Bleedblue93

Great review Nick...gotta agree with what you said about Phantom's total package this year....it was musical and very appropriate. I think too many drum corps nowadays (crap...now I feel old) move for the sake of moving and don't really consider how it affects their show musically. I think of all the corps I saw this year, PR had the right mix of musicality and visual presence. I also agree with what you said about MY beloved Bluecoats....they are an up and coming musical group. 3 years in 7th place scares me a little, but I think a leap into the top 5 is not too far off for them. Great review, I enjoyed.

You forgot the Bluecoats too! Bluecoats and Boston was a better battle than BD/Cavs....sheez!

Can anyone comment on the Bluecoats new ending to the show? For the first month and a half of the season, they had kind of a band aid ending and I think they've got the new ending on. Fill us in, for those that won't see them again until the Bluecoats Hall of Fame show on July 27! Thanks!

I agree with Woofinthewoods on all points. One thing to add though..... Definition from the Harvard Dictionary of Music: Bugle: A bell front brass instrument pitched in the key of G or Bb. Used in militaristic marching, etc..... DW

Woody and Will, How about the announcer saying he was a friend of Art Drukenbrod's for 50 years, then proceeds to butcher his name about 5 times in a row (i.e. Drinkenbroad, Drunkenbroad, Drunkenblad......etc.). I was on the track and when he butchered Art's name for the second time I started walking toward him to tell him to get his poop together, when I decided better of it. I was around several other alums that knew Art well and they were all squirming. What a shmoe.

Great review. I thought Seattle should have been in 10th above Spirit. Their feet are just cleaner, but perhaps because of the lesser demand. I thought Seattle just out performed Spirit last night. As for the 'Coats, it was a great show last night and they've just begun. If anyone recalls, this is when they really poured it on last year and tightened everything up. They are doing the same thing right now and I think your going to see their GE and Visual numbers jump. I called my shot last week when I predicted they'd catch both Boston and Xmen at this show. I'm sticking with my next prediction as well: they'll catch Glassmen by either Philly or Massillon, and by looking at last night's spreads, maybe before. Cavies....incredible....I didn't like the color guard incorporation though. It seemed to me that they were really only integrated into the show at the end. It was my first viewing though. Either way, this is far and away the best show in the activity. Cadets....bringing the house down. BD...intense, but there's not enough there to catch the teams in front of them. Just a side note here: it seemed to me that the corps with the white/light/cream color pants "looked" cleaner visually tonight. Everyone (including Cavies) with black seemed to really show the feet a little more. Colts, Cadets, Bluecoats just had a crisp and classy look. I wish more corps would go back to white pants. I think Seattle would do well in white. Or maybe it's just me.

Bluecoats glad their beating Madison? I guess....I don't think they've given it a second thought in a couple of years though DW

I understand Michael. I've been around the activity quite awhile now and I really get a little huffy when I see people getting defensive. I wouldn't be involved (for as long as I have) if I didn't see the value in what every corps does. Some shows you like more than others. Sometimes we (I) are homers....but in any case I think the truest drum corps fan knows deep down that what's going on the field, no matter who it is, is something exceptionally special. That's what matters. So when I pick on that section of the Bluecoats show (the block that doesn't move much and makes no sense) no one will take it personally.....oh wait a minute, they took that section out before Hershey. Now it looks great!

ps: let's not make this like RAMD. The reviews on here are too good.

This is one thing I hate about these forums...they get a little ticky tacky. I kind of broke down a couple corps performances from George's review (as I SAW IT) and now we have feelings hurt. Look, I don't care what you think, this is what I saw and heard, this is what I heard from people sitting around me (not with my group), and quite frankly I stand by what I said. I see more demand in other shows (maybe or maybe not Bluecoats). Another reason why I hate these forums is that because you criticize a show doesn't mean you don't like it. h###, I bashed the Bluecoats for some 4 years as an alumnus because I thought their shows were severely lacking in GE and their visual designs were a joke. I'm still pro-Bluecoat (they do things the right way for the right reasons), but I ALWAYS call it as I see it. I liked the Xmen show last year. I like their show this year (Strawberry Soup will probably grow on me, it's just going to take a few viewings). There are things I like and dislike in every performance. My comments were mainly directed at people that had previously reviewed the show (I didn't see or hear what they had reviewed....maybe I will upon another viewing). Heck the people reviewing this show made it sound like the second coming of the '67 Royal Aires. There's an east coast bias against the midwest (not sure why....maybe because we didn't let you plug in your microphones). You can stick your heads in the sand and deny it all you want, but it exists. I wonder how the Glassmen would do on the east coast? Again, these are my opinions based on what I like in the activity. You are certainly free to simply disregard what I have to say if you don't (or never) agree with my statements. Ilook forward to seeing all of these corps again, especially the Crossmen.

Absolutely George! But let's get something straight, I'm their biggest critic when they deserve it (I was not a fan of much of the stuff they did between '96-'99). What I saw at Hershey was SIGNIFICANTLY better than what I've seen so far this year. I call 'em as I see 'em ;)^

George, Good review...thorough if not anything else! I agreed in many areas but there were some things that had me scratching my head in Herhsey. Here are some thoughts I had: Spirit: You mentioned, "Excellent mature brass ensemble sound with a nice thick and deep low end from the 12 contras (a section which marches very well)." By far this was the worst sounding tuba/contra section of the juniors. Overblown, really poor TQ&I.....you could hear them, but yikes it was bad. As for Spirit's show, I don't know if it has the legs to make top 12. Placement 8-14 are going to be a dogfight and I just don't see any GE in this show. Bluecoats: You mentioned, "Horn sound was very good with a sweet top/bottom blend. Overall production has some very interesting moments and the drill is extremely effective – not quite “top-box” in the scoring difficulty – but a big step in that direction from a Bluecoats program a couple years ago." Their blend and TQ&I was the best out there behind Cadets. Not quite "top box" in difficulty? Are you kidding? They play, spin, and throw more on the move than anyone (minus Cadets and Cavs) in the activity. The reason why this show is scoring where it's at is because the difficulty is so high. When they get comfortable with the drill, the scores are going to jump (I would look for the 3rd week of July). Also, the hornline hasn't worked on adding the last two levels of volume....stay tuned, they will crank it up very soon (like you said, blend is good....that's what they try to master before adding volume). Boston: I agree with just about everything in your review. In your outlook you said they could be as high as 5th? No. Show design (i.e. demand) isn't there. Cadets: What can you say. This show is incredible in just about every facet. They had some spacial awareness problems (my guess this is why they aren't near Cavs in the scoring). But this show is GE out the ying yang. Incredible color guard. Where do they find those amazon women? Christ, they could throw me. Crossmen: I was prepared to be dazzled by this group (having read all the incredible reviews) but was left scratching my head. I didn't see the demand that everyone was talking about (especially visually....they don't even touch a difficult musical passage if they are moving). This is the best Xmen drumline I've seen and I think the horns are much improved over last year. As far as Strawberry Soup goes, that was the chart leaving me most disappointed. It's a rehash of every other Strawberry Soup that's ever been done. I'm not a fan of corps rehashes (I realize there's no statute of limitations or patents on charts, but if you are going to do a chart that's been done by two other top 12 corps in the last 10 years, at least make the arrangement new!). It was pretty much a Madison/BD-lite version of Strawberry Soup with soloists that were good, but not as good as the Madison/BD versions.....which leaves you thinking, it's a retread version of this classic. It's not clean yet, it's early July, I get that.....perhaps this is the piece that has the most room to grow and by August they'll have me screaming and standing, but right now, it's just flat and kind of sad. As for the scoring tonight, I thought Cadets were pretty close to the 84 they got. Xmen, should be about a point lower (I had them scored at 78). Didn't really agree with the music performance numbers. Bluecoats should have been about .75-1.00 point higher (the drum score and color guard scores were an absolute mystery...each recieving a 14.8) Blue's color guard was miles ahead of the the rest of the pack, but squarely behind Cadets (Blue did finish in 2nd in guard but with a 14.8). They should have been in the high 15s for sure. The drum score is ridiculous, there's some kind of silly east coast thing going on there (in no way shape or form should they be second to last in percussion.....or maybe they should? But with a 14.8? Down from the 15s they were scoring a week and half ago?). Boston should be scoring closer to Spirit in the 73 range. Boston just has way too many "big" problems (ensemble issues, TQ&I issues, etc.) and Spirit has no GE at all. NOW, let's all take a deep breath. A lot of negatives there. Here's what was great: I feel like more and more corps this year are figuring out that they have to reach the crowd. There were moments in every show where I really wanted to cheer (I can't say that for MANY of the shows in previous years). I really, REALLY applaud Crossmen and Cadets for connecting with the crowd and designing what I would consider "old school" shows that think of the audience and performer first. Bluecoats get a "Blooooo" for their park and bark, awesome color guard incorporation, tenor features, and incredible dancing from the entire corps (Jim Buckley rules). My opinions. DW

How much do you want for them? I'll be at Hershey. I'll be kind of hosting the Bluecoats Alumni party in the parking lot. Stop by and we'll talk. My wife and I and another friend of ours want to go to Nats but don't have tix yet. Let me know. Email me directly if you don't mind: bleedblue93@msn.com

I'm trying to move and this past weekend I was going through some stuff in my garage and ran across a bag of drum corps shirts I bought in the 80s. I remember the '88 Madison skull and crossed mallets shirt as being a hot commodity that year (they won of course). It's an XL and in great shape (didn't wear it much, I went on to march Bluecoats). I'd like to give it to someone that actually marched that year or is an avid Madison alum. Email me if you want it. I'll mail it if you pay for the shipping.

Sorry, never can tell sometimes. :D DW