St. Mary Magdalene School in Media, PA
We headed to Media, PA for a doubleheader at St. Mary Magdalene School on Wednesday afternoon. Only an hour plus drive from home, I got there early enough, set up the PA in the gym and waited for the lads. We were ready to go for the 1:15 start. We were scheduled with only a 5 minute turn over so we discussed that we should run a tight 45 minute show, something that Kevin wants all the time. (He will occasionally give me a “keep it moving” poke during one of my introductions. Noted.
I did some homework to help me recall what the show was like pre-pandemic and found our disco section. We decided to put that in, extend the dancing from the previous Beatles set, and head for the ending. It worked well and I even recalled the call-and-response during the second show. I only drew one blank with my cue for Good Golly Miss Molly, as the band was looking at me while I was looking at them. Anyway, I recovered quickly…. I’m still thinking too much.
The first show was for 130 6th – 8th graders and, per usual for a catholic school, polite though reserved. The teachers were similar but enjoyed the show. The second show for 3rd – 5th grades was predictably more spirited and responsive with lots of dancing at the end.
The band played well and the boys put up with a slightly scattered set list. Thankfully, after two years in hibernation, the show is gelling again. Personally, I’ve been worried that I have lost the total recall of the show that was the case three years ago. Yes, some of it is due to my age – I don’t have the muscle mental memory I once had, but we stumble through and put on a great assembly. Again, teachers love it (the music teachers thanked us at the end of the second show) and the kids left the gym charged up, yelling “Kevin! Kevin!” like old times. Wayne and Nick get some shouts, too. Good for their egos, too. I have to settle for the smiles and chuckles from the teachers during the show.
We’re headed back this way for a Friday afternoon show at another Catholic school nearby.