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I was on the side two 45 yardline about 5 rows up. EVERYONE was WAY better live. I didn't hate anyone, and actually found something in each show I loved. That said, lots to......discuss. Blue Devils - I really feel like sitting low killed this show for me. It was 12 minutes of getting screamed at through speakers, the bass thunderous goo and the solos were bone shattering loud where I was. Their whole show sounded synthetic. And on top of that there was no dynamic variance to me, it was either kinda loud or REALLY LOUD. Ballad was awesome but everything after that still seems incredibly schizophrenic and I didn't know what to look for or listen to. Front half was fine. Percussion has bitten off A LOT. That book is nearly impossible. Being up close I was shocked at what seemed like a lack of attention to details in terms of props, uniform changes, equipment changes, etc. Feel like I need to see it again which I do in San Antonio. Was incredibly impressed by how good they are but was expecting more with the numbers they're putting up. Santa Clara Vanguard - Juxtaposed against BD........this show is immaculately designed down to every detail. Equipment changes were SEAMLESS, members were popping in and out of nowhere, it just felt like every single little thing was planned. Featured performers are OBVIOUSLY the featured performers and the brass line has PLENTY to work with, so the myth of all of hard stuff being handed off to the 12 is just that.......a myth. Percussion took my breath away as always and the guard was mesmerizing. That said, it's all gonna come down to achievement. Out of all the corps tonight this show felt like the biggest risk/reward payoff or downfall potential this year. If it gets clean......they're gonna soar. If not. Well. Getting beat by about .5 happens. Bluecoats - Well. I know which show I wanna see again. I thought the ballad was awesome live, when they turn around and you expect that sound to die away and echo and suddenly BOOM it's right in front of you was super effective to me in terms of playing with what you see and hear. Lets talk about ZAPPA. Zomby Woof was probably the single most fun thing I've ever seen at a live drum corps show, and that Psychopomp reprise to the end was fantastic. I enjoyed this WAY more than last years show live in Denton and I loved that. The members look like they 100% believe in and enjoy this show which IMO translated to the audience, it was infectious. Dirtier than the 3 that placed above them? Yes. That much dirtier? I don't know. But who the hell cares. I want more ZAPPA. The Cadets - Some amazing highs in the opener/Agnus Dei and the Fallen section and some incredible lows in the narration and heavy handedness and what is one of the worst uniform changes I've ever seen on the football field in the closer. I was hoping that was gonna go away but they managed to make it worse and enhance it by bringing out a cross tarp and throwing their discarded uniforms on them as they stand in the same area for a minute killing any visual momentum this show has into a pretty stock and expected ending. This show feels like the polar opposite of last year. Awakening was very difficult to follow and interpret and way too vague. This year is 12 minutes of getting beat with a cross and a bible. The corps was stronger than I was expecting, still LOTS to clean visually though. Blue Knights - They sound like a top tier corps, but don't look like one. I understand everything they're doing with the unconventional guard equipment but it still has nowhere near the effect or presence of when they're on traditional equipment. LOVE the Beck and Schwartner. When they got done with the Schwartner I was drooling at this show. And then Bjork went on.......and on.......and on.......and on......and not a huge change of tone in Hide And Seek. Not sure about the arrangement of the closer......I REALLY appreciate the dynamic contrast which the hornline pulled off MASTERFULLY, but it felt chunky. I did really enjoy it overall though, and that percussion......man. They're AMAZING. Phantom Regiment - Hornline sounded better live than I was expecting but definitely a noticeable level below everyone else tonight to my ear. They start to sell me........and then Broken Arrow voiceover lady shows up with fantasy.......fantasy......invasion.......fantasy.......fantasy.......invasion........madness........fantasy.........ugh. Not sure if this show is the cliche of all cliches dark to light show or if it's something else but I didn't follow. Loved the use of color and they play about as many notes and march as intensely as anyone else. Just question if they're gonna be able to get clean enough. This show (design) just feels like it belongs on the field at a BOA show in the fall. It's incredibly mimic-y of Wes Cartwright's high school shows to the point it just feels like another one. Carolina Crown - Very clean. Hornline is amazing. They march VERY well. Singer is very talented. But.........if you're trying to sell your show as an evolution of what drum corps was to what they think drum corps is/is going to be a bunch of gimmicks I've seen before, don't really sell me on that. This show feels like it would have worked five - ten years ago though obviously the judges disagree with me on that. It just feels a bit......pretentious. That said, they do sound amazing and are very clean. The Cavaliers - Fun fun FUN. Loved it, incredibly entertaining and I thought their hornline followed up Carolina Crown GREATLY tonight, I wasn't expecting nearly as much sound as they gave me on the first big turn around. Percussion was off the charts awesome, and the color guard REALLY stole the show. This show is exceptional visually, so much exciting stuff to watch. They really play to their strengths and it works incredibly well for them. Like last year........the members made it impossible for me to not love this show, they're so engaging and incredibly fun to watch. Really enjoyed it.

I couldn't disagree more about the robes. The first section of the show is the best thing they have done in years. The robes may be dinging the visual execution scores a bit, but they help create a tremendous atmosphere that is very intriguing. They may keep them on too long, but the larger issue is that the next costume change is completely fudged. The robes come off in drips and drabs, with the percussion first and then some of the horns, and it is all rather diluted and messy. Impact is being lost because of this. The surprise factor goes out the window. If they restaged it to have more of a mass change, it might better grab the audience and provide a more precise marker that the second section of the show takes a different turn.

One thing that is ABUNDANTLY clear: As Crown heads toward yet another trophy for brass (their 6th), and another medal, this corps continues to amaze me for how they continue to be in the run. Year after year, after year. They just do it. Think about it: FIVE brass titles. One GOLD, THREE SILVERS, BRONZE, Visual, Musical, and Guard champs (wrestled away the Guard Trophy from BD last year - first time after EIGHT CONSECUTIVE titles by BD). Watching Crown last night - even through the lousy audio from FLO, it was apparent that Crown played like they were on their own level. Brass balance was incredible. No heavy synth needed to back them up. No distracting cracks, fracs, or voices sticking out from the ensemble. Lush, smooth, velvety sound. BEAUTIFUL! Matt Harloff and his brass team is the best there is in DCI. For all the discussion that BD gets for instruction, Crown just continues to win the Ott regularly. They know how to instruct these kids up to a higher level, and they just go about their business. Percussion - I've been pretty close to this corps for the past few years and have chuckled more than a few times about the prevailing , "eh, Crown percussion..." Folks, Crown percussion has been on a steady rise since '13. Don't look now, but they are a Sanford contender! Guard - Concern about a down year from this group? Nope. Not happening! Drill - All Crown did in the off season was add a Hall of Fame Drill Designer to the team. Drill and visual is impeccable! Michael Klesch. His work, again, FABUOUS! All in all, this Crown instructional team proves once again (ho-hum) why they are the best in the business. Pound for pound, no one gets more out of a corps than they do. No matter where Crown finishes this year, 2017 is a success! -Just another year for Carolina Crown!!! CONGRATS ALL!!!

I is back. Who wants a (mini) review?

I am refraining from comment the rest of the season after this, because honestly it is just too stressful. I will say that the comments on the show thread last night about Cadets were really disrespectful. It is not only Cadets, Phantom is a victim of this also. The kids that march do not deserve those type of comments.

This is a continuation of my review from page 156... Cavaliers: In general I like the visuals, do not care for them musically -- especially the last song. Much like years past, the Cavaliers do visual really well. This corps is marching well and I really like the unique look of the field, the props, the uniforms, etc. They bring you into their world. This is something not lost on the judges I am sure. Musically however I feel the construction of the total book sounds like snippets, bleeps, blips, and tags. Continuation of musical thought is lacking. Phrasing and effect builds are lacking. The Cavaliers do have an excellent brass line and their percussion is wonderful, but because of the chopped-up music book I find the show less appealing to me. This is not a top 4 show, not even close and that will be reflected as the season progresses. The members of the corps are talented and really perform well, but I could see them getting beat by a hot Boston Crusaders corps...maybe even The Cadets. The Cadets: Not their best run last night. Even from FLO I could tell. Still there is much to like about The Cadets this year, and there are some concerns. In a nutshell, the first 2 sections of this show are really good. Fantastic music, good pacing, nice visuals, the costuming works, and they blend the elements well (pit, battery, brass, choir). The 3rd section of the show needs major work. Poor timing, bad use of props, too literal, visual feels mundane and weak, and they seem to be begging for applause rather than letting the artistry of Bernstein's music do the job. In fairness, there are some tweaks that would help sections 1 and 2, and I loved some of the new music they introduced at the end of section 1. Reminded me of the 1990 show. At this point in the season the Cadets cannot afford to dilly-dally around with too many changes. They need to clean, as was evident when they tipped their cap to the mighty Bluecoats with their jagged line company front. As we have seen with Crown, just clean baby, just clean (said in an Al Davis kind of way). Crown's show is far from perfect in design, especially in music source choices, but Crown is so much cleaner than most and that paid dividends last night. The Cadets were easily one of the dirtiest corps of the night. So yes, the 3rd section of the show is weak, but I wouldn't spend much time re-writing things at this point. Just clean. If anything, the Cadets need to pull things out of the show. Less is more. Take out the cross tarp in section 3. Pull 50% of the narration. Pull back on your chorus just a little at the end, despite the fact that they are wonderful and I just love their contributions in sections 1 and 2. Pull the big cross off the field, and find a better place to discard uniforms for section 3. All in all it's a really good show that has some magical and very musical moments in sections 1 and 2. The music in section 3 is beautiful but needs to build faster and more confidently. The company front was anti-climactic. Still, I like it and wish the Cadets the best. Much improved over last year. Phantom Regiment: The first half of this was odd for me. I kept waiting for the old Phantom Regiment to show up. The 2nd half has some great music moments that definitely say "That's Phantom." This show is a departure for Phantom and making sense of it is also difficult. Show design aside, what struct me as a negative was the brass performance in the first half of the show. Very weak for a Phantom corps. I thought they began to get some mojo going in the second half. I love the music in the closer (Sibelius, yes?). Their guard is HUGE, but also very good. I'm not sure how the uniform in the brass & percussion is supposed to be interpreted. They seem muscular and imposing, and the guard is supposed to be scary? I'm not as familiar with the material or the show theme, so maybe someone can shed some light on that. All that said, I liked the visual drill. I may need some more views before this show grabs me, but clearly the members are having fun with it and performing very well. Blue Knights: This corps has become synonymous with colorful, esoteric, intrigue, artistic, and adventurous. All apply to this show. Visually they are sloppy, but I sense there is a great visual book underneath. Musically they are wonderful. They have a nice mix musical timing and styles. The flow between brass and percussion is also well done. It doesn't feel choppy. What it lacks for the first 1/3 of the show is any real climactic points that grab you and pull you into the show. The pacing seems slower at first, but it ends well. The uniforms are great. Percussion was fantastic! The Knights need to work on clarity of impact points in my view. They need to drive each section and hit point to logical conclusions so the GE scores will show just how effective this show can be. Had fun watching them and can't wait to see them live. Great performances by the members!

Well, I hope the DCI administrators are peeking in to see the complaints.

My impressions of last night via FloMarching: Not impressed with Flo. When the sound was at normal levels I kept thinking this is pretty good. But too often the audio was up and down and felt uncontrollable, not to mention the failure to be ready for Blue Devils and Santa Clara. I think the video was fine, and a lot of that depends on your computer and what speeds you can run with your internet connection. Blue Devils: They continue to have one of my favorite shows of the summer. I really believe their show is full of great GE. Soloists are staged well, their guard is stellar, their marching and jazz running technique is outstanding, and the music choices were really well put together. A lot of their GE success comes from, I believe, how well they put that music book together. The brass and percussion integrate really well, and I love the trade-offs at the intro. Percussion did not score well, but they have a nice book. I do feel they need to add to the visual book if they wish to hold off SCV. Santa Clara: Their show grew on me a little more. I have not been the biggest fan of this music book. I love the visual program and dig the props. Staging is superb. Their brass impressed me more last night, but again I was not there live. Percussion is wonderful, as is their guard. Musically I feel like I want more to dig into in the first part of the show. I sort of get that at the end of the opener. All in all I can see why people are loving them and why they are scoring well. All the best to them. I would have no problem with SCV winning Gold. Carolina Crown: Because they went on 2nd to last they got a chance to shine -- and boy did they. When Crown is on the field there is one thing we know, you will be treated to a great music show by one of the best brass lines you will ever hear. They have the most impressive opening statement of the year. The Bach begins impressively in trumpets, then mellos, and then low brass and percussion. They don't mess around and quickly modulate to a massive climax that just SMACKS YOU IN THE FACE! You are given the full force of that Nuclear Blast and yet you are stunned at the intonation and control they retain while pinning your ears to the back of the stadium. Aside from the phenom known as their brass line, Crown showcased a wonderful percussion section and some pretty clean drill. Now I must admit I was shocked that their visual proficiency score was 4th. To my eyes they were 1st. I have seen corps from high up (and I was watching high cam) where the forms and intervals looked incredible but the technique was not quite there yet. Maybe this is the case. Proficiency is judged at field level I think. Some of you may have a better eye for this. All of Crown's music is fun. "For Good" is beautifully arranged and the young lady singing it does a wonderful job. I am growing to really like the last two segments of the show as well, but I have to admit that when it comes to GE I believe this will be the challenge for Carolina. They are taking a risk with this show, and much of that is this deconstruction idea. The return to the Bach was not very climactic and the closing drill set is weak. If Crown could get this show to sparkle over the last 1/3 I think they could medal and maybe even challenge. Their guard numbers will have to improve though if they wish to medal. Still, count me VERY impressed by Crown's performance. When a corps can perform like that, I am willing to forgive perceived GE flaws or perhaps my personal preferences on design/content. That is one impressive corps! Bluecoats: My hometown corps continues to deliver high-energy, high-octane music and drill and showmanship for the fans. People may be surprised to see Bluecoats in 4th, but they are not far out of this thing. If you think this corps can't medal, or even win the whole thing then you are not paying attention. Visually Bloo is not very clean. This is hurting scores in visual and GE. They are flying around at super high velocities and really need to buckle down on visual cleanliness. They are one of the fan favorites (if not THE fan favorite) wherever they go for a reason, and that's because they, like Crown and BD, begin show creation by putting together a fantastic music book. However, where Crown has made some interesting choices for music in the back half of their show, Bloo has knocked it out of the park with the Zappa which brings the crowd to a frenzy. If I think music only, from a standpoint of construction, I feel Bluecoats have the best arc of beginning - middle - end. The Blue Devils do this extremely well this year, too. I don't quite feel this with SCV, and as I said Crown seems to falter just slightly. This may come into play by Allentown when both Bloo and BD are a lot cleaner. Bloo's percussion is amazing!! So much varied musical content and the percussive phrasing is wonderful. Of the top 4 Bloo is definitely the least clean, especially in visual. I don't think the ballad is the major problem that many have eluded to, but I do feel they will continue to tweak that section.

Thank you for your feedback. But with all due respect, you cannot create a "high quality online experience" with an iPhone7. And the audio quality of last nights show was a total farce. Completely unacceptable by virtually any standard. You literally could not hear half of the audio. And that says nothing to the fact that we missed the first third of Blue Devils and SCV entirely. I was streaming from a high speed connection last night, through the latest AppleTV. There isn't a higher quality streaming option on the planet. I do video production for a living, and it was very clear that they were not using professional gear. You cannot, and should not even try, to shoot live production in a high school football stadium with anything less than true professional level gear. There is not and never will be enough light candles to power the video in a high school stadium. An organization like DCI, which is wholly a live performance company, should never contract with a company that could or would ever put something like last night on the air. These are things you work out long before you commit to a broadcast schedule. Ive scrolled through the other live events Flo produces. None of these events are performing arts. They are wrestling, or softball, or rodeo. That is a totally different animal than live music production on a football field. If Flo can't do this, they should not have agreed to do it at all. If they want to keep the contract, they need to commit to a level of professionalism that the corps themselves are committed to.

So... Who has a winning show this year? Well... It looks like everyone does! A few observations about the trends... and the past. That observation about the underdog climb in 2014 is important, but that was a different circumstance in a lot of ways. The Bluecoats were a favorite to win on night one, and that is not the case any longer from this past week and a half. They are now contending along with 2 others with 1 more as the favorite to win. That being said, they are contending (after some major work) from the bottom... which isn't a pleasant reality. As for what to do... Well, yeah, they need to clean. But even if they clean their way into the top caption spots, without a GE win, they will likely come up short... Unless they are 2 across the board with the others splitting 1, 3 and 4. They need a GE boost... Maybe a "WOW" moment near the close... But they will need to contend higher in GE in order to get in there. It just reminds me of the past in so many ways. Not all 8th place Bluecoats were equal... The same will be true with 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th place Bluecoats. The truth is that they are awesome at any and all places. 6 words.

I don't think Bluecoats need to make too many changes. They just need to begin cleaning the visual and fine-tuning the musical phrasing. I still think they have the show to repeat or at least medal.

It is definitely not a Tom Blair production...we have been spoiled with greatness for so many years by his team...

Some things change. Important things stay the same.

This is how I feel right now: A new style / approach / gimmick, whatever you want to call it, is good for a championship. The hard part is the next X years, where the conservative nature of this community will naturally try to reign them back in. Bloo has two main choices. It can 1) not give a #### about scores, and focus on producing the very best Blast! style show on a football field, or 2) revert back and design more for the sheets. I'm guessing it will be a mixture of both, but mostly #1. Bloo culture has never placed a huge importance on scoring. They are more concerned about making sure each member and the group as a whole is being the best version of themselves they can be. Everything comes after that. As far as judging, I don't think judges are necessarily saying "Blast! is not DCI". I think what you are seeing (and going to see in the next decade) is a judging shift towards this new style, as long as the crowds keep reacting this way. It won't be a linear path. Both sides will tug and pull along the way, which means some years it's en vogue, and some years it's not. I'm reminded of a famous quote that I feel is somewhat relevant: "A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it."

Raise your hand if you watched this show and said, You know, they might have something if those uniforms were bedazzled.

As far as the guard staff goes, I want to give a shout out to both the organisation and the new staff for handling this transition. The heart of the former staff has been there since 2003 (I should know since I marched the beginning years of Doodoo's reign) and for that to change last year, was a hard pill to swallow. Transitions will always be rough especially after coming right after a well-deserved caption win, and expectations to stay at that same level with a new staff is a nearly impossible feat With that said: I think it was a great solution for the organisation to hire Joey as the caption supervisor. - Having a talented person who was a student of Michael creates an evolution of the Crown guard aesthetic, while creating adding a new perspective. - Having a young and talented person take over is a risk, but if successful, I hope Joey stays and continues to rebuild the program with his already unique writing. It's time for the next generation of Townsends, Sages, Shaprios, Chandlers! - Is the guard rougher this year compared to past seasons? Yes, but man are they flying in drill and spinning an incredibly difficult book. Hats off to the team for going all out in a transition year. I love that you guys aren't losing the heart of what makes Crown guard so special - taking lots of risks. Anyway, I know the guard has been a major talking point on this forum in a mostly negative sense, so I just wanted to say that the new staff are doing a great job for the first year and once the marching members get comfortable with the crazy drill and new style I hope they clean clean clean! They are already vastly improved since the preview, now they just have to add that Crown confidence to the performance. Karma cap and we're all rooting for you Crown Guard!

here's the national anthem from last night that none of us got to hear over Flo

Maybe because I haven't said it yet this year, thank you George Dixon for being such a positive and insightful voice. I know you bleed maroon and gold, and I know the criticisms are hard to handle, but you do handle it with poise and class. Wish there were more like you around here!

Scores are scores.........and I know which two shows I'd want to see again. Zomby Woof was about the most fun I've ever had watching a drum corps show. Percussion was incredible too. And no one performs like these guys do, there is an energy/belief in what they're doing that comes across and is incredibly infectious. Crowd absolutely ate it up tonight. Can't wait to see it again this weekend!

Today the Arkansas Tech University Band Camps welcomed the Boston Crusaders to campus for rehearsal. They spent the evening learning portions of "Wicked Games" with high school camp participants before a short joint performance. Great job to the students and thank you for hosting Boston today!

Understood. But when you consider the level the guard has been the last 2 years, wow. Still, in my heart of hearts, guard should have won in '15. That guard, in some ways, presented themselves even more superior than last year. And, of course, Crown guard in '16 finally eclipsed BD for the trophy. If this year's edition is anywhere near where it has been the last 2 years - while doing it with an new guard staff and so many new members, I'm happy with that. And, from what I can see, they've already accomplished this.

Crown's issue is not the vocalist, it's the color guard. In fact, they've been doing extremely well in music GE this season, so any talk that that vocalist is hurting their scores should be null and void. Where Crown is getting killed is with their Color Guard, which is also dragging down their visual GE scores. Put last years color guard with this years brass and percussion and they would most likely be leading.

Clean the visual elements of the show. Body position and movement, shaping the Fosse look from one to another, body angles, foot, leg, arm, hand and finger placements. Refining the entire look.

I LOVE the timbre of trombones so I'm loving all the trombone features in DCI in general. The tone of BD's trombones are amazing, it's such a commanding sound

If I had a caption for most fun to watch award tonight in Broken Arrow.........these guys get it. Those members are so so so entertaining to watch. They're performers and the way they sell it is infectious. Percussion was off the charts and guard is incredible too. And these guys march SO well. Also, brass line. They might not be Carolina Crown but they sounded so much better than ever last year, the progress they've made is incredible. Some really fantastic sounds coming out of them. Anyways. Loved it tonight, can't wait to catch it again in San Antonio!

Whatever happens, I hope Bloo continues it's Blast! style shows. What an amazing product!

Well you can rest assured that Bloo will never copy Crown or BD.

I guess some folks can't find the high road, even with a map.

In such heat, even better than ice cream (which sometimes causes dairy side effects) is Italian ice or sherbet due to the greater water content. We often used it on the ambulance for heat prostrastion cases. If no Italian ice is being allowed by MikeD to leave New Joisey, here's the list from Braum's in OK cited on the Broken Arrow thread. My mouth is watering. https://www.braums.com/ice-cream/sherbet/

Odd thing about this show is people don’t like the narration (officiant) and I usually hate narration but I like it here. The dude does a killer job as it sounds a lot like my recorded version, it punctuates the piece At this point in the season, this is your show. Maybe a few tweaks but a major re-write won’t change much with placement. Just clean, have fun, and enjoy the rest of the summer. Being known as the unfun corps to march is worse than a placement position

Marching Music's Major League Dorseyville Middle School's 7th Grade Video Team

I'm not sure everyone needs to take a breath. The frustration is justified, IMO. People are paying money for this service, often times as the only means to see their kid perform. It worries me that you say Tom Blair (whose work with DCI is exceptional) would indicate that FloMarching is doing an even passable job. Maybe you don't need an expensive camera to get quality audio/video, but you do need to be able to point that camera at something interesting when it's happening.

BD also has, curates, and violently protects its historical culture of elevating and nurturing the creative process. Designers are the rock stars at BD. And because their singular commitment to telling a cohesive story, everyone understands how to evaluate the product. So when changes need to be made, they know how to pursue and implement those changes. It's a process that respects the creative mind. Every organization could learn a lot by watching BD. There is a reason their end product is so consistent. The end product is, literally, the product of a process that never changes.

Salem, Danvers ceremonies to honor Witch Trials victims 325th ANNIVERSARY: JULY 19, 1692 By Dustin Luca Staff Writer The North Shore will quietly honor the lives of 19 men and women accused of witchcraft and killed during the Salem Witch Trials as a major 325th anniversary in the trials passes next Wednesday. Five women were hung at Proctor's Ledge on July 19, 1692, marking the first of three dates in the Salem Witch Trials when mass executions were held. The victims that day included Sarah Good, Elizabeth Howe, Susannah Martin, Rebecca Nurse and Sarah Wildes. The first execution, of Bridget Bishop, was carried out on June 10 of the same year. Five more people convicted of witchcraft were hanged in August, and eight more on Sept. 22. Giles Corey, who refused to plead, was pressed to death on Sept. 19. The victims will be remembered at the Proctor's Ledge site at a ceremony and dedication on Wednesday, July 19, at noon. Speakers will include Mayor Kim Driscoll, the Rev. Jeff Barz-Snell of First Church in Salem, Salem State University history professor Emerson "Tad" Baker and a member of the Towne family, descendants of Rebecca Nurse, whose maiden name was Towne. The Gallows Hill Project confirmed last year that Proctor's Ledge was the site of the executions. Since then, city leaders have pulled together the cash to build a memorial at the site to honor the victims killed there. Danvers — originally Salem Village — also will host a commemoration ceremony at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, 149 Pine St. A reception will be held in the meeting house at 6:30 p.m., followed by a ceremony at 7 p.m. and laying of flowers in the Nurse Cemetery at 7:30 p.m. The property is owned and maintained by the Danvers Alarm List Company, which will host the ceremony. "It's her property, and we're lucky enough to be able to take care of it," said Alarm List president Jackson Tingle. "We want to pay our respects and encourage others to pay their respects to one of many people — one who had a special connection and stood up for the truth." Ceremony will unveil Proctor's memorial The ceremony at Proctor's Ledge will double as the dedication of the site, which has been in planning since the Gallows Hill Project announced its findings a year and a half ago. The city bought the site in the 1930s when it was suspected it had been used as the hanging ground, but as the years passed, so too did any effort to honor the victims there. For the 300th anniversary in 1992, a memorial was created in downtown Salem, and officials have continued to urge tourists to visit there instead of Proctor's Ledge. Bearing that in mind, the Proctor's Ledge memorial is minimal — providing a place to remember, but not to visit. The bulk of the memorial faces Pope Street, one of two public roads bordering the site today. "It's a ledge wall that goes into the site with granite blocks," said city preservation planner Patti Kelleher. "Within that retaining wall, there are blocks — 19 blocks — and each block will have the name of the person and the date of the execution." The blocks will be lit up at night, she said. "The only thing that was done on the Proctor Street side was building out the sidewalk with three street trees, just for those people who may wish to be there," Kelleher said. "The intent is for people who wish to come to the memorial and recognize what happened at the site to come to the Pope Street side." IF YOU GO ... Salem commemoration When: Wednesday, July 19, noon Where: Proctor's Ledge, Pope Street Danvers commemoration When: Wednesday, July 19, 6:30 p.m. Where: Rebecca Nurse Homestead, 149 Pine St.

Four corps saw their scores drop last night, and there seemed to be major sound issues all around. Sometimes it's just a tough night, and Cadets got the worst of it. Whether you like the robes or not, I think they feel a lot more comfortable in 72 degrees of Lucas Oil Stadium than 100 degrees in Broken Arrow, OK. It looked to me like they started out on adrenaline and just wilted as they went (same thing with Crown). On the good side, sometimes we forget part of the picture. I happened to be watching the show on a big screen webcast with a bunch of people who had never even heard of Drum Corps before last night. They were amazed at the athleticism and musical skill Vanguard and Blue Coats, but the Cadets was a show that was nothing they had ever expected could be done with marching music. They obviously didn't understand the score differentiation, the issues with company front not being straight, or the variety of hiccups in the drill, etc., but the general effect really blew them away. So whatever else may be true, this show is giving people a different appreciation for what they imagined this art form to be.

Am I the only one who likes the trombone feature? I know it doesnt transition the best, but its super groovy.

That was effing spiritual live, the attention to detail was second to none tonight. JUST CLEAN! I feel like this could be in your grasp........the risk/reward ratio is off the charts. LOVED it live tonight.

DCI has been "amateur hour" for at least 10 years now. Not surprised that they made this move and ended up with a ridiculously subpar product. Get your sheet together, DCI. Asking people to spend good money for an inferior product seems to be their calling card.

.1 behind BK. Still having a stronger season than most are predicting

It is certainly amateur hour with this bunch. The first broadcast I saw was Rose Bowl. I had audio all night but the video froze during BK and never came back. Beanpot, had 5-6 second audio drop outs during 3 corps. Tonight, BD was already past the percussion intro before they turned on audio and then SCV audio was missing for over half the show. It's like the local middle school A/V club is running this.

TOC shows are scar tissue from the ham handed G7 attempt. G7 went away but nobody got around to killing off the TOC contests

That thread got really nasty last night. I was so disappointed in some of the comments and I'm glad they addressed the members posting so harshly

I knew I was right before...

We're being treated to a lot of amazing. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy.

Vocals are judged by Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Alicia Keys & Gwen Stefani of late.

I thought they had a rough run - but it was in the 82-84 range performance wise It was 97 out all day and several corps showed fatigue last night I wish you would be a bit more constructive in your comments. I realize you like BD and Boston but all the corps are comprised of young adults working hard PAYING and trying to entertain us. So probably as the "Grown ups" in the equation we can be a little objective and constructive in our comments. Just a thought

That is a very competitive recap sheet. The point spread across the top 4 is almost entirely accounted for in visual scores. If a corps could nail down consistent second best placements across the board... they could win it all without winning anything (assuming that everyone else split up captions for 1, 3 and 4). It's that tight. This is one of those moments where it could be tempting to be concerned about the placement of your favorite group... But just look at that score spread. I hope it shuffles every night until the end.

"Blast!" style is a really good way to describe what they're doing out there. It will be interesting to see what the judges value this year and what they determine is good GE.

There are a lot of changes coming. I reported that a day ago.

Just about finished packing. Jim has his priorities. :-D posted from the DrumScorps app