Augusta

Jackets were shed as we loaded the buses for Augusta; the sun came out and warmed the air, making it almost balmy. As we near the end of our third week of Tour, people settle quickly into their bus routines. There were a few brief comments across the aisle – the delicious smell of Mark’s chowder, Max’s new phone, a visit to Thunder Hole, and the KU vs. Colorado game later in the day. Then out came headphones, MP3s, computers, and pillows.

The hotel in Augusta was an older one, two stories and no elevator. Karen thanked me once again for my elbow surgery, since it guarantees a first floor room. The hotel was directly in front of the concert site, so it would be a walk day. The surrounding area was highway and strip centers, with plenty of restaurant choices. It was a test of patience to cross the highway, but nearly the entire band was found making their way over at the cross walk, like a steady stream of ants.

I wandered the Super WalMart aimlessly, not really looking for anything. There’s just something about having a WalMart on a Tour stop that compels one to go there. I am running short of dried apricots, but I only found brands with added sugar or sulfites. I spotted at least ten other Band members there, some with a list, some with no more purpose than I. The kindness of New England drivers seemed to have passed over this area, so getting back to the crosswalk was something of a challenge.

The concert was in the Civic Center, an oversized Gym Job, in a way, much like a field house or arena. It was fun to watch the doors when they opened them to the audience. There were barriers strung across the doors, and I could see masses of people moving behind the tapes. The tapes were released, and the crowd surged through the doorways like the Running of the Brides at Filene’s. With the exception of the upper corners of the seating area, it was nearly a full house.

CWO4 Brian Dix, the director of “The Commandant’s Own”, was in our audience tonight. (http://drumcorps.mbw.usmc.mil/dix.htm) It was nice to see a friendly face from home.

This was the last performance of the B-1 program before the stand down. Rehearsal schedules for the stand down appeared on the music stands before our arrival at the Civic Center, signaling the beginning of the “lasts”. My tacet (Russlan and Ludmilla) disappears on the second half of tour, and we say goodbye to several other pieces. West Side Story takes a well deserved break; great music, and thoroughly enjoyed by all the audiences. I will miss Dauntless Battalion, a fun little Db part, and Vientos Y Tangos. I had so much fun watching audience members tangoing from the safety of their chairs, my imagination running riot with visions of the “Marine Band Dancers” crossing the stage.

It wasn’t until our walk I realized we had stayed and played here before. Lisa, Ruth, Karen and I set off looking for a trail behind the Civic Center, and as we rounded the last corner, Lisa and I both remembered looking for the same trail years before. And, like years before, we wandered around the UMA campus a while before finding the wooded trail that led us away from the crazy traffic into a serene leaf strewn forest. Our morning walks are on of the best survival techniques for Tour; almost always a pleasant surprise waiting for us as we walk our way through Tour.