Leaderboard

Devils- We don't care Phantom- We love fans Crown- Have awesome sound Coats- Better every year Scouts- Throw your babies Cavies- Finding their identity Cadets- Changing your activity Blue Stars- Tomorrow's elite corps Glassmen- Hot dog time (sorry, just my opinion) Blue Knights- Becoming fan friendly? Boston Crusaders- Not very exciting

So far, I'm not really liking DCP.

D W A O I M W T P N H S

The Skinny on D8N from a Daytonian. . Ah yes. . .Another amazing WGI is almost upon us, and I thought I would again share some inside Dayton info for those of you making the trip this year! Travel (I-75) For those of you who are going to be traveling I-75, you should know that there is construction in both directions. If you are coming North from Cincinnati, there is going to be construction all through Warren County (Warren County is just south of Dayton and is where Touchdown Jesus use to be, he got hit by lightning and burned to the ground this year) For those you coming from Indy/North of Dayton who will be heading south on 75, there is construction all through downtown and up until the exit for the UD arena. *It should be noted and is very important to know that you can NOT exit onto I-35 from 75 if you are heading south. This is the way that MANY people go to get to the Marriott. I repeat, the I-35 ramp from 75 South is closed. You must get off at the Edwin C Moses exit, if you would like to get on 35. For those of you going to the Marriott, this is the exit you would want anyway. Another VERY important side note to those coming from 75 going in the south direction. The Edwin C Moses exit can be very tricky because of the way it is set up to handle the closed 35 traffic. As you are heading down the exit, DO NOT be in the left lane, as it is a continuous loop and will put you back on 75 heading in the north direction so that you can get to 35. Again, the left lane of the exit is a continuous loop and will put you back on 75 (there is a blockade, so if you make this mistake, you’re pretty much hosed) The right lane allows you to turn right onto Edwin C Moses (which you don’t want to do) or allows you stop make a left hand turn onto Edwin C Moses (this is what you want) so that you can get to the arena or the hotel. It should be noted that this also is very tricky because in order to turn left you have to realize that there has been made an ‘open space’ in between 2 construction barrels so that vehicles can turn left. If you are still confused…which I don’t blame you, I made a video today driving south on 75 through downtown and getting off at the Edwin C. Moses Exit. My hope is that this video will help those out-of-towners feel more comfortable with unfamiliar surroundings…and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Video here: Lodging/Restuarants Also, for those near UD/Marriott. . .there are many restaurants on brown st. …and this is probably your best place to grab a bite to eat. You are literally a right hand turn and 3 blocks away if staying at the Marriott. There is a chipotle, panera, burger joints, dewey’s pizza, sub shops and a lot more. The infamous Pine Club is also on Brown st. For those who like local mom and pop type places…check out the brunch club and/or tanks. FYI, for those night owls, Tanks kitchen stays open until 2AM If you are staying north of town (the miller lane area) that is right next to 75…there will be a ton of places to eat, but not much entertainment. This area is very close to the Dayton International Airport. Every hotel chain and chain restaurant can be found on the miller lane strip. South of town (Dayton mall area) You have lots of places to eat and things to do..laser tag, the mall, bowling etc. You also have places like PF Changs and Bravo! Right there by the mall. ..along with every chain you can think of. I recommend First Watch for breakfast/brunch. . it’s wonderful and they only serve breakfast and lunch during those respective hours. For those with a finer palette, check out Anne Kearney’s restaurant: Rue Dumaine. It’s probably one of the best places in the mid-west and well, it’s Anne Kearney! http://www.daytonmall.net/ http://ruedumainerestaurant.com http://www.firstwatch.com East of Town (WSU/WPAFB area) for those unfamiliar: WSU = Wright State University and WPAFB is Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Over here there is also a ton to do with every imaginable restaurant under the sun. Near the nutter is also the Fairfield Mall, which is a nice place to stroll around and unwind, though quite a few stores have left and moved to the greene. The Greene is an ‘outdoor lifestyle center’ which is just a fancy way to say outside mall. If the weather is nice, this is probably the place to hit….great stores and places to eat: Cheesecake Factory, Flemings, a great Pub and there is also a wine bar. Also some local places…a sushi place, a Mediterranean place (think kabobs) and Mongolian BBQ. There is also a large movie theatre on site as well. For those near UD/Marriott…if you make a left hand turn out of the Marriott and then in a mile or so, another left hand turn on Dorothy Lane. . you’ll run into the Greene, it’s only about 15 minutes away from that area. http://www.thegreene.com/ http://www.mallatfairfieldcommons.com/ Other entertainment. . .well I’d say go explore the National AF museum. . it’s amazing and yes..it’s free!! You can literally spend 3 days in there and not see everything. There is hope that NASA is going to retire one of the space shuttles at this museum in the near future. The Dayton Art Institute is another option and it too is free! Beautiful works and the building is gorgeous as you drive right by it on 75…it sits opposite/to the west of the skyline. I would not venture any further west than the art institute as West Dayton is ‘our rough area’ Let’s not make bones about it. . .everywhere has their bad areas and in Dayton, it’s the Westside. I would say from I-70 south to about the Dayton mall/Miamisburg area you should stay east of 75. It’s a gamble if you want to venture into that area, but it’s your call. For point of reference the Hara Arena is in Western Part of Dayton…and probably the nicer part of the West Dayton area. Also, there is the Dayton Peace Museum which is small, but a great place…and just to our south there is the Cincinnati Premium Outlets that just opened up about 6 months ago. Don’t let the name fool you, it’s closer to Dayton than Cincinnati (since we’re growing into one area anyway) CPO has outlets of Ralph Lauren, BR, Coach, Michael Kors, Gap and other hoity toity designers/brands. For point of reference, CPO is at the same exit you can find Touchdown Jesus. It’s about 20-25 minutes south of downtown Dayton. If you’re staying south in the Dayton mall area, you can probably be there in about 15 minutes or so…given your respective driving abilities. Be warned though, all of warren county has construction going on on I-75. http://www.daytonartinstitute.org/ http://www.nps.gov/daav/index.htm http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/ http://www.daytonpeacemuseum.org/ http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=79 Hotels…just be smart and stay at a chain. Avoid the Westside and the no-tell motels. Rule of thumb, if you don’t recognize the name/chain, chances are.. it’s a gamble. Another gamble are the hotels right by the UD area that site across the highway on the west side. Yes, you can literally see them from the UD parking lot, but there have been lots of issues at those places.. .I think last time I checked they were the econo lodge and la quinta? I’ll double check. The Marriott, courtyard and Holiday Inn Dryden rd. should be fine. ..as are the Doubletree and Crown Plaza that are downtown. Clubs. . .there are a lot of them downtown, specifically in the Oregon District, but let’s face reality, everyone will end up at Masque. All the gay clubs in Dayton are in an area what locals refer to as ‘The Fruit Loop’…thus there are about 5 or 6 clubs that form a semi circle around the main parking area behind masque (the main entrance to masque is also from this parking lot) Straight/mixed clubs are scattered throughout the Oregon, Downtown and The 'Burbs http://oregonartsdistrict.com/index.php?op...ge&Itemid=1 http://www.clubmasque.com/main.php I would also recommend you rent a car while in Dayton…we are after all Midwesterners who live obsessively to drive EVERYWHERE…which is why we have so much sprawl. Taxis are few and far between and there is a regional bus provider (RTA) but riding it would take a lot of planning and ramping up on their bus schedules. So it’s easier just to rent a car. Check the Weather Reports: http://www.weather.com/weather/today/Dayton+OH+45402 The Dayton Daily News, just in case: http://www.daytondailynews.com Things that are unique to Dayton or the Dayton Region: Marion’s Piazza (Dayton style pizza) Dorothy Lane Market, home of the killer brownie, Mike Sells Potato chips, Esther Price candies..the best chocolate ever. Graeter’s Ice Cream, Young’s dairy Farm…and many more I’m sure that I’ve missed. If you have a question or need additional info, feel free to shoot me a PM. http://www.marionspizza.com/ http://www.dorothylane.com/ http://www.estherprice.com/ http://www.graeters.com/ (enter zip code 45402) http://www.youngsdairy.com/ And yes, the local law enforcement has been warned and is on the lookout for Sebastienne St. Jacque and his senior performance ensemble: Convalescence Winterguard.

Then I am definately sending them a muffin basket!!!!! Later, Mike

Yes...and guards 21-24 may like to send a muffin basket to Beatrix. Had Beatrix not been bumped to IW, only 20 guards would have made it to semis. Now that Beatrix is in IW, that moves the total number of IW guards competing to 31, and thus moves the number of units making semis to the next bracket(from 20 to 24)

They're not going to be available from Ticketmaster at this point, but probably weren't available when sales opened to the public anyway, as these seats are usually blocked out. Corps, Friends, fans with extras, scalpers will have good seats available, though it's easier to get one or two seats than six in a row, obviously. You may pay a premium but it doesn't have to be huge particularly if you're okay with sitting at the 35-40 yard line where the sound is still quite good at least down low. Up high at Lucas Oil, the sound isn't great anywhere, though if you prefer drill to sound, you may be happier up there anyway. Another thing I always recommend: if money is tight and you can't afford great seats Saturday, go Thursday. The tickets are much cheaper especially on resale from people forced to buy Thursday to get great seats Saturday, you get to see many more corps, you can usually sit where you want (between the 45s even if your ticket says you have 10 yard line seats--in the unlikely event the real ticketholder shows up, just move over--this doesn't work as well Friday and doesn't work at all Saturday when every midfield ticketholder shows up and wants his seat). Most finalist corps do as good a show for quarterfinals as they do for finals. There's less crowd buzz but it's by far the best value of the week.

The symphony orchestra.

The "real" Cadets? In my opinion, each and every Cadet that puts on a Cadet uniform, (regardless of what it may look like) sings the corps song and feels the brotherhood of the Cadets is a REAL Cadet. Sorry if the truth hurts but it is not only the ancestors who know what makes a Cadet a Cadet.

Young Whipper Snappers

Glassmen: Boring in Bb (I jest - this was printed on a shirt they made during the G to Bb switchover) Ed: Used printed twice in the same sentence.

Yes, it is most certainly your right to disagree with anything you choose to. If nothing else, it makes for great discussions. And in retrospect, I probably came down a little harder on you then I really meant to. I do agree with most of your posts, after all. I just get really frustrated when (and I'm not saying you did this) people bash what a corps is wearing and deciding they won't even watch a show because of it. Again, they have that right to bash all they want, I just don't understand it and tend to question it. That being said, I can't wait to see The Cadets' 2011 Production! Unlike the majority of the people on dcp, I absolutely LOVE George Hopkins, and I wish I had the chance to study under him. I know I won't be disappointed.

I was always a huge fan of Southwind. More often than not I found them to be more entertaining and engaging than a lot of finalist level corps. Being from Kentucky I've known many people, including some good friends, who marched and they always had a good experience in spite of the problems the corps faced in its later years. Came close to marching Southwind myself, and even though I went elsewhere I came to be pretty well acquainted with the corps and its people in the time it was based in Lexington. No, a finals appearance wouldn't have saved Southwind, but that group richly deserved to be in. Attracting members wasn't really their biggest problem anyways. From an outsider's perspective it seemed as though they were never quite at home in Kentucky, and their efforts to make their presence known in the local music community, much less the community at large, always seemed half-hearted. Maybe I missed something, but their presence always seemed to be pretty low key, and that may have hurt them.

So time is flying by and summer is almost upon us, so I thought as BKs biggest homer it's time to start their fan thread. Thruthfully I'm excited to see what they do every year but I'm really intrigued this year. Bocook and Hardimon writing the music and drum book, Sully and staff have marching style solidified after the change to straight leg, and Andy and Tim had great retention in. The hornline and guard! The retention is something I'm really excited about, because they're building something really special in Denver. BK is gonna have 80 horns and has been ripping it up in camps I'm told, if their show and tells are indicators then this is going to be an awesome season!! If u haven't done so I suggest u go listen to their march camp show and tell on YouTube. So even though its still pre season, I'm already amped up for BK and wanted to give them a shout out- GO BK, Keep Up The Good Work!!! We'll seeu in the summer! Wesley Perkins BK '97,'98

Anyone know where, when and details on the preview shows for Wednesday night this year?

More ensembles, more turnover, more diverse products.

I think BOTH can be done. I was going to start a "New" Post, about "Theme Shows". But I think it would fit in here. (It is a bit of History and Opinion, on Then and Now.) The FIRST real "Theme Show", was done by the "Yankee Rebels SENIOR Drum and Bugle Corps of Baltimore, MD.Believe it or not it was done in " 1969 ". Called "Requiem for an ERA". I will never forget it. The first time I saw it at Roosevelt Stadium, in Jersey City, NJ.First thing after the Honor Guard came on the field was about 10 "Flash Flags"(as many of us called them). They wore Confederate Soldier Army uniforms and carried 10 what looked like Confederate flags (with no Stars). There was a bunch of Booing. Then came 10 more flags. They were "Navy Jacks" (a full Blue field with 50 Stars. No Stripes. Used by the navy on the Bow, when a ship is in port) dressed in Union Army uniforms. So a bunch of cheering started. Then the main body of the Corps came out, in the usual White, with Orange trimmings. The show started with "Dixie". which again brought out the Boo Birds (But not for long) Then "Waiting For The Robert E. Lee" - "I'm Alabama Bound" - Alexander's Rag Time Band" - "Am I Blue" - "Birth of the Blues - "Camptown Races" - "Requiem For An ERA" - "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" - Battle Hymn of the Republic". When they were done I think all of the about 20,000 fans were on there feet going NUTS. Black, White, Young and Old.I thought WOW that was Great. But, I wonder how it is going to go over at Legion Nationals in ATLANTA,GEORGIA. Well, I got my answer in Georgia Tech Stadium. It was just as Big as in New Jersey. So, "Theme Shows" are Not NEW. Some other favorite's of mine were Santa Clara Vanguard's "Phantom of the Opera" Wow what a show, and "Fiddler On The Roof". Then even more Modern. Cavaliers "Machine", as just some of what can be done, and still Win both, Judges and Crowd. What is NEW, is the writers, of today RE Write the music so much now you can hardly tell what they are playing. Whether it be Classical, Pop, Broadway or Original.

Huh? That is like asking how many current living people are dead.

The three word descriptions are my impressions of each group, in terms of organization, show design and/or overall "vibe." If these descriptions offend you ... good. BD - Cocky, Determined, Refined Cavies - Nerdy, Efficient, Clarity Bluecoats - Fluid, Organized, Tubas Crown -"Left Field," Graceful Cadets - Traditional, Fast, Loopy Phantom - Orchestral, Sonorous, Stubborn SCV - Discontent, Classy, History Blue Stars - Separated, Obsessed, Motion BAC - Proud, Lacking Charm Madison - Murder With Sound Blue Knights - Dancing, Dancing, Dancing Glassmen -Stuck In Limbo Academy -Incremental, Slow Growth Colts - Realistic, Resourceful, Midwestern Troopers - Resurrection, Western, Gung-ho Spirit - Devoted Base, Southern Crossmen - Lost Mojo, Tentative Pacific Crest - Trying To Break Mandarins - Focused, Family, Safe Teal Sound - Electric, Improved, Overkill Jersey Surf - Growing Pains, Elvis (2004) Cascades - Struggling, Changed, Hopeful Pioneer - Stable Yet Unspectacular (Ok, doing this for every World Class corps is super tedious. If the description for your corps is lame, it's probably because I've only seen one of their shows (see Surf, Jersey)).

I think your main hobby is having disturbing avatars. This is like the tenth one that's made me go "wait, what?"

Blue Stars: Finis Coronat Opus

Show announcments being what they are, they give you almost no real information about what you'll see when the corps takes the field, and given the extreme lack of tendency for drum corps arangements to closely resemble their original pieces I don't know what difference it makes to even know the musical selections. If anything, the most informative thing a corps can do is release some audio clips of the show music (thanks to those who have done this). A decent graphic artist can make a worthless show (concept) look cool on a poster.

Bump

"perfectimeofday" should have the 411 on this event usually held at centerville h.s.. i also hope he posts his annual informative "dayton guide to WGI" again!

IW: Santa Clara Onyx Blessed Sac Braddock Zydeco Fantasia Corona Opus X First Flight Premonition Alter Ego Black Watch Ars Nova Cypress Diamante SW: Carmel James Logan Avon Northview Trumbull Flanagan Seminole Marion Catholic Arcadia Tarpon Spings Warren Central Americas Lawrence Central Warren Central West Johnston (i think Center Grove will be the first one out - very painful to say) Open and A to follow later....

Ok - Father Ryan Highschool's show is just really fun and quirky. I don't know who the staff is - but major kudos to designing such a gem of a show! Later, Mike

They're both percussion ensemble pieces.

You know... I didn't get one last year and unfortunately I can't attend this year (work related) I need someone to get me one and send it ahead of time so I can cheers from the comfort of my recliner as I watch 'live' on line!

Was it The Chad...?

Madison 1974-2001. BD 75-96. others mentioned above

I don't think anything really compares to or is as gratuitous as BD 1993!!

Show me a non-profit thats the size of a typical drum corps that has start up cash of $500K based on business revenues alone, and I'll sell you a planet. Maybe two. As I said before, there are exactly two corps that come close to fitting what you believe is require to field a drum corps. Two. And the revenue stream that puts these two corps in this position will not last much longer. So I suppose you believe there should be only two drum corps in existence, eh? Let's be thankful you are not running DCI, or this activity would no longer exist.

East Coast Jazz '98. Adam Rapa was tearing it up back then, and he still is.

I am fully aware of the SOI situation, but even that analogy shows how flawed your logic is. Whether the revenue comes from a business activity or from performance fees, in both situations you are projecting what future revenues, and based planned expenses off these future revenues. The revenue stream is just different. Operating based on projected future revenues is how it has always been done (and was done in the case of SOI as well), and as I said, few corps operate based on deficit spending. If you would take my advice and read the corps financial statements (available for free on Guidestar), you would see this is true. I do not think you understand the business and tax implications to a non-profit organization of running unrelated businesses. Perhaps you should figure this out before stating this is how it should be done. Further, the stay local routine doesn't work from an economic standpoint either. If you are staying local, you are not generating as much revenue, yet there are little if any cost savings. The cost side of the equation is fairly fixed. Fuel cost is the primary variable. Once the season begins, it is in the best interest of every corps to perform in as many revenue producing events as possible to offset the relatively fixed costs. Further, staying local increases many costs and introduces many logistical challenges that can be very difficult to overcome (the number one being housing). The DCI budget used to be heavily dependent on ticket sales at Championships. The current model of hosting major events each weekend around the country has reduce the dependence on Championships, and increased revenues. Some of the weekend regionals are as profitable, or close to as profitable, as Championships. This is a very smart business move. It has it's drawbacks from a fan perspective (corps all go head to head each week, so there is little surprise on where placing end up at the end of the season, vs. the old model where everyone went head to head only once before Championships). And the corps must travel to these events. The touring cost is offset by the additional revenues earned. But to earn these revenues, you must tour. The old "regionally focused" tour didn't do much to cut down on mileage. Corps still traveled all over the country, but to smaller regionals (there were often two regionals in different parts of the country on the same day) that were less profitable. Why do dues increase? Again, look at the financial statements and you will see why. The cost side of the equation keeps increasing (food, fuel, insurance, regulatory costs, travel costs for staff, personnel costs, payroll taxes, etc.). Your explanation makes it sound like corps are spending with wild reckless abandon on frivolous things. Look at the drivers of cost increases (food, fuel, transportation, insurance, etc.) - the costs of running the business - and tell me where all this waste is? Look at member dues as a percentage of total revenues, and see whether it's increased, remained the same, or decreased. That is a better indication of whether corps are doing everything they can to manage revenues and expenses. And if you are familiar with the SOI situation, you should also be familiar with the fact that many of the businesses they set up to support the corps barely turned a profit before the corps ceased to exist. You need to seperate the fantasy from reality.

Nice Marching Bands

sophisticated, occasionally brilliant

Blue Devils 2008

Change is great. ( if it works) as far as it's just all about the music..lol...you couldn't be more wrong

BD: unbeaten world champions.

maybe I wasn't being fair. I do apologize. It seems the type of Oh so common show I speak of are many on the list you enjoy this year and I will admit I do like a few of the ones you speak of also. I truly wasn't trying to tell anyone what to like or not. JMO Some of my fav's Carmel ( for sure) Black Watch ( always different ) SCV W. Broward Fahrenheit ( different) Alter Ego Trumbull ( beautiful show ) Logan Pacificaires Flanagan ( Finally something a little different for them ) Sac.....hmmmm not sure yet Spectrum

I'm sorry, but your logic is flawed. Corps depend on a variety of revenue streams to operate, including member dues and performance fees. Corps are not, and never have been, able to generate sufficient revenue to operate without considering these revenue streams. Almost all corps operate at the margin. This has always been the case. Most corps today are running themselves like a business. To be eligible to join World Class, a corps must undergo a review, which includes administrative operation. All corps must submit copies of business documents to prove they are complying with the various state and federal requirements. Some corps operations are more successful than others. But when you operate at the margin, it doesn't take much to put you behind, which can send you into a downward spiral fast. For example, if you are a finalist getting paid finalist performance fees, receiving endorsement deals that finalist receive, have the higher souvenir sales that finalists enjoy, and attract more prospective members at auditions, and you miss finals, there will be many negative consequences to a variety of revenue streams. To make up for these losses, corps have to work extra hard to compensate, or shrink. If they shrink, the likelihood of returning to finalist status will decline significantly. If you are charging $3,000 and you cannot operate, perhaps it's because donations are down, performance fees are down, souvenir sales are down, a corps didn't land a grant they had planned on, etc. It's far more complicated than you make it out to be. As I said, there are 2 finalists where this is not presently the case, but these two might be counting themselves among the rest if they do not diversify their revenue streams and prepare for change (which will come, like it or not). There are only a handful of corps operating like our "Federal Congress" (i.e., operating with significant deficits). They were not the corps leading the G-7 charge. Read the corps financial statements. They are available for free on Guidestar. You might want to spend a little bit of time reading them, and you will be much better informed about the motivations of certain organizations.

If DCI wants more butts in the seats...they have to figure out how to get a real buzz going during the off season. A buzz so strong that has fans counting down the minutes for the season to start. You know....meaningful corps camp updates...with tidbits of show music thrown in (even if its midi files). I remember back in late 2003 and 2004 when SCV was posting monthly updates of their 2004 production. I couldn't wait to see/hear their full show. And you know what...SCV 2004 was a DCI finals crowd favorite that season. Think of movie previews. They are designed to inspire you to attend movies. DCI needs to engage/inspire the fans more during the off season.

Wow, the entitled consumer. WTF ever happened to going to a show with no idea what you were in for. You're not buying a car for Christ sake.

Bingo.

Let me cheer you up. 12 world class corps have not made any official announcement of their repertoire or show title. And of the corps that shared some information it is barely enough to gauge if a show will be "good" or "bad" or "indifferent". Also, ALL 23 World corps have not even completed their 2011 drum corps shows let alone solidified their designs. And absolutely no one knows what these 2011 productions will look like or sound...

Is everyone in the corps wearing the same thing? Then it's a uniform. Hence the word, uniform. Doesn't matter if it's an Adidas track-suit for a Russian Mob field show. The fact that it has diverged from its military roots is irrelevant.

So far it seems pretty clear that SCV will win GOLD Pacificaires will win GOLD Im hoping Carmel gets 1st

To the best of my knowledge, logo submissions will be open until March 27th which leads me to believe that what you saw is NOT the logo.