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Because 99.65 is an absurd score?

DCI hasn't secured the rights to scores above 80?

Even THAT is a heavy statement. Maybe in your OPINION they have the best show, but that's not fact.

This is it. This is DCP in a nutshell. Bless you.

I know you can't compare scores from different events... but I've followed bknights.org's "Current Standings" for about 8 years now, and I've never seen the top 5 look like this: 79.85 - BD 79.80 - Cadets 79.50 - SCV 79.20 - Crown 78.90 - Coats Different Events, but we have ourselves a season folks.

Okay, I'm kind of just annoyed by this whole thing so bear with my mini rant. This season, for whatever reason, there has been a crazy rise in the number of people overthinking and over analyzing shows on this forum (let's call them OT's). They have been incessantly trying to shove down our throats how horrible today's shows are. We've gotten everything from complaining about "skirt-like" elements in uniforms, complaints of body movement (let's make a rotating cube instead of doing the chicken dance!), to complaints about how the Cadets are doing their #### math. They all have their own issues with current shows and the way that corps choose to exhibit their theme, but they all one thing in common: they all love to over analyze and go into obnoxious detail. You'd think, "hey, maybe they would like BD's show then!" BUT NOPE. It turns out they even have issues with the way BD is doing things. Hm. What has DCP done to deserve this? But I'm not here to wonder about the sins of committed by us crazy DCP posters. My question is this: what is the point? Yes, I do think all of your ideas have merit. Especially the complaints about body movement. But at the same time, how does it REALLY make a difference? How many people will realistically pick up on your little nitpicks about the way a corps presents their show? How many people will actually see the Cadets Waltz section and see the French horns (aka the "one") being attacked by the "many" (the rest of the corps)? How many people will look at the colorguard uniform and think "wow! Even the boys are wearing skirts! I sure wish the corps would stop the androgeny!" All these OT's will complain about "lazy design," but who really cares? When a majority of the audience is enjoying these shows without needing a ####### English major, what does it matter? There was a complaint about Cadets' colorful banners, oh so eloquently calling them "grade school art class bulletin board ugly." First of all, isn't that your own ####### opinion? Second, why is that bad design? Those banners are clearly helping the audience get a grasp of the theme at hand. Please don't take this as a personal attack. Nor should anyone take this as me trying to stifle discussion. I encourage people to share their views, no matter how much hate they get for it. I do the same. I'm just so sick and tired of seeing these OT posts and I want a real explanation of WHY it actually matters. And I want to know just how many of the audience is even going to pick up on these details. EDIT: edited to remove as many traces of the word "Pseudointellectualism" on this post with the exception of the thread topic since I can't change that. Please try to bring this back on topic.

He's just as free to complain about your opinion.

I am a fan of The Cadets and my son marches with them this year. I was also at the Allentown show 6/29 which the Cadets won. But in my heart, the most memorable single moment in the whole night, was seeing the Troopers Color Guard simulate a stampede in the back of the field. The artistry was incredible, moving, and something I will never forget. And I will visit Wyoming this year with my family. They did a clean show with super unison horn movements at increasing angles from level. They got it right this year and I hope the judges reward them well for it.

94 BD - Still my favorite BD show ever.

Dude who says they need to improve GE? You? Oh I'm sorry, I forgot you were a judge. Give it a rest. I'm sure The Cadets are going to do everything they need to do to remain competitive.

They aren't in 5th. How many times do people have to say "you can't compare scores from different shows" lol.

Exciting indeed!!! But these scores mean nothing until they come together at the first major regional. Then let's see how the caption numbers fly. But to put another teaser on this I do see BD maybe losing a couple captions head to head (maybe three). Now isn't that interesting. Irving Fan of the Arts

Bluecoats are indeed performing in their hometown of Canton on July 4. This will mark the first time in MANY years that they have been able to do this. The corps is doing a parade that morning, I believe in Ashland, Ohio, then moving on to Canton. They will perform at the monument of President McKinley starting at 8:00 p.m. Along with selections from this year's show they will perform some of the encore selections along with several patriotic works. The Coats will also be joined by their alumni group Rhythm In Blue at the McKinley monument. Bluecoats and fireworks...a great way to spend an evening in Canton.

That's the reality of drum corp remakes. They have to be far better than the originals to sell. Unfortunately that's not the case for any of the regiment remake.

If you're willing to share all of this knowledge on an individual basis, why not just save yourself the trouble and enlighten all of DCP with one awesomely ostentatious post?

Apparently, DCP is turning into quite the sesquipedalianist hangout.

Old Star of Indiana trick? I marched a Zingali drill with Van Doren running the horn line. No small ensembles and only duet in chorale. When did we stand still and play the hard stuff?

Boston playing 1812...awesome :)

KC Michel has been credited as a big reason for getting Phantom Regiment back on the competitive track a few years back. Do you think he can come back to Madison and get it done again? I think he can. To me it is already a 100% turnaround as compared to last year.

Summon it...and it will come.

Wow, saw a video from last night. LOVE IT! I understand it too, which was a huge issue I had opening night. Props added in helped me with this big time. Thought the visual package was.............not good on the opening night webcast, didn't see how the props could fix it. But they really bring it together, didn't realize the props were going to be an absolutely integral part of the design, and they really complete it. They sound huge in the impact moments. Ballad works really well, nice to actually be able to hear the singer in this vid. Brass supports her really well. That's going to be stunning come August. Impact there is great with the double flags, really great. Drum feature is nice, can definitely hear the Rennick writing in it. The "Dreamer" reprise at the end is great. I think they have some work to do cleaning the movement of the props and the drill itself, but IMO this show has a lot more substance to it than the last two, which were getting dangerously close to making finals. Not gonna predict anything, but I think they're definitely in the conversation.

First show hype, two days.

Yeah but they spent spring training in Boiling Springs so it all works out :-)

Oh geez is he still at it today???

IF it doesn't rain, I might periscope some of Crown's ensemble tonight. Will post here if I do. Pretty sure they're learning the "real" closer while they're here in Nazareth.

They beat Cadets in Akron and were less than a point behind at their last meetup, as well as being ahead of Crown at every meet up. Don't know what else they need to do. At this point nobody is beating anybody by huge spreads or is convincingly in front. Nobody is saying (well maybe 1 or two) they are a shoe in and nobody is saying their show is perfect, but counting them out already is just silly. He's not riding a band wagon, he sees a show that has huge potential. I was worried pre season, but the show, not their success last year is giving me and a lot of other people reason to say, for now, they are one of the best out there. Chill out.

It's more than simply a huge budget. Lots of organizations have huge budgets...yet never seem to find the wherewithall to turn that into ultimate success. To say that BD's history of success is the sole determining factor in their accumulation of top-level successes is an affront to every staff member, marching member, and support team members who have worked their own butts off over the years to make the organization a (not THE) most successful one. EDIT: What I meant to say was "To say that BD's history of financial fortune..." Sorry for the original stupid phrase/typing error.

You may need to go back to grade school.

You mean Brasso's head would explode. Down with the Cadevaliers!

is this like NORAD tracking SANTA?

1. Bluecoats 2. SCV 3. Crown DCP would explode, but it could happen.. one day.

Just confirmed that the Bluecoats will be in Ashland, Ohio for their 4th of July parade prior to going on to Canton. The parade starts at 10:00. Along with the Coats will be the Budweiser Clydesdales. Bluecoats were scheduled to be the last entry in the parade (a saving the best for last thing), but have informed the parade organizers that they really don't mind going on before the Clydesdales :-) Pretty cool for a small town to have a World Class corps and Budweiser Clydesdales in their parade!

Typically, OC "Hosts" Corps for a free day and the 4th fireworks on the ocean after parade duty in Seaside, OR. My guess that all of the corps that perform in Renton will be invited for both the Parade and the 4th activities.

Most useful path forward for today - and thank you! We need a comprehensive, illustrative Taxonomy of Body Movement cliches. This is a great start. Much of this cliched, substitute-for-difficult-drill body movement is like the off-the-shelf dance moves they give lyrical dance girls when they're 13, and the girls eat it up because it's SO full of YEARNING and teenage angst. (Go to any dance recital and you'll see what I mean.) The move: both arms reaching up and out, head gazing upward, mouth open, eyes about to become a cloudburst of tears, hands reaching and reaching out and up for the unattainable, usually as they scamper backwards, and then they pull at that nothing, take it into their heart or gut, then crumple to the floor, expressing such PAIN that a dude like me simply could never fathom. It makes me shake my head every time I see it because you just know that girl thinks she's the first one ever to have made that simple move, that she thinks it's actually difficult, and that she thinks she's communicating something to the audience that actually is powerful to anyone but her parents and the couple of teenage guys - forced to be there because brothers of other dancers - who keep looking at her boobs or butt and are experiencing, let's say, to quote another brit band, a rush of blood to the head. THAT, folks, is most of what I see from this fake plastic GE stuff, especially body movement. Another thing: these fake GE gestures - and body movement is just one among them - are of a piece with this surface, sleight-of-hand, image-over-substance generation. Every online image must be color-enhanced, every pose must be exaggerated, all girls lips must be puffed out (we all know what this must refer to, because subtlety and modesty are out the window, and everything must be over-sexualized in order to demand attention, an arms race of sexualization and objectification that, to me, is quite at odds with true feminism). Thus most everything is IMITATED and inauthentic. Fake Plastic GE is just a product of what is mostly a Fake Plastic Culture (not picking on millennials, or Gen Xers, or anyone else here, just observing as a reluctant techie but someone who loves thoreau and gandhi and wendell berry and aldo leopold too much not to be a bit of a luddite) Anyway, as a pseudo-intellectual, that's just what I see. Nothing very funny about it. No jokes for today. Sorry. Mostly just deeply disconcerting, even tragic. I mean - what's more tragic than a person, an organization (like DCI), or a culture that has forgotten its identity and which seeks desperately to re-assemble it from sophomoric imitation? It's not just fake, or dorky, or self-deluded. Ultimately, it's decadent. Meaning: it decays and degrades the very thing it's purporting to be building upon. Ohio State's marching band is a good example of how to innovate without trashing tradition, without decadent imitation. They have a much larger audience than ever, and again, much larger than ALL of DCI combined. Why can't the Cadets, for example, better balance their august tradition with innovation, rather than relying on lazy imitation, or just grasping for cheap GE, like some of the lame gestures in this year's potentially blockbuster show? (All y'all know criticism is from love and respect, don't you?)

On the DCA side, Bucs went undefeated for 6 years 2005-2010. However, that is the OTHER side of drum corps.

My Predictions, note that this could go in a number of ways as of the way they are scoring right now so just bare with me. 1. Blue Devils - they have been scoring high along with the cadets before all the other corps started stepping up and I mean come on they are the F'n blue devils lol This is where it gets really hard... 2. Carolina Crown - Amazing music in my opinion. They are only 4 tenths of a point away from cadets right now and I just feel like this show is going to explode. 3. Either Cadets or Santa Clara - Both really great shows, both with their highs and lows, I feel like the cadets are a little more precise and better at execution so I think the Cadets will take the bronze. 4. Santa Clara Vanguard 5. Bluecoats - Great drumline, really interesting show, but all in all they just couldnt keep up. Their show has a lot of faults in it right now, but doesnt every show? who knows, like I said before there is a really small gap between 1st and 5th, Anyone of these top 5 corps could medal this year. its going to be a tight one but I feel like there is just too much competition this year for this corps. Its hard to even predict the positions but I know for a fact that is the top 5. I wish my cavies could be up there but with the 5 point spread the bluecoats have on them and phantom, i doubt anyone else will even threaten the top 5 this year. 6. Cavaliers - My favorite, I wish they could go higher but sadly they just arent what they use to be..maybe next year. really great show though, I love the music. 7. PHANTOM REGIMENT!!! 8 blue stars 9 boston crusaders 10 crossmen 11 madison scouts 12 blue stars

I've gotta root for SCV to take it this year; lots of interesting and cutting edge sounds coming out of their corps this year. Drill is second to none. Agreed on Cavaliers taking Crown. Blue Knights could jump too. The Academy is going to surprise.

i read 4 lines and said "i'm at the beach, i'll look at something else"

Somewhere, in an alternate universe, VK is ending their 2015 show with Shostakovich accompanying Bo Derek running hand in hand with Einstein on the beach.

Still waiting to hear how Tilt (virtually content free) was able to beat Promise: An American Portrait (choc a block full of content).

Or like that one time Cadets added those really cool tarps!

I have never been able to figure that argument out. That's like saying a college football team's one regular-season loss is not an "official" loss... only their loss in a bowl game is official. LOL A loss is a loss. Heck... by the "not official loss" argument, every corps should be in Finals... since their Prelims loss didn't count.

Spartacus was called Spartacus. Niagara Falls show was called a Niagara Falls. 10 show is called Power of 10, not Dmitri and the Eternal Struggle Against Oppression.

There is a segment of drum corps alumni, and many of you will know (or are) that segment I'm talking about. They make jack ##### out of themselves in college band. They fail out of music ed because, "This is ridiculous stuff and they [professors] don't know what they are doing." They get fired from marching band tech jobs for treating students like dirt. They say, "well, at drum corps we did this..." incessantly. Those people grow up and a lot of them jump into DCP. Because SO MUCH of their frail identity is based in their drum corps experiences, they think changing that activity in the slightest will make them more irrelevant. Or change the way that (they falsely perceive) people view them. Those people freak out over the changes in the activity. They claim that because the activity is changing people are leaving. In reality, far more people are driven away from drum corps and drum corps shows by interactions with those type of people, than they are concert french horns. Then, because people avoid those alumtards, the alumtards point and say, "SEE EVERYONE IS LEAVING THE ACTIVITY BECAUSE YOU RUINED IT!" Even though, they are largely to blame for the activity's demise, because they refuse to allow it to change, and act like jack ##### to everyone.

How ironic that their show is based on Hell and they're rehearsing in Nazareth...

......it's growing on me. Bit by bit.

Agree with all of this. Crown really began the design push toward body movement the way we see it today. They still do way more than I care for, but it's there. BD did take it to a different place, and in a lot of ways I think BD found a better formula for such movement. Maybe it's the way they mix staging and marching. Cadets do look awkward doing body movement. It's mostly those West Point style uniforms. It just doesn't look natural. I'm glad they don't have a lot in their show, and when they do use it it's not offensive to my eyes...at least not yet.

SCV will be marching in the parade in Mt. Prospect, IL.

Yes i like the drums a lot in the center something (new/sound) etc. The drum line is great this year as well.