Occasional Musings by Kevin Russell
August 8, 2024 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana I am in the clubhouse in the oil can, Lucas Oil Stadium. This cavernous structure is the home of the Drum Corps International (DCI) Championships. Over 35 drum and bugle corps from across the country converged here to compete for high honors among their peers. Thousands of fans, alumni, and family members took their seats … Continue Reading →
August 7, 2024 – Indianapolis, Indiana I have comfortably settled into my new home away from home for the next few nights. It is a hotel across Missouri Avenue from Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the DCI World Championships, which start with preliminary finals on Thursday. The long and not-so-winding road across Central Ohio into Central Indiana was adventurous. Not having a plan can … Continue Reading →
August, 6, 2024 – Canton, Ohio Yesterday morning, the six unaffiliated drum corps fans departed central Pennsylvania for Canton, Ohio, one more leg of our journey to the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis this week. The Ohio Valley is west of the Appalachian Mountains. Travelers heading westward through Pennsylvania have endured the long slog up and down the rolling topography and steady climb up, … Continue Reading →
August 4, 2024 – Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, Pennsylvania I’m finally catching up with you on Allentown Saturday while enjoying a nice ale and lunch at the Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, with my co-traveler, Chuck. We are now two wild and crazy guys traversing the landscape in the Silver Bullet. This is a break from my usual solo touring when the only … Continue Reading →
August 2, 2024 – Easton, Pennsylvania By the grace of the road angels, I have completed most of my journey to Allentown this morning. I left Lawrence, MA late in the evening after the show. A cat nap at the service area broke up the nocturnal travel after blurry eyes and a nodding head signaled a rest. Being ahead of my schedule this morning, … Continue Reading →
July 31, 2024 – Burlington, Vermont I am sitting comfortably in the Volvo dealership in Burlington, Vermont. The storied Silver Bullet, my aging XC70, is in the shop for a last-minute repair before I embark on my auto tour of DCI competitions today. It will be ready for another drum corps sojourn with a new wheel bearing and new Goodyear Assurance Comfort tires. It … Continue Reading →
July 28, 2024 – Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina I am in the comfortable embrace of the South in North Carolina. Yesterday, I was picked up at the airport by my drum corps brother, Tim, and a friend for two days of the annual reunion and to attend NightBEAT in Winston-Salem. This is one of the best drum corps shows of the year. … Continue Reading →
July 27, 2024 – Nashville International Airport After two days of love in the south and the spirit of Music City, alas, I must leave. I am seated at C13 at the Nashville airport with plenty of time to catch up while I wait for my flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. I am meeting up with drum corps brother, Tim, family, and friends. We … Continue Reading →
July 26, 2024 – Nashville Tennessee I have left the mountains of Vermont for the sidewalks of the city, The Music City, Nashville, Tennessee. Instead of the Friday adventure with my local adventurers ascending to a peak, I am on my solo jaunt amid the tall skyscrapers and hard surfaces of the iconic city of the south, known as the capital of country music, … Continue Reading →
July 25, 2024, 9:00 a.m. – Burlington International Airport (BTV), Vermont This has been a musical morning. Rising at a reasonable hour to catch a 10:10 a.m. flight to Nashville, I set my streaming service to a tribute to Chick Corea by Hubert Laws and other great jazz musicians. On the one-hour trip to BTV, I heeded the music that came into my head, … Continue Reading →