Drums Along the Mississippi set for Friday at CHS

Cape Girardeau Central High School director of bands Josh LaMar said Friday's Drum Corps International's theatrical on-field production, Drums Along the Mississippi, will bring "amplification" to Tiger Stadium.

Groups this year are traveling nationwide, he said, adding the three-year partnership between the school and Drum Corp began "on a whim."

Drum Corps International is a youth activity for ages 14 to 23, similar to marching band, using only brass and percussion instruments.

Serving as the local event coordinator, LaMar said he decides which schools will house the traveling bands, until show time Friday.

He said Poplar Bluff High School will be accommodating the corps traveling from Texas; Anna-Jonesboro (Illinois) Community High School is housing the band from Wisconsin; and Cape Girardeau Central Junior High and Cape Girardeau Central High School will house the remaining three units.

"The performers sleep in our gym," LaMar said. "They don't stay in hotel rooms. The only hotel rooms being used are for our nine judges."

Cape Girardeau Central High School band will perform the national anthem at the start of the show Friday, he said.

There is no overlying theme for the show, LaMar said, but each corps conveys its own style through sound effects, synthesizers and on-field props.

He referred to the mixture of variety to "marching band on steroids."

"It's just a lot of action, a lot of movement," he said. "These musicians are athletes on the field ... these kids are in shape. They rehearse 10 to 12 hours a day, most days."

"They'll either do a show that night and get on a bus, drive two to six hours to the next place, sleep on the gym floor for a couple hours, wake up, rehearse again."

The judges also travel nationwide, LaMar said, and scores are based on criteria comprising precision and subjective qualities.

At this point in the season, he said, the students are almost as good as they're going to get. With the season ending around Aug. 12, LaMar said, the timing of the Cape Girardeau show will provide the audience with a good performance.

The event will benefit the school's band booster program.

The show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at drumsalongthemississippi.com.

• 7:30 p.m. -- National Anthem performed by Cape Girardeau Central High School
• 7:45 p.m. -- Band Shadow (Oregon, Wisconsin)
• 8:01 p.m. -- River City Rhythm (Monticello, Minnesota)
• 8:17 p.m. -- Louisiana Stars (Lafayette, Louisiana)
• 8:33 p.m. -- Intermission
• 8:53 p.m. -- Guardians (Seguin, Texas)
• 9:09 p.m. -- Gold (Oceanside, California)
• 9:25 p.m. -- Encore by Gold
• 9:50 p.m. -- Scores announced

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