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Disclaimer: I am not a BD honk (if anything, more of a Cavies and Crown fan, well, at least earlier '00's Cavies) I was about to post this in the latest anti-BD thread, but it was locked by the time I finished writing. Throught it might stimulate some interesting conversation: In the circles I travel in it is generally accepted that from around '00-'08 the Championship was Cavaliers' to loose. With the way their design staff was putting together music and visual, if they didn't push too far such that they couldn't clean it up ('03), or pick something that did not have a strong enough visual component ('05, '07, and '08 itself), the gold medal was theirs. None of us could see how any other corps would be able to put together music and visual in a way that could beat Cavies in the years when their staff got it right. But then in '08, the Blue Devils showed us all something we hadn't seen before. I remember seeing Constantly Risking Absurdity live for the first time and being blown away by the game changing nature of it. Though they had won in '07, it was only because the next greatest challenger was Cadets with "This I Believe...", and THAT is saying something (not to mention Cavies with Billy Joel, a show I LOVE musically, but a theme which has little to offer in terms of strong visual connectivity). BD '08 was a clean break with what they had been doing for the past 7 years or so. I remember almost feeling like the Blue Devils staff got tired of waiting around for Cavies off years and their own ON years to line up (I mean, they freakin lost with The Godfather Part Blue!!!! that must have hurt!!!). When none of us could see how anyone could beat Cavies in the game of combining music and visual, BD went out and changed the game in an important (and in my opinion exciting) way and has been pursuing that same model ever since. The Championship is now BD's to lose and has been ever since '09. Don't like it? Figure out what's next.

You just described literally every drum corps.

On another level as compared to what? What other World Class Corps have you’ve seen practice? Like the Judges, many of you give Blue Devils far too much credit

One of the reasons I like this show ("...to look for America") is because it doesn't hit you over the head with every common and tired patriotic theme we have heard in the past. I have grown tired of marching shows which utilize every clichéd American theme. In doing so, such designers use little creativity and hide behind a contrived sympathetic connection to the audience. Honestly, I bet most people when they first heard the show concept were thinking that they would be witness to this: America the Beautiful Fanfare for the Common Man Coming to America The Statue of Liberty 9/11 Mount Rushmore Lincoln or Washington, or both Uncle Sam Although all are great and tremendously iconic elements of the history of the United States, it is refreshing to see a new take on a "patriotic" theme that isn't necessarily nationalistic, but rather focuses on common people and the life experiences that bind them. Kudos, Blueocats. You have found a beautiful way to challenge personal paradigms of what a show about America can be.

If I like it, it is 'Innovation'. If I do not like it, it is 'different for the sake of being different'. Or at least that is how it reads here in DCP-land. :smile:/>

Just got back to my hotel. A wonderful show tonight in Fairfield, OH. I did not care for the entrances and exits to the stadium. Too limited, and this place was packed tonight. Perhaps more people at this show than were at Akron (and that's a much bigger stadium). My favorites in terms of entertainment: 1. Cadets & Madison & Troopers 2. Bluecoats (thought they were a bit off tonight, but this show is FAB when on) 3. Spirit of Atlanta 4. Cavaliers 5. Crossmen Biggest Goose-bump Moment = Troopers Closer Best overall Closer = Madison Loudest and Best Brass = Cadets Best Percussion = Cadets Best Visual = Cadets Best Theme = Bluecoats and Madison and Troopers Best Props = Bluecoats & Spirit Best Guard = Cadets The crowd was appreciative of all the corps. Just a few thoughts and then I will write more on the review site in the morning. Place Corps Score World Class 1 The Cadets 79.300 - This is an excellent show, an amazing corps, and they have plenty to clean and add/edit. What's amazing to me is that they look like the youngest and skinniest corps out there and then they just crush the competition. Serious training and discipline is the hallmark of this group and it was evident tonight. The Cadets also graced us with an amazing encore in which they did not play any of their show music. They played "On a Hymnsong by Philip Bliss," a Mahler 2 except, an outstanding arrangement of "Live or Let Die" from James Bond, and "Swing, Swing, Swing" from the movie 1941. The crowd went bananas and ate it up!! 2 Bluecoats 75.400 - I don't think this was their best performance tonight. It's still an amazing show top to bottom, and BLOOO still has one of the best brass books on the field, but they were not clean, and some of the GE hits simply didn't come across. Nonetheless, I love the show and this will be an excellent production for them. I love the angle they are taking on their patriotic theme. It's really complex and also appropriate. 3 Madison Scouts 73.000 - Whew! Madison I do love you guys. Guard is in military fatigues (think Desert Storm), the corps enters the field from side 1 in a company front and then, as the music builds, they begin to rotate that form. Goosebumps. 3 soldiers die in the show, and then they sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" in 4 part harmony...and it's stunning! That builds into a slow-pushing company front that will bring you to your feet and make you cry (as they care the dead off the field). This show features a battle scene, helicopters, and the whole nine yards. It's a fantastic patriotic show. 4 The Cavaliers 70.300 - Much better tonight for the Green Machine. Visual was better received. The end is wonderful, but most of the show lacks energy, flow, and performance quality. Percussion seems solid, but pit is nowhere near what they used to have. Brass is weak. Lots of stick outs, bad attacks, tuning issues, phasing, control and balance issues, and it feels to me as though they are struggling with the music...which was one of the easier books on the field tonight. The demand of this show is not very high, but I will agree with others that this is a better vehicle than what they had last year. 5 Spirit of Atlanta 70.000 - Spirit has a great show with all the demand and flow needed to put them in the top 12. They are dirty visually and musically, even more so than Cavaliers. They will be a worthy adversary to the Cavaliers all season I think. Love the bar drinking scene. 6 Crossmen 65.100 - Crossmen are good, but I am not sure if they are top 12 good. The show is nice, somewhat safe, and entertaining. Brass is nice and controlled, as is percussion. Love their guard. I like that their brass is playing controlled and not overly loud right now. This is probably hurting their GE numbers, but the kids are beginning to master the book. I really like the show but I worry it doesn't have enough highs. I also worry that their Civil Rights theme isn't tied into the music as well as they might think. Still, they will be a very clean corps come August; and with the right changes who knows. 7 Troopers 64.800 - BRAVO TROOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Folks, the Troopers are BACK!!! They are not clean, so this show is going to take some time. Demand is probably just right for this group, but if they wish to make the push for top 12 they may need to tweak a few things. All that aside, this was one of the better shows of the night. Patriotism TROOPER Style! Heroic themes (talk about this more tomorrow), some Battle Hymn in the most elegant of ways, great drill, brass is nice and all sections are featured (and the trumpets are awesome). Percussion is sweet, and the staging of this show is partly why it works so well. If I could buy a corps into the top 12, this is the show right here. Come on Troopers...clean this beauty!!! Ok, more later! Night!

It goes against my better judgement to comment on this, but here goes..... In the fall of 2010 the Blue Stars were invited by DCI Executive Director Dan Acheson to participate in the ToC in the summer of 2011. We accepted his invitation and it was an awesome experience for our members and our organization. In the fall of 2011 the Boston Crusaders were invited to be part of the 2012 ToC. In talking to Tom, I believe they had an equally good experience. The Blue Stars are supporters of all drum corps and wish nothing but long lasting success and prosperity to every organization. . Sincerely, Brad Furlano Executive Director Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps

I'm the opposite, this is by far the most I've enjoyed shows this early. To each their own.

BAC

That card really made me realize why I loved drum corps, as well as a huge poster from the Mandarins (who we shared a housing site with).

The show is about Chinese immigrants coming to America via Angel Island (see this article about the place posted a few days ago in another thread). While European immigrants coming into Ellis Island on the east coast could get into America relatively easily, Chinese immigrants were tightly restricted. When they arrived seeking a better life in America they were held in basically prison-like conditions for weeks or months and then sent back to China... unless they could prove they were related to someone who had already immigrated successfully: That's what the part you're referring to comes from.Personally I was confused by this element of the narration at first as well, but I realized it was some secret coded way to get through immigration, and I figured there was an interesting story behind it. IMO, Mandarins have done something brilliant that no other WC drum corps has managed to do: use narration is a truly compelling way. The fact that they're telling a true, bittersweet tale of the Chinese immigrant experience is something remarkably unique and powerful, and obviously meaningful to the corps itself, while also being relevant to current political discussions.

I really don't count the counting as narration. It is a part of the music.

What you've posted is very correct. However, it's just unfortunate that not many people actually enjoy what they are putting on the field.

Oh, man! I was hoping for "Boo's Goo". Has a nice ring to it.

So, I'm sorry to be a stick in the mud, but I have a problem. I don't love any of this year's shows. I've watched what's available on the Fan Network and, frankly, I'm disappointed. Is there something wrong with me or something wrong with DCI? The best show of the bunch is Phantom, but even that feels . . . different. With the exception of SCV, it seems like everyone is taking a turn toward Weird Town, where BD Is the mayor. This is a town where everyone must have obtrusive props and electronics of you're penalized. This is not to say the members aren't putting forth a great effort and executing well, but it's more a reflection of the designers and the "adults in the room." What in the world is happening? The music selection/arrangement is perhaps the biggest disappointment for me. Sure, there are some great moments, but the overall entertainment value is suffering. I feel like I"m hearing and watching a modern dance ensemble rather than drum corps. I really, really help this is just a passing fad because, if not, I don't know how much longer I can stick around. Please help. /rant over.

I work making license plates and at the end of the day they put me in a storage room all alone by myself too. What a coincidence, DrumManTx.

Grandson (lives with me) is 2nd year Contra - my 2 sons just graduated high school 2010 & 2012 - Oldest - Baritone/Euphonium/Trombone - Brass Captain auditioned for Carolina Crown for 2009 Season, made it and then had to drop for early University opportunity; youngest recruited for high school drumline in 7th grade then Drum Captain when he hit the high school. Both at University of North Florida now. I've been on Band Board Treasurer for 7 years - just had my last year as grandson just graduated - but he's my Music Educatin Major - and DCI committed! Yipee.

Sure, I just happen to like the ones that aren't slaves to tradition. Bands like Auburn, FSU, Florida, Oklahoma...I'll take those over same-ness bands any day. There's a TON of variation in college bands. Many people like HBCB's. I don't particularly care for them, but I totally understand folks that do. Funny how drum corps works the same way, huh? You don't see old "college band dinos" condemning all of them because a few design a certain way, like you do with DCI/DCA. It'snot like the dino crowd can't enjoy alumni corps, right? Though you'd think they'd buy more tickets to the alumni show at championships...

I took 2 adult aged people in my group to their first show last year at one of the shows. They said the experience for them was great. They loved the precision they said, and were amazed at what was out on the field. They loved the Jersey Surf and thought they should have beat everyone else in the show. They could not understand why they finished next to last in the show. I attempted to explain it to them, but I'm not sure I was entirely successful. They said they did not understand the themes, nor familiar with some of the music. They said to me that if these talented groups played more longer playing music instead of running around the field so much they'd be a bigger crowd in attendance. I thought it was beneficial for me to see how some fresh eyes and ears looked at this for the 1st time. This were adults with kids themselves ( not in Corps ). Maybe if these were high school aged youth and in H.S. Band and going to their first show they might have had a completely different take, I don't know.

I predict there will be another I hate BD thread closed within a week.

Mic'd soloists need to go away. They seem to be the only Top 12 corps from last year using mics on their soloists. Can BD not attract players that can play loud enough to be heard? Especially the euph solo. That's pretty ridiculous.

No it isn't. Cleanliness is rewarded.

Youre completely right, honestly. The direction things have been moving is pushing a lot away. I have more than one friend who used to be into drum corps but just isnt interested in how its gone all visual/guard/dance and the music and the 'drum corps' of it has fallen away. I mean hell, im barely interested and am not sure if i'll make it to a show this year for the first time since my first show in 03 (hell, i have 13k posts on this site yet i rarely post on it anymore) And youre right about "it seems like everyone is taking a turn toward Weird Town, where BD Is the mayor" and its a big reason there's been so much hate for BD (among other reasons)... because the more the judges reward what theyre doing, the more corps are going to try to copy that formula.

Totally agree, sometimes it seems patriotic shows seem to me to say"If you don't love our show, you don't love America" like a guilt trip.....but what they've done here is refreshing and rather clever!Good Job BLOO!

Hey just letting you know you're not alone. I'm essentially DCI's demographic, but I am also incredibly unhappy with modern DCI shows. I still follow it on youtube clips, but there's no way you'd catch me in a live show nowadays. For me it's mostly the cognitive dissonance regarding Design Presentation and Design Ambition. It's like having a friend who over-hypes a movie to the point where it doesn't match your expectations of what the movie was going to be like. It kinda hurts to experience, and in the end you feel like you wasted your time. Right now in DCI I feel like there is an excess of ambition and claiming of "innovation" when in fact no one is doing anything of the sort. Ambition isn't even a bad thing; in fact it's a great thing. The problem is that the product doesn't match the advertisements (I'm looking at you Crown). It's why I still tend to follow DCI mostly for corps like Regiment/Boston/Madison/Blue Knights, they are usually pretty consistent about presentation and ambition. But even they can have missteps. (Madison has been guilty of this)

Lot's of smart people here and yet nobody considers the economics of the small drum corps show sponsor. *Mid week show in small stadium does not have the potential to draw a huge crowd with high ticket prices. Especially when you are competing with big shows on the weekends. *Stadium rental cost and other logistic expenses to put on a show. Schools do not provide these things for free and it is not cheap. *DCI contract. Covers judges and payment to the corps and other overhead. How many top drum corps are in your show determines the contract price significantly. Consider that SCV or BD not attending a show and forgoing a show fee may be allowing the show sponsor a chance at not losing money or being able to put the show on at all. The visiting top draw corps also needs as many opportunities as they can to offset tour costs and these small show provide a pay day and incentive to travel west. When disputing what I have wrote, please indicate your participation and knowlege of sponsoring a small mid week show. I have been involved with small independent group show planning and the chance of losing money is very real. You need to be smart in all things drumcorps related including the economics of it all.

Bones going off. Spirit on the field. Go Spirit! <(

I honestly don't mean this is a snarky sarcastic or facetious way: what is wrong with having to think about a show? Are you the type of fan of the arts who doesn't like to expend a lot of thought when it comes to their entertainment? Do you feel that Blue Devils' shows are so deep you have a really hard time following everything? I'm honestly curious. I've been the type that as I grew older & was in college I FAR started preferring shows that challenged me, made me think, gave me several layers to ponder, sometimes outright force me to do research or talk to others to understand subtleties or a design aspect. For example, there was something in BD's 2007 show that was based on a 1930's film that the corps mimicked/paid homage to. Previously I had not picked up on that homage, and after having it explained a little bit and doing a bit of research, it I dug the subtle tribute. Conversely, I tend to really not like shows that seem to pander to the least amount of thought, like tribute shows. I was never a big fan of Cadets 2009, as I really feel like WSS has been over-done to the point that if a corps is going to do a straight-up WSS show without bringing anything new to the table, why bother? I felt the same about Surf last year, and while it can be argued that at least they might've turned younger generations of fans onto Bridgemen, other than that all it did was pander to nostalgia without adding anything new or providing any substance (FWIW, and way off-topic, I feel the same way about most JJ Abrams films). Obviously most of USA arts audience prefers spectacle over substance: Transformers films have done LIGHT YEARS better than far superior indy films at the box office. And again, that's fine: it is what it is. Folks can enjoy diving head-first into Blue Devils show, wasting time on the internet doing research to learn what the eff they're doing, or even just try to appreciate what they can understand (incredible execution on all sheets of some pretty dang difficult material at times). Folks can also enjoy easier-to-understad stuff, like SCV's interp. of Les Mis. There are different styles for different folks, and while there is a bit of 'grey' in between the ranks where mid-level corps often seem to emulate each other (or more aptly emulate the top dogs), there are a lot of different design concepts and enough subtle difference corps-coprs to make things enjoyable for a lot of fans wiling to come into a show with an open mind

YES: variety rules! Don't like Surf (as I did not last season): there are many, many other corps that are radically different to enjoy. Don't like Blue Devils: there are several other corps that are different to enjoy.

Well all I have to say by looking at those scores BAC is in Bad A@@ Trouble...

DCI judging seems to be one of those no accountability jobs, unless someone really screws up, like breaking laws screwing up. When corps staff can go into a show, and know that they will get boned by a judge, something should change. Either DCI needs to retire some of these folks, or they need some new blood in the judging world.

agreed. This year, oh wow, they move poles around the field that has some hugely deep significant meaning most people don't get....oh wait, that's not new...they did that with mirrors, chairs, hobby horses and coatracks before. musically, there's nothing really new either. Cavies, IMO, always added some new little twist here and there during their run. So they aren't really innovating...they are doing whatcontinues to work in the judges eyes until someone else does come out with something new that beats em consistently.

This Show is maybe my favorite so far for 2013

I don't care who you are, " That's some good stuff !!! "

How does one distinguish innovation from 'different for the sake of being different'?

Good post. Go Cadets.

Yeah, pretty much. If Cadets, Crown, Phantom, and Blue Devils were scheduled to do a show at your local high school, would you guarantee you could make enough money to pay them all their appearance fees? It is business - have to sell more than things cost to make money.

That opening hit drives me NUTS! I LOVE that chord. Can't wait to see them live.

My favorite one is the one my son is in but I really do like the top ones in WC!

I fully admit that's a cool drill move, but I'm not impressed because it's not playing while it's moving...

At best, BD is training no one but their accountant and treasurer. I can at least meet you half way that the Systems Blue things IN THE US are a major public relations, recruiting event for BD. Giving your major attention to brass players and drummers while still taking checks from woodwinds and string players is not the tops of "best practices" from what I have seen from the System Blue clinics I have observed. P.S. Having only seen negative comments in diatribe from you to anything I have ever posted, I am wondering if you have designated me as your "poster pinata"??? I can take it if it means telling the truth even when BD fans demur.

A few observations: As a G7 "We ARE the show" corps, BD should put their money where their mouth is and......show up at shows. Looks like BD is doing 24 shows and SCV and The Cadets are doing 27...and SOA looks to be doing 30 shows. Just an observation, I know there are many factors involved.....eh whatever. System Blue and the Blue Devils aren't training the next generation of DC member and fans. Open Class and corps placing 13th-23rd are doing that. The trained members then jump to the likes of the top corps....that's how it works. Thanks for the quick review of the System Blue experience day....I know it is one person's opinion. I avoid all things System Blue due the BDs position within the G7 and I can now add their camps to the list of products to ignore.

I guess relaying facts displeases some folks on here. BD does 5 shows in California. Crown does 7. (And did one in Arizona before hand.) According to BD's website, for all of June, they will do just one System Blue clinic (this coming Thursday).

I get the sense that BD is all about BD for BD and am unaware of what BD does or has done for the support of other corps in DCI. I do know about their outreach work to the Third World and South Africa/Indonesia/Japan/Ukraine, etc. But I am unaware of anything that they do for other organizations currently in DCI besides themselves. So I am not surprised that they skip California shows or the Trooper show which will be in Wyoming this year.

Crown really is doing well!Four straight days of competition and everyone almost a point more then the day before!Their score from Santa Clara tonight was 77.8, compared to last night was 76..5. Someone in another thread said there is no way they can catch Blue Devils seeing as how they weren't able to the last two days.....Well, the way they keep getting better every night without having multiple days to clean, and the fact they have they don't have another competition for 4 days, think how much time they will have to clean and refine till then, I wouldn't count them out. This very well could be their year!

A painful subject for me, as I thought '84 was a MUCH better year than '85 (my age out year). At that time 1984 was the youngest corps SCV had every fielded (average age just over 17) and that all the "SCV heavies" had taken '84 off to do the 1984 Summer Olympic Band in LA. Our staff dropped the ball and kept us under the trees under cover from the rain, and we were late to the gate. I will never forget the walkie-talkie going off with GR's voice ("Where ARE YOU???"), the look of panic on the staff's face, topped off with two '82 vets behind me who said almost in stereo, "Oh sh---, it's like prelims in Montreal all over again..." (For those that were there, remember SCV running down the ramp to the field for their prelims performance at McGill Stadium in '82?) We took off at really fast walk/jog in uniform all the way to the gate and with the guard in their skirts and equipment in tow, struggling to keep up. Drums were...somewhere. "...you may begin your one minute warm up..." and the guard is still lining up... What followed was a disaster and we never recovered. We gave away the championship in the first 60 seconds of opener and stunk up the joint. I have a VHS tape of prelims, and I've only been able to watch it twice since that summer as to me it's that bad. GR was incensed beyond all comprehension (I saw GR get so angry, I always wondered how he DIDN'T have a coronary) and I believe that if that gaffe had happened earlier on heads would have rolled. The MMs were incensed at the staff FUBAR as well and it was DEAD SILENT all the way back from the stadium, hardly anyone ate, and the collective anger in the gym was palpable. I don't know if he volunteered or drew the short straw, but after lights out in the gym there was a "creeeeaakk" as the 2nd floor entry door opened to the gym, and.... Tim Salzmann was standing in the entryway, with the light behind him streraming in, but the front of him still in darkness in perfect sillouette. On a scale of 10 he scored a 15 in the "Dramatic Entry" caption; it was that kind of visual. Tim went on to deliver one of the most motivational speeches I've ever heard, completely off the cuff. And, he delivered it using just a slightly louder a normal voice. He began with, "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Santa Clara Vanguard..." and went on to apologize on behalf of the staff for the day's events. He continued: "We also want to apologize because we utterly underestimated you. You all know this is the youngest corps we've had. We underwrote your show, thinking we would have to get you up, put your diapers on, and HOPE you'd perhaps take 5th at Nationals. "Then you all did something unexpected: you started to win. You showed us we were wrong to even think the way we did, and that we could have challenged you more from the start. For that we apologize. One other thing: no drum corps in DCI history has ever jumped from 4th to 1st to win Nationals....tonight, ladies and gentlemen, as I stand here, I know I am looking out at the first corps in history that is going to do so. Goodnight." And he stepped back and shut the door, pluging us into darkness again. A stunned silence for 20 seconds followed, then a primal scream came out of everybody in the dark ("GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!") I don't think anyone slept for more than an hour, we rehearsed like insane rabid animals starting at 0700, and we had our secret weapon: The Slammin' (white) Pants that, when worn, we were undeafeated in, plus we were going "all white" on the tunic (no green stripe). As inspired as our Finals performance was, some parents told me later we were even better at the last through. First in Field Visual (9.9) and 1st in Field Brass (9.9), and we were on 4th from last...I'll take it.