The 19th Annual Dixie Stinger
By Gary J. Dickelman, DCW Staff

I used to think that “Fun” should always be spelled with a capital F. I stand corrected. It is a capital “B” – for Bridgemen. I spoke with a woman in the audience, a professional musician who had never seen drum corps. She LOVED the Bridgemen because, in her words, “theywere FUN.” I was reminded just how influential this corps was with respect to shaping the DCI activity. The long banana jackets, the attitude,the bent posture. Just watching brightens your day. Everyone in the corps is in character. And the quality. WOW! Rob Hunter’s solo work, for
example, is exceptional! This year the Bridgemen delight us with “Pagliacci,” “Big Noise from Winnetka,”, “Hymn from the Last Whale,” “Spanish Dreams,” and, of course, an excerpt from “The William Tell Overture.” The corps filled the stage to capacity, and the shtick had the audience swaying along with them. The relaxed posture, the swaying, the smiles – together with the seriousness and quality of the performance are what the Bridgemen are all about. The goal of the alumni corps is to entertain audiences, period. Days after the Stinger I caught up with the same woman mentioned above and asked her, “What do you remember about Saturday night and what were the highlights?” Her answer: “The jazz group…Swing House. I would go anywhere to see them. And the ones with the long yellow coats. They were great because they were so good, and because they were so….FUN!” Indeed, the crew from Bayonne knows how to make an impression! Great job!