stevie89phan

ALL interesting and helpful replies. Thanks guys! I DO know some of what to expect from listening to the field pass and seeing pics but am excited by not knowing what to expect for EVERY show. Will report back after Sunday to see if it made my experience more enjoyable.Maybe next year I will go the opposite route and try to follow more shows from the very beginning to see just how much and how quickly everyone improves, just haven't had the time this year, so I decided to do this little "experiment". Being a long-time fan it is hard not to read any reviews to see how my faves are faring though...

So I've been going to the Live DCI Atlanta event since it started in 06. I've always watched all or part of shows on the computer before the Atl show so kinda know what to expect usually. Trying to watch very little and have read no reviews this year just to try something different. Hope to be more surprised by not knowing what to expect ( although I just couldn't resist watching Spirit's or Crown's shows in their entirety and am VERY excited to see the rest of the shows). Anyway, any other fans try this? If so, was it worth it or did you feel like you missed TOO much by not knowing what to look for?

Congrats Crossmen! Ya'll have always been a favorite corp of mine. Saw you in Atlanta and thought you would make it into the top 12!!!

Would love to have experienced all of these shows on Finals night!!! 1 - 1980 Spirit 2 - 1988 Madison 3 - 2008 Phantom (saw them live in Atl but would love to have seen the winning performance LIVE!)

Spirit in 8th. Crown in 1st.

Thanks for the great review! Very interesting AND informative. Getting me very hyped for the Atlanta show! Will make sure I don't miss Crosmen now.

I've gone to the customer service counter at Publix for the past several years in order to hand pick my tickets. I STILL don't seem to ever get them early enough for the primo seats though! Make sure they give you the chart to look at. They can search specific seats/sections to see if available. They've always been pretty cool about it even though they have no idea what "best available" for a drum corps nut is. They can't really understand why I would want to be higher up in the stands, hehe. FYI: DCI site says tickets will increase by $5 if you buy day of the show. Hope this helps!!!

CONGRATULATIONS SPIRIT!!! SO awesome to see a show that fits you so well. Although I've only seen it online can't wait to see it live. Yes this IS a milestone for the corp regardless of why the Cavaliers are scoring how they're scoring. Be proud but DON'T get TOO comfortable. Regardless of scores sounds like you're a crowd fav this year!

Hearing so many GREAT things about this show. KEEP IT UP GUYS!!! Can't wait to see my old Corp in my hometown of Atlanta! Haven't seen the show and the suspense is killing me. Ya'll will have MANY EXCITED fans ready to cheer you on at the Southeastern Championships so be prepared to relish the moment and have fun with it. GO SPIRIT!

Adding new fans to the fan base shouldn't mean we have to keep adding more things to Drum Corps i.e. woodwinds, vocals, electronics, etc. Electronics CAN add excitement to a program. IF it is done creatively it can add alot to the effectiveness of the overall show. But that doesn't mean EVERY show needs it. As far as woodwinds go there's just NO point. Being a fan now for over 20 yrs I am very excited over the new direction in show programming. And yes I AM for Drum Corps evolving. I LOVE that the visuals have gotten so complex and like body movement in alot of the shows SO no I'm not just an old fart who doesn't want ANY change. I think it DOES have alot to do with the accessibility of the MUSIC combined with the arrangements. When I was in band watching videos of the Corps from the 80s I was so impressed I wanted to go out and buy all the music I was hearing. Even if I didn't know what the music was, something about those performances made me want to learn about whatever musical or movie the piece was from. EVERY band kid in America should know about Drum Corps. I assumed that was a no brainer but certainly every band director should at least introduce their students to Drum Corps. Also, a big selling point for me was the fact that I would be travelling for the 1st time in my life on the road with a corp. That and the fact that there are so few Corps to join make DCI MUCH more competitive than band in my opinion. SO it HAS to start with band directors I believe. And maybe if we could reach PARENTS more directly to show them just how much of a life-lesson their kids would be getting if they marched. Parent/Instructor conferences? Is there currently such a thing? I know my dad wasn't sold until he saw how much like being in the military our rehearsal was. Also any FREE standstill performances in busy areas like shopping malls or shopping centers help alot. DO ANY CORPS PERFORM AT OUTDOOR ART FESTIVALS? Seems like that would be a good idea. Not sure if this helps at all but just my 2 cents.

AH yes, the video is all I needed to watch to learn. And thanks for the extra info. I don't know how ANYONE can be dissappointed with Drum Corps shows like this. "old school" and "new school" fans alike should be happy with how hard corps with these kinds of shows are trying to entertain us. I'm VERY happy with this trend. And I will for sure be buying some Jersey Surf merch this summer!!!

Saw a video of the Surf's show this yr and even though I may not LOVE the LMFAO part I still love the show and CANT WAIT to see it live in Atlanta! I think audience participation is ALWAYS a good thing and think this show is a brilliant idea. WE NEED MORE FUN SHOWS LIKE THIS. Drum Corps should be fun!!! QUESTION: I couldn't find the banana sticks online. I will for sure be buying them. AM I missing where to find them on their online store? And will they have plenty to sell at the show or is there possibility of running out? ANYONE???

1 - Phantom Regiment 2 - Carolina Crown 3 - Blue Devils

Mostly Madison's Empire State of Mind and the Le Mis sections from Boston. ALso, Spirit's Harlem Nocturne, and pretty much all of BKs show.

Best year for Spirit since 1986