Leaderboard

I hung out with Pioneer Wednesday night and Thursday this past week as they prepared for prelims. I was there to support one of my former students who is now marching quad with Pio and being taught, ironically enough, by my former instructor, Tyrell Carver (an amazing guy, I was very happy to know "T" would be her instructor, but that's another story)... Seeing my student and T again was pure magic, and Pioneer are wonderful hosts - Roman is a true gentleman. I can't say enough good things about that organization and will encourage other kids I teach who are considering the jump to DCI to consider Pioneer without hesitation. I started marching in 1968. I've spent a lot of time thinking drum corps is not the same as when I marched and in many ways, it's true. Electronics, trombones, singers - much has changed and I haven't been onside with a lot of it. But I watched those Pioneer kids give it everything they've got in run-throughs Wednesday night, sectionals and runs Thursday morning, and then show prep in Military Park, most if not all of them understanding where they would place at the end of the day. It didn't matter to them, they threw every muscle and fibre of their being, and all of their heart, into preparing for that show. I could only watch in admiration. And I learned in that moment at show prep, that the things I maybe don't like about modern drum corps - the mics, the instrumentation etc. - are entirely superficial to the main event, which is the experience these kids have in marching. The work ethic you learn, the ability to learn your limits and then break through them, the lifelong bonds of friendship you make, the joy of performing for the audience - none of this has changed, and that's the essence of drum corps regardless of the era or competitive level you marched. If you marched, you get it. I'm 62 years old and in this, my last year of teaching, I learned a great deal about drum corps from these 22 and under year olds this week. In every way that matters - drum corps has not changed one bit. I'm a fan again. Thank you Pioneer for your gracious hospitality, and for the lesson.

Well that's vague. You could judge Effect for dci with comments that nonspecific.

Preface - So, 2017 is in the books! What an amazing season this was start to finish, Championships or not, Open and World Class, etc. I had a blast following this year, my week in Broken Arrow, Belton, and San Antonio was a blast. When it comes down to it the people and atmosphere fosters is just amazing and second to none......I'm having some battles right now with what I exactly want to do with my life but I know for certain it has to be under the umbrella of this activity. I'm pretty exhausted right now and REALLY need to go to bed, so this might lack some proofreading and details but I just wanna get it out there for everyone to enjoy! EVERYONE deserves some love. Every corps and member does an amazing job every season. There are shows that I might not like and corps that don't place where I might want them but I am not gonna let that get in my way of finding something positive in every show and performance. Congrats on the members, staffs, volunteers, show sponsors, and everyone involved on an incredible 2017. I took on every single show I saw this year, so prepare for a helluva long winded post. But I hope it's worth it for everyone to read through it. Enjoy! I'm gonna do an additional post on my thoughts of the BIG topics of 2017 like A&E, Uniforms, etc. so look out for that too! But for now....... Regional Touring Corps – These make me so excited about the future and growth of the activity. So many great corps weren’t even at championships this year, I had a blast watching a lot of these. Assuming some of these make the trip to Championships some day soon, it’s going to get incredibly exciting in Open Class. Blue Devils C always blows me away for their age, this year seemed especially mature and well performed from them. Always a fun and entertaining show from the most adorable corps on the planet, loved the plane theme this year. Incognito was small but impressive considering the exposure each performer had, they performed very well. Watchmen were a great surprise, loved the Norse thematic material and they had a GREAT percussion section. Only caught a YouTube video of Heat Wave, but man they improved a TON this year, easily the best show in their three year history. It definitely showed in their scoring too, they were right on the heels of Southwind and Louisiana Stars early on before their tour ended. The next three REALLY impressed me, these three are incredibly mature for their age in pretty much every aspect on and off the field and when they decide to head to Indy they are REALLY going to turn even more heads than they already have. Golden Empire’s hidden gems themed show is pretty appropriate, they continue to put out incredibly ambitious and increasingly well performed programs. I really enjoyed the more tangible theme this year and accessible music, “One Day I’ll Fly Away” was very nice. Incredibly successful season for them beating the next two corps. Columbians really impressed me two years ago with their “1942” program and again last year with their INCREDIBLY fun “Clash!” show with one of the coolest props I’ve ever seen. This years “Do Not Go Gentle” show seemed like an attempt at a much more mature and difficult show and I think they definitely succeeded. They’re an incredibly balanced corps with a particularly strong brass line in my eyes...ears? Nevertheless, a regional open class corps giving such an incredibly mature musical moment in the “Adagio for Strings” ballad with that huge and long crescendo is a testament to how far down the ranks talent goes nowadays. Loved their show on the Denver FloMarching cast. Lastly, The Battalion. This was their 2nd year and their performing a show like that that well? Wow. This is the kind of corps that a decade from now could be a huge heavy hitter in Open Class. Incredibly cohesive and well constructed show, use of silence was very clever and the visual design was especially great. Some absolutely fantastic moments throughout the show that were fantastically paced and built into. And they are incredibly strong in every caption, brass especially blew me away. That first big statement with the mellophones…...oof. Gimme more of that! If I had to buy stock in a corps I could see being the next thing, it might be these guys. Second year? That makes me giggle, cannot wait for next year. Open Class - The best set of Open Class shows I have ever seen, top to bottom. The Company - Tomorrow, It's Just Around the Corner 1st Place International Class - 72.325 The Company – So glad these guys made the trip over, have always enjoyed their offerings for DCE, and this show was no disappointment. This is probably the most impressed I have been by an overseas corps coming to the US since I’ve started following the activity, fantastic design and incredibly energetic and clean performance all three times I saw this one online. Very seamless and well constructed music book from Markworth and loved the visual program, especially the use of color and the overall aesthetic. Overall, great job and come back again! Les Stentors - The Red Line of Fate (I think?) 16th Place - 55.2 I always appreciate when corps that are on the small side shrink down their performance spaces, really helps make the performance feel more intimate and energetic and it just stages them better. Very fun start to Open Class overall, really enjoyed the singer in the ballad and the color guard usage, they were definitely the standout section. The level of exposure for groups of this size is pretty astounding, everyone has to be pulling their weight 100% and I think they did a great job of it. Can’t find a list of their repertoire but it was all fun and familiar music I enjoyed. Overall, nice job! Impulse - In the Beginning 15th Place - 58.125 It’s been cool to see these guys be able to make it out to Indianapolis this year and last year, hope they can bring more of their regional Open Class friends in the coming years. Very fun show, particularly enjoyed the “Rite of Spring”/”Eye of the Tiger” mashup, I could get used to this two things that shouldn’t work together but do thing that one other corps I’ll talk about later has certainly mastered. Hornline for their size really puts out a good and strong sound, especially at the finish of their show. Big drumline was very solid and the color guard had some great moments too. Overall, a very fun show! Colt Cadets - The Rivers Edge 14th Place - 61.2 Again, love the shrinking of performance space to fit the corps. This was a big step up, very pretty and gorgeous color and musical palette they worked with in this show. Loved the use of the silks in the guard. Hornline put out some very mature and musical sounds, lots of tasteful dynamic work throughout. Drums were solid as well. Particularly enjoyed the Smetana ballad, love “Ma Vlast” which I think is what they pulled from. Overall, very nice job. This Colt Cadets corps is light years better than the one I saw when I first started following the activity back around 2008/2009. Shadow - Atreyu 13th Place - 62.225 Seeing corps of this size doing this ambitious of a show is pretty awesome. First of all, percussion stole the show for me. From the get go the front ensemble plays with incredible maturity and musicality, they were easily one of the best front ensembles of the day; they were great throughout the whole show. They put out the first BIG sound of the day in Open Class prelims, hornline had a ton of energy and presence. Really liked the use of the fabrics and tarps throughout, I knew back in Minneapolis they were gonna have one at the end and low and behold there it was. I also liked the addition of the white fabric at the end, great transformation that helped bring some thematic clarity. This is a corps in their 2nd year doing great things and with high school aged kids? That’s awesome. Raiders - Iconic 12th Place - 64.975 Very fun show from these guys, loved the eclectic mix of music that everyone knows and loves. They have a ton of great soloists in this show, the talent level of the membership is obviously very high when you feature that many members so well. Particularly enjoyed the “Beat It” and “Let it Be” parts of the show. Really enjoyed the color guard as well, they’re staged and featured well throughout the show. Nice job! River City Rhythm - Misshapen 11th Place - 67.688 Very cool and fun show, they get the morphing/distortion theme across very well communicated through the Beethoven that we all know and the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” ballad is GREAT. The star of this show for me is easily the percussion, the brass had increasingly great performances through Championships and the guard was solid but percussion…...well you can tell they have their roots indoor. Fantastic front ensemble playing from the get go, great features throughout, and I really enjoyed the morphing tenor feature. That was a great variation on the stationary tenor feature we’ve all seen before, nice keeping it fresh AND thematically relevant. Loved the pitch bend at the end of the show. I’ve really enjoyed them every year since their first season back in 2015, and this year was easily their strongest yet. I’m very excited at what’s in store for these guys in the future. Guardians - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 10th Place - 69.737 This is easily one of my favorites from the Open Class slate this year, this show is a blast. The insanity versus sanity idea has been done before but never in a way this fresh through Kanye West of all things. Love the way this show is set up from the get go, tons of great drill and moments throughout the first half but the second half of this show is where the real fun begins. Absolutely loved the Himdemith trombone feature in the closer and then we throw that amazing ramp drum feature on top of it and the energy and excitement goes into overload mode. They have a fantastic percussion section and color guard that’s featured in that portion, the two featured performers symbolizing sane Kanye and insane Kanye are AMAZING performers, they’re a blast to watch. Love the subtle use of the uniforms throughout the show, the different colored legs and flipping of the caps are small things but super effective. Overall this show is IMO one of the more ambitious and mature designs on the Open Class field this year. I can’t wait to see what they do next year, they’re two for two with me. Southwind - Toxic Mind 9th Place - 70.125 I hadn’t seen anything the whole year from Southwind and hadn’t read a ton either, so when they came on and did what they did in the 11th place slot in Open Class prelims me and I think everyone else watching were blown the hell away. Their arrangements and hornline performance were easily some of my favorite of the week relatively. The energy of this show was off the hook; Loved the use of Creep throughout mixed in with all the other music, “Superstitious” was fantastic, loved that trombone feature and the Muse stuff in the closer was amazing as well. This show is just straight up what I love about drum corps. Their brass definitely stole the show, high brass and mello books and performances were amazing for that tier of corps. Percussion and guard were both very solid throughout as well. Seeing these guys back on the national stage for the first time in a decade making that kind of impression is probably one of my highlights of the season, I love getting shell shocked by Open Class corps I haven’t seen all year and this one probably takes the cake for that. I am dying to see where they go next year. 7th Regiment - ...as the Sun Loved the Moon 8th Place - 72.0 Beautiful show this year, love story shows that are very easy to follow and interpret. Fantastic use of color throughout to communicate the sun and moon and both coming together at the end through the guard costuming, silks, and props. Very interesting and eclectic use of music throughout, who woulda thought that “Incantation and Dance” mixed with “Total Eclipse of the Heart” would work so well together? Very nice. Very controlled and clear brass performance from them, loved the ballad soloist. Overall I don’t have a ton more to say other than beautiful show, great job, and I look forward to seeing these guys every year. Fantastically designed show that was perfect for them as a membership. AND THEY GOT THEIR DINO NUGGS!!! Gold - Grow 7th Place - 72.75 This one grew on me every time I saw it this week, they really shined in Lucas Oil on Thursday morning. It was a lot easier to pick up this theme on the high cam in prelims, the growing theme definitely came across. I think it’s all original but some great musical moments throughout, the ballad was especially nice. Brass has great tone and clarity throughout and the color guard really shined in this show. Loved the ending, great drill, bright flags, ramming drums, and that last brass chord were all a great way to cap off that show. Great job! Louisiana Stars - Sanctuary 6th Place - 73.213 They won the most improved Open Class award for the second year in a row, and I can see why. Much more cohesive and better performed show this year. And I enjoyed last years too. The star of this show is definitely the musical program, tons of variety in style and musicality, they really play with great control throughout the whole show. Loved the vocal moments, the duet at the start of the show was great and the full corps singing stuff in the ballad was nice. Percussion really shined this year in addition to the brass, they definitely led the corps through OC Championships. Great visual program too this year that was a huge improvement over 2016. This corps is going places, and I’m excited to see what’s next for them! Spartans - Connected 5th Place - 75.925 This was a huge step up in visual programming and performance in Open Class competition, and it’s ultimately what put them in Semifinals. Fantastic use of choreography and staging, and that guard is fantastic year in and year out. I really enjoyed the show this year, particularly the drum feature with all the cell phone/communication stuff that they turned into an incredibly fun and exciting closer to the show. Congrats on keeping the semis streak going, and I look forward to seeing the show next year! Music City - Tribe 4th Place - 76.763 I can sum it up pretty shortly, this was their best show and corps in their history. After how their season began……...it warms my heart seeing how they finished this year. They earned every bit of that finish this year. They took a huge leap forward to me visually, the drill design and staging was a huge improvement over last year with some incredible field coverage and staged moments. The color guard was also fantastic, loved their use of color and thematic portrayal. Musically they were as enjoyable as ever, the musical texture of the ballad and that HUGE entrance after the drum feature that they nailed every time were amazing moments coming from an Open Class corps, though lets be honest; at this point in OC finals we had already well surpassed World Class levels of design and performance. Huge congrats on an amazing 2017 season and 2nd semis appearance! They’re currently under evaluation for a World Class promotion for 2018, they’ve certainly reached that level as a performing ensemble. They’ll move up soon if it doesn’t happen this year. Legends - The Signal 3rd Place - 77.25 First of all, I’m just glad they made it to Championships. Seeing them raise 100k in about 24 hours was pretty incredible. Just get that in order please! That’s out of the way now. Man, they just keep on improving year after year. This years show was a huge step up in maturity from a design perspective and from a performance perspective. The level their brass performs at is amazing, my personal favorite from Open Class Championships. The color guard and percussion also took big strides this year. GREAT music and drill this year, the “Wall-E” opener and “Sound of Silence” ballad were definitely highlights of OC Championships for me. The lighting trick this year was about as cool as 2016s, very fun theme that they portrayed well. Nice job, hope to see them as strong next year! Blue Devils B - The World the Children Made 2nd Place - 79.625 These guys have every bit as much swagger and confidence as their World Class counterpart and man it’s fun to watch. Their show had the best of what makes the Blue Devils the Blue Devils, incredibly professional and tight performances from all captions, very tight show design, and they perform it at an incredibly high level. I didn’t enjoy this years offering quite as much as last years amazing space show, but it was still an enjoyable program. Loved the weaving of “Pure Imagination” throughout the whole show in different ways. Loved the use of a mbira and the overall musical texture added from the front ensemble. Overall, just a great and solid show as always. Vanguard Cadets - In Pieces 1st Place, All Captions - 80.725 SCVC this year and BDB last year are the peak of an amazing Open Class, and man this was a fun show this year. This show reminds me a lot of Bluecoats 2016 Championship show in the best of ways; it was incredibly seamless, featured simple but hugely effective props, and had an incredibly infectious energy that was hard to deny in terms of effect. In addition to that they were just incredibly solid across the board, their sweep at Champoinships was very well deserved, particularly really enjoyed the percussion and color guard. Loved the use of percussion in the front half of the show and the closer was just a blast…...fantastic trombone and screamer soloists that nailed it all five times I watched the show online; that paired with the Vanguard moment made this show just incredibly exciting to watch. That was an amazing way to kick off SCVs 50th Anniversary on Championships week. 13th - 23rd in World Class - Full of incredibly accessible, fun, and record setting shows across all corps: Pioneer - Irish on Broadway 34th Place - 65.913 I can always count on Pioneer for something that’s very easy to just sit back and enjoy, and this years Les Mis show is no exception. Loved the various showcased soloists throughout, some fantastic guard moments, a great flugel soloist, and that singer is just stellar. Loved the use of the barricade props as well in the latter half. Pioneer has put out some very solid and entertaining shows as of late, last years Joan of Arc show particularly being a highlight. They do what they do very well, and I enjoyed it this year once again. Jersey Surf - Make it Our Own 27th Place - 71.613 This year was a big step up in programming to me from previous years. After 2012s huge success in that amazingly entertaining Bridgemen tribute show I felt like either they tried to recapture that magic and were not as successful or went too serious and lost what made them Jersey Surf. Musically especially this show had tons of depth and maturity to it filled with some fantastic moments throughout. The Snarky Puppy opener was a blast, the Sia ballad is beautiful (that climax is great), and the Basia closer was very laid back and fun. I easily see myself listening to this one a lot over the summer, courtesy of the arrangements and a hornline that can really push some power. Enjoyed the guard contribution as well, loved the use of color from them. Overall, most I’ve enjoyed one of their shows in a few years. I feel bad that they missed semifinals, they had a better show this year Open Class is just explosive in its growth right now. Seattle Cascades - Set Free 26th Place - 74.125 I’ve loved watching this corps grow every year since 2014 and seeing them field their largest corps ever only three seasons later is awesome. This year was the next logical step in a set of incredibly exciting and accessible shows. Easy to understand theme and great music with an incredibly tasteful visual program. I can always count on Mr. Norfleet for some incredibly fresh and exciting arranging and this years closer mashup of “Shostakovitch 10”/”Bird Set Free” is no exception. All captions continue to make strides, and even though the color guard might have been a scoring weakness after them fielding less than ten a few years ago, seeing the field full of flags and equipment is very promising. And like Jersey Surf, I think the explosion of Open Class is just really hard to keep up with. That shouldn’t diminish what was IMO a great season for them. Genesis - The Other Side of Now 23rd Place - 76.213 First of all, welcome to World Class! And I definitely think they belong. They showed incredible maturity in designing a show that is very challenging and taking it on with fantastic performances from all three captions, especially the brass. Their approach to ensemble sound, tone, etc. is very good and with a few years watch out for them. Overall it’s a familiar but very well executed concept that is very accessible and very captivating to general audiences. The music book was very eclectic full of great music that we all know and love in this activity and that visual program was a blast to watch from up top; so many cool sequences and moments throughout it. If this is their first effort in WC, I can’t wait to see what they’re doing down the road. They’re going to be a force to be reckoned with. Pacific Crest - Golden State of Mind 21st Place - 78.00 I really enjoyed Pacific Crest last year and I did again this year. Highlight is definitely the very easy to listen to music program, full of very recognizable, fun, and beautiful music. Best part of the show for me was definitely “Alfonso Muskedunder”, that was just old school park and bark jam out fun. The “Lost” ballad was great too, really enjoyed the use of color in the ballad visually. And the “California Dreaming” recap was great too. The visual program was great too, very well constructed and very readable. Great in all captions, brass line especially live because they had some punch. Overall not much else to say other than I enjoy what they do and I can always count on them for an easy to get and easy to watch/listen to show. Oregon Crusaders - EnCompass 20th Place - 79.05 Who woulda thought that U2, Elgar, and Enya would make such a seamless and gorgeous musical program? I’ve always wanted to hear more of “Enigma Variations” on the field, and them supplementing it with the U2 and Enya songs was a great move. By itself it could have gotten a bit redundant (it is a theme and variations after all) but adding those other two elements was a fantastic move that really gave it some freshness and variety. This show is a pretty seamless and organic thought so it’s hard to pick just one moment but that ballad was fantastic. The Academy did this last year in their closer and Oregon Crusaders caught on too…...it’s amazing what can happen when you just let something breathe for a few minutes and let it be what it is. Love what Tim Snyder and his team did with the hornline this year, they sounded amazing. Percussion was as amazing as ever, the bass line (which is always kick ###) and the front ensemble especially stood out to me. And the color guard…….this is the best guard I think they’ve fielded ever maybe? They were great, that’s been a weakness in the past but not this year. Great visual program too with the props and use of the encircling motif throughout. This is gonna be a show I listen to on repeat a ton. Spirit of Atlanta - Crossroads: We Are Here 18th Place - 80.075 Ever since post 2013 it has felt like Spirit of Atlanta has been lost in finding what they wanted to do, their shows felt a little bit safe and familiar until this year. This year had a sense of them trying something new and trying to forge a new identity and I think it was a great start at that. This show was way more exciting than their last three efforts, the very eclectic music program especially. There was enough familiar Spirit of Atlanta in there but also some great stuff that was new territory like the John Mackey, the Vienna Teng, and the Snarky Puppy closer. The ballad was easily a highlight of the show for me, so so beautiful. Very exciting visual program as well, loved the use of color in the guard and I personally really liked the new uniform. Overall I’m more excited about where Spirit of Atlanta is headed than I have been in awhile, almost reminds me of 2010 in a way. I think good things could be in store for them next year. Troopers - Duels and Duets 17th Place - 81.275 Overall it might have missed the mark conceptually and visually but man what a fun show this year form them full of INCREDIBLE moments. They cleaned and transformed this thing drastically over the back half of the season and turned it into something very fun to watch and listen too. The obvious standout here is the Puccini ballad........the transition into and then the payoff at the end is absolutely GLORIOUS! Musically I see this show getting tons of replays when I get the audio for it. So it might not have placed as high as recent years, but still a fun show that everyone seemed to enjoy. Interested in what 2018 brings! Colts - Both Sides Now 15th Place - 83.888 What a beautiful show this year........this was just a pleasure to sit back and enjoy. From the beautiful slow burn opener, to the AMAZING trombone soloist and guard moment in the ballad, to those piercing last notes this was their most cohesive and seamless show in years. I don't have a lot more to say outside of that. Fantastic performances from all sections, and a huge shoutout to what I think was probably their best percussion section in the modern era for them. Huge congrats, can't wait to see the shoe next year! The Academy - By a Hare 14th Place - 84.188 Man, it took a little bit of the season to get it there but what an incredibly fun and just down right entertaining show this turned into. Even if it was quite as competitively successful as 2016s show this was still true to what everyone has fallen in love with in terms of their identity. EASY to get and amazingly fun theme, beautiful melodies and all recognizable music, amazing characters and portrayal by the guard, sweeping huge drill, and just amazing energy all around. This was an incredibly talented corps too, all sections put out great performances this year. Don't have much more else to say other than I loved it and PLEASE........just because this year was a bit of a step back in numbers, don't let it change who you are. You are a voice we need in this activity and I hope they maintain who they are. Mandarins - Inside the Ink 13th Place - 85.55 What a season. When The Academy made finals in 2016 as the first new corps to make finals since 2002 it sparked a discussion of who would be next after them. My pick was the Mandarins. In the recent years they have been putting together some incredibly cohesive and well designed shows that were well performed in all captions and when they announced Ike Jackson and the new visual team joining this past year that feeling intensified. Well, they blew past my expectation of it still taking about five or so years to happen and almost pulled it off only a season later. The design of this show on every level was top tier, it was full of so many perfectly coordinated and paced moments throughout the whole show tied together with a fantastically presented theme that they nailed. The build and payoff of the opening hit, the pillow people and use of color and contrast, the AMAZING ballad that used incredible visual tension in the color guard, my favorite drum feature of the year bringing the best of the indoor activity outside from the amazing vocals of “Crazy” to the overall style, and that closer and ending that just exploded. Brass and percussion took leaps forward and the color guard just stole the show this year……...they were amazing performers that brought this show to life. They grew exponentially this year as a membership and an organization and finals would have just been the cherry on top of this corps best show and season in their history and not making it in doesn’t diminish any of what they accomplished. I’m leaving the 2017 season with a new favorite all time non finalist show and one of my top five favorites of the year from the Mandarins. If they did this after placing 17th in 2016……..what the hell do we have in store for 2018? Cannot wait. 2017 Finalists - An AMAZING slate of top 12 corps, and probably the best top 2 since I started following the activity. Madison Scouts - Last Man Standing 12th Place - 85.25 First of all, welcome back to finals! It just feels good when their name is announced on Saturday night. What a transformation this year………...incredibly bold and sharp direction change that was pretty polarizing, myself being on the more positive side of that discussion. They made a statement this year that they’re ready to be something new and break out of their mold to accomplish whatever goal they wanted to and they did. This was an incredibly unique and off the wall show to watch develop all season. Early on I thought the bones were there but they were gonna have to work really hard to sell it for what it was and by finals they definitely did. Loved the use of trombones in the Bartok, loved the ballad, and that ending was absolutely nuclear. They really brought this thing together in the finals week. All of that said I still think it’s the Madison Scouts, they were not as in your face about it but it was still there. I’m excited to see where they go from here, the possibilities are endless. And when they perform that well across the board...look out in 2018. Crossmen - The Enigma 11th Place - 86.825 It seems my view of this show is the opposite of a lot of others. I was not a huge fan early on and was worried about where they would place but I really came around to it overall in the end enjoyed it. Musically this was just fantastic. Tons of amazing moments in the opener, especially the ballad, and love what they did with the Emerson Concerto in the closer. Ballad was probably the highlight of the show for me, that horn soloist was pretty much perfect a huge majority of the time and when the brass comes in at the peak of it, wow. Love it. Loved the tone and approach to brass this year, they had incredible clarity and control to their playing. Percussion and guard were very solid too. Visually, hmm. I think they ended up using the props in more ways than I anticipated and Ebert did a good job writing around those things for sure but it just have a ton of punch up top. That’s probably the only negative thing I can say though, overall a very high energy and exciting show that solidified their position as a finalist. Blue Stars - Star Crossed 10th Place - 87.938 First of all, their encore in Belton this year live up close and personal with that brass and percussion playing the corps song and some other stuff was easily a highlight of the year for me. That was the essence of what makes me love drum corps musically. Their brass this year blew me away. Pure, smooth, clear, powerful, restrained, etc. Love what Ward Miller is doing with them, they sound like no one else and I appreciate them keeping it unamplified, they might not have as much punch as their peers coming out of a speaker but the purity and clarity we get in return? I’ll take that all day everyday. Color guard is as fantastic as ever, every year they blow me away at what they attempt and this year is no exception. Percussion was great too. In terms of the show, I acknowledge the issues thematically and in terms of flow but that doesn’t detract away from the fact that they were marching some of the most exciting drill and playing some of the most emotionally satisfying music on the field this summer. The opener was absolutely beautiful and restrained, the ballad was pretty stunning, the high brass feature in the last third was AMAZING, and the closer with the mellos soaring over htat amazing brass was a treat this year. These guys are the right show away from a huge hit and soaring up in the placements, every single piece is in place. They just need the right medium to communicate it through. But I’ll enjoy them regardless, have always had a soft spot for them since they blew me away as a new fan in 2010 in Denton Texas. Phantom Regiment - Phantasm 9th Place - 88.125 They took on an absolute beast of a show this year, and they cleaned that thing up way more than I ever expected them to by finals. In the end it wasn't my favorite show of the season but it felt like they were trying to turn over a new leaf and start fresh with something still distinctly Phantom Regiment but new and fresh. Wes Cartwright sure made his mark this year, he gave that color guard one of the most easily identifiable and exciting looks on the field this summer. Loved the closer, the use of color in the guard and kinetic energy on the field paired with that absolutely triumphant music was a sight to behold. Great season, looking forward to next year. Blue Knights - i 8th Place - 90.4 To me, the Blue Knights have found the best balance of what is the best about what drum corps was and the best about what drum corps is becoming. They’re both incredibly pure and progressive, finding an amazing balance of what makes drum corps what it is and being bold and fresh. Musically they’re probably the most refreshing and creative corps out there, what Bocook and Jackson among others are doing with their arranging is incredible. The Schwantner percussion concerto portion of the show this year is absolutely to die for. The drums in this show were mind blowing, they play with an intensity and aggression that is rivaled by absolutely no one else. And the level of variety and musicality in what the brass does isn’t either, there wasn’t a show I saw live this year that hard more control and depth to what the brass did. The extremes they play at is unreal. As a show I’m not sure if this was as strong as 2015s seamless and incredibly fresh show or 2014s amazingly emotional and gripping show but after a season that felt a little lost in 2016 they are back to what made me fall in love with them. If they can get stronger visually…….these guys are going to soar up the ranks as a leading voice of progression and purity in the world of the marching arts. The Cadets - The Faithful, The Fallen, The Forgiven 7th Place - 91.675 First of all, the crap and hate that people have to see regarding this corps disgusts me. It pains me to think about members reading the kind of stuff that gets spewed at them. I know they don’t need my concern and they don’t buy into that stuff but I hate that it happens. I have a ton of feelings about this show, I feel like at the end it got heavy handed and a bit buried by all the additions and symbolism but at its core……..what a unique and fresh show this was. I love them experimenting with pacing and musical textures, they tried incredibly bold things in those regards and I we can argue about if they paid off, but I think they did. Some AMAZINGLY beautiful moments in there, the first "Simple Song" impact was just stunning in every way and that ending.........that's about as big and good as it gets in the pageantry world. Great performances from all sections this year, I particularly thought that the color guard did a fantastic job. I'm excited at the possibilities of Bernstein next year........it fits them so well. Here's to 2018! Boston Crusaders - Wicked Games 6th Place - 92.962 My favorite show of 2017. This show for me is everything that is right and that I love about drum corps; the range of emotions I felt live watching this show is pretty unmatched by anything else I’ve say through in a stadium in the heat of the summer. This show is one I have been waiting for to hit the drum corps field in my time as a fan; something that wasn’t afraid to embrace emotions and themes that are a bit darker and harder to sell in a way that is appealing to the masses……..and man they did it. The level of clarity and cohesion from things as big as the choices of music and as small as how tiny snippets of voice overs lay into the musical texture of the show was just second to none for me. No show for me this year felt so seamless or well coordinated. They nailed the programming of music in this show, the eeriness and creepy innocence of “Moonlight Sonata” woven through the show from the opener into the ballad brought to life by that amazingly dynamic and musically mature front ensemble, the angst and anger of the Prokofiev, Copland, and Ginestara that was portrayed with amazing intensity and power by the fantastic brass and drumline, and the mournful sadness and distress that was personified in that amazing…...stunning singer in the ballad that looked like she belonged on some high end Broadway stage was just perfect. Ryan George, Colin McNutt, Iain Moyer, Michael Zellers, and anyone else who helped arrange and construct this show deserve huge congrats. The clarity, power, and level of detail not just in arranging but how the amazingly done voice overs and singer laid in the brass and percussion writing is just mind blowing. And Gino, the aforementioned two percussionists, and all the instructional staff bringing it to life deserve as much praise. And then Leon May and the color guard staff setting an incredibly emotional, easy to follow, and perfectly coordinated stage to bring the music to life visually? Amazing. The color guard live just took me by the throat and didn’t let go, the level of intensity and emotion they perform with while tossing rifles, sabres, flags, and everything else with was just mind blowing. And it all came together to make a show that is easily one of my favorite shows of the modern era of drum corps. There are too many moments from the rifles set up in a pentagram at the beginning to that absolutely explosive final chord as they are burning and hanging the witches to talk about. I wasn’t happy and didn’t get joy watching this show, but that’s why I love it so much. Tension, dread, sadness, anger, angst, mourning, and just a disturbing darkness. They communicated such taboo and off putting emotions so effectively that it made it impossible to not be impressed and blown away. And the last piece of the puzzle…….the members that made it happen. In 2016 them squeezing that show for everything it had to give is what got it into finals and in 2017 them stepping up to so many expectations and an incredibly emotionally complex show and selling the absolute #### out of it is why they ended up in 6th and with their highest score ever. The designers coulda done everything in their power, but in the end it’s the members that brought it to life. Congratulations on an amazing transformation, building a champion has more than begun. I cannot wait to see what 2018 has in store. Bluecoats - Jagged Line 5th Place - 95.162 One of my big questions about 2017 will always be why this show could never seem to get traction in the scores........but that's beside the point. I've been a die hard fan my whole time as a fan of this activity and tonight didn't change a single thing. When they hit that "Psychopomp" reprise and the crowd erupted, that's why I love this corps. 1st or 5th. They keep giving me those moments that make me come back for more. Every. Single. Year. I loved this show, musically it's about the most straight forward and exciting thing I've heard out of a top tier corps in years. A few amazing pieces of music each given their time to breathe and brought to life by a corps that has about as much energy as anyone could ask for. In the end what probably bit them was the incredible depth and complexity of the visual program, the amount of Fosse choreography and content was NUTS, huge props to them for taking that on. Amazing performance from them across the board this year, it might be time for a bit of an adjustment to what they do but I know they won’t lose what makes them so enamoring to watch. Here’s to an amazing 2018! The Cavaliers - Men are from Mars 4th Place - 95.2 Before the summer began I got the chance to be a part of the Marching Roundtable podcast where The Cavaliers were the topic. I talked about one of my favorite things about 2016 and now 2017 has been The Cavaliers finding their voice again and reemerging as an updated version of what made everyone love them in the first place. Incredible drill, stunning and death defying color guard, and a level of swagger and presence that just makes them impossible not to enjoy. And now that they have really began to recruit talent in all three sections again……...they’re soaring. Best brass from them in at least six years, best color guard in maybe a decade, and continually amazing percussion. I LOVED this show, the tones and underlying messaging of what they did was incredibly complex and so much fun to dig through over this whole season. The whole mockumentary section on men was HILARIOUS! I totally got what they were going for; and even if that wasn’t for you the balls to the wall FLYING finish to the “Little Green Men” section of the show with that insane flag exchange was about as old school run and gun insanity as it gets. This is a corps that isn’t afraid to be bold, they’re not afraid to pick a concept that should be incredibly off putting and in your face, and they pull it off in a way that is so complex but still so approachable and enjoyable to the masses. Next year is an Anniversary…and they’re flying high going into it…...and I’m dying to see what they pull out for it. The Cavaliers are BACK. Carolina Crown - It Is 3rd Place, High Brass - 96.575 When I first saw this show I thought they were in BIG trouble. It seemed incredibly cliché, over designed, and almost…….pretentious? But man, they did way more with this thing than I ever imagined they could. First lets get this right, that singer did an AMAZING job this year as a hugely featured member. Any distaste for her is peoples own personal preference and that’s fine, but when you go after her as a performer you’re kinda being pretty petty. Amazing job by the brass once again, they're amazing. Color guard ended up doing pretty well despite the grief they got over the season. And percussion.......that's gotta be their best line in YEARS. They did an incredibly job carrying that second half of the show, it relied on them and man they pulled it off. Overall they've given me a ton to digest and go through this off season. I'm not sure where they go next, and that's pretty exciting! Santa Clara Vanguard - Ouroboros (...and Alumni Corps) 2nd Place, High Color Guard, High Percussion - 97.6 What. A. Year. 50th Anniversary. First medal in over a decade. First caption win outside percussion in God knows know long. The Vanguard is back in Vanguard. I knew over the last few years as much as I loved their shows there was one piece missing. Maybe it was Michael Gaines? Maybe it was them being bold and adventurous with their show. But wow. What a seamless, ethereal, and STUNNING show this was! From start to finish it's just one organic and complete thought. Cyclic. The drill........oh man. Pete Weber at the top of his game, some of those sequences in the ballad took my breath away every time; impeccable staging of the color guard and sections overall as well, and integration of the props was totally masterful. And that guard.......HUGE congrats on the win! Incredible performance from them, that diamond moment in the closer is just to die for. Musically that percussion section is just undeniable, amazing intensity and restraint at the same time. Brass did an amazing job, those twelve featured performers were just absolute animals this year. I can talk about scoring, but watching them watch the alumni corps in semifinals and that connection of so many decades of members it just doesn't matter where they finished. That is what this is all about. SCV is back, and going forward I can't be more excited for them. Blue Devils - Metamorph 1st Place, High GE, High Visual Proficiency - 98.537 So. In my infancy as a fan of the activity I was definitely off put by the Blue Devils. Their shows were too confusing their shows were too easy blah blah. I went through a ton of my time as a fan over almost the last decade annoyed when they would come out and go undefeated. They were beating corps and shows I loved and it didn't seem like anyone else was being given a fair chance. 2014 I still felt the same way but they blew me away regardless. 2015 on finals night I loved a lot of other shows more but defended their win. In 2016 I LOVED my Bluecoats riding high but began to really enjoy what Blue Devils had to offer, their ballad remains one of the moments I consider utter perfection in portrayal of a theme and visual staging. Then this year happened. I saw this show twice San Antonio week in Broken Arrow and San Antonio. I was so close minded and had convinced myself that I was gonna hate it and low and behold.......I didn't enjoy it. Then they started adding things. The voice overs. Stuff started cleaning up. Atlanta weekend.........they had me in tears at the end of their performance. What this show transformed into..........it was an INCREDIBLY emotional, beautiful, and amazing tribute to where this corps came from, their roots and incredible legacy full of amazing references to their storied past. It was an amazing display of who they are now with incredibly challenging staging and depth for me as an audience member to sort through. And it was an AMAZING peak into the window of what this corps future could hold. The thread of time throughout this show and how they paid tribute to their whole history is just...........incredible. And I have no ties to the organization. I can't imagine what this must be like for alums or MMs of this organization. As a future educator the level they perform at in everything is staggering.......the clarity, professionalism, and expertise they do everything with blows my mind. But when it's all said and done, when they hit that ballad tonight with that AMAZING flag feature, the INCREDIBLE music and soloists, and just overall marriage of that moment.........it left me speechless and weak. 2017 made me a Blue Devils fan. Any hate and distaste I had is gone. I have nothing but respect, admiration, and gratitude for what they did this year. I'm just sad it took me this long to get here. Congrats on #18 Blue Devils. What a journey this was for me, I'm dying to see what 2018 has to offer and no more taking a whole season or years to come around to shows. I'm a fan from the get go from now on.

Let me just say.... I watched Bloo live yesterday for the first time. There were mistakes...yes. Does that mean it took away from my viewing experience? Absolutely not. From the beginning to the end that show was sold on me. Like people expected, that ballad was SO much better in a dome. By the end of the performance everyone was on there feet, including me. I've never "Bloo'd" so loud in my life. I don't care what people say about this show, to me, this show was designed for the fans, and by the time their run was over, you could see why. Thanks Bloo for another great season, can't wait to see what you guys offer in the future.

I was gonna post this earlier but it just grew into what ended up being what I used as my review for 2017........ So. In my infancy as a fan of the activity I was definitely off put by the Blue Devils. Their shows were too confusing their shows were too easy blah blah. I went through a ton of my time as a fan over almost the last decade annoyed when they would come out and go undefeated. They were beating corps and shows I loved and it didn't seem like anyone else was being given a fair chance. 2014 I still felt the same way but they blew me away regardless. 2015 on finals night I loved a lot of other shows more but defended their win. In 2016 I LOVED my Bluecoats riding high but began to really enjoy what Blue Devils had to offer, their ballad remains one of the moments I consider utter perfection in portrayal of a theme and visual staging. Then this year happened. I saw this show twice San Antonio week in Broken Arrow and San Antonio. I was so close minded and had convinced myself that I was gonna hate it and low and behold.......I didn't enjoy it. Then they started adding things. The voice overs. Stuff started cleaning up. Atlanta weekend.........they had me in tears at the end of their performance. What this show transformed into..........it was an INCREDIBLY emotional, beautiful, and amazing tribute to where this corps came from, their roots and incredible legacy full of amazing references to their storied past. It was an amazing display of who they are now with incredibly challenging staging and depth for me as an audience member to sort through. And it was an AMAZING peak into the window of what this corps future could hold. The thread of time throughout this show and how they paid tribute to their whole history is just...........incredible. And I have no ties to the organization. I can't imagine what this must be like for alums or MMs of this organization. As a future educator the level they perform at in everything is staggering.......the clarity, professionalism, and expertise they do everything with blows my mind. But when it's all said and done, when they hit that ballad tonight with that AMAZING flag feature, the INCREDIBLE music and soloists, and just overall marriage of that moment.........it left me speechless and weak. 2017 made me a Blue Devils fan. Any hate and distaste I had is gone. I have nothing but respect, admiration, and gratitude for what they did this year. I'm just sad it took me this long to get here. Congrats on #18 Blue Devils. What a journey this was for me, I'm dying to see what 2018 has to offer and no more taking a whole season or years to come around to shows. I'm a fan from the get go from now on.

Concert features are going to start springing up everywhere.

Now I'm picturing the standing ovation after the ballad this evening, except for you in row 12 frowning, staring intently at your stopwatch. Let's agree to disagree. You equate "more work" with playing and matching fast, as much as possible. I love the perfect blend of amazing sound, amazing movement and best-in-class overall performance. The same judging community that awarded PR in 2008, the Cadets in 2011, Crown in 2013 and Bluecoats in 2016, also awarded the Blue Devils in 2009/2010/2012/2014/2015/2017. Excellence and innovation wins in this activity. And that's a lot more than only playing while marching drill nonstop. Meanwhile, can't wait for 2018!

Less drill.... and I really don't care for it, but it's the trend. So much more choreography and body mvt than actual drill. Take a look at how much more athletic SCV show was drill wise to BD and that didn't win visually.

I'd like to end this season with a note to all casual Bloo fans and followers. I see lots of you get caught up in the scoring stuff. We all do, it's the only thing we can talk about when we aren't at the shows just enjoying the sport. But to the kids, and anyone who has a penny around their neck, this is what it is all about:

I figure we all could use a break from celebrating (or grumbling) about another spectacular season of drum corps. Over the course of the summer, I have been collecting "one-liners" from this board. These are posts that have made me laugh or stuck out in some way or another. I think we have a great group of people here and when our favorite corps are scoring well (and we haven't had too much to drink yet) we share some great banter and insight among us. So here's a snapshot of the summer, presented with no context and in no particular order. p.s. I made this with no intent to offend any particular poster or corps. Just having some fun! Academy At this stage, it looks like they might have to pull a rabbit out a hat to do so. But... they're in the hunt. - BRASSO That's the Academy's male colorguard members warming up their rifles for the wabbit hunt later tonight. - Cadevilina Crown Bluecoats Bluecoats set up their audio in three minutes ... Flo had all day - Jurassic Lancer Bluecoats are the closest thing to a Super Bowl Halftime Show DCI has to offer. - Fred Windish When you guys need me I'll be over here trying to figure out how 4th place in an ultra-competitive year counts as "getting the shaft." - Saxfreq1128 Bloo turns me into a sobbing 13 yo girl at a biebs concert - Fracker Cadets make me wanna come to Jesus. Bluecoats just make me wanna......... I'll stop there. - Furious-winter Blue Devils I'd love to see Bloo repeat, but my eyes say SCV, and my ears say BD. - Mrk I like seeing BD stretch their legs with something different like white props and mirrors. - Chaddyt As of Friday night, BD is 100-0 in shows following silver medal finishes since 2009. Unreal. - Chief Guns Based on all these comments it looks like BD is coming in 5th tonight. - Yorkvillain Blue Knights One thing's for sure when it comes to those BK uniforms: You will always lose a staring contest with them. - Cadevilina Crown Watching the guard members on the podiums with the DMs. I'm not sure if I should bunt or steal second. - CrownBariDad To be honest I have no idea what is going on but I like it. Who doesn't respect a corps that shows up to finals in their onesies! - Sideways Blue Stars By the way, Blue Stars have at least two deaths in this show. That's why they're doing so well. :P - Kevingamin Boston Boston wants you to never ever doubt them making finals again. - Quijeros I don't think hanging around the chest is a very effective way to execute someone. - Jasgre2000 I hope that's not baby powder. - Crownbaridad I KNOW YOU! I mean GET HER!! - TreeFidy I mean, did you see when they did the thing? And the thing with the rope? And the thing with the lady, then the thing with the other rope, then the drill thing, then the rifle thing? THEN THE FIRE THING?!? - MikeN Phantom Regiment It isn't a Phantom show unless there's a death. This year, it's the entire audience after listening to the brass through speakers for 13 minutes. - Cadevilina Crown I can see it now: Phantom Regiment presents Phamilton. - Ajlemm Carolina Crown Crown - Cool first half but Judy Jetson kind of killed the second act after a while. - Dmiggles GH would be SO disappointed in the condition of the yardlines and hash marks after Crown's show. - CrownBariDad Cadets Cadets just out scored BD and you can totally compare scores from cross country - George Dixon I was able to stop hitting the gym in the last week because summer 2017 Cadets vs. Crusaders threads are so exhausting. - Mjoakes It's a weird day when everyone is saying mostly positive things about Cadets - Cadevilina Crown Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm Drum Corps International welcome to, Jesus! - MikeRapp Please remember watching The Cadets perform the Mass does not count for going to Mass for real. - ThirdValvesAreForWimps Jersey Surf To be more authentic, that subway announcement should be "STXXX BXXXX MMMMBGGFFF XIXBOOTOULKDJSDJ"" - 2muchcoffeeman Madison The unis give me a Mad Max came over on the Plymouth and had Thanksgiving dinner with the Natives vibe. - Dcsnare93 Scouts get GE points for covering the Colts helmet. - KVG_DC Mandarins Wow they really put the roar and the shock in Rorschach - skevinp Troopers My first look at the Troopers and it looks like they raided a tarp factory. - Barigirl78 They have the drum major from the troopers going over to flip on the sound - Onion head Troopers 5th bass went down in a tarp like a seal during Shark Week. - CowboystauinDallas Misc When a mommy score and a daddy score REALLY love each other... - Precious Roy I'll take my burger medium, grillmaster! - Terri Schehr Because "Wausau Documentary" won't fit on a corps jacket - ThirdValvesAreForWimps No. I just want the best sound to win, not the best sound man - ThirdValvesAreForWimps The Chief Judge assures all payoffs are handled in a discreet manner. - pbeau I'm late to the party. Which corp had a "bad run" so we can brush aside their disappointing score, and which judges are on the panel that are in the bag for XYZ Corps so we can gripe about that? - Mboogey73 At least they're as loud as the g bugles unplugged now.:) - AROD24601 The other show is still going on. Can't slot scores yet. - Prd9601 He actually goes by "Damp Otter" now. - crownisking Ok, so I saw a little blue flag above one of my posts and wondered, what does this do"?. I think I just reported myself. - Newseditor44 Don't you mean "burn" a dead horse. More GE that way. - George Dixon Goo happens when a kid on a synth. takes his finger, and presses down with all his might, to blast out low bass sound. this is done at about 10 decibels more than a 747 taking off. - Alvinpr89 I do believe this is also the cleanest Weber drill I've ever seen. Now, I'm still waiting to see the cleanest Weber grill, but that's another story. - Kevingamin Every corps is simultaneously the best and worst of all time with everything they do or don't do. -DCP - Snare_guy_83 If you wanna come to Amarillo Texas and scarf down some food during one of my breaks in a hot band hall filled the the smell of teen spirit be my guest. - DrumManTx The crowd shots tell me drum corps fans need more exercise. - mcjordansc Well that's vague. You could judge Effect for dci with comments that nonspecific. - DCPusername Last years 12th place right behind last years 1st place. What a crazy year. - Defeldus2

To quote a 2nd year blue banger on his facebook today:

Both The Cavaliers and the Madison Scouts began as Boy Scout troops. I will not speak for the Scouts whom I deeply respect but as a Cavaliers alumnus I WILL speak for my corps. We, The Cavaliers, are a fraternity -- not just a drum corps. We are all-male and we always will be and our "mindset" is not anti-woman. Our corps exists to develop young men for life, not merely to win championships. It has nothing to do with talent because while women have talent, they are not members of a fraternity or brotherhood. There are many drum corps which welcome women in their ranks and we celebrate this fact. Also, lost in history is an important fact: There were MANY MORE all-girl corps than all-male corps. You didn't see men trying to change this! DCI even had an all-girl championship category back in the day. I'm not into this gender-bender "fluidity" movement which is rampant today. Sure, I respect people's life choices but please respect mine too. The Cavaliers WILL win more DCI championships, sooner rather than later, and no one will be prouder of my brothers than me.

I have no problem with captions being awarded for consistency across all three nights. That and it helps to remove some judging biases.

This could easily have been a presidential tweet.

I posted in the BD thread earlier that as i was watching the Lions Colts game, the camera panned to the crowd and there was someone wearing a METAMORPH shirt.

Great show... Great year. Not much more to say than that.

I am on a plane right now, just about to take off, the last leg of my trip home from Indy. There are a bunch of college age guys sitting behind me who attended a wedding in Baltimore. Dude, bro, and buddy are the most common words coming from their mouths. Cavies, your show is living on.

It's been a pleasure getting to know all of you to some extent all summer through our endless discussions and arguments on this thread. Not sarcastic! Let's all hope for the best in 2018.

Great show last night, Bloo! I almost lost my voice I was cheering so much! Proud of you kids!

It is important that there is an avenue for new corps to come up and do smaller tours with less pressure, IMO.

They should award captions on who won the caption at Finals like they used to. It should not matter what you do in semi's or quarters. It is Saturday night that matters.

Thought I'd put DrumManTx review of BAC here... Boston Crusaders - Wicked Games 6th Place - 92.962 My favorite show of 2017. This show for me is everything that is right and that I love about drum corps; the range of emotions I felt live watching this show is pretty unmatched by anything else I’ve say through in a stadium in the heat of the summer. This show is one I have been waiting for to hit the drum corps field in my time as a fan; something that wasn’t afraid to embrace emotions and themes that are a bit darker and harder to sell in a way that is appealing to the masses……..and man they did it. The level of clarity and cohesion from things as big as the choices of music and as small as how tiny snippets of voice overs lay into the musical texture of the show was just second to none for me. No show for me this year felt so seamless or well coordinated. They nailed the programming of music in this show, the eeriness and creepy innocence of “Moonlight Sonata” woven through the show from the opener into the ballad brought to life by that amazingly dynamic and musically mature front ensemble, the angst and anger of the Prokofiev, Copland, and Ginestara that was portrayed with amazing intensity and power by the fantastic brass and drumline, and the mournful sadness and distress that was personified in that amazing…...stunning singer in the ballad that looked like she belonged on some high end Broadway stage was just perfect. Ryan George, Colin McNutt, Iain Moyer, Michael Zellers, and anyone else who helped arrange and construct this show deserve huge congrats. The clarity, power, and level of detail not just in arranging but how the amazingly done voice overs and singer laid in the brass and percussion writing is just mind blowing. And Gino, the aforementioned two percussionists, and all the instructional staff bringing it to life deserve as much praise. And then Leon May and the color guard staff setting an incredibly emotional, easy to follow, and perfectly coordinated stage to bring the music to life visually? Amazing. The color guard live just took me by the throat and didn’t let go, the level of intensity and emotion they perform with while tossing rifles, sabres, flags, and everything else with was just mind blowing. And it all came together to make a show that is easily one of my favorite shows of the modern era of drum corps. There are too many moments from the rifles set up in a pentagram at the beginning to that absolutely explosive final chord as they are burning and hanging the witches to talk about. I wasn’t happy and didn’t get joy watching this show, but that’s why I love it so much. Tension, dread, sadness, anger, angst, mourning, and just a disturbing darkness. They communicated such taboo and off putting emotions so effectively that it made it impossible to not be impressed and blown away. And the last piece of the puzzle…….the members that made it happen. In 2016 them squeezing that show for everything it had to give is what got it into finals and in 2017 them stepping up to so many expectations and an incredibly emotionally complex show and selling the absolute #### out of it is why they ended up in 6th and with their highest score ever. The designers coulda done everything in their power, but in the end it’s the members that brought it to life. Congratulations on an amazing transformation, building a champion has more than begun. I cannot wait to see what 2018 has in store.

I'm guessing you haven't talked to very many of the MM's to,ask them how they feel about this particular show. With the experience level of the kids and the new staff, they know that a high placement was unlikely this year. But I have never seen a group of kids so completely bought into what they were doing. The other thing that has been heartwarming is that as I have wandered around Indianapolis the last 2 days wearing my Cadets shirt, it is amazing how many people have stopped me to tell me how much the show meant to them. In fact, I had a couple approach me at the practice facility today. Their son has been doing sports there the last few days while the Cadets have been practicing, and they absolutely loved the show - and they didn't even get to see it with uniforms. Sometimes an artistic competitive experience is about more than the score. Sometimes it's something else. When people who were at Lucas Oil Stadium think about what they saw this weekend, they will remember the Crusaders flames, the Cavs guard, the Crown soloist, the Blue Devils' impossible level of excellence that beat an SCV corps that would have won a lot of years, and they will remember this odd program that touched them in a different way. You can be one of the few that didn't like it. I know what I saw, I know what the MM's are saying, and I know what I heard from the crowd these past two nights.

Wow. Well, I definitely had one too many pops last night. I apologize for my rambling, incoherent posts about misogyny and whatever else I was talking about. I read some of the posts today and just laughed. Kids, stay in school and don't drink too much. To those that called me a troll, sorry to disappoint, I was just being a drunk cry baby. To the Cavalier fans, props. The show may not be my favorite, but the kids performed it extremely well and credit should be given for a great season. Also, sorry for taking the discussion into a weird tangent instead of focussing on the positives of the season. BD and SCV had incredible season as well and I shouldn't have steered the conversation in a negative way. As for the Bluecoats, well it's back to the drawing board. The judges just didn't respond well over the last couple weeks. I think if the season went on for another week Boston would've passed Bloo as well. Anyway, sorry for being that annoying drunk guy at the party last night. I'll be back in the offseason here and there, but other than that see you guys next year!

I took my very old father tonight and asked him who his favorite show was. He said "Phantom Regiment for sure". This is what i love about DCI. Everyone in the audience can appreciate their favorite part. I knew going in that they would play Rachmaniff Piano Concerto 2. I did not tell him beforehand. It left him breathless. He used to play this on piano to me when i was a baby.

DrumManTx: Best DCP Forums has to offer. Thank you for the awesome recap!!!!

:)

Some closing thoughts. So happy for the Vanguard organization. It seems they are in a good place and hope that this will be an era of being contenders and hopefully titles for the foreseeable future. Also, SCVC wins Open Class and the Guard with their first World Class title I believe. SCV, this season's show will be in my top 5, I love it. I think the other big story of the year is BAC, shows having super staff matters. It's not an accident their Guard goes from 12th to 3rd, concurrently Crown's Guard goes from 3rd to 6th. Speaking of BAC, love their show as well. They had the best use of vocals. Like I said before, Mixing+Arrangement+Vocalist equals success. I agree with others that it seems per results that staging is taking more importance than drill. Hope this will not continue or this will hurt the activity in the long run. I wonder what ramifications the mic issue will have over the winter in terms of design and/or rule changes if any. Crown put all the chips in for having vocals, it hurt them. How? Depends on how one looks at it, but to have it happen at finals, still stinks whether it affected the score or not. The Vanguard Percussion program is firing on all cylinders and this is now their 14th title. I think the most in DCI just pass BD. I was on the fence with the whole uni/costume deal. I get it now. Never thought the Scouts show would tip me over. I started a thread on this. I like what Cavies did for the retreat. Hope other corps follow suit and come out with some semblance of a traditional Uniform. Interesting to see Bluecoats not score well in percussion, yet Crown scored well. Glad to see them do well. Hope Bluecoats bounce back next season. Scouts, BK, Cavies, Crossmen shows fascinating me, well done. Crown Brass, Bravo. To Crown overall. You had the best 1st half of show. I'll leave it at that. Cadets - Just couldn't get into the show Phantom. Saw them live in California. Love how they improved this season. Bluecoats - Seem like a repeat of last season. But ridiculously talented corps from top to bottom. Blue Stars. I need more viewings. Congrats to BD.

So it's misogyny to not have women in one (or two) corps? Nothing and nobody in The Cavaliers shows a dislike for women, contempt for women, or ingrained prejudice against women. Being an all-male corps by tradition does not perpetuate any of those factors. Saying The Cavaliers are misogynistic just for being an all-male corps with a self-deprecating show about men is looking for offense where there is none. Bloo lost tonight, grow up and get over it.

Just for the record, we're not happy the Bluecoats dropped a spot. We're happy The Cavaliers moved up a spot. We have nothing but respect for the corps from Canton.

I guess it's human nature to a degree and personal perspective to a degree. A drop in score or rank is met with a degree of "less than"... I knew when the night started that Bluecoats were not going to win the gold medal, but just like last year, they had me on my feet cheering with everything I had. That WOW feeling was exactly the same as it was in 2016 and 15 and 14 and so on. Last night I also got to watch up close some of the different staff/instructors from the various corps as they watched "their" corps perform. I wish I had used my phone to video the folks from Boston. They were so excited about the way their kids were PERFORMING. I don't think the score/rank had a lot to do with it...and I hope it stays that way for them. Hope I'm always able to keep that perspective too. Thank you again Bloo '17! What AWESOMENESS awaits in 2018!!!!

Watching this show at Lucas Oil was so magical. The video doesn't do it justice how much the crowd appreciated the performance. Standing ovation after each production. People we're going nuts during the last moment of the ballad. Then after the last Rihanna sample in the closer, everyone was on their feet and I could barely hear the last chord. BD proved the championship was theirs. Well deserved!

After many years in corps, DCI and DCA, I have next to no shame left. Then i transitioned into racing triathlons and eventually ironman as a hobby. Point being i own far too much spandex and have seen just about everything there is to see out there. All I can say is get over yourselves...

Absolutely true! I kept thinking after last night how in 2005 Bloo took 5th place (for the 1st time ever) and the elation was amazing. They beat Madison on Finals night by close to 2 points. Last night the corps fell a little and it's a major disappointment for some. Such is life in the BIG lane. You take more criticism and the expectations are crazy. Personally I feel the show was still amazing, fun, clearly one of the fan favorites, and you want to talk about risky...wow! They tackled a lot this year. Usually when I see that happen it often means the next season will be more of the same, only better. Bloo will be back with a killer show and I am quite confident they will be very competitive.

Watch the Inside BD360 series of videos, readily available on Youtube. They painstakingly break down each section of the show and how it is detailed to reinforce the overall theme. The musical choices, the visual effects, the diamonds, the choreography, the props, the distorted mirrors - all of it supports the central ideas of the past, present and future of the organization and the approach taken by the people involved with it over the decades. Scott Chandler offers more insight in an interview on Marching Roundtable (posted in the BD 2017 thread). Your opinion may change when you learn about how much thought went into all of it. Nothing is there without a reason.

I've never been able to deny the excellence this corps achieves, but this year they really hit me emotionally. From the last "diamonds in the sky" to the end, I get completely verklempt. I've never had a BD horn line draw me into a show like this before. In Nashville I could literally see the mm's pulling the crowd in at the end. They sold it. I bought it. If anyone says they can't get into a BD show, let them watch this one. PS: I called #18 when they announced their program. ;P

Congratulations to the Blue Devils! Well deserved! Sometimes, you get the bear, and other times, the bear gets you. Cavies have a great show. So do Bloo. They'll be back strong again next year. Proud of all of the kids in all the corps this past week. I'm just glad there are great kids like this who still want to do this stuff. Well done! Time to go home and off to DCA in a couple of weeks.

I'm not a judge, but I would put it this way: The mic issues we heard last night (from several corps) is not a performance issue, it's a general effect issue. The music caption has Brass, Percussion, and Analysis. Brass and percussion are obvious. Analysis has two sub captions (content and achievement). Content is what were the performers given to perform. Achievement is how well did they perform. The young lady singing likely did an excellent job. It's not her fault the mic didn't work. Now, if there were balance issues where she was too loud or too soft then that could affect achievement. If the vocal part was not written well and didn't work with the brass parts, then that could affect content. Mostly what we got last night were mic issues (mics not working properly). That's the audio engineer's fault. It could have been the wireless, the mixer, the way the mixer was setup, an effect insert, or any number of issues. These things would fall under general effect, at least for now. I'll be honest, I thought Carolina Crown was laying down one of the cleanest and best performances I've ever seen from a 3rd place corps up through the beginning of the ballad. They were spot on. Without the mic issues they may have scored more like a 97.4 - just a few tenths under Vanguard. They were HOT. But come the ballad I doubt most people continued to follow the brass and percussion, the marching, the drill design -- all of which were spectacular. Once those mic issues happened it takes the fan out of the game. You lose focus. This is the risk and danger of electronics in the outdoor setting.

I will continue to edit this post to add more thoughts on the shows and also on various issues over the season. Fantastic DCI Finals overall! Congrats to all the marching members. You were all amazing and put on your best performances. Here is a quick synopsis of my thoughts. Madison Scouts - Excellent brass sound. Really got into the music. Was never sure about what I should be looking at or viewing visually. Sometimes just too much going on. Overall a mature sounding corps that with the right product will excel I believe. Crossmen - one of my favorite music books of the summer. Incredible control in the brass. Guard was wonderful and what a fantastic snare line. Blue Stars - LOVE the music, the drill was amazing and very demanding, and overall this was one of the more emotional shows for me. Phantom Regiment - You guys rocked the house. Most improved corps of the year. That closer...OH MY GOODNESS! I was in love tonight. Classic Phantom!! Edit, Aug 16: The show we saw from Phantom on Finals night was a show that might have placed higher had they been able to achieve that construction by late July and then clean more. It simply took them all summer to "hammer" things out. I love what they did with the guard this year, and I found their performance incredible, but I'd like to see a few less in the guard and more in brass. Blue Knights - Loved the color of this show. Your brass is seriously one of the better lines on the field this summer...and percussion was no slouch. Visually maybe not my favorite BK show, but the ending was fantastic with those flags. Edit, Aug 16: The talent in this corps is close to or on par with many in the top 5. The brass and percussion were indications of that. For BK to push up the ladder I believe they need to clarify and reinforce certain melodic phrases in a way that is less chopped and with more impact. As I watched their show I enjoy it so much, but I never quite get those 2 or 3 big impact moments that pull me emotionally into the show. They seem to like these modern, esoteric, playful show themes. They do work well with their uniforms and visual style, but often I just find myself need a bit more in music construction and music GE. The Cadets - One of my favorite shows of the summer. Here is another corps that started slow and finally found their swagger and took off. Scoring aside this was a fantastic show with serious GE and a killer ending! Bravo! Edit, Aug 16: I felt Cadets began the summer under some pressure to try and relive history and restore the iconic and legendary history of the Cadets to top 3 status. I'm sure this wasn't the case, but it had to feel like that for some. For designers to come into a tough situation following all kinds of turbulence after last season, and for the marching members to tackle this show amid that turbulence and those unrealistic expectations I feel may have caused the corps to work slower at camp to ensure a better overall product as the season progressed. The show was vastly better. Their Finals performance was outstanding. In many ways the Cadets were cleaner than some corps above them, and there were some excellent GE moments in this show. A few things that could have helped this show are 1) do not overdo narration, 2) don't be so literal, and 3) spend more time cleaning when you come out of the gate from Spring Training. I almost get the impression that they listened almost too closely to judges comments in those first 6 to 10 shows. I respect the judges and would certainly listen and make notes of what they were saying about the show, but with partial panels and the knowledge that your show isn't clean yet and their minds may change once they see things more clearly I would not make lots of changes to the show in the initial days after spring training. I would spend more time cleaning what you have on the field. Come July 7 or 8 I would then begin the process of making small changes here and there, with major changes set to premiere in late July. I will say that despite all the criticism they got early season for costumes, I thought they looked fantastic! That was a bold show to attempt and the priest robes, the choir robes, the 2nd costume with Maroon and Gold top (gorgeous), to the 3rd costume was really key to the show and the theatrical presentation. Best use of Trombones this year. Boston Crusaders - Holy cow were you guys clean and the sound of the music ensemble was outstanding! Loved the guard, enjoyed the theme, and you get the award for best use of a prop. Certainly the most deadly use of a prop. Edit, Aug 16: What can you say about Boston! That is what you call making a jump. I think we all expected it, but most of us (certainly me) felt they would be a year away from making that kind of jump. I was thinking 8th or 9th. But no, 6th. You do not makes jumps like that in DCI competition without serious designers, teachers, and talented members. Boston has made a commitment to great teachers and to their members. They have always run a wonderful drum corps and are now simply expanding on their dreams. This show was an outstanding vehicle for them to make another leap. They will need a show with slightly more demand in the content/construction areas to make the next jump. With the direction their brass, percussion and guard took this is not out of the question. When Boston hit you this year with their first big brass attack you could tell it was a Gino line with the kind of control and power we have come to expect of his lines. Their percussion was stellar by season's end! Very clean. Same with guard. Guard was top 3 or 4 at Finals. Amazing. Anyone in the 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 area of placements will have to deal with these guys. Can they move into the top 2 next year? Not sure. But 3 to 5 I would not rule out. Cavaliers - You get my crazy, zany visual award. Visually this show was stunning and marched incredibly well. Fabulous guard. Music ensemble was very good, but I did not care for the music construction. To choppy for my taste, and the closer was an odd mashup. However, you want to talk about a corps selling their show. These guys did. Bravo! Bluecoats - This is what I call a high-energy show. Some killer GE moments with some mighty tasty playing and marching. Solos were on tonight. Edit, Aug 15: From the beginning of the season it was apparent that Bloo was taking on a huge risk with this ultra-challenging show. Who has ever tried a prop like that, in that manner? RISKY and BRAVE! The timing and impact challenges in this show were off the charts. A very difficult show to clean. In the end this may have hurt Bloo to some extent, but the fans did not mind as Bluecoats once again thrilled fans everywhere. They were one of, if not the most, entertaining corps of the summer. It's nice to see and hear a corps do something so complicated and challenging, yet be so entertaining and still be top 5. edit, Aug 16: As for the 5th place finish, I was not a fan of the judges for that, but I do realize they just didn't get things as clean as possible. Having said that I feel the judges rewarded the Cavaliers too much for a poorly constructed music book and average music GE. Visually the Cavaliers were stunning and I heaped plenty of praise on them for their excellent marching, drill design, and amazing guard. Their percussion and brass were good, but I did not feel they were at Bloo's level. More to the point, Bloo's content numbers in brass, percussion, music analysis, and overall music GE should have been the deciding factor. The Cavaliers simply did not look top 4 to me. I have more to say on that in coming days as I update my Cavaliers comments. They are an excellent corps and organization, and I just feel Bloo was better this year on the field. Carolina Crown - What an amazing brass intro!! All season long this was my favorite intro. Sadly the ballad was ruined tonight by mic malfunctions. So sad this happened, because the young lady is a tremendous talent and good person. But this will always be the risk with electronics in big venues. Just go ask the audio guys that handle things like large rock concerts, Super Bowls, college Bowl games, etc. Why do you think some Super Bowl pop star appearances have to be lip synced? The dynamics of outdoor electronics can be very risky and dangerous, and tonight I heard that with not only Crown but a few others. Santa Clara Vanguard - A truly amazing show top to bottom. The opener does not grab me until three quarters of the way through, but from there to the end is simply dynamic programming, The last 2 to 3 minutes are HEAVEN!!! I noticed a mic hiccup with SCV tonight as well. The first entrance of the solo brass ensemble did not come through. It was quickly fixed, but I also feel they may have turned the mics off at one point. At least from the FLO perspective it seemed the solo brass ensemble was not cutting through like they normally did. At any rate, Bravo for captivating the drum corps world this summer with a stunning and modern show that also had some wonderful old school moments. Blue Devils - To me, this was BY FAR AND AWAY the best corps all summer and this evening. They constructed a show that began with MUSIC. It was clearly music first and the construction was masterful. BD put together a music ensemble that blew my mind all summer, and tonight laid down an amazing performance! The showmanship of their visual program, which I feel so perfectly matches the music, is one of the hallmarks of BD. Some call it swagger, but to me it's showmanship, and BD really understands how to add that element to a show. Way to go, Blue Crew!!! What a FANTASTIC show, and your performance was thrilling on all levels! Bravo to all! I had a blast watching everyone this summer!

The end of the show and then you hear Jerry say "Concord Blue Devils ....Bitc#"

For my 100th post I would just like to point out to the haters. 18 is a beautiful number.

Bad guess. Lol @ defensible.

Haters should stay in their rooms...

All I can say is ... watch more closely?

But wouldn't that be unfair? How to achieve much more than: Vis Pro: 19.8 1st Vis Analysis: 20 1st CG: 19.6 1st Gotta look beyond the BD winning fatigue you are suffering from. No one moves and performs at such a high level. Countless judges throughout the years agree. Are they all missing something? I don't think so.

We have the tightest, most supportive alumni base in drum corps. It is absolutely a family. I wish you could see it. And I'm not joking at all. And you're wrong about "win at all costs". That's not how it is by any means.

Can't wait to see the 2018 version. The last two years have been terrific. I know there are some who are turned off by style of these last two years' shows. But in the context of everything around them, The Cavaliers stand out. Tonight, especially after BK and BAC, Cavies got the crowd going in an entirely different way. And it doesn't need repeated, but I will: Just really cool to hear Bluecoats announced 5th. The crowd did a double take. The green guys on the field went nuts. Leave it to the Cavies to give us the only big surprise at the end.

Congratulations to the Cavaliers continued move back up the placement ranks once again this season.

Members of The Cadets perform an exorcism on George Hopkins after tonight's awards ceremony and the corps is back into the medals next season.

(assuming the BOD doesn't get involved) Recruit like crazy and reinforce the brass side of things AND hire a program coordinator and/or "corps director" to run the design side Cadets cannot continue to utilized C2 to fill ranks - they also need kids from other world class corps to march with them for their last 1-2 or so seasons They must "reload" and that will take a lot of work - and probably more than 1 season. 2018 could be a step up - say 5th-3rd. 2019 could be "a real shot at gold" again. IMO this is a 2-3 year work we are witnessing Hopkins needs to focus on infrastructure and fundraising - Cadets are falling behind on that front too. No one can run YEA, Direct Cadets, Direct C2 AND program coordinate. It's not only impossible - it is unwise. Either that or he needs to leave/be fired. Gail Royer (SCV) did this best - he used to write drill, develop the show, music etc - but in later years he stepped back a bit and let the teaching and design team take the lead. He was still "around" to help solve a problem or offer advice when needed. Hopkins references SCV as an early inspiration for him as a director and as a corps. Use this example. THAT is what leaders do. You build a framework to make others successful and you continue to improve that framework.