After over a year-long hiatus because of COVID-19, Pacific Crest, Southern California’s world-class drum and bugle corps, will be showcasing its newest routine in the upcoming Drum Corps event at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, July 31.
Stuart Pompel, CEO of the Pacific Crest Youth Arts Organization, said three other local corps groups, including Oceanside’s Gold Drum and Bugle Corps and Bakersfield College’s Golden Empire Drum and Bugle Corps, are also performing in the event – over 300 performers that include brass musicians, percussionists, and color guards.
Pompel said the audience will witness displays of musical excellence, marching precision, dance and gymnastics during the performance.
The Pacific Crest Youth Arts Organization, headquartered in Diamond Bar, is leading the event which has been an annual gathering of several youth bands from across the U.S., until the pandemic hit.
“The last time we did it was in 2019 because, in 2020 with COVID, all live events were canceled. So this event is actually returning to the Rose Bowl after a one-year hiatus,” Pompel said. “It’s going to be a little bit less than normal in terms of the number of groups performing, because there’s no national tour this year because COVID is still an issue. So the show will be highlighting local drum and bugle corps only, rather than all the national corps that were in the event for the past several years.”
Pacific Crest is headquartered in Diamond Bar. The organization provides performing arts opportunities and education for youth from all over Southern California. In normal times, the Drum and Bugle Corps, their flagship program, tours the U.S. for at least six weeks every summer, performing for about 100,000 fans in some of the world’s most iconic venues.
In 90 minutes, they will be performing their 2021 programs as well as other works of music and dance on July 31.
“If you like the bands in the Rose Parade, this event is going to blow you away because these groups are doing field show productions at a very high, almost Broadway-like style,” Pompel said. “They’re going to see youth performing at their highest level in the marching arts. They’re going to see youth that have given up their entire summer to perfect the production that you’re going to see that night. More importantly, they are going to be able to experience the joy of live performance, which has been missing from our community for over a year.”
For the audience, Pompel said this is an opportunity for them to rekindle their joy for attending and experiencing live music.
“It’s also an opportunity for them to show their support for the youth that haven’t performed in over a year themselves,” he said. “Nowthis is their chance to come back and bring back the joy of performance. So, for all those reasons, we think an audience member would and should attend the event.”
Tickets to Drum Corps at the Rose Bowl are $25 each with reserved seating. School groups can get tickets at $10 each as long as they’re a minimum of 20 each group; school groups can place their ticket orders up to July 25 only.
For tickets and other information, visit www.pacific-crest.org/2021/05/
Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 8 p.m.
