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Can I get this off my chest? I love Crown. I'm a brass player and they make my socks roll up and down. But that singer...Bless your heart darlin' and I know you're trying but...

As a Scouts alum, I wish the superman suit would still be the thing. But I realize that to stay relevant and thrive in this activity, you have to adjust to the times. The dinosaur in me says "keep with tradition". But the realist in me wants the Scouts to once again be a corps that kids dream of marching instead of an afterthought or a stepping stone. Whether I, or other vets, like it or not, this is where we're at with DCI. And if you want to survive, you do what you have to. I'd rather my corps fall in line with what DCI has become and keep going than become irrelevant and ultimately shut down.

When you have the best brass line on Planet Earth, why would you ruin it by using it to back up a pitchy singer?!?!?

Yeah, what sort of idiot gets attached to drum and bugle corps and expects to hear brass and drums?

It's ironic how much fighting there is in this thread considering Cadet's show this year. Y'all need Jesus

Oh gosh this comment needs to be published for posterity. SPOT. ON.

Just got back from the theater. Crown, wth was that?? The second half of the show (introduction of the soloist) was just cringeworthy and awkward. Felt like she was left on an island out there by herself. Just...wasn't well-integrated at all. It either needs to be scrapped or undergo massive changes. IMO, of course.

A football venue is not designed for vocal acoustics. Voice, vocals and a choir should never be used except in a acoustically controlled environment like a theater. Major balance issues from all corps with vocals not to mention bad vocals. Simon Cowell would have a field day slapping the X button listening to that garbage. Don't believe it's being adjudicated correctly either. But I've never been a fan of singing in bandcorps.

Did... Did DCI really just spell "Bluecoats" as TWO WORDS?!?!?!

I still remember Phantom's guard move in 1991 (YOU know the one) and Blue Devils' guard in 1992. These guard uniforms are about 25 years too late to be "shocking."

Then that's a huge design problem, IMHO. When one person singing overshadows the other 134 members performance... well, drum corps has failed.

If we can have sexual innuendo in shows and wicked games, sensuality, killings, etc. I think we can put up with "let us pray" and a confessional. Let's be wary of becoming religophobes.

Yah. I'm a religious studies scholar and when Cadets confirmed Mass for their show, my first thought was "They're gonna get it from both sides in the current cultural climate. The new-Atheist influenced secular crowd won't get that it's an anti-dogmatic statement and simply react to the overt religious references in negative ways. The 'let's go back to Tridentine Mass' crowd (if any exist among the Cadets/Holy Name funders anymore) would gasp that they're even touching this piece. The only ones who are going to get this show are musical theater people familiar with the source." I bet it goes on all season.

Ahhh... Remember the days when 'tenors' referred to a section of the battery?... Good times... goooood times...

Said in jest, I understand. But the "libs love the decadence and debauchery" part is problematic. The unwillingness to apply religious overtones to one's life does not mean one adopts decadence and debauchery. Don't get me wrong - I'm an atheist, and I can still enjoy Cadets' show.

:-D posted from the DrumScorps app

...you're making a monumental mistake. This was a public service announcement. Goodnight! Headed to Indy in a few hours!

Just one last comment before I hit the hay. No one whines when a trumpet soloist is a little off on the high note or hits the higher partial. But a vocalist misses a few and she is 'pitchy.'

I think I can explain why you he gap wasn't wider. Bloo had a rough, rough almost Murphy's Law run. Huge mic issues created huge balance and loss of effect issues. And having a snare player wipe out off of the ramp couldn't help (btw, never happened before -- new marching shoes?) I think you can get a drift of the show from what you saw / heard tonight, but man, it was a rough night.

So just back to the hotel from LOS. Here is my very "unprofessional" take on the night: Theme of the night: how big can your props get and how many speakers can you fit on the field Cross man: my favorite show of the night belongs to Bones! They have stepped it up a notch this year. This show is integrated very well with the props and the guard. Pretty good brass book. It sounded a little thin tonight but I'm sure it has to do with the demand of the drill. I'm sure that will get better. Those uniforms look incredible under the lights. I really like this show. Bluestars: Cool story! Not at all what I was expecting. They tell a love story that is pretty easy to follow. Awful brave using Romeo and Juliet after The Academy but it sounds different enough that the comparison went away pretty quick. This brass line is pretty good. Cadets: not sure what to do with this one yet. This show is hard, hard, hard! And not traditional Cadets. It has a ton of potential and if it catches fire it could be a tough one to beat. The choir blended pretty well. they were featured when needed and at other times just sounded like part of the brass line. This pit is really good. I actually like the stained glass props. The trumpet and baritone duet toward the end was gorgeous the way they were staged. The robes are going to have to grow on me. Too easy to highlight dirty feet. I'm anxious to see this one again in July. Cavies: Electronic Avenue! They have gone crazy with the electronics but somehow it worked. I can sum this show up in one word...fun! The uniform "switch" was seamless and virtually unnoticed although it was in plain sight. The live crowd liked the switch. Visually this show was stunning. Not sure this has the potential Propaganda did but it is going to be fun to watch it develope. Crown: The preview video floating around dies not do this show justice. This show is a monster. Those uniforms look great in person. I quit trying to figure out what "it is" and just enjoyed the show. That brass line...OMG!! None of the other corps tonight came even close to that Crown line. And the battery is definitely not in the way this year! Tight, crisp, and loud. As this show evolves it is going to be a contender. Coats: Well...they did it again. There was a collective gasp as the props began to come onto the field. And their uniforms this year are more minimalist than last but they fit the show. At least they are wearing hats this year. Lol. They came out with that champion attitude! I'm not really sure how you beat what I saw on the field tonight. I wasn't really impressed with their overall sound but it is early and that is some tough music. Don't know if it was seen on the stream but on of the snares highlighted the danger of this show. One slip on the stairs an the whole corps winds up in a pile at the bottom. I hope he is ok! I do have to admit the opener is insanely cool, and that ballad...wow! I do wonder though where does this show go from here? It is Bloo and I'm sure they have a plan. Bottom line: If the six corps in tonight's premier are any indication of the rest of the corps we are in for a lot of fun this summer!!

We have a winner.

Totally disagree. She adds a TON to the show, and she is amazing. Love it. Edited because some of my comments were a little harsh. :)

That brass is ####### amazing and the first half of the show is actually wonderful. The second half... I'm just gonna not say anything.

ITS MUSICAL THEATRE. Because Crown did a show a few years back INFERNO does not mean they are DEVIL worshipers . Or SCV were Russian lovers when they do a Russian show.

This is my view for tonight! so excited! posted from the DrumScorps app

I'd think it would come from the LESS conservative members.

We even get that in NJ. My son marched at Raiders and Surf before joining Cadets, and encountered a LOT of hostility towards Cadets, mostly from marching-age kids who had no actual clue or reason for their animosity, but were just repeating someone else's opinion in order to sound knowledgeable. And that's actually one of the reasons I think it's a good idea for Cadets to be more silent - there are SO many people who simply enjoy taking a dump on everything Cadets do, whether justified or not, that the bad vibes get picked up in the small echo-chamber that is the world of DCI and take on a life of their own, even when not earned. Edit: it's also just the natural proclivity of youth to want to be hip and jump on the latest bandwagon, to show how cool and knowledgeable they are (and then usually badmouth anyone not on that bandwagon). Since 2011 is practically ancient history to kids in the 17-21 range today, it's been all Crown & Bluecoats to that agegroup lately, and Cadets are just "old, stuffy, uptight and uncool". [sigh]

I was very, VERY impressed with the show when I saw it in Granville on Tuesday. The Bluecoats have a wonderful show again this year, and I just love the thoughtful, interesting, and innovative programming they have demonstrated the past several seasons. They really have this DCI thing figured out right now. Great show. Great corps.

cough, cough, 1989 BD trumpet soloist, cough, cough

I don't think the Bluecoats have the GE they did last season (yet) but I do think the demand on this program is greater. I LOVED last years show, I RESPECT this seasons show and look forward to watching it grow.

Lol......quite a nasty response. We can agree to disagree.

One could as easily reply: Get over it, the complaints are here to stay until DCI "moves on" from vocals.

Finally Mars! (Sort of) I can picture Holst in a bro tank screaming Deez Nuts. Stop messing with the piece!!!!!

Gaahhhh! I'll go to a choir concert for that thanks. I've come to accept the vocal aspect of drum corps, but it should never be a primary focus that detracts from the rest of the corps!

Before I head out to the theater tonight...I just wanted to say...I've heard that luck chooses only the strongest competitors. And if it so, I’m sure it will follow the Cadets wherever they go this season, because they try really hard to succeed in all their undertakings. And they will. Good luck tonight!

Getting show ready at St. Elmo's Steakhouse in Indianapolis!

For some reason that Rorschach guy liked to draw a lot of pictures of my parents fighting. Weird.

Today is the day! All will be revealed! Good things come to those who wait!

The Cavaliers honestly performed similar to those early 2000's corps tonight IMO..I really Love MAFM...The show is going to develop into something great, especially the horn-line. The Percussion and the Guard are soooo strong...Great job tonight for the boys!

Bluecoats-72.3 Crown-70.95 Cavaliers-70.15 Cadets-68.3 BlueStars-64.15 Crossmen-63.8

I dont have to like the vocals to like this show, i say to myself

I'm totally on board with Cadets show. Can't wait till the ending is added. And I'm totally digging the skirts.

Uh. Well as a non-religious person, I found the whole "LET US PRAY" and such narration to be a bit suffocating. I'd be content if they just made the choir have traditional background vocals that complement the hornline and axe the religious references in the narration considering there's plenty of those religious references already in the visual aspects of the show.

Just saw Cadets unis on a FB post....this thread should hit 800 pages by the time I get to work tonight.

Sad to see nobody talking about Crown tonight. I'll observe this: 2017 is starting to remind me of 2015. A lot of negative comments on how "incomplete" the show is and how (although this doesn't apply to 2015) the vocals are - insert negative adjective here -. On finals night a hell of a lot of people thought they should have won. I've learned not to doubt their decisions.

This is an old topic, but my opinion of it was that it is more CREATIVE to be working within the current rules of the time ( brass and acoustic percussion) than it is to take the easier route of just adding more ingredients ( instruments) to the pot that end up turning it into a much different activity that already existed in the fall. Props have been around forever, they're just now required to get that Box 5 score, which is why everyone is using them. Same with the rest. Used to be if you wanted to make a train sound, you'd play around with some acoustic percussion instruments until you found something that matched and approximated the sound you wanted ( creative). Now you just download a train patch ( not creative).

I'm excited for tonight. Let's stay positive, embrace the good and relish the potential in all the corps. This is going to be a great season!

I think I can articulate what it is about the ballad that isn't working for me right now. So, imagine that instead of a singer, a horn soloist is playing the melody at the beginning. From an effect standpoint, when the big end-of-ballad "power moment" happens, that melody would almost always natural shifts to the ensemble as a whole, giving it a whole new boost in harmonic depth and sound and driving home the emotional impact. But here, it stays a solo the whole way through, so the emotional lift never gets off the ground. The full ensemble is playing, yes, but in such a way that they're trying to both have a "power moment" but take care not to over-balance the solo singer at the same time, so what we end up with is just a flat emotional line through the whole section. The musical "stakes" don't get raised at the end. I suspect this is an area of the show that will see a few rounds of TLC in design over the course of the season.

Today is The Day!