EIU Media Relations

Cavaliers Host 2015 Season Kickoff, Fan Appreciation Night at EIU

The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps will host its 2015 Season Kickoff and Fan Appreciation Night at Eastern Illinois University on Saturday, June 13.

Beginning at 7:30 p.m., friends, fans, family, and the local community are invited to O'Brien Field for a showcase of The Cavaliers' 2015 production, GAME ON, in full uniform and costumes.  (Doors open at 7 p.m.)

This free event will showcase what The Cavaliers' performing members, design team and instructional staff have accomplished since the beginning of Pre-Tour (a.k.a., spring training) on May 15 at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill.

Attendees of the 2015 Season Kickoff and Fan Appreciation Night will also have access to the latest Cavalier merchandise, including the official GAME ON shirt.

Since Monday, June 1, The Cavaliers have called Charleston and Eastern Illinois University home, an annual early season stay that traces back to 2005.

(Two members feel more at home than the rest.  Matt Parker, a third-year member of the horn line, and Alex Hoese, first-year conductor, are current EIU students studying music education.  Both are also members of EIU’s Panther Marching Band.)

While on the EIU campus, the corps utilizes O'Brien Field, the surround auxiliary fields, the field house, and many of the adjacent outdoor areas for rehearsal.  Days typically begin at 8 a.m. and last through 10 p.m.

Corps members also reside and dine in Stevenson and Douglas residence halls during their stay on campus. 

The June 13 event marks the final stretch of Pre-Tour before The Cavaliers take GAME ON around the country for its 2015 Drum Corps International Summer Tour.   

The Cavaliers officially start their 67th season in Indianapolis next week at Lucas Oil Stadium with the DCI2015 Tour Premiere, an event that will be broadcast live in theaters across the country.