Beach are only memories. There are still band reviews in Arcadia, Chino, La Palma, and a few other places.
But you won't find Colton there anymore.
I agree Bill. The official website brags about how many "sweepstakes" they have won since 1996, but they aren't competing against any bands of consequence like we did in our day.
ReplyDeleteI never understood the color scheme of the uniforms since they went all black in the late 1970s.
ReplyDeleteThey have preformed in San Diego the past 3 years consecutively. The reason they don't travel further isn't because they aren't talented, but because the school itself has more limitations as well as budget cuts and the whole program at risk of being cut year after year. They are also unable to leave the state anymore due to the baseball teams actions in other places. If you feel strongly about changing this the band is always asking for protesters and supporters to come help and fight with them.
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