Tim K

I haven’t heard that anyone in my section arrived home with Covid. However, I have heard more than a few people who have traveled by plane to and from East coast destinations over the past few weeks arrive home and find they have Covid a few days later.

I thought the lines to get in the stadium moved quickly and concession stand lines were much faster. There were also more concession stands open. As I said in a post on another thread, this makes the event more enjoyable.

I was more than impressed with 2023. The shows were amazing and I thought overall that everything ran smoothly at LOS. While this has little impact on the shows themselves, it has a huge impact on the overall experience. I’m glad to say I was wrong about a return to competition for Seattle Cascades and Spirit of Atlanta. Re-emerging after time away is not the norm for drum corps. I did talk with some folks from Spirit and it was touch and go as to whether there would be a 2023 season and I know it was work for Cascades which makes both returning all the more remarkable. I thought that of the 19 WC corps that competed in 2023 that also competed in 2022, regardless of placement, 18 had shows that were as good or better, one had challenges with recruitment though I’m not sure the challenges were pandemic related. In OC, I know rebounding is still an issue for some corps. A person I spoke with associated with one OC corps claims rebounding from the pandemic has been more difficult than when the corps started from scratch. I also heard that some OC corps are expressing concerns about recruitment in the next year or two. Music programs took a major hit during remote learning, and many schools did not have band or chorus for a at least a year, in some cases two years. Some kids when given the opportunity chose not to take music lessons, others are a bit behind. These are the young people who might begin looking at OC experiences. This could hurt the pool for potential recruits. My thought is the corps will meet the challenges, but it has not been easy.

You know the same is true for me. No one is hiring me even though I have all the answers and solutions a drum corps could want. The problem? My answers don’t match the questions and my solutions do not match the problems.🙂

I don’t think you can recreate too many shows. For one thing, the skills of yesteryear are not the skills taught today. This is not to say yesterday is better than today or today is better than yesterday. It’s different. You also don’t have the same staff and marching members which often made a show a show. We’re also different and we see shows differently today when we look back than how we viewed shows back in the day. In high school (1978-81) I always admired corps that were precise and took drum corps seriously. Favorites would have been 27th, BAC, Cadets, Defenders, North Star. Bridgemen in my opinion at the time did not take drum corps seriously. Now I watch my DVD’s and can’t believe how seriously Bridgemen took their performances, the talent level, and creativity. Maybe I had no sense of humor at the time, most likely they were too competitive with corps I liked better. I do not think we can recreate shows, but I am a strong supporter of returning to classic pieces, but exploring them in a new way. A favorite Phantom “off the line” number was 1977’s 4th movement of Dvorak’s Symphony #9. Returning to that became 1989’s “New World Symphony.” They reimagined a classic. So yes, we could do a show on Elgar’s “The Planets” or Bizet’s “Carmen,” but do it differently. Include some of the popular portions, but include deep cuts too. There are great portions of popular classics that have never been arranged for drum corps. There are lots of times I look up source music and am surprised at who wrote it and where it came from, so do the familiar but dig deeper.

I was part of a conversation a few years back about a drum major who did not receive the Jim Jones award though he was predicted to win. It turns out this DM did not want to be considered for the award. At least at the time (this would have been 2012-2013 or in that time frame) a DM had to be nominated and the DM needed to acknowledge the nomination. I believe a drum major could also apply. That may have changed. There was either an interview or questionnaire involved, and the poise, conducting, and what we see was are not the only considerations. The award really is about leadership and the true test of leadership is what happens off the field. I do not know any of the current crop of drum majors and the former drum majors I have met I usually met after they marched, though not always. What I have found is that the drum majors we often like best are often very effective when the spot light is not on them. It turns out some of the large personalities do not have large egos and in an activity where we have our fair share of people who are self important, that says a great deal.

This is where the Legacy DVD’s can be helpful. Lots of corps experimented in the tic days. Blue Devils, Phantom, SCV, 27th, Bridgemen, Guardsmen, are just some who took risks. Watch 1976 Blue Devils, the first year they won a title. That show is way ahead of its time. It’s also impeccably clean. Look at what 27th Lancers did with its color guard as early as 1976 or what 27th or Phantom did in the late 70’s. While it is true that some corps focused more on being clean than innovative in the tic years, including some finalists, your best corps often pushed the boundaries and they were clean. Something that was common at the time was where risky things could be found in a show, at least in theory. Corps had 11 1/2 to 13 minutes to perform. After the timing gun was shot at 11 1/2 minutes and on field judges left the field, corps were said to try things that would no result in a tic, but I can’t think of any examples, at least not from a top corps where this was the case.

Thank you Boston Crusaders. The quality of the show, the hard work involved in perfecting a difficult show, and the excitement you provided will be remembered by so many for years to come.

First of all, congratulations to Blue Devils on a championship, an undefeated season, and a three-peat. Yes it’s a three-peat since they won three consecutive judged championships. Some argue it’s not a true three-peat because it’s not three consecutive years, but there is no rule that defines a three-peat. Some say it’s not because it involves the Blue Devils. I say let those who don’t exactly love Blue Devils and like to stir the pot and the thin skinned folks who take offense at anything negative about Blue Devils argue those points. Where I do think there can be an argument made saying it’s not a true three-peat is 2021. For so many of the corps that participated, it was a huge sacrifice and an extraordinary effort for so short a season. Blue Devils did not participate and while you can point out SCV not participating and it being a long trip from California, Gold, Pacific Crest, and Mandarins did. Now that I’ve posted on this thread, why was it started in the first place? I just arrived back from Lucas Oil, talked with lists of folks. Some thought the scores should have been closer. No one said that Blue Devils should not have won, there were discussions about who should have been in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. No one even said the word three-peat.

I’ll be leaving in a few minutes. I think the special Friends of DCI entrance, along with more staff should move things along. Last year Friday had some issues and that was not the case this year. I hope that’s a good sign.

I’m sure the marching members and folks from Les Stentors understood it very well! 🙂

My thoughts: there could be movement in 2-4. I’d love to see movement in 1-4 but the 2-4 is more realistic. There could be movement in 5-7 with Cavies becoming a fly in the ointment. I think Troopers will be closer to Colts in score than to Blue Stars.

I think the fan reaction to Star and Blue Devils is different. Full disclosure: I enjoyed Star though not the 1993 show, which in all fairness I did not see live. When I did see the show on a PBS broadcast, it was probably mid-fall or whenever the broadcast was shown and I already knew the results. I’m also in the “sour grapes” camp regarding their departure and I’m sure when I spoke with people in the stands at Foxboro in 1994, I believed Star would come crawling back to DCI. You can debate the sour grapes, but I’ll have to admit being wrong about crawling back. As I think back to thirty years ago and Star’s departure, they were loved by fans as they moved up, especially the circus show, “Porgy and Bess,” “Balthazar’s Feast” and 1991, which is still one of the greatest shows ever. 1993’s show was seen as a threat. However no matter how good or how entertaining, they were always the corps that money built, especially where so many corps, including iconic corps like the 27th Lancers and Bridgemen, folded during their time. If they became a dynasty, they probably would have faced opposition and would never gain the stature other champions had, namely that of Cadets, SCV, and Cavies or the popular acclaim of Crown and Bloo. We’d probably hope Blue Devils would give them a run for their money. I first saw Blue Devils in 1976, less than a week before they won their first title. At that time they were the corps to watch soon to be the corps to beat. They went back to the corps to watch, some years placing 4th or 5th, then the corps to beat which is where they have been for about twenty years. I do think if they did not win so often, or if they had more years where they came from behind, audiences might feel differently about them.

The two big problems last year were concession stand lines and getting into the stadium. Getting in on Thursday and Friday was never an issue, but the concession stand lines were a disaster. Not the case this year. There was a wait but the lines moved. Just as concession lines improved, I’m hoping the same holds true for getting in for finals. I think DCI got the message and even though it was unofficially said to be a Lucas Oil issue (full disclosure, I was told by a usually reliable person that an unnamed employee for DCI made this claim), my guess is it will be corrected. Just to be safe, I’m planning a late lunch/early dinner at Shapiro’s and to be in LOS by 4PM.

SoundSport and DrumLine Battle have always on Saturday. I and E was on the Wednesday.

It must really depend on where you sit. Somebody already mentioned 139. I’m in 140. The people in the block where I sit are knowledgeable and seasoned fans. Everyone was standing after BD. Same with 141. I walked back to the hotel with some BD and Mandarins parents. I believe they are in the 200 section. They didn’t mention a poor response to BD. Most of the time standing ovations are based on popularity. It’s a toss up as to whether Crown or Bluecoats is the most popular corps. Boston Crusaders is growing in leaps and bounds as far as popularity is concerned. With Crown it’s been the case since 2007 and “Triple Crown.” Bloo became more popular as they became more cutting edge around 2014 with “Tilt.” Prior to that they were often considered the most underrated corps. BAC is becoming an audience favorite, but it’s been an uphill battle at times. I may be biased because I am a longtime BAC fan, Crown almost always produces a show I love, and I enjoyed Bloo when they were staid and predictable as well as when they became more cutting edge. BD may win too often for underdog status. They may not be as audience friendly as other corps. These can impact popularity, but they are respected and I feel get an excellent response.

I always thought the “bad run” was what was said of those who place 2nd on down to Blue Devils explaining why the other corps did not win, although this year anytime Blue Devils’ competitors got too close to BD, they had a bad run. Beginning with Les Stentors and ending with Blue Devils, no one had a “bad run” yesterday. In the case of Boston Crusaders, they had a clean run but there were a few mic issues and they can be more impactful. At their final home show last week they were on fire and in Allentown they were very clean and also on fire. I’d like to see that tonight. Boston Crusaders has a history or proving people wrong. We’d never seem them again after 82, making finals in 1999 was a one and done deal, they were not going to make finals in 2016, no way they’d reach the top half in 2017 or stay there in subsequent years. BAC has survived, often proves competitors wrong, and loves being the fly in the ointment.

Yesterday was a great day of drum corps. Here are a few thoughts about today to spark discussion: Everything went smoothly at Lucas Oil, at least from my vantage point. Lines were manageable, no entry snafus. Crowds are a bit bigger today, let’s hope the same is true. It could be a battle Royal between Crossmen and Blue Knights for 12th. BK will not give anything away and Crossmen’s vastly improved show packs a punch and could be even more powerful today. I’m feeling 2012-like vibes from them. Troopers will not want to remain in 11th. Blue Stars has more energy than many of us thought entering into Indy, Colts won’t give anything away. Perhaps this is not as intense as 5-7, it will still be a great match up. 5-7: This could be a “you never know” grouping. I think we’ll see Cadets remain in 5th. I think Phantom’s show is underrated by the judges and Mandarins is pretty fired up. Though “blood in the water” usually refers to sharks, don’t think Boston Crusaders isn’t out for blood and will be content with 4th place. Crown has shown us that the “sword is drawn” and while Bloo may want us to experience love among the flowers, they’ll be like the champion gardener who discovered a beetle on a prize rose bush when it comes to their competitors. BD knows the heat is on and will not get caught off guard. Scores will be tighter. All four will have great runs.

I just arrived back at the hotel. My ears are still ringing and probably will for a while. I was a bit surprised with 2-4. Blue Devils were on target though I thought they were too over amplified but I don’t know of any corps who has ever had their score influenced positively or negatively by being over amplified. I thought it would be either Crown or BAC battling for 2 and 3 with Bloo in 4th. Both Crown and BAC have a clear story and tell it well. Boston Crusaders is impeccably clean. Crown was on target tonight and their brass amazing. Bloo was great but their opening doesn’t grab me. We will see movement in the top 4. Cadets in 5th was no surprise but I expected Phantom to place 6th. Mandarins have a great show but it is gimmicky and I expected they’d be in 7th. I thought Troopers were better than 11th though Colts had a great run. After Glassboro and Allentown I thought Blue Stars had plateaued, but they were alive this evening. 12-15 placed as I thought they would but I expected it to be closer. Blue Knights should not test too comfortably, Crossmen could come out roaring tomorrow. No major surprises with 16-31. I did wonder if The Battalion might find themselves in the top 25. Guardians were better than I expected based on quite a few negative comments in other posts. We’ll be hearing more from Columbians in the future. Raiders had an enjoyable show and Les Stentors have a lot of talent for a small corps. They still offer lessons to young people with no musical experience.

I’m 100% Irish based on what my parents told me, 96% according to Ancestry.com. We forget everything but a grudge!🙂

Dan Potter asked an ill advised question in 2019. He was pilloried for it, apologized to the corps. He got the wrath of DCP and I may have even commented. I spoke with people with the corps after it happened, some whom I have known for over 30 years, who shrugged it off. If the corps can forgive, we can too.

You’re very fortunate. Last year was the only year I had to wait to get in to finals, but the wait was 90 minutes. Don’t forget, they started the show later due to the lines. The concession lines are problematic. I do have a heart issue/blood sugar issue and as luck would have it, I had issues while waiting in line at semi’s. Someone grabbed an orange juice that was on display and I was able to sit down. Someone held my place in line, but again it was an hour wait. I’m thinking it will not be an issue this year, but it was for me and many others last year.

I do love Allentown and would not like to see it moved. As I said in another thread, I did find the accommodations for older people and disabled people problematic. I do realize there is a handicapped section, but the people I saw struggling most were older folks. I’ve sat in approximately the same seats since 2012: Section H, between row 4 and 15 depending on when I order tickets and the availability, always on an aisle seat. I don’t recall seeing so many people having difficulty with the stairs or having to help people up or break their falls. Allentown does attract an older crowd so it is something to keep in mind. Two great things. First, the incredible volunteers, always the best. Second, there were quite a few school buses field with high school aged kids. Unless they parked in a new spot this year, I saw more young people than in past years and young people at shows is usually a sign of growth.

Your four predictions for OC corps moving to semi’s are mine as well. I have yet to see Columbians so I’m basing it on scores alone. I did see Spartans early in the season and at their home show. What a show. There has been speculation Gold will move to WC in either 2024 or 25 and I wonder if they’re coming as far East as New Hampshire this year was testing the waters for a fuller national tour. Southwind was in the New Hampshire show and while they still had work to do, you could see the potential. Judging from the prelims scores they did the work.

We may moan, groan, and complain about Lucas Oil Stadium, lines, not enough open concession stands, but the show itself never disappoints. I’m one who is in my seat for the first corps and doesn’t miss any competitors.