Weekend Recap: DCDD Concerts

This weekend, we marked the end of Scott’s reign as the Artistic Director of DCDD with two shows – one Friday evening, one on Saturday. Friday evening started with me zipping into the District just in time to make the 7:00PM call time. We went through some of the “rough spots” and then retired to the Green Room (also known as the basement) to finish getting dressed and get ready for the concert.

I had on the new tux, but was having a horrible time getting the dang bow-tie tied, so I enlisted the help of Papa Bear Blake to help out. But don’t think I was the only one, Miss Matty (if you’re nasty) also needed some assistance with his. But once it was tied, the coat was on, I looked damn good! Now, I need to find some more “black-tie” events to attend.

The concert Friday went off ok, but I don’t think it was our best by any stretch. I mean, we are really our own worst critic, but I doubt anyone in the audience had any complaints. I have to admit that a couple of the pieces we played I really liked. October by Eric Whitaker is one of my favorites and I’ve been lucky enough to play it with two groups in the last month (I also performed it with the Experience the Music in Indianapolis back in late March). I also really like the Hobbits movement from the Lord of the Rings Symphony.

After the concert, my friend Parag and I met up with Shawn, Verne, Larry, Mike and Carlos over at McCormick & Schmidt for dinner and drinks. Then I was off, going home to get some restful slumber to do it all over again.

Saturday started like most any other Saturday – I laid in bed and watched TV. I really had no motivation to get up so I cleaned off the TiVo and then moved to the living room to nap on the couch. I really wasn’t feeling well and I’m still fighting that darned allergy/cough thing that has been bothering me since that fateful trip to Indianapolis. I was feeling well enough to order in some Chinese, though, and after dinner, I decided it was time to start getting ready for the evening’s festivities.

I made it to the church on time (wasn’t that a song?), and got a really good warm-up – something that I haven’t been getting lately. I was able to tune my horn slides prior to everyone getting upstairs and playing as loudly as they could and was generally relaxed. Like the night before, the group did some warm-ups, hit some rough patches and then went downstairs to the Green Room. It was déjà vu all over again as I enlisted Papa Bear Blake to tie my bow-tie again, then everyone tuned and went back upstairs for the performance.

I think everyone on-stage will admit that the performance on Saturday evening was 100-times better than Friday. Not to say there weren’t hiccups, but overall it went really well. I really only have two observations (they weren’t even really complaints). Mid-way through the second half of the concert, when the temperature was the hottest, the accolades for Scott began. Now, while many people have complained about Scott over the years (and myself being one of the silent critics), he has done wonders to grow the organization. Since attending my very first rehearsal back in September 06, I’ve been very impressed at the way the organization has been run artistically (although I have wept many times in the hope to have a real theme – Festivals? What the heck is that all about?). Challenging music has been chosen, difficult passages have been worked with extreme diligence and the group is much better for it.

However, some of the gushing by the guest speakers should have, in hindsight, been curtailed or done in a more appropriate medium. Each of the speakers gave very heartfelt monologues of how Scott and/or the band had made an impression on them and how they wanted to thank Scott for making that happen. I particularly enjoyed Matty’s speech because I think it was really similar to how many people join the band – by being invited by someone you know in it already. In his case, it was Scott. But when someone in the band turns to me and goes, “oh my god, we have three more to go!” I can only imagine the consensus of the audience to be much the same.

The other observation actually made me chuckle a bit. Not an evil chuckle or anything, but one of those, “there he goes again, ha ha” chuckles. After we played the last song and the standing ovation again, instead of exiting the stage area and going downstairs, Scott makes a walk down the aisle, grabs his kid and carries him to the back of the auditorium and out the door. I’m sure it was unintentional, but it seemed to have the flair of the dramatic exits that you see in lawyer movies after they win a big case, raising their fist in the air, walking out and into the sunset.


I don’t know if Scott reads this but I do know others in DCDD do. In the event that he does, I would like to thank him and wish him the best in his future endeavors. And whatever they are, if he puts the passion and dedication that he has exhibited in the short time that I’ve known him at DCDD, I’m sure he will be successful.

Now, I need to watch the video of my final concert in KC to see how well I can criticize my final concert (and I think I did leave with a fist-punch into the air).