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Good day folks been a while just checking in to say Good day eh. Getting caught up on the gossip Grenadiers did a few parades this summer so far and are sending a percussion ensemble to I&E on Labour Day. I am looking forward to having a pop with some of my wingers. Good luck to all the competitive corps from K-Town Cheers Don

I wanted to post my San Antonio thoughts/review now after getting some rest. My wife and I have been enjoying the SA show every year since 99 and I can't think of any year we enjoyed more and it just kept getting better the later the evening went. We sat on side 1 30 yrd line on the 32nd row. Great listening and viewing spot... We arrived at our seats right after Spirit finished. We got a hotel this year downtown and this had to coordinate a baby sitter our two kiddos. Sorry Spirit, wished I could've seen it:( Mandarins- I was beyond surprised at the level of quality in the brass performance- full and impactful sound, good lower resonance. The show was very well constructed and executed. There was noticeable timing issues in the visual end, both with feet and body. The perc seamed to have the most issues with many little ensemble tears between front and back. The section where the guard joins the brass and plays was very cool, though the guard didn't quite march the same as the corps so was not visually as pleasing. None the less, the best I've ever heard from Mandarins- A Huge Leap forward... I give it a thumbs up rating of.....👍👍👍 Oregon Crusaders- I'm a HS band director whose been involved in BOA for a number of years and the whole show from the Garden thematic idea seemed more BOA suited. I know that sounds harsh, but the Crusaders have the horses in every section to be a finals contender soon, but the show designs are lacking competitive drum corps material. I think I was expecting more from the staff and the corps, but the kids perform what they have well. Hopefully necessary changes will be made to get the OC a better vehicle to perform for their great kids in the future. I give the Oregon Crusaders a thumbs up rating of....👍 Madison came out next and I thought.... Hmmm Madtown could come out really flat at this time slot, but I WAS WAY WRONG!!! The Scouts lit up the dome! From the first move the crowd ate it up and the corps was super energized... ######, something to prove? Who cares- it was electric. My wife and I hadn't cared for this show on the webcast but live we lived it. Old drum corps? Sure, but it was fresh and so very well designed. Drill was cool, my only beef is the Paper Women which I thought was cheese ball, but my wife thought it was funny and worked well. My thumbs up rating for Madison Scouts- 👍👍👍👍 Crossmen followed as the crowd was still buzzing over the Scouts... Immediately the crowd gave great hometown support and the Xmen deserved it. The shows of the past few seasons are really a great direction that I think is going to continue to work well for them. This year's program gets a little too pop u over the head at times with the paper airplanes/kite idea but ok, it works. The first of many singers and though she's got good pipes, I didn't care for it. What makes Whitacre's vocal music so amazing is the lush and the beautiful masterful chord structure provided by all the parts in music. To sing just the melody of Fly to Paradise a a very abrupt rendition does not build as intended it sounds forced and uncomfortable. This show left me happy for the corps and their continued success but not totally digging the show... My thumbs up rating for Crossmen..👍👍 Boston set up and I thought man they really have good looking props! The Conquest theme seems solid and the music is constructed well. The brass really has a gorgeous resonate sound- really pretty. Drums seemed good, but maybe a step down from the last few years. The guard really seemed not as impactful. I wasn't on the 50, but the props clutter the line of sight to the stage. That along with the singer who has a beautiful voice but can't get mic'ed worth a flip is a HUGE distraction. It affected the members as there was a noticeable early entrance in a big moment, the staff needs to get the mic/antenna situation figured out. If you want a singer on the field and have her adding to the Vis, then give her the tools to succeed in your plan. This cut out issue has been in every live feed and I can only assume it's happening at every show? The show just seems so dirty and visually is still above the members. I hate to say it, but I really had them out of finalist position. Fortunately for Boston the judges saw through the staff issues and rewarded the performers who are good... My thumbs up rating for Boston...👍 Blue Stars- Of all the corps from 9-15 I enjoyed the Blue Stars the most! Incredible job of taking what could've been a way hokey theme and making it a true Side Show! Every act is believable and great. The members are really selling well. The brass plays with a beautiful sound but it is lacking punch it needs at big impact moments. The drums are on fire, I didn't study recaps but if they didn't place well I'd be really surprised. Guard wise they still have cleaning to do and feet issues seem to be the most plaguing concern. If they clean they could end up 9th. If not 10-12 would seem about right. Design wise this could compete with the top 7-8 but it still needs execution. Never the less-loved BStars!!! My thumbs up rating for Blue Stars.... 👍👍👍👍👍 Academy is a breath of fresh air! This is what happens when you get a group of kids to buy in and sell their performance. Mary Poppins should be hotdog material, instead it's must see drum corps. The brass is performing at their highest level since joining World Class! Kudos to the guard and corps for selling the visuals. While this corps likely is going to finish 14-15, they are setting themselves for a finalist in the near future. Soloists were pitchy but with a 20+ degree temp from lot to indoors it's understandable. Great show Academy- you are must see drum corps. My thumbs up rating.... 👍👍👍👍 I caught the last 2/3 of the Colts as nature called and INT is brutal on toilet availability.... TMI... Ok, anyway- Colts continue to improve, J Buck, Sully and crew are developing great talent in Iowa. I'm still not a huge narration story telling idea, but the speaking is clear and performed well. Great teaching going on here, the show is not my cup- but they're doing well in this style. My thumbs up rating....👍👍 Phantom- I love Paris in the spring time... Hehehe it's stuck in my head even now. The show feels forced, it's like they're cramming so many elements- the singing motif, narration, every song that deals with being French, and an Eiffel Tower to boot. Many of the elements they're presenting would work, if not cramped by all the other fluff. It's just too much. They corps is epic Phantom- elegant, bold, beautiful sounding. The show is- a step up from Not Swan Lake, but not to par for what we've seen in Turandot, Juliet etc... My thumbs up rating.... 👍👍👍 Cavies- Opening of Bruckner 8-Sublime!!! Brass sound? Best since 2006. Technique- impeccable... Cavies brass is the real deal- dark, bold, resonate! Unfortunate for them the Drumline never shuts up. I mean that in respect to brass which is truly being covered up at times. The Cavies battery wins the loud/most notes award! They're great but it totally detracts from the musical performance at times. Even the music book gets a bit too technical at times and doesn't breath enough. The guard is performing very well- I'm just not sure how the Wrestling theme fits in... I see the head gear and keep expecting a Bluecoats 2008 type show which was great, but I come away confused about how the theme ties to the performers... I need another read, I just felt I missed something. Cavies are absolutely better than a year ago, I just don't enjoy this show yet like last year.... I'll have to watch it again to see what I missed. My thumbs up rating for Cavies? 👍👍👍 Troop had tough task to follow Cavies and Phantom, and the crowd was maybe sending a let down as they were unusually subdued for Troops entrance. That quickly changed. All the inevitable Crown 07 comparisons quickly died and a GREAT Drum Corps show insued! Fantastic sounds and a wonderfully written show for Troopers! I know the Vis end seems to be what's needed most but I think corps 10-12 best watch their six! I call Troopers a finalist by August! Very Well Done! You more than hung with the big boys! My thumbs up rating...👍👍👍👍👍 SCV- my wife Lol said, hey they have my curlers😜 musically I love this show it's so evil and angry! SCV when they play angry is just so intimidating! I like the show but it does seem a bit loud all the time. Drill is great but is pretty focused in front of front hash. A little different from say Les Mis where they were all over the field. The ballad and solo was just awesome! Overall I really liked them, they'll be a solid 5 and that's no slouch for this year! My thumbs up rating?👍👍👍👍 Crown's show online is a mere shell of the greatness it possesses live. They just have the feel of Phantom 08 I think. Lurking, needing a few changes- Ode to Joy- but if they'll stay in hell they might just get the judges to slay the rest of the field! Amazing effects. The red shroud in the ballad is the best effect of any prop or visual device I've ever seen. The guard is just totally selling this. Every year I wonder if I'll take the sound Crown creates for granted and every year I continue to be blown away. The blend and tone is just perfect, this show will contend with changes I believe😈😈😈, Go Crown- Go to Hell!!! My thumbs up rating...👍👍👍👍👍+++ BK at this point I was worried about! I know they are just killing it this year, but a big stage performing out of the 4 spot and after SCV and Crown??? Tough to do but they did so and amazed even me at the same time. I also thought having so many corps they hadn't competed against ie... Cavies/Crown/SCV could've been an excuse to underwhelm but they didn't. The thematic approach is ethereal and is so beautiful. They perform like a top 6 and sound like a top 6 drum corps! The show is a huge success and very diverse. The ending has to change- it just feels incomplete after Fly to Paradise but I'm sure something is coming;) with all things aside, I loved the performance but it was not their best! Visually they didn't March as well as they have recently and the fall in the closer kind of cemented that. 10th in Vis Analysis seemed a bit harsh but hey, they seemed a bit off so ok. By far the best performing brass BK has ever had and drums may be top 4-5 in the end. Guard seemed not as clean as I saw in rehearsal but again maybe just a bad run. Overall thumbs up rating 👍👍👍👍👍 Proud alum, great job BK. Cadets- Off the chain!!! Just amazing! They won the crowd over with very traditional drum corps and just a few new effects. The French horn feature was way cool. I loved every part of this show and every section in it! This is my favorite Cadets of all time! Way to go!!! They had me screaming and jumping out of my seat at the end! My thumbs up rating for Cadets? 👍👍👍👍👍++++++++++++ Bluecoats are so different and was such a stark contrast from the more traditional Cadets- but I loved it, I really really loved it! The electronics don't play well on a webcast, but boy live it's a true genius innovation. They've mastered how to take old school drum corps and make new wave drum corps come to life! Truly pioneering the activity... I will say that visual is still an issue and was last year too. I think this show can contend but they lack the same visual focus that we see on Crown, Cadets and BD. I can say they are a Darkhorse but who knows.... It's just so cool. My thumbs up rating for Bloo.... 👍👍👍👍👍++++++++++++ BD I liked last year, so it was going to be hard to live up to it.... This show does and then some. Great story telling in the creative aspects keep you engaged throughout. The hip hop section of the story and I'm in the minority- it didn't bother me. The brass maybe one of BD's best if not the best I've heard from them and that's saying something. Perc seems a bit like an after thought this year, but the brass is so great it kind of overshadows them. Guard- outrageous and great as always! Well done... As great as Cadets are I thought BD beat them last night. My thumbs up rating for Blue Devils....👍👍👍👍👍++++++++++++++++++++ Pioneer- I really enjoyed them and was happy to see the crowd stay and give it up. Best corps for Pio since the 90s. Kudos- keep it up.... My bravery award👋👋👋👋👋 my thumbs up rating.... 👍👍👍 Ok my one rant- Get Rid of Drumline Battle at the end of Regionals!!! Encores are so much cooler.. Just saying Placements I had like this: 1) BD 2) Cadets 3) Bloo 4)Crown 5) SCV 6) BK 7) Cavies 8) Phantom 9) BStars 10) Madison 11) Crossmen 12) Troopers 13) Boston 14) Academy 15) Colts Past that I didn't see all so I stopped there. Best top to bottom drum corps I've ever seen in SA and 12000 plus fans proved that this season is truly special

I wanted to post my San Antonio thoughts/review now after getting some rest. My wife and I have been enjoying the SA sow every year since 99 and I can't think of any year we enjoyed more and it just kept getting better the later the evening went. We sat on side 1 30 yrd line on the 32nd row. Great listening and viewing spot... We arrived at our seats right after Spirit finished. We got a hotel this year downtown and this had to coordinate a baby sitter our two kiddos. Sorry Spirit, wished I could've seen it:( Mandarins- I was beyond surprised at the level of quality in the brass performance- full and impactful sound, good lower resonance. The show was very well constructed and executed. There was noticeable timing issues in the visual end, both with feet and body. The perc seamed to have the most issues with many little ensemble tears between front and back. The section where the guard joins the brass and plays was very cool, though the guard didn't quite march the same as the corps so was not visually as pleasing. None the less, the best I've ever heard from Mandarins- A Huge Leap forward... I give it a thumbs up rating of.....👍👍👍 Oregon Crusaders- I'm a HS band director whose been involved in BOA for a number of years and the whole show from the Garden thematic idea seemed more BOA suited. I know that sounds harsh, but the Crusaders have the horses in every section to be a finals contender soon, but the show designs are lacking competitive drum corps material. I think I was expecting more from the staff and the corps, but the kids perform what they have well. Hopefully necessary changes will be made to get the OC a better vehicle to perform for their great kids in the future. I give the Oregon Crusaders a thumbs up rating of....👍 Madison came out next and I thought.... Hmmm Madtown could come out really flat at this time slot, but I WAS WAY WRONG!!! The Scouts lit up the dome! From the first move the crowd ate it up and the corps was super energized... ######, something to prove? Who cares- it was electric. My wife and I hadn't cared for this show on the webcast but live we lived it. Old drum corps? Sure, but it was fresh and so very well designed. Drill was cool, my only beef is the Paper Women which I thought we cheese ball, but my wife thought it was funny and worked well. My thumbs up rating for Madison Scouts- 👍👍👍👍 Crossmen followed as the crowd was still buzzing over the Scouts... Immediately the crowd gave great hometown support and the Xmen deserved it. The shows of the past few seasons are really a great direction that I think is going to continue to work well for them. This year's program gets a little too pop u over the head at times with the paper airplanes/kite idea but ok, it works. The first of many singers and though she's got good pipes, I didn't care for it. What makes Whitacre's vocal music so amazing is the lush is the beautiful masterful chord structure provided by all the parts in music. To sing just the melody of Fly to Paradise a a very abrupt rendition does not build as intended it sounds forced and uncomfortable. This show left me happy for the corps and their continued success but not totally digging the show... My thumbs up rating for Crossmen..👍👍 Boston set up and I thought man they really have good looking props! The Conquest theme seems solid and the music is constructed well. The brass really has a gorgeous resonate sound- really pretty. Drums seemed good, but maybe a step down from the last few years. The guard really seemed not as impactful. I wasn't on the 50, but the props clutter the line of sight to the stage. That along with the singer who has a beautiful voice but can't get mic'ed worth a flip is a HUGE distraction. It affected the members as there was a noticeable early entrance in a big moment, the staff needs to get the mic/antenna situation figured out. If you want a singer on the field and have her adding to the Vis, then give her the tools to succeed in your plan. This cut out issue has been in every live feed and I can only assume it's happening at every show? The show just seems so dirty and visually is still above the members. I hate to say it, but I really had them out of finalist position. Fortunately for Boston the judges saw through the staff issues and rewarded the performers who are good... My thumbs up rating for Boston...👍 Blue Stars- Of all the corps from 9-15 I enjoyed the Blue Stars the most! Incredible job of taking what could've been a way hokey theme and making it a true Side Show! Every act is believable and great. The members are really selling well. The brass plays with a beautiful sound but it is lacking punch it needs at big impact moments. The drums are on fire, I didn't study recaps but if they didn't place well I'd be really surprised. Guard wise they still have cleaning to do and feet issues seem to be the most plaguing concern. If they clean they could end up 9th. If not 10-12 would seem about right. Design wise this could compete with the top 7-8 but it still needs execution. Never the less-loved BStars!!! My thumbs up rating for Blue Stars.... 👍👍👍👍👍 Academy is a breath of fresh air! This is what happens when you get a group of kids to buy in and sell their performance. Mary Poppins should be hotdog material, instead it's must see drum corps. The brass is performing at their highest level since joining World Class! Kudos to the guard and corps for selling the visuals. While this corps likely is going to finish 14-15, they are setting themselves for a finalist in the near future. Soloists were pitchy but with a 20+ degree temp from lot to indoors it's understandable. Great show Academy- you are must see drum corps. My thumbs up rating.... 👍👍👍👍 I caught the Ladt 2/3 of the Colts as nature called and INT is brutal on toilet availability.... TMI... Ok, anyway- Colts continue to improve, J Buck, Sully and crew are developing great talent in Iowa. I'm still not a huge narration story telling idea, but the speaking is clear and performed well. Great teaching going on here, the show is not my cup- but they're doing well in this style. My thumbs up rating....👍👍 Phantom- I love Paris in the spring time... Hehehe it's stuck in my head even now. The show feels forced, it's like they're cramming so many elements- the singing motif, narration, every song that deals with being French, and an Eiffel Tower to boot. Many of the elements they're presenting would work, if not cramped by all the other fluff. It's just too much. They corps is epic Phantom- elegant, bold, beautiful sounding. The show is- a step up from Not Swan Lake, but not to par for what we've seen in Turandot, Juliet etc... My thumbs up rating.... 👍👍👍 Cavies- Opening of Bruckner 8-Sublime!!! Brass sound? Best since 2006. Technique- impeccable... Cavies brass is the real deal- dark, bold, resonate! Unfortunate for them the Drumline never shuts up. I mean that in respect to brass which is truly being covered up at times. The Cavies battery wins the loud/most notes award! They're great but it totally detracts from the musical performance at times. Even the music book gets a bit too technical at times and doesn't breath enough. The guard is performing very well- I'm just not sure how the Wrestling theme fits in... I see the head gear and keep expecting a Bluecoats 2008 type show which was great, but I come away confused about how the theme ties to the performers... I need another read, I just felt I missed something. Cavies are absolutely better than a year ago, I just don't enjoy this show yet like last year.... I'll have to watch it again to see what I missed. My thumbs up rating for Cavies? 👍👍👍 Troop had tough task to follow Cavies and Phantom, and the crowd was maybe sending a let down as they were unusually subdued for Troops entrance. That quickly changed. All the inevitable Crown 07 comparisons quickly died and a GREAT Drum Corps show insued! Fantastic sounds and a wonderfully written show for Troopers! I know the Vis end seems to be what's needed most but I think corps 10-12 best watch their six! I call Troopers a finalist by August! Very Well Done! You more than hung with the big boys! My thumbs up rating...👍👍👍👍👍 SCV- my wife Lol said, hey they have my curlers😜 musically I love this show it's so evil and angry! SCV when they play angry is just so intimidating! I like the show but it does seem a bit loud all the time. Drill is great but is pretty focused in front of front hash. A little different from say Les Mis where they were all over the field. The ballad and solo was just awesome! Overall I really liked them, they'll be a solid 5 and that's no slouch for this year! My thumbs up rating?👍👍👍👍 Crown's show online is a mere shell of the greatness it possesses live. They just have the feel of Phantom 08 I think. Lurking, needing a few changes- Ode to Joy- but if they'll stay in hell they might just get the judges to slay the rest of the field! Amazing effects. The red shroud in the ballad is the best effect of any prop or visual device I've ever seen. The guard is just totally selling this. Every year I wonder if I'll take the sound Crown creates for granted and every year I continue to be blown away. The blend and tone is just perfect, this show will contend with changes I believe😈😈😈, Go Crown- Go to Hell!!! My thumbs up rating...👍👍👍👍👍+++ BK at this point I was worried about! I know they are just killing it this year, but a big stage performing out of the 4 spot and after SCV and Crown??? Tough to do but they did so and amazed even me at the same time. I also thought having so many corps they hadn't competed against ie... Cavies/Crown/SCV could've been an excuse to underwhelm but they didn't. The thematic approach is ethereal and is so beautiful. They perform like a top 6 and sound like a top 6 drum corps! The show is a huge success and very diverse. The ending has to change- it just feels incomplete after Fly to Paradise but I'm sure something is coming;) with all things aside, I loved the performance but it was not their best! Visually they didn't March as well as they have recently and the fall in the closer kind of cemented that. 10th in Vis Analysis seemed a bit harsh but hey, they seemed a bit off so ok. By far the best performing brass BK has ever had and drums may be top 4-5 in the end. Guard seemed not as clean as I saw in rehearsal but again maybe just a bad run. Overall thumbs up rating 👍👍👍👍👍 Proud alum, great job BK. Cadets- Off the chain!!! Just amazing! They won the crowd over with very traditional drum corps and just a few new effects. The French horn feature was way cool. I loved every part of this show and every section in it! This is my favorite Cadets of all time! Way to go!!! They had me screaming and jumping out of my seat at the end! My thumbs up rating for Cadets? 👍👍👍👍👍++++++++++++ Bluecoats are so different and was such a stark contrast from the more traditional Cadets- but I loved it, I really really loved it! The electronics don't play well on a webcast, but boy live it's a true genius innovation. They've mastered how to take old school drum corps and make new wave drum corps come to life! Truly pioneering the activity... I will say that visual is still an issue and was last year too. I think this show can contend but they lack the same visual focus that we see on Crown, Cadets and BD. I can say they are a Darkhorse but who knows.... It's just so cool. My thumbs up rating for Bloo.... 👍👍👍👍👍++++++++++++ BD I liked last year, so it was going to be hard to live up to it.... This show does and then some. Great story telling in the creative aspects keep you engaged throughout. The hip hop got the story and I'm in the minority- it didn't bother me. The brass maybe one of BD's best if not the best I've heard from them and that's saying something. Perc seems a bit like an after thought this year, but the brass is so great it kind of overshadows them. Guard- outrageous and great as always! Well done... As great as Cadets are I thought BD beat them last night. My thumbs up rating for Blue Devils....👍👍👍👍👍++++++++++++++++++++ Pioneer- I really enjoyed them and was happy to see the crowd stay and give it up. Best corps for Pio since the 90s. Kudos- keep it up.... My bravery award👋👋👋👋👋 my thumbs up rating.... 👍👍👍 Ok my one rant- Get Rid of Drumline Battle at the end of Regionals!!! Encores are so much cooler.. Just saying Placements I had like this: 1) BD 2) Cadets 3) Bloo 4)Crown 5) SCV 6) BK 7) Cavies 8) Phantom 9) BStars 10) Madidon 11) Crossmen 12) Troopers 13) Boston 14) Academy 15) Colts Past that I didn't see all so I stopped there. Best top to bottom drum corps I've ever seen in SA and 12000 plus fans proved that this season is truly special

You assume the rest of the corps will not change.

Just saw on fromthepressbox.com that Jeff Prosperie is judging drums tonight. Let's hope he doesn't give any corps the axe!

I want my Genie to bring back Fan Network with Archives, and Live Stream 24 hour Playback. I am putting my Genie in direct competition with Santa Claus for my wish. Head to Head Competition can oftentimes bring desired outcomes, imo

Cadets run in San Antonio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40d2liE3klA

Judging from the Periscope from @CorpsScopes, Blue Stars are underrated this season. That show doesn't deserve to be as low as they are. It's lots of fun to watch and listen to, and count me as one who actually likes the use of narration in a show for once!

We were told at 9AM, when the rain stopped for the entire day, that the show might be cancelled due to a 40% chance of a thundershower, the words severe storms never mentioned. We then received word around 11 AM that the show was cancelled, when there was absolutely nothing on the radar. It never rained in Secaucus the remainder of the day and night. The good to come from the day was the extremely fun "performances" that were held at the local park by our corps the Skyliners, Fusion Core and Skyliners Alumni. It was great to see Sky and Fusion really hyping it up for one anothers performance, and then watching both enjoy the old school style of Sky Alumni. The place erupted from all directions when they went into the Traffic Jam and continued into the signature. A fun time was had by all. If people would've paid the gate price to come see that makeshift show, they would've got their moneys worth.

Maybe these will help even Chrisncsu to break out of his funk and anticipation. :-p

From George's Facebook: "NEON is indeed the 10th Element, and as The Cadets begin to travel East, some facets of the program re-design are beginning to take shape as the last three weekends of the season come into focus. In March, the design team of the corps, laid out a strategy that would allow the Cadets to create a totally different show within the show. Something never done … something we thought would elevate the show to a higher level though the end of July and August. Neon was the key but there was much to consider as the different facets of the presentation were set not to one color palette but two very different combinations, one for the first part of the season and one for the “rush to the finish line”. From Backdrops, to Flags, to field covers to uniforms … all will be reshaped as the POWER OF 10 takes on a new look, a very new look in the days and weeks to come. Here, thanks to the kind people at Dance Sophisticates, are the COLOR GUARD UNIFORMS, ready for fitting as the corps spends three days in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. So yes, you saw us in San Antonio, but come Allentown, or come Indy, what you see will be something completely different, and yet, very much the same. Great kids, great performance, a ridiculous challenge …. and now, that very same Shostakovich masterpiece will be draped in a new look; one we believe best brings to life the intensity, and magnificence of this symphonic celebration. Follow the Cadets at www.cadets.org for up to date notices on what is sure the be a summer to remember for fans alumni and corps members"

Is this the best drum corps ending since ’08 Regiment? Very well could be...

They don't call the tour thru LA, MS, and AL the "Swamp Tour" for nothing.

Spoken like a true Phantom fan boy.

Ok Cadets have beaten BD more this year than BD has lost in the last three years. I've agreed on a couple of predictions I've seen on DCP, but the Cadets themselves are performing at a consistent level now. I'm already a believer the Cadets have the show to win it all in Indy; are you starting to believe?

I get it - your Cheerios have been peed in. Therefore you need to comment on statements I make. But I suggest you understand perspective. You can suggest that my recollection is that of a revisionist. But I was not remotely concerned about the corps then. And this is back in 2009, long before you arrived to this board. Again, I'll restate - I'm not as concerned about placement as I am for my general sense of the direction of the corps (though I admit that there's some correlation). My sense now is far different than it was in 2009. This is not hindsight.

No live singing.

you mistakenly keep thinking that world class status is based on field results. it's not. DCI has said so

Do I think they will fall as far as they did in 2009? Hopefully not. But this years show is as much of a miss as far as design and concept go as that year was. If it is then I hope that the Phantom Regiment 2016 program rebounds in the spectacular way that their 2010 show did. In my opinion "Into the Light" is one of the most beautiful productions ever fielded. It was powerful and emotional in a way that very few corps have ever attained.

Are partial reversals OK? I would wish to reverse the rule allowing for the use of electronics to forbid samples only, such that no prerecorded material is permitted during the judged performance: everything we hear (after the preshow) must be performed live by a member of the corps. Those corps who feel they absolutely must include such material in their "collage" would have to weigh the G.E. advantage they hope to obtain vs. the penalty they know they'll receive.

Mine was a vasovagal episode. (Fancy talk for freak out attack.) Considering all the crap I have to deal with in the real world, I try to keep the stress here to a minimum. Which is not to say that I don't like a good discussion or try avoid criticism of Regiment if I think it's warranted. But I do try to keep it in perspective.It's funny because some of the harshest criticisms I remember from my marching days were from alumni, so I kinda get where the folks who are still active with the corps are coming from. I remember an '84 vet telling me in Camp Randall on Finals night in '92 (after retreat) that they were so much more exciting in their version of 1812 and that they wondered why our show was so poorly designed. I was like, WTF, really? I guess the feeling here is often that we're a little more disconnected with the active comings and goings of the corps and maybe a little more free to talk about our opinions of the show and whatnot. All of which I think is a little different than the comments to the effect of "Phantom sucks" or "*** ******* should be fired." While I don't really like or respect that stuff, I try to ignore it as much as possible because I still remember my days with the corps, what drew me to it and the activity and what I like about it. And none of that stuff really has anything in common with most of the negative stuff on here. It's light years away. Twenty years time and countless hours spent here can sometimes dull those memories and make me lose sight but, thankfully, I get to go to shows and rehearsals every once in a while and reconnect with why I love this corps and the activity so much. Sort of a mental reset.

This. I. (Always.) Believe(d).

Congratulations to Lousisiana Stars on what I think many will agree was a VERY impressive tour they did. That's a corps that's going to be doing some serious damage some day, sad that was their last show, but #### are they good for their 2nd year. Not surprised Crown's doing what they're doing. They're performing just as well as Cadets and Blue Devils, they're #### good. .4 of that gap was their performance/achievement in General Effect. Bluecoats still with some gaps between their achievement and content, not huge either. Just clean and you'll be fine. Still holding out that there are some more plans for the ending, glad this is happening now rather than between finals week and Allentown.

Here’s a long one. Background: I’ve been a fan of the activity since I saw the PBS broadcast of the 1987 finals while still in high school. I was the drum major of my band, but was a sax player and I did not see a transition to brass in my future, so personal participation never occurred. But I remained a fan and have attended (at least) one live show every year since the mid 90’s including the Finals in 2007. Being based in the west, my annual show of choice is Stanford, so those views are typically early season. I’m now a band dad and I’m that guy that inflicts drum corps video on anyone silly enough not to walk away when I start babbling about it. The DCI media shelf at my house is measured in feet. Through lucky timing, my daughter had a break at a summer camp she was at in San Antonio this year during the Southwestern Championships, so I planned ahead and gave her a few days in a hotel and 10 hours of air conditioned drum corps. My daughter was a drummer until she graduated this year and has been going to shows with me for a number of years. For myself, it was a weekend trip that included 11 hours on planes (round trip) to make it happen. I would do it again (just not tomorrow). Following are observations about most corps, the logistics and the venue. As a local high school field show coordinator as well as an announcer for local fall/winter shows, I like being at field level to witness the logistical “challenges.” I also prefer to feel the music, so I can’t comment with respect to drill design. We sat in the front row, on the aisle, stage-left, which put us at about the 43 yard line. DCI/Venue Comment (Herding of Corps Staff) – This was the prime aisle for staff members from corps to run up the bleachers to get a high view of their performance. I expected it and given my position in the stands, it would not bother me too much. And this happened for the first 3-4 groups. Then I watched a DCI official speak to the usher at field level and she made it clear that this could no longer be allowed. Apparently DCI had texted groups to let them know that if staff needed a higher-than-the-field perspective for sound mixing, viewing, etc., they had to take the freight elevator in the entrance tunnel to go to a section designated by DCI. It then became an interesting side show for the remainder of the evening as staff members from every corps got baffled looks on their faces when the large usher refused them passage. DCI backed him every time. The only exceptions were corps directors that had the (different) “all access” badges. Nice job DCI! Marketplace - Being the first ime at an indoor show with an indoor marketplace, I’m not sure if the traffic patterns were normal or not, but during the intermissions, it was just tough. Not entirely unexpected, but tough. This might be improved by spreading the booths further apart and longer down the corridor, rather than the grouping that they seemed to have. Food – I knew going in that we were to be held to the choices offered by the venue and you had your usual suspects with respect to choices with one glaring exception. Where were the sweets? No candy? No cookies, etc.? The exception was a single rolling cart with made-to-order ice cream bars on a stick. The lines at the standard food locations were not too bad as plenty of them were open, but the poor guy working this one during 2nd admission (next to the frozen cocktail guy) was in over his head. Shows: I don’t feel like an old timer. I enjoy many of the innovations in the activity in the last 20 years. Tilt from the Bluecoats is still on heavy rotation for me. I’m not a fan of over amplified pits ro voice because someone needs to check that off their to-do list. But I believe that the corps primary goal should be to entertain the audience. Judging is obviously important and shouldn’t go away. I just hope the designs get so abstract in an attempt to garner scores that the audience is left behind to wonder why they can’t recall the musical selections of their favorite groups. Performers at all levels are putting their full energy in to their shows. Therefore, this critique should never be taken as an attack on the performers. If there’s any negativity, it’s probably design-driven and particular to this audience member’s reaction. OK, that’s out of the way. On to the corps and what I can recall 2 days later, remembering the reviews and opinions are always of a personal nature. Opinions can’t exist without offense to those at the other end of the scale: Louisiana Stars: I honestly was not sure I had heard of them before seeing the show Saturday. Based on their performance time, I knew they were open class. It wasn’t until reading a comment later that they were a 2nd-year corps. Holy-cow! Size was good. Volume better and the musical selections were interesting enough to keep me engaged for the whole show, while thinking, where did they come from? Regardless of their placement tonight, I hope to see them give the usual open-class leaders a run for their money. It was enough to where we kept commenting after the next few groups that we felt the Stars show was better. Guardians/Genesis: Both corps were full in numbers and sound. I can’t recall specific instances of music or drill that jumped out at me (or that I retained), but I do recall thinking that it was nice seeing other Open Class Corps than those I’ve seen multiple times (BDB, SCVC) and realizing that there is a depth of competition in that class. Jubal: I was excited to see a corps that was not of this continent. Before the show, I see a member walking around without the top half of their uniform on (obviously a member) and thinking they looked old for the activity. It took a bit of time to realize that their circuit has different age rules. Nonetheless, they represent their region well (on and off the field) and they clearly enjoy being here. Jersey Surf: As they came out in their ponchos, my daughter said something to the effect of their ability to afford uniforms. Nice props that set the theme and the eventual change out of rain gear was nice. A heavy reliance on Beach Boy themes that caused me (not for the last time during the evening) to consider the music rights issue that continues to plague the activity, only more so this year. Cascades: When did they go blue? I remember their move from Open Class (or was it Division II at the time) and being pleased to see another group from the west coast make a big move. Then I guess there were a few “off” years. Nice to see them back and relatively strong. Not sure about the mid-show dance, but I’m always pleased to see when a group can bounce back and perform at this level again. Pacific Crest: I found myself remembering when they started and did only a partial tour and that rubbing a lot of folks the wrong way. I have a specific memory of the group flying to San Antonio to “qualify” for later regional/national competitions. They are well beyond that now. From a volume standpoint, they know how to blow. Musically I still like their 2013 show the best and hope they will continue to grow and crack in to the top 12 one of these years. As for the giant box, unless you follow the group or heard the show title, I’m not sure you would have any clue what purpose the box served. It moved from left to right as the show went on, until the end of the show when it shifted to midfield. At that point it was supposed to split to reveal the guard in white, but there seemed to be a malfunction with a wheel that caused the reveal to stutter a bit and be distracted. Spirit of Atlanta: The best thing about getting out of my region for a show is to see groups that don’t make it out west. “Legacy” groups like SOA fit that bill for me and the greedy part of me wishes the music was something that I could easily identify with Spirit and that legacy. That wasn’t to be this year. Mandarins: Much improved from a month ago in Stanford. I may be like many other fans, wishing it was practical for the giant prop drums to be actual drum heads. And this is the first group I can recall where the uniform for the front ensemble was the same uniform worn by the colorguard. The timing on the ending statements with the statues still needs some work, but a cool effect, nonetheless. Another group that should crack the top 12 in the next few years (I hope). Oregon Crusaders: We have friends that have and/or continue to march for OC. Strangely enough, they don’t get down to CA for the early season show so this was our first time seeing them in person. The garden theme is well played out visually, but I’m not sure where the dramatic beats are supposed to take place. Is this a show just about the environment of the garden, or is there a struggle I somehow missed. As a dad of a drummer, I had heard about the long bass drum feature so we were ready for it and not at all disappointed. Very exposed, but well done. Madison Scouts: I bought their “Dude” shirt. Got a number of nods/comments at the San Antonio airport yesterday. I have always liked their attitude, history and presentation (almost all of them). This was a very fan-friendly show. I heard a screamer here/there but not featured like they were last year (loved that ending). The dancing girls that are featured (I think) were creative. If it were VK, we know they would have been inflatable. Crossmen: Had to explain the presence of Bones to my kid (these shows SHOULD be educational). I recognized some themes they played in their 2004 show which is a Crossmen show that I always found entertaining. The tarp at the front sideline was worrisome as it bunches up during the show and I saw a few members almost trip up. That and the pathway to get there through the pit was a problem. They put down a cord cover to try to cover some mic cables, but as members marched over it, it would get spun upside down repeatedly. They blow through there so quickly, this might become a safety issue. Boston Crusaders: One of my daughter’s favorites. BAC sweatshirt purchased on this trip. We appreciate their 75 years of doing this. I knew the theme to be Conquest. And as the opener got going, I kept scratching my head trying to place the music, know it was a recent theme. Finally placing it as the theme to Game of Thrones, I spent the rest of the shows trying to figure out which banner represented the Targarians (as they always pay their debts). Thinking about it now, they could follow their creative energy from their Animal Farm show and assign houses within the activity (How would you design a banner for House Cadets?). Repeated mic failures with the vocal soloist. Not her fault. From the field, she may not have even been aware of it. But wireless mic failures are unforgiving. Blue Stars: I found myself comparing it (a little bit) to the Star of Indiana Show in 1987. Though this is certainly a darker view of a circus. The minor chord interpretations of classic circus themes and the colorguard costumes played very well to that. For the actual sideshow performers, I wonder if auditions for this year included questions as to a performer’s “other” talents. Can you juggle, bend yourself in to a pretzel or swallow a sword? Extra points for their souvenir booth selling a Skyriders T-Shirt. The Academy: Another graduate from Open Class domination to a destined-for-top-12 corps. They will get there. I hope they will this year so that I can get a recording of this show on the DCI Blu-Ray (if THAT happens). A fan-friendly show with a Mary Poppins interpretation. Being a Disney property (certainly the music), I fear for the music rights issue again. But a fun show all the way through. My daughter had to elbow me to point out that in the closer, the colorguard spells out supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (sp) with one letter per flag. Fantastic. Colts: Great concept in the old-time radio drama. Some of the props worked for me, others seemed to not be worth the space on the truck for the value received on the field. At the moment, I’m not sure of the reasoning for the front-field riser from a story perspective. It featured a few characters during the show, but otherwise served little story purpose and hid a chunk of the corps during the show. Enjoyed that the front ensemble was dressed in greyscale. Phantom Regiment: This was a 3rd viewing. We saw a dress rehearsal they did at a rehearsal site in Reno the week before the season started. AT the time, I thought it was a rather depressing outing as I did not feel the horn energy or dynamics I had come to expect. A few days later in Stanford, I was blown away by these very things and came to realize I had been sitting in front of their speaker stack and was therefore covered in goo that the horns could not cut through. I like the concept of the show and all the music is familiar (again, pleasing for the audience), but parts of it remain a concern. I don’t like the current Claire de Lune arrangement/dynamics (it deserves a stronger dynamic in the end). And either their electronics were down or they drastically cut back the organ sampler in the closer. Either way, it didn’t make a lot of sense on Saturday. The Cavaliers: Game On? I read a review or discussion on this with the idea that the “game” might be a take on Running Man? Without bodies on the ground, it’s hard to tell outside of the “futuristic” coloring/theme of the props and the colorguard. I heard some Star Trek in the music. Performance is great, but I did not connect the performance to the declared theme. Troopers: I like the character of this corps, starting with the swagger of their drum majors and a firm belief that every member knows what it means to be a part of that historic group. Of course their show will get compared to 2007 Crown. But the vocal ballad (Troopers) ends up being a trade out for the horse race (Crown). After previous electronic snafus, it was refreshing to have this one be clean throughout. Members really sell the last half of the show, with the lasso activity followed by the busting of fences. If there was a good way to incorporate similar story telling at the front end, that would be a better package. Santa Clara Vanguard: Always classy. Always in my top 5. For this show, the electronic arc sound is a bit too much. It has its place in the show, but it feels a little overdone. I love the mic technique for the trumpets in the opener and the sound of the soloist in Pure Imagination. I had hoped they would medal this year, but the bunching at the top is making that tough to see. Carolina Crown: My favorite show of the night. The moment that first banner gets pulled from the front sideline was perfectly timed from the exposure to the ability to read it across the field. It might suffer outdoors with wind, but in a show designed for an indoor final…This show also featured my favorite guard moment of the night as the rifle line was split and took turns in their tosses. The best I could describe it was it seemed as if the rifles themselves were on trampolines, rebounding at the perfect time. They tell the story well and it caused me to recall a description of Vanguard’s “Devil’s Staircase” show. “Imagine you’re in hell, and you can’t get out.” It’s an angry show, but in an embraceable way. This is the show that has the chance to inch past the top 2. And they did it with only 1 set of tympani this year. Blue Knights: 2nd viewing. And they did it to me again. With the mirrored semi-circles, they do a great job of hiding members. To the point that early in the opener, there are no tubas visible on the field. This caused me in my first viewing to wonder whether they finally wrote off the line in favor of a synth (I fear for the day this happens with anyone). Just well staged. Beatles music…Will there be a rights issue here too? The Cadets/Blue Devils (combined for the reason of compare/contrast): Based where I am, it’s easy to be a Blue Devils fan (most years). I liked Fellini-esque but not Re-Write of Spring. For the Cadets, Angels and Demons is my most recent favorite, but I have respected most of their work, most of the time. When BD was viewed at Stanford, I was amazed by the performance level and some of the tricks. The levitating drummers and the later rifle exchanges on the same platforms. I have always followed the discussion threads that accuse BD of stopping to play the hard stuff, so I watched for that tonight. It was a lot easier to see it when compared to watching the Cadets in the same sitting. While we could not see/understand the “Power of 10” theming from our seats, the speed at which the Cadets march (ok, run) and play is astounding. Without loss of volume or control, it’s exhausting to watch, making it that much more incredible. BD and Cadets have totally different styles, but as long as they are judged in the same class, they will probably be trading spots for ever. Though I continue to find the confidence displayed by the BD colorguard to be untouchable. Side note, what are the rules on adjustment of electronics during a show? I know staff runs the mixer and can have assistance from the stands. But during the BD show, a different staff member went to the stage-right speaker stack to adjust the cables running in to the speaker stack. They may have lost signal on that side and he was getting it reconnected, but this was mid-show. Just curious, as it happened with the Bluecoats as well (see below). Bluecoats: I had great hopes for enjoying this one and maybe it will take repeat viewings from multiple camera angles. It took a while to embrace “Tilt” and it’s now a favorite of mine. I like the spheres and they do a nice job of concealing the backfield speaker stacks. It will just take a while to embrace this one musically. One of the best dram major characters of the night. IAs for the electronics, in the first 2 minutes of the show, the front ensemble player that plays the synth gestured to one of the staff members and silently mouthed something to the effect of having no signal on his end. This caused the staff member to quickly walk to the far right end zone, to the middle of the end zone and adjust something sitting on the ground there. While he was doing that, the synth player followed his path, then went all the way to the backfield 50-yeard line to adjust something on the rear stack. He made it back in time to play the 2nd half of the show with a big smile on his face. Without hearing the show previously, I don’t know what was missing, but the mid-show adjustment was interesting to me. Pioneer: I’d say most of the announced attendance of more than 12K audience members stuck it out for Pioneer, who had transportation issues earlier in the day, causing their late performance. I remarked to my daughter that this show would likely be one of the latest Pioneer had ever played (10:47PM) and certainly one of the largest audiences they had been in front of due to their typical placement in my memory. Their pit was out and stood at attention for 8-10 minutes before the corps marched out. Exodous was their theme and they performed a show to be proud of for the endurance test they went through on Saturday. The crowd responded in kind and hopefully this is a story the corps can lean on for a long time. That’s it. I can’t write a short story. And I do one of these every few years. I just hope to see more “reviews” in the review forum. It seems that this year, many reviews live in the forum set up for comments during the live stream. Beggars can’t be choosers I suppose. Good luck to all the performers in the balance of the season.

I can't even imagine that uniform like that.

Bro. It's a still image. Calm down.

***exits stage left***

._. Perhaps I spoke too soon.

Go take a peek in the Cadets thread...

" Laissez les bons temps rouler " (Lazay-Lay Bon-Tom Roulay) which means "Let the Good Times Roll" in Cajun. Good Luck to all the Corps tonight and I hope you get some Quality H20 from Bobby Boucher after the show.

yup, it's the burritos!

I am the best.....

I believe all the material after "Adagio" is from Beethoven 9, mvmt 4. But most people only refer to the actual choral setting of the Schiller poem ("freunde, schöner götterfunken") as the "Ode to Joy". I can't imagine that they could drop OtJ at this point - the whole musical framework of the show is Beethoven 9 and they hint at OtJ several times earlier in the show. I do note that Beethoven's introduction of the theme is much more gradual than Crown's. In the symphony, the melody emerges in the cellos after a whole lot of chaos, and is initially pretty subdued before it pulls in the entire orchestra and eventually the chorus. Crown's arrangement jumps straight to the the triumphant choral statement of OtJ from the middle of the movement and I think that's what makes the transition seem so abrupt.

Cajun Field @ University of Lousiana-Lafayette 201 Rinehardt Dr Lafayette, LA 70506 7:07pm Lousiana Stars 7:24pm Pioneer 7:41pm Cascades 7:58pm Spirit of Atlanta 8:15pm Madison Scouts 8:32pm INT 8:47pm Boston Crusaders 9:04pm Phantom Regiment 9:21pm Carolina Crown 9:38pm Bluecoats Encore: Louisiana Stars DM Retreat Contest Coordinator: Tony DiCarlo Chief Judge: George Oliviero General Effect 1: Michael Stone General Effect 2: WL Whaley Visual Proficiency: Bob Jones Visual Analysis: Ken Giese Color Guard: George Oliviero Music Analysis: Mike Rubino Music Brass: Darren Davis Percussion: Jeff Prosperie

Gotta love how this thread has morphed from discussion about a show being canceled, to good places to eat and drink in the Downingtown area.

I was chatting with a friend who has two children in Cadets. He said they are absolutely in the zone. The love performing and feel like there is no challenge they cannot meet. I don't think they'll be overworked, nor will they peak too early. These kids cannot get enough of what they are doing. They are going to do everything demanded of them, and ask for more. That's how things felt in '87. We hit our stride in late July, and from there were relishing every chance to get on the field and make it better. Nothing else mattered. We just wanted to be good.

I especially like the way some here think they know more than the judges, I dare say some here probably would love to see Phantom out of top 12 so they can burn the heretics at the stake for letting it happen. It's always a few bad apples are always trying to run things from afar yet have actually never done it. Ya, so Phantom has a bad year..or even not really a bad year an off year. So what? I marched when it WAS a bad year (86-89) and trust me, this isn't even close and it was still great.

Eliminate angry dcpers

I enjoy SCV's guard book but don't care for their first uniform or silk design. But clearly they have a group of talented performers.

Earlier in the Day at 2PM on the 25th, Alliance, Carolina Gold and CV will be going on at the Georgia Dome for DCI Atlanta. I think this will be streamed on the DCI Fan Network so you can see them before you go off to your evening show. Also in Soundsport a little earlier will be Solaris and Florida Xpress both with ties to the Sun Devils, SONUS which had been a DCA Class A corps, and Rocketeers who were at DCA Minicorps last year. The soundsport is before the webcast starts though.

This is why they are falling just a little short of the Cadets.

As awful as 2009 was, I actually prefer it over 2013-2015 regiment

Tell the 2014 Cadets and Bluecoats that.

You would think Crown is scoring 20 in guard and Cadets are scoring a 1 based on some of the eye roll inducing comments in this thread. Instead the guards are separated by a few tenths and scoring in the same range. Two nights ago cadets outscore Crown in substance. And they've been outscoring SCV. I get that personal preferences vary... But wow.

Having been a marching member, instructional staff, and support staff for about, oh, 35 years, I'd say that Sutamom has as much right to wear that moniker as anyone who marched. Sutamom, I can't tell you how proud I am of your son/daughter who is a marching member of OUR organization. This season has hopefully proven to the design staff that a fresh approach is necessary for the competitive health of the organization. I'm a firm believer in "it's all about the journey" and if that journey happens to put you ahead of certain competitors then it makes the end result that much sweeter. I'm not going to sit here and call one opinion or another crap because everyone is entitled to their own take on things but there's a fine line between constructive criticism and just bashing. I suggest to those folks who have the corps' best interest at heart...GET INVOLVED. Make that change happen. Don't sit behind a keyboard and complain....put your enthusiasm to work and effect change. SUTA

Until pio busses are delayed 😈

Tekk doesn't do push-ups. ... He pushes the world down.

I believed it could happen since the first show. But then again, that's not saying much since I'm such a die hard fan.