The Renegades - Chapter 2

Sample Chapter #2

CHAPTER 2

Joe Wilt joined the Renegades in November 1997, bringing a wealth of experience and a rich drum corps family history. Having recently moved to California, Joe walked into the cafeteria with his gleaming silver baritone and immediately improved the sound of the corps. Furthermore, Joe was tall and East Coast tough, which gave the Renegades an edge.

FOG FEST

In September of ‘98, the Renegades made their first appearance with horns at the Fog Fest, in the coastal town of Pacifica. The Renegades arrived quietly; nobody noticed the little group in baseball jerseys milling around near the cotton candy booth. Two kids fighting over a corn dog were the center of everyone’s attention.

Suddenly, the baseball jersey group stashed their cotton candy, popcorn, and snacks away and grabbed instruments. Brandon pointed to a spot in the street, and Jennifer, Jennifer, and Jennifer got into position. Jennifer raised the American flag. Jennifer and Jennifer raised the Renegades banner. Brandon saluted, and the world’s first Jennifer honor guard was ready.

Then, precisely at 9:07 AM, the Renegades raised their horns and pointed them at citizens of Pacifica. Before anyone could react, the Renegades charged forward, blasting The Magnificent Seven at the highest volume possible. The performance was loud, out of tune, and violated all United Nations guidelines for sonic attacks.

Holy crap! Panicked onlookers scrambled out of the way as The Magnificent Seven veered wildly off-key, and the tempo went into an alternate dimension. Drinks, fries, and the corn dog went flying. Two things immediately became clear. First, musical perfection had yet to be achieved. Second, the Battle of the Corn Dog was over.

Led by Jennifer, Jennifer, and Jennifer, the Renegades stormed through the Fog Fest playing The Magnificent Seven over and over and over and over and over and over and over again until the horn line was a spent force. Point of fact, The Magnificent Seven didn’t stop until Joe Wilt put his gleaming silver baritone down, marched in front of the snare line, and threatened to punch Brandon in the face if he counted the tune off again. This East Coast communication resulted in West Coast laughter by all.

Despite the hysterical mutiny, the Renegades won over the crowd with unconventional charisma and an inspired, albeit repetitive, performance of The Magnificent Seven. Ludicrously, a few locals were convinced the Renegades were a softball team that just happened to play music. All in all, the Fog Fest was a beautiful day of friends, music, and delicious street food.

RENEGADE CHRISTMAS

In December, amidst a late-night Internet search for uniforms and instruments, Al Chan found an online ad by David Haber of the Danbury Drum Corps in Connecticut, offering free off-white full-dress uniforms to a needy drum corps.

Al contacted David and told him about the Renegades. Then, Al asked if his corps qualified as needy, which made David laugh. Touched by the story, David generously offered the uniforms, sparking joy among the Renegades. And with that, the needy drum corps found themselves on the receiving end of a shipment of free cadet-style uniforms.

On December 14, In the heart of South San Francisco, the Renegades donned Santa hats and their new-old beige cadet uniforms and played Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, Silent Night, and other Christmas carols on Al’s front lawn.

One by one, neighbors emerged from their homes and sang along. A small crowd formed, their voices blending harmoniously in the crisp evening air. The sight brought tears to Al’s eyes. Seeing the community united by the spirit of the music made the Renegades feel like they were part of something truly special.

When the renegade Christmas concert ended, everyone was happy, and they managed to raise a few bucks for the corps by passing around a Santa hat. This was followed by the airing of grievances and the Renegades’ first potluck, where they shared cups of green eggnog, buttered toast, popcorn, pretzel sticks, jelly beans, and enough pepperoni pizza to fill a small swimming pool.

As I said, it all started with a dream.