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Its a warm up... not a performance. Want to get blown away? Buy a ticket to the show.

I rather have them warm up in such a way that will prepare them to have a good show.

First World problems.

IIRC, the partial panels disappear after July 4, which means we should have full judging panels from tonight though finals. This should also contain the discussions regarding scoring, and allow evey corps' strong caption to be included. Now, if some of the judges could disregard their personal biases it would be a perfect drum corps world. Garry in Vegas

A big shout out to the "Colts" taking 3rd in Visual!

So much sanctimony in this comment. You can't tell someone what they should or should not do. While I agree with part of what you said about watching the other corps, people can do what they want, just like Crown can choose to circle it up instead of setting up an arc. When Matt Harloff was at the Cadets, we did the same thing in the lot; set up a circle instead of setting up an arc. This was primarily because of tuning. In the end, people are going to do what they choose to do, and you really have no right to try to make someone feel like crap because they want to go into the lot to watch a corps instead of going into the stands to watch ALL the corps. At the end of the day, it's their money and they can choose to do what they want to do.

I don’t get this ‘in the lot’ thing Warm ups are boring, playing them and watching them I was always annoyed by people watching us warm up (pre-‘in the lot’ days) – it felt like they were crashing our private time to get ready for a show – they were distracting I feel the Lot fans are the faker bando because if they knew, they’d know where the show really was Friends and family visiting you in the lot are excluded from this rant because they are just trying to get a few minutes with you and aren’t some drooling, boot licking bando hacks (hopefully) I miss the days of if you could see it or hear it from the stadium, penalty

The warm-ups are for the corps members, not for the folks watching. So I think Crown's staff should set them up however they think works best for their system.

This... 1. Madison Scouts 2. Madison Scouts 3. Madison Scouts 4. Madison Scouts 5. Madison Scouts 6. Madison Scouts 7. Madison Scouts 8. Madison Scouts 9. Madison Scouts 10. Madison Scouts 11. Madison Scouts 12. Madison Scouts POW!

Honestly - what show isn't?

Well since the video (which is on Vine not Vimeo btw ?) is a total of 7 secs out of the parade -- umm -- let me think about that...hmmm......no. There's a youtube video of Crown at the parade. Go watch it (with your clipboard in hand). Meanwhile both the kids AND the parade crowd had a GREAT experience. Now go watch the parade videos from Bristol in the past few years. O.M.G. The HORROR... I'm sure you've already broken your pencil. I suggest you talk to a member of Crown about their parade experiences, I think you'll find that the "tic" in that video is just...irrelevant. Crown is literally the only drum corps I know where the members CAN'T WAIT to march in a parade. They consider the 4th a HIGHLIGHT of the season. Your comment about "doing it well" is just far afield. Crown *does* do their parades well -- extremely well -- with more respect for the spectators than you can imagine. And -- invariably -- the spectators LOVE THEM for it. As I said earlier -- there are some who just don't 'get it'.

Isn't there is a rankings page on DCP...it's under "scores and stats" on top of the page.

I guess I'm upset because it should be better than it is. If they just played with good fundamental brass technique, the show would be even more entertaining! If they just played an ensemble attack or release in time! Something has gone wrong the past two winters where they were not taught the tools to succeed. They need to change their approach somehow. It was barely clean enough to enjoy last year for me. Maybe it just doesn't matter though? If the masses are entertained, then the masses are entertained. I just can't look past the poor performance though. And maybe that is just a small portion of fans who feel the same as I do. But when I hear surf I think HS marching band, not drum corps. (Marching band doesn't even have to sound like that!) Personally I think it is a problem with music education everywhere. Too many teachers just wanting to run through the music so they have something to present at the concert, instead of taking the time to actually make it sound right.. and teach the fundamentals. If you don't have the proper fundamentals in place.. then you just aren't going to succeed.. or it's going to be a very very long road to success. It's okay to spend a half hour or more just playing a concert F. Breathing and attacking together, balance and blend, intonation, releasing together. Surf is missing all of this right now. And that is a huge issue in my eyes. It's not just early season dirt. And I don't mean to bag only on Surf. There are probably other corps to, just none as popular as Surf right now. I do wish them the best though, that they get it fixed up. But I hope some changes are made in the off season to get this drum corps on the right track. Keep writing the fun shows. You just have to perform them better.

Every year about this time....death, taxes, people with a sense of entitlement #####ing about YT vids getting pulled and blaming DCI (when it's not really their fault)

Gap is still tightening....and the Czapinski's were not judging tonite.

If it makes you feel better, I'm 19 and I haven't either.

Colts:

Amen... But BKs epic performance in the rain was pretty cool

Your opinion, I'm afraid. I think that show was stellar and is one of my favorite Madison shows of all time. But, that is just my opinion.

Let's place your Allentown posting here in actual perspective to see if you do watch ALL the corps stadium performances or are you a G7 supporter: Friday Night Aug 2 and Saturday Night Aug 3 you will be in the lot while missing the 'stadium performances' of Mandarins, Academy, Colts, Troopers, Spirit, Pioneer, Pacific Crest, Oregon Crusaders, Jersey Surf, and Cascades. However, on Sunday August 4 you will attend the entire 'Tour of Champions' stadium performances of just the Blue Devils, Cadets, SCV, Crown, Regiment, Bluecoats, and The Cavaliers. Sort of makes a person go Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Slim chance that Boston will beat Scouts this year!

When we warmed up before a show, it was to get our tuning just perfect, it was to make sure we were hearing things correctly and that we had not had any deterioration in terms of performance level from earlier in the day. And just because you have been playing all day does not mean that you do not have to re-warm up, get your mind right and then go out there and do it! Warm up is most certainly for the corps and members, not for the show...

Getting ready to head out to Whitewater. If you have a bus that needs to be parked - see me. Diesel Fumes baby!! GO SCOUTS!!

DA and John indirectly beat me to something, Don. You could have been on the field today. Vince Bruni saw something in you- and with the way everything has been parsed in terms of methods, rehearsals, teaching, scheduling, the equipment, you'd have been fine. Heck, I started a lot of percussionists when I was actively teaching who knew nothing when they started and I think turned them over in good shape to the people who knew the craft at a high level and could really develop them. The big question I think you have- and it does worry many of us-- Is whether the young Dons, the kids like you who are out there right now are getting an opportunity somewhere for something positive in their lives. I know a lot of HS band programs now have taken some of that slack, but there could always be more. In the town I grew up in, and got the taste of the competition bug before I joined corps with the HS band I was in, the band program, In my humble opinion, is right now as we stand one of the last lines of defense left against the heroin dealers that are literally killing some of the kids in that little town and getting some more of them sent to jail. There's gotta be room for the super band geeks like I was who never fit in with the normals who just loved being part of something where they felt they fit in- and the kids who need something to care about, stay out of trouble, and grow into as well. I think we're all concerned the table is shrinking when there needs to be more place settings.

Ugh NW has been so annoying without anyone reporting from shows...

You need to know how balance rehearsal the right way. And I will blame the staff. Because they are letting this stuff slide. And this stuff is not acceptable in WORLD CLASS drum corps in my opinion. They are not teaching the correct techniques. That is why they sound so rough at this point of the season. There is no fundamental good sound coming out of that brass line. I'm not that great with drumlines, but they have issues themselves. And the whole corps cannot play together. This is a corps who has a lot of vets supposedly. A corps who went through a whole season. And it sounds worse than the beginning of last year. This is a staff problem. They are not giving them the right information.

I really appreciate the pics! Thanks!

THIS.... a thousand times over!

What is this "parade" you speak of?

All, a perfect "20" doesn't mean that the performance was perfect. It simply means that relative to the competition they maxed out the sheets. BD has some of the most intricate complex equipment / body work out there, but I do feel that their legacy affords them some leeway and latitudes from the judging community that other programs don't necessarily get. Later, Mike

Jesus Christ Superstar. My fav Madison show ever. You want crowd response? listen to the last 30 seconds. Epic. (and I try to use that word sparingly)

I vote for my own created answer of "all I prefer is that Crown has a great performance, and however they need to set up warm-ups to achieve that goal, so be it."

Ah, the entitlement society.... Have fun punching things.

1. Cadets 2. Crown 3. Blue Devils 4. Bluecoats 5. Santa Clara 6. Phantom Regiment 7. Madison 8. Boston Crusaders 9. Cavaliers 10. Blue Knights 11. Blue Stars 12. Spirit of Atlanta

Scouts weak??????? Totally off base. I agree that the Scouts are on fire this year. They are intense and have a much stronger corps than last year or the year before. Whoever is making the comment that they are weak is obviously not listening to their horn line, percussion, or watching their guard. They are one of the strongest corps in all of DCI this year. Let's hope the judging is fair this year. If it is, the Scouts should move up to at least 6.

AMEN

I have a feeling with the full panel, Blue Stars will get a boost in their score. They haven't been scored in percussion for awhile, and that is obviously their strength, in my opinion. They're throwing down some tasty notes.

Curious to see if Blue Stars can keep closing the gap on Spirit. Also, this is the first full panel for these corps tonight is it not?

We as fans are invited to witness the warm-ups. We as fans are not inviting the corps to come play for us prior to the shows. But here's an idea that might make the corps some money. Do the circle because that's what you feel helps the horn line best hear itself. However, consider opening up a hole a few feet wide for fans to enter. Have a tip jar on a small table at the front of the hole. The tip jar would have a sign that states something like the following: "Feel free to come on in and please leave a donation to encourage us to keep doing this. So the members aren't distracted, please sit down and quietly enjoy what you are about to witness." Is that doable or is it a dumb idea? (I've had dumb ideas before.)

Certainly possible except Madison is alreading scoring higher than that and would have them solidly in that 5-7th range.

What are you smoking? The Scouts are on fire this year. Probably their best show since 2005.

Via the DCI Minnesota Facebook page (6/25/13): Corps - Arrival - Departure - Location Academy: 7/13 3:00am - 7/14 10:00pm St. Michael-Albertville, MN Blue Devils: 7/12 9:00am - 7/13 5:00pm Burnsville HS Blue Knights: 7/12 5:00am - 7/14 9:30pm Chaska HS Blue Stars: 7/14 2:00am - 7/14 3:00pm Irondale HS Bluecoats: 7/13 2:30am - 7/13 6:00pm Hastings HS Boston Crusaders: 7/13 3:00am - 7/13 6:00pm Edgewood MS The Cadets: 7/12 9:00am - 7/13 6:00pm Chanhassen HS Carolina Crown: 7/12 7:00am - 7/13 6:00pm Mounds View HS Cascades: 7/13 2:30am - 7/14 11:00pm River Falls, WI The Cavaliers: 7/13 3:00am - 7/13 6:00pm Park-Cottage Grove Colts: 7/13 5:00am - 7/13 5:00pm Totino Grace HS Crossmen: 7/12 4:30am - 7/13 5:00pm Amery, WI Govenaires: Sat. only U of M Legends: 7/13 4:00am - 7/14 9:00am Highview MS Madison Scouts: 7/13 5:00am - 7/14 10:00pm Osseo HS Minnesota Brass: 7/12 (6-10:30pm) & 7/13 (All day) Irondale HS Music City: 7/13 2:30am - 7/13 2:00pm Hastings HS Phantom Regiment: 7/12 8:00am - 7/13 5:00pm Roseville Santa Clara Vanguard: 7/13 3:00am - 7/13 6:00pm Farmington Spirit of Atlanta: 7/13 2:00am - 7/14 6:00pm Champlin Park HS Troopers: TBD TBD St. Croix Central

Or maybe they got picked up by an alien bird ship and had to cancel the rest of the season!

Yeah, clearly you COMPLETELY understand the purpose. It has nothing at all to do with the members or building up pre show hype.

Well a parade is Drum Corps relevant, even if no corps were scheduled. Night of the 3rd Gettysburg was supposed to have their 4th of July Parade thru town. Few hours before the parade, two clods stole a car and took off in town. Had a chase and that ended when they plowed into a house and injured a woman. As for the parade.... The parade had to be cancelled because all the police were looking for one of the clods and none were left for traffic control for the parade. Kinda like the last parade I did which was the Gettysburg Halloween parade. That one was postponed due to a fight at the square supposedly. I'll post a link if I find a good article, Harrisburg papers website stinks.... Google "Gettysburg parade cancelled" for some local TV and newsparers. Edit: I missed seeing this.... to my dad who brought it up last night when we talked. He just hit 80 and spent a few days in the hospital from dehydration and passing out. But he couldn't miss and opportunity to harrass me about parades.

At the last warm-up I took in awhile back, I overheard the "brass warm-up dude" remark to an associate how he wished the corps didn't have to do them. It's all for show. The brass line's been warming up most of the day.

I'm indifferent, but I think there's more to DCI than the show. When it's showday, I hop from rehearsal space to rehearsal space listening to different groups. I LOVE IT. I also enjoy before the show seeing them (the hornlines) warming up and playing excerpts. :)

I'm sorry, but your civics lesson is wrong. Such a constitutional amendment was proposed (in the '90s) because the Supreme Court ruled in 1989 and 1990 that flag burning was protected as free speech. (Two of the justices voting in the majority, Scalia and Kennedy, are still on the bench.) However, that this speech is legal (as it should be) does not mean that it is appropriate in drum corps. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Link to discussion threads for all 2013 World Class corps

It is insulting that DCI doesn't judge Drums early in the season. Its ridiculous.

I don't know, it makes sense in a cost-saving measure. To be blunt, you can't really truly compare scores from different shows/different judges across the country anyway, even with full panels. One could argue that from a fan perspective that makes things more interesting in June/early July, not really knowing where, say, Cavaliers fall in the grand scheme of things, if BD & Crown are truly several points better than Cadets, wondering if PC's score really does holdup as being Top-12ish, etc. Most staffers I know this time of year only care about whether or not judges think their shows work, and only really care about teaching & cleaning the shows: the majority of DCI staffers know scores don't mean a lot unless they're head-to-head, and even then this time of year there are so many factors those don't mean a ton (for example, barely beating a competitor or even losing to a competitor but knowing you don't have the ending on the field yet = generally unconcerned about scores). A more jaded fan could look at it this way: if corps aren't going to have a complete show in June, why should DCI pay for a complete panel?