Fran Haring

I think about 30 standing ovations.... or it certainly seemed that way. Archie really rocked the place that afternoon! Fran

My wife and I have spent some time around the Buccaneers in the past few years.... and honest to God, I have never heard, or noticed, that "attitude" that you're talking about from the corps' members or staff. Are they a confident group? Sure they are. They should be. But arrogant/condescending/whatever...... no. Certainly not from my experience with them. Fran

What Tom said! The missus and I are very much looking forward to this show. The last showdown of all the DCA "big guns" from the East before championships. Should be a great night in Scranton! Fran

Best wishes to Joe and his family. From personal experience, brain injury ain't easy to deal with. I hope he has a full recovery. Fran

I now have a name for the all-age corps I would start in Baltimore, if I won a 100 million dollar lottery and could spend as much as I wanted. "The Baltimore Hired Guns" Has a nice ring to it. Fran

Hats off to George and the rest of the folks at YEA for this decision. A fitting tribute to a great tradition. Fran

What Cozy said. The I&E show is a great way to start the championship weekend! Fran

I agree 100 percent, John.... George is the best. When Barbara and I talked with him at Clifton, he told us he was still lighting candles every week at church on Barbara's behalf. So I gotta figure, if we have George Hayek on our side, Barbara DEFINITELY will get back on her feet someday! Fran

Correct. Other big point spreads: 1973 1 Hawthorne Caballeros 89.850 2 Reading Buccaneers 85.800 2005 1 Reading Buccaneers 98.450 2 Empire Statesmen 95.225 1978 1 Long Island Sunrisers 90.850 2 Hawthorne Caballeros 88.050 1995 1 Hawthorne Caballeros 97.700 2 Westshoremen 94.900 Fran

Abingdon, MD, just north of Baltimore. Air conditioning + comfy seats + popcorn + drum corps = A nice night out. Fran

To answer the question that is the title of this thread: Yes, the year we're in right now is, indeed, 2008. Next year, it will be 2009. Fran

The 2001 Brigs, as good as they were, didn't exactly "bury" the Buccaneers that year. My fave Brigs corps of their great run was the 2002 corps. Unbelievable. Fran

Matt, I believe you're right on this.... I haven't heard a word about the Inspires coming to Rochester this year. I really, really hope they can make the trip stateside again, some year soon for the DCA championships. They had a great corps in both 2002 and 2004. Fran

Ticks were an opinion, too, back in the day. In my opinion. One judge's idea of a mistake was another judge's "nice going." Hardly objective at all, in many cases. Fran

I agree, Jim..... when Barbara and I had a chance to catch a Bucs rehearsal at Twin Valley in March of '07, we were both very impressed with how prepared they were for that time of year. Basically in mid-season form already in some ways. That is tough to beat. Fran

I am. I'll be the PA announcer/emcee for the show. But please, do not let that deter you from attending. This will be my first and (unfortunately) only in-person viewing of the DCI side of life this season..... my wife Barbara and I can't wait for the show! Fran

I think that since he didn't even know that Buccaneer alum Fred Windish was no longer with DCA in an official capacity, Tom Allen should be disqualified from any future discussions about the Buccaneers. Fran

LOL.... good point, Dale! Now... if DCA could only get a cut of the proceeds collected at the toll plaza on I-95 in Delaware. Four bucks each way for 15 miles of highway. No wonder why they can afford not to have a sales tax. Fran

There is a slight rules change this year. I'll be reading the final scores on Wednesday, September 3, at 2 PM Eastern Time. At the Chesapeake House rest area on I-95 in Maryland. My apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. Fran

Good points, Ryan. The times, they are a-changin'...... fran

Bushwackers. With something like 67 members total in the corps. Great small corps that year. fran

OK... thoughts gathered. The following comments are just my two cents, from a fan's perspective.... worth about two cents American, about one Euro overseas. Like Jeff Ream said in his review, the kids who performed the pre-show entertainment did a great job.... we especially liked the steel-drum stuff. And again.... broken record here, I know..... THANK YOU to all of you who came by to say hello to Barbara. You guys really help lift her spirits... and that, in turn, is helping her get closer to being back on her feet. Heck, at this show she stood up by herself (with a little help from the handrail) several times during the show. Shenandoah Sound is better at this point in the season than I have ever seen them on Labor Day weekend. There are some nice moments in this show... but they obviously are still a work in progress and need a lot of work to move up the competition ladder. However, they have taken an important step in rebuilding the organization, and I salute them for that. Nice to see all those Siegfried/Kulp folks in the ranks... that is one amazing drum corps family!!!! One suggestion..... I know it might be a money issue, but the corps might want to think about changing the uniform style. The colors are fine... but the unis look a bit on the sloppy side, for lack of a better description. White Sabers: I really like the uniforms..... they give the corps a sharp, crisp, professional look. And I really, really like the visual design, with the corps using the triangle props to great effect, "framing" the show and keeping the corps in the front half of the field. The color guard is terrific, and really adds a lot to the performance. The horn line..... well, it could be better, to say the least. I think the brass book is a bit over the heads of the players in this case. Nevertheless....in 2006, I saw the White Sabers at the Syracuse show in early August, and they were rough that night.... I basically wrote them off as a Class A contender. Four weeks later, they were like a different corps...very much improved... and were a solid Class A finalist. So.... with that work ethic in place, this year they are in very good shape for a Class A finalist spot heading into the stretch run... again, IMO. Carolina Gold: I like the show concept...and the "ticking clock" sound effect that ties everything together... but I think the visual program is overly ambitious and is hurting the corps' performance right now. Drum line is solid, as is the color guard...... the horn line needs more work. Overall, though.... I am very happy to see these guys back on the field. The future looks bright for Gold. Bushwackers: Their 2008 "Gypsodic!" program is, IMO, very energetic and refreshing. GREAT color guard.... wow. The guard's work, and their uniforms, really help sell the "gypsy music" concept. A very solid percussion section.... battery and front ensemble. The horn line is getting better each time I see/hear them....I'm sure Joe Exley and his staff will get the maximum mileage out of their troops by season's end. I especially like the middle segment of the show, with the trumpets, mid-range and lower brass taking turns in the spotlight. I have to be honest here.... I did not get a chance to see all of the Brigadiers' performance, since I was running a food errand for Barbara. So blame her. What I did see..... a strong color guard, talented percussion section and a smaller-than-usual horn line that still puts out that "Brigadier sound" at various times during the show. The ballad is outstanding..... not only the music performance, but also the visual staging. It could be a real "show stopper" by season's end. Buccaneers: These guys, quite simply, are the "Gold Standard" in DCA right now, without question. This performance was the best I have seen from them this season. Horns, drums, color guard... all of 'em in really good shape for this point in the season. The Bucs' horn line already has some "scary good" moments... and just think, folks.... after DCI tour is done, the Buccaneers get Gino Cipriani back for the remainder of the DCA season to add the finishing touches to the brass performance. That quite possibly could move the "scary good" moments to the "stupid good" category. Two criticisms: the Bucs still need a good deal of "feet work" at various points. And, IMO, I would like the big hit in the "Nessun Dorma" ballad to be more of a "drum corps moment" and less of a "legit classical moment." Translation: It should be a bit louder, IMO. Caballeros Alumni: Another great show from this corps, with the emphasis on "show." Every time I see them perform, I can't help but think of the 62 years of pride and dedication that have helped keep the Caballeros' organization so strong for decades, represented by folks like George Hayek, who has been with the corps since Day One in 1946... think of that for a moment.... and is still active in the honor guard. The corps has an All-Star lead soprano line, no doubt about it....great solo work.... and the rest of the horn line isn't too shabby either. The "drum to drum" percussion feature always get a big response from the audience... and of course the finale of "Cha Cha Cha Flamenco" (AKA, the Hawthorne National Anthem ) gets the fans on their feet every single time. Nice night in Chambersburg! I do have a bit of a "soapbox rant/critique" that I need to get off my chest regarding all-age corps in general, but I'll save it for the off-season. Here's wishing safe travels and good results for all the DCA corps on the road to the championships in Rochester! We hope to see as many of you as possible in Scranton next month.... that's the last regular-season showdown of all of DCA's Eastern "big guns"...and then over Labor Day weekend. For me, that means getting back into shows for free. I hope. Fran

moved to separate thread.

Tom, you are right on the money. The venue is without a doubt one of the best I have ever seen for a regular-season drum corps show. I hope this becomes a yearly event on the DCA schedule for a long time to come. And the show staffers we met were courteous and professional. One example..... by the time we got to the stadium, all the handicapped-parking spots were filled. But the show staff member in the parking lot helped us find a parking spot close to the stadium.... it definitely helped make life a bit easier for Barbara and me. Hats off to Dan McGrogan and the rest of the show staff for such a well-run event. Great seating, good lighting, solid accoustics, good food. I had two of the Angus beef hot dogs... delicious. Yes, I did use up my sodium quota for the next two weeks, but what the heck. OK..... we just got back online after "computer silence" since last Thursday, due to a fried AC adapter for our laptop. I hope to add some thoughts on the competition, once I get some thoughts together. Fran

I hear ya. We just saw the movie a few weeks ago.... again. For something like the 20th time... LOL Have fun storming the castle this weekend, everyone! Fran