On Saturday, August 2nd, The Bridgemen Alumni Corps put on exhibition performance at the DCI Eastern Classic held in Allentown, PA. Performing before a very receptive and raucous 8,000 drum corps fans, the corps did not let them down. The corps added a new gimmick at the beginning of their show for the Allentown crowd that was enthusiasically received with approval. The PA announcer, who was given a script by the staff, announced that there seemed to be a problem on the starting line. Just then, a clarinet player and a sousaphone player came running out onto the field. When they got to the center of the field, a referee threw a flag, took away the clarinet away from its player and "broke" it. The PA announcer then said that the clarinet and sousaphone had been disqualified. That resulted a thunderous standing ovation from the audience who approved the Bridgemen's take on the woodwind controversy in the drum corps activity. The crowd ate up the corps' performance throughout their show, from beginning to end, and gave them a well deserved standing ovation. At the conclusion of the show, the corps ran onto the track and gave the audience a chance to vote for one of two songs they wanted to hear for an encore. The got to vote, by cheering, for either "In The Stone" or the corps' signature piece William Tell Overture". "In The Stone" won the vote and the corps played it to a great ovation. The PA announcer, still reading from the script, then said that because they were such a good audience, the corps would play "William Tell" as well. The crowd roared with approval. After finishing their second encore with a long standing ovation the corps literally ran off the field. As corps members passed by members of Phantom Regiment and Carolina Crown (the top 2 finishers in the competition that night and also contenders for the DCI title) lined up for retreat, the members of those corps high-fived the Bridgemen's members and exclaimed how awesome the corps' performance was. It was high praise indeed!

Photos taken by John Nadrowski can be viewed HERE.

Reviews of the corps' performance collected by John Nadrowski can be viewed HERE.

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The Bridgemen Alumni Corps announce the following performance dates:

• August 2 – "DCI Eastern Classic", Allentown, PA (Exhibition)
• August 23 – Schuylkill Haven, PA (Parade)
• August 31 – "DCA Alumni Spectacular", Rochester, NY (Exhibition)