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losnickes

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  1. Favorite Blue Devils show! There were so many great shows that year.
  2. Favorites: 1. 2016: “Down Side Up” This show was packed with things that I generally loathe. Trombones, VERY costume-y uniforms, extensive electronics, and a large dependence on props. BIG props. However, this show was pure lightning in a bottle. This show gave me every reason to hate it, but I loved it. Absolutely loved it. Every time I saw this show, it felt like I was seeing it for the first time. The vision the staff had to mount a production like this still amazes me. 2. 2014: “Tilt” This began a currently unbroken line of instant classics from the Bluecoats. If it weren’t for the juggernaut that was the 2014 Blue Devils, I think this would have won pretty easily. 3. 2015: “Kinetic Noise” I remember seeing this for the first time and thinking there was no way they’d ever outdo themselves in terms of innovation. Boy was I wrong. The integration of the electronics was a stroke of brilliance. I’d often forget the electronics were there to begin with. 4. 2009: “Imagine” This was a very different Bluecoats than what we have today. But it was no less fantastic. 5. 2010: “Metropolis: the Future is Now” It’s hard to believe how antiquated this seismic shift of a show seems now. That being said, it was magnificent show that came out of a largely unimpressive season. Least Favorites: I have none.
  3. Favorites: 1. 2009- “The Factory” I absolutely love this show. A great show with phenomenal music, and paired with a gorgeous uniform (my favorite of theirs). 2. 2014- “Where the Heart Is” I loved this show for the same reasons I loved 2009. Musically, this show had a very similar feel, as well. 3. 2010- “Houdini” I wasn’t in love with the gray uniforms, nor do I typically go for Phillip Glass, but this show just worked for me. 4. 2013- “Voodoo: I Put a Spell on You” They took a dark theme and made it surprisingly fun. Great music, and they sported a wonderful uniform. 5. 2008- “Le Tour...Every Second Counts” 2008-2010 was a golden era for the Blue Stars. This was the show that started it all. I wish they’d go back to this style of design. Least Favorites: 1. 2017- “Star Crossed” Great visual program, but that’s where it stops for me. 2. 2011- “ReBourne” I used to love this show, but over time it kind of lost its pizzazz, for me. 3. 2007- “Power and Grace” A neat update to a classic uniform, but the musical selections felt a little tired. To its credit, this was the start of the Blue Stars’ return to prominence.
  4. Favorites: 1988: In my opinion, it doesn’t get any better than this. Even if they were wearing gray. 2011: “The Beat My Heart Skipped” This was a decent show visually, but a FANTASTIC show musically. I listen to this one frequently. 2009: “1930” Great music, brilliant visual design, and an ingenious use of chairs made for one of the best championship shows of all time. And, quite deservingly, one of the highest scoring shows in history. 2014: “Felliniesque” This show was just flawless. While I was mildly annoyed it outscored my favorite show of all time (Cavies ‘02), I could not deny the mastery of this design and performance. 2017: “Metamorph” That ballad alone earns this show a place on this list. Least Favorites: 2010: “Through a Glass, Darkly” Visually, this show is stunning. Musically, this show is unlistenable. 2016: “As Dreams Are Made On” While I don’t particularly enjoy the trombones in drum corps, there are instances where it doesn’t bother me too much. In this show, however, I found them to be obnoxious. Beyond that, I just wasn’t too into the music in this one. 2003: “The Phenomenon of Cool” This show seems to be beloved by many. I don’t know what it is, but this one just never landed for me.
  5. Favorites: 2014- “Turn” I really dug this show. They took a pretty dull four seasons concept and had a lot of fun with it. I especially enjoyed the Firebird/Summertime mix. 2012- “Shinto” Another really fun show. Relatively simple, design-wise, but a lot of fun nonetheless. 2002- “City Riffs” A great show from what I consider to be the “golden age” of drum corps. 2015- “Intergalactic” I like space-themed shows. While it wasn’t my favorite, it did feature some Star Trek music, which so few space-themed shows do. 2016- “Set Free” This show was very well designed, and the Cadcades seemed to kick it up a few notches from years past. My least favorite would have to be 2013’s “Inescapable.” It’s a good thing they apparently learned from that season, as 2014 on have been pretty good to our friends from Seattle.
  6. Favorites: 1. 2014: “Vanity Fair” 2. 2016: “Drum Corpse Bride” 3. 2012: “Left of Spring” 4. 2011: “(RE)” 5. 2010: “Strangers in Paradise” Least Favorites: The Academy hasn’t really done a show I didn’t like. But if I had to pick one that didn’t “wow” me, I guess I’d have to go with 2008’s “Vienna Nights.”
  7. Genesis: 2013- “mOZaic” The corps’ first medalist show, and it left me thinking “Wow, they’re on their way.” Music City: 2011- “Let’s Dance” Not an overly sophisticated show, but that’s not always a bad thing. It was an awful lot of fun and jam packed with enjoyable tunes. And if memory serves, this was their first year as a full sized corps. Or at the very least, they were close to full size.
  8. Favorites: 2013- This is my absolute favorite show from The Cadets. The brass book shined in this production. 2011- I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like this show. They knocked it out of the park with this one. 2000- see 2011. 2007- Love or hate all the narration (I generally hate it), this show was masterful performed, and the concept was well executed, in my opinion. I rather enjoyed it. 2014- It seems most people don’t care for this one. I thought it was great. The Copland pieces worked great and I thought the changing cummerbunds were subtle, but very effective. Least Favorites: 2004- Not an especially awful show. It just never really “wowed” me. 2016- It was very apparent this year that they needed to try something new. 2017- This wasn’t it.
  9. This is overall a pretty trivial question, but it's been bugging me since championships. I noticed in semis that the hornline and drumline members went without their drop sashes/leg cape things. Does anyone know why? Also, I feel like I saw their DMs wear red uniforms during the show, but they wore gray ones during retreat. Was there a reason behind that? As a side note, the Colts were FANTASTIC this season.
  10. If I had to pick just one, I'd have to go with Madison Scouts 1988. Also, I didn't to any live shows in 2014 (I watched a ton of webcasts), and I kick myself every day for it. A lot of great shows that year.
  11. For me, it's pretty hard to top Galen Karriker (PR 1991).
  12. Crowns, perhaps? Although I think I've heard people call them "fakos."
  13. I don't claim to know why, but I would guess that with I&E in Indy, all open class corps (the ones that travel to championships, anyway) can participate, plus it seems to have become a sort of community outreach thing in the streets of Indy.
  14. I was on the DCI website, and I happened to see finals videos from 2015 under a "Featured Videos" headline. And it appeared to be the full shows, with both high camera and multi camera options. I tried to watch one, and it told me I had to log into an account with the right subscription. I looked all over the website, and I couldn't find anything about such a subscription. Does anybody know what this is about?
  15. This is my first year subscribing to the DCI Live service. I had been a loyal subscriber to the Fan Network for several years, but after hearing that the DVR and On Demand functions wouldn't be available anymore, I opted not to purchase DCI Live last year. And after seeing what I missed in 2015...NEVER AGAIN. But anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw from the corps performing in Muncie yesterday. So, without further adieu... OPEN CLASS Genesis 1st Place - 58.300 "Hell Hath No Fury" This corps performs extremely well. But the kids aren't the ones I'm really reviewing here, if we're all being honest. I couldn't in good conscience critique these hard working youngsters anyway. And the activity has gotten significantly harder since I marched all those eons ago, so all the kids that performed in Muncie are gods to me. I do not hold the same reverence for the designers of some of these shows. The folks at Genesis, while I'm sure they do the best they can, don't seem to know how to design a good show. The narration particularly bothers me, and it isn't because there's narration in the show. The narration in this show is really the only thing that gets the concept across. And if you ask me, that's a problem. These are all kinks that can be worked out, and I sincerely hope they do, because based on the kids' ability, this corps could certainly be a contender for an Open Class ring. Legends 2nd Place - 55.300 "The Grid" Boy, has this corps gotten good or what? I remember a time not too long ago when Legends was one of those "little corps that could." It seems like they've become a massive Open Class powerhouse overnight. I have to say, I find the 3 point spread between Legends and Genesis a bit surprising. After seeing both corps, I thought it was kind of a toss-up, and I certainly thought the scores would be closer. This show was a lot of fun. It was a little awkwardly electronics-heavy for my taste at first, but it certainly got my attention. From then on, I was continually blown away by the maturity of this corps. I really don't have much else to say, except that they're definitely going to be a contender for a medal this year. WORLD CLASS Pioneer 6th Place - 50.600 "St. Joan of Arc" Pioneer has really kicked it up a notch in terms of design. I find it a little surprising that a corps that has always maintained a sort of "old school" vibe opted to have such a prominently featured vocal soloist. This isn't a complaint, as she has incredible pipes. Now, I'm most certainly not a fan of the new brass instruments. I'm at a point, however, where I'm just tired of being upset about it. I've gotten to where I can tolerate them, unless they seem pointlessly shoehorned into the show. Pioneer, I'm sad to say, has a trombone that really doesn't need to be there, at least in my opinion. Overall, this was a very easy show to follow. Pioneer is doing a great job relaying the story of Joan of Arc to us. And I absolutely loved the Firebird closer, as I'm a man who loves his Stravinsky. Colts 5th Place - 64.300 "Nachtmusik" The Colts take a relatively simple concept and sell it in very convincing fashion. There isn't much to comment on in terms of show design except that it's great music, great drill, and the kids perform it all very well. This is a corps I always enjoy and I'm always rooting for them to get back into finals again. The only complaint (and "complaint" is a strong word) I have about this show are the props. What are they supposed to be? Are they going to be decorated later on in the season? If anybody knows, please let me know. At any rate, this was yet another great show from Iowa's ambassadors of music. Personally, I would have put them ahead of Troopers, but that's probably why I'm not one of the folks wearing the green polo. Troopers 4th Place - 67.650 "hero." This seems to be a pretty big departure for Troop, mainly in terms of their uniform and their show concept. The show has a much broader concept than some of their more recent offerings (and I personally find it much more interesting). And a quick side note on the uniforms: just like my prom date, these uniforms are good from far, but far from good. I think kids these days say "hot from far away." The uniforms look great from the press box, and I really like the colors. They're a little reminiscent of the old Troopers' guard uniforms. The show seems to be an exploration of the definition of the word "hero." Like I said, much broader than, say, "Wild Horses." And just like Pioneer, there were some french horns and a concert euphonium that seemed to be pointlessly shoehorned into the show. I wasn't terribly familiar with the music they were playing, so maybe it fits better than I realize. All I can say is I would have preferred to hear it on some mellophones instead. But while we're on the topic of brass: they're hornline is FANTASTIC. I don't know what the music was for the closer, but it was nothing short of magnificent. I could see this becoming a fan favorite moment. Overall, a great show from Troopers. They could very realistically be a finalist contender come August. Blue Stars 3rd Place - 70.300 "Le Reve" Wow...this seems like a massive step up for the Blue Stars. Maybe it's just me, but they seem significantly cleaner than they usually are at this point in the season. I think our friends from La Crosse are looking to move up a few spots this year, and it doesn't look like they're going to have much trouble doing it, either. The props seem a tad on the excessive side at times, but they add a lot of color to this show. The overall color scheme is rich with bright, contrasting colors. I don't know what else to say, but I absolutely loved this show. Great music, exceptional choreography, and a bold new look for the Blue Stars as icing on the cake. And speaking of bold new looks... The Cavaliers 2nd Place - 73.650 "Propaganda" It warms my heart to see the green...er...black machine doing this well, especially looking at where they ended up last year. I think some of this can be attributed to their show design, which is leaps and bounds ahead of "Game On." But the kids even seem to be performing this show much more masterfully. I know the corps was wrought with illness last year, so I suppose that could have something to do with it. It has taken me a while to warm up to this show. When I saw it on the preview webcast, my initial reaction was one of disgust. And then after getting a better read of it during the Tour Premiere, that disgust morphed into indifference. This was my third viewing of the show, and I'm starting to dig it a little more. I think those uniforms of theirs kind of confuse the show concept. When I saw them taking the field with those really bleak uniforms, I thought "Oh, this show is going to be dark." And with the negative connotations often associated with the word "propaganda," I assumed this would be a "propaganda is bad" kind of show. But it really isn't. So then I thought, "Well, are they saying propaganda is good, then?" And no, they're not. This show really is saying that propaganda just is. It can be good or bad. This is a very interesting spin on it, and perhaps less accessible than a more simple "propaganda is bad" approach. It's one of the first times that a Cavalier show both blows your mind with the high-velocity drill, and it makes you think a little bit, too. I'll be very interested to see where The Cavaliers end up at finals. I think they might surprise us. Carolina Crown 1st Place - 76.850 "Relentless" What a fun show this one has turned out to be. "Relentless" features a brass book that only Crown could do justice to, and they've recently made some changes to the show, particularly the ending, that make the ending all the more satisfying when the good guy gets his revenge. I know very little about percussion, but their drumline seems to be a lot tighter than they have been in previous years. Percussion people...can you confirm this? The last time I saw this show was at the Tour Premiere, and my mind was reeling back from the innovative marvel that was the Bluecoats show, and as a result, I was somewhat bored by "Relentless" if you can believe it. I got a much better read of the show last night, and I'm in love. Crown, as they usually are, will be a contender for the gold this year, I have no doubt about that. And, just for kicks, here's where I would have put everyone: World Class 1. Carolina Crown 2. The Cavaliers 3. Blue Stars 4. Colts 5. Troopers 6. Pioneer Open Class 1. Legends 2. Genesis
  16. I believe Star of Indiana went to the cream uniforms mid season in 1993. They decided their red and white ones were too colorful, if I recall correctly.
  17. I'm not crazy about the Bluecoats uniforms either. But after seeing the show, the sorts of things they do would be impossible, or at least extremely difficult in a regular uniform and helmet. I hate these "uniforms," but the show justifies them. If you haven't seen it yet, trust me: it's incredible.
  18. I know the folks at Racine very well, and I know for a fact that it's crushing them to have to do this. But I also know that they have every intention to come back breathing fire next year. This is an extremely sad state of affairs, but I for one am not worried in the slightest for the long term health of the organization.
  19. My old eyes can't tell. Are the aussies green or black?
  20. As I recall, the fan network offered standard definition videos for something like $4.99, and HD videos for $9.99. These new prices are a little steep...
  21. This is slightly related, but does anyone know if there's a DCI app for the new Apple TV? You know, an app I can watch the webcasts with? I know I can air play from my iPhone but I'd like to keep as few devices involved as possible.
  22. Obviously, what the kids are going to be wearing has no actual bearing on how talented they are, and I have the utmost respect for this organization, but good lord.....it is my humble opinion that this was a bad call. Nothing about this even looks like The Cavaliers to me. I'm still excited for the show this year, but man...those are going to take some getting used to.
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