Leaderboard

3 tiers of 'all-timers' Tier One: Hall O' Fame Anybody who spends a moderate amount around the activity knows these shows. -Garfield 84, SCV 89, Star 91, Madison 95, Cavaliers 2006, Phantom 2008, a very select few others. You can usually tell if a show is a Tier One all-timer because you can identify it incredibly briefly (3 words of less) and just about everybody knows what you're talking about. Tier Two: Winners and Classics Shows of Notable merit and impact and popularity. All champions are at least Tier Two All-timers based on achievement. Inclusion into Tier Two All-Timer status also merited via a historical standout soloist or section or element. Not Every Fan knows Every Tier Two All-Timer, but Most Moderate Fans have heard of them and nearly all Serious Fans Respect Them -Spirit 80, Phantom 1989, BD 92, Bridgemen 77, Crown 2007, etc. Tier Three: the Niche Elite Similar to Tier Two except up the level fanhood required to recognition. the 'classics you haven't met yet' that don't necessarily get hype but the Historically Knowledgeable Fan base knows and loves. Most Tier three all-timers could be Tier Two all-timers if they had a better PR team (and of course the line between your Tier Two and Tier Threes is where all the fun arguing lies). -Crossmen 92, Boston 2000, Blue Stars 77, SCV 91 The key to all-timer status is recognizability. Some shows Gain status after the fact (see: Bluecoats 2011, Crown 2007), other will diminish in adoration status as they age (see Cavaliers 2002, which was maybe a Tier1 for a couple years but now is comfortably a Tier2). It is not a matter of an individual fan's opinion of a show, and even less a statement on the performance or merit of a show (it is hard for a show to be Loved without being Great, but there are many, many Great Shows which are not loved to a wide and hyped degree, simply a fact. so it goes). Or, Simply Put without the TLDR prolix, All-Time status is the crowd in a room test. if you walk into a room full of drum corps people and yell out the name of a show, what will the Group Reaction be? will everybody know it and nod and say 'oh gosh i love that show!,' or is it only going to merit nods from the well-versed? If you yell the year, will most people know the show? if you yell the show, will most people know the year? can't stress enough: it's not about a person's opinion, it's the groupthink crowd reputation and reaction to a show, year after year, that merits its All-Timer status. Like Sports HoF voting, there is a waiting period to put anything in ink. I'm sure most balloters want to carve Bluecoats 2014 into stone as a Tier 1 already, but I'm only willing to do so in pencil for now (but that's just me being a humbug. I think only last year was I ready to admit that Spartacus could maybe be a Tier 1 show). So I Told You That so I could tell you this: 1992 has 4 All Timers of varying degrees (Cavs, BD, Cadets, Crossmen). you could argue which are T2 and which are T3 (I'm not ready to assign any full show from 92 a T1, though 'When a Man Loves a Woman' would merit a T1 solo). 2000 has 3 (Cavies, Cadets, Boston) 2011 has 3 (Cadets, Crown, Phantom) 77,88, 89, 96, 99, 01.... all with multiple all-timers. SO. in trying to forecast the historical impact of the 2015 top 6 as an 'All Time Year': BD automatically merits a T2. the Crown fervor merits it a provisional T2. IF 2015 wants to rate with the previous Elite Years mentioned, that's going to rely on Cadets and Coats having Strong Rep down the line. i know that Right Here Today it seems like those shows will live forever in our hearts, but I for one am always going to hesitate to put anything in ink (heh). Of Course the fan in me roots for the passion to thrive, because the more vintage shows that raise the pulse, the better. the Historian in me demands patience and historic perspective. So we'll see. (addendum: there could be a 'Tier 2 with a bullet,' denoting those championship shows which are more recognizable and loved than others but not necessarily Tier 1. Like Niagra Falls or Club Blue. But such parsing is more for the sake of a good argue than any historical definition). (is this all one man's opinion? sure. But i'd lay down to my own credit that there are very few people who are in as ideal a position to observe on a large scale how Fans interact with the Medium. I know which shows on which disc will stop a moving crowd in its tracks,which ones will be walked on by.)

Without casting a vote in any direction....I simply LOVE the amount of historical perspective and direction which is being emitted through this thread!! Glad to see that there are those who haven't partaken of the "what's newest is automatically the best" kool-aid. It didn't work in Jonestown...and it shouldn't work here, either.

The Tropicana Dome? REALLY? Not only is it a dome, but also a baseball stadium. No thanks!

Mad Circus. Photo by Dawn Tunison.

No, jeff, you are overthinking it. Rainbow, Cavaliers. Where did it happen, S. Carolina, Carolina Crown. That's all.

There is a way to bring back a DCI show to Florida. One of the biggest issues has, and will be, the rain. Almost every show that has been held in Orlando, there has been an issue with rain.Hey, summer is monsoon season down here. Solution: Use Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Its a dome (yes, acoustics prob aren't the best, but that's an issue in all domes). We can't do anything about the distance, but I'd be willing to bet if a combined DCI/DCA show (with notable Corps) were to be held there, it would draw a very nice crowd. Fact of the matter is, we have a very large number of alumni from various corps in Florida ( and a lot of retiree alumni who live in Florida who would go if there were some DCA/alumni notables in the mix). Florida has sound sport groups, an Open class DCI corps, and alumni corps who would gladly help with this. Think about it .

Depends on the corps, most that typically promote from within already know, even if it's not public yet.

That would be the great Michael Del Corso

When you are a marching member you always think you are getting dumped on unless you win. Cadets won brass and nearly won percussion while finish 4th with a relatively weak guard which bled over to the visual side of GE. In a highly competitive year at the top, finishing 4th and almost taking two captions is nothing to be ashamed at. Especially when the sheets are written to weight the guard heavily in GE, visual analysis, and performance...that relative weakness hit captions that were worth 50% of the score (probably more since all the GE judges are realistically looking at the total show now).

Sounds a bit narrow-minded to me. What may be considered recognizable music to one person may be completely out of the ordinary to someone else. Not only that, how can someone expand their horizons if they continually insist on being entrapped in a box? edit: autocorrect.

It really is a brilliant show. Not particularly adventurous musically, given MBI's recent years of putting together really interesting arrangements. But still very well done and well performed. I will reiterate what I said in another thread: That guard is frighteningly good.

I know a decent number of the kids that marched this summer and they knew they were being dumped (my term not theirs), and loved the show and were very happy with their performance on Saturday night. It's funny, I was so bummed at their placement and all I saw on FB were happy kids doing selfies with their team mates after it was all over. I think they focus less on scores and placements then I do. That's for sure.

The only ones who treat Clara badly are those who can't handle a 10 year old with a ring.

"Hide and Seek" was done by Spirit of JSU in 2007 and BDB in 2009. Not to mention, many marching bands have played it as well; most notably, The Woodlands in 2006. How about some Pentatonix? "Run To You" has the potential to be an amazing ballad.

No Latin or Jazz or anything remotely recognizable to anybody except maybe College Music Majors. As much as there is that I don't like about current "Marching Band On Steroids" I could live with all the nonsense if the Music was there. It Aint! Just a bunch of off the wall musical phrases and passages. Nothing I recognize and can get into. DCI used to be primarily about the Music and "In Your Face" loud G Bugles blasting out songs that we all liked. Drill was secondary. Somebody, anybody, please take a leap of faith and bring back "Old School" music. Keep all your modern theatrical BS if you simply can't function without it, but bring back recognizable music to the field..................

And that's just what they did.

Whole lotta bravado here in your conviction. I wonder how you know with such certainty. Or do you just have strong opinions? I'm not as confident as you that you're correct.

I don't think that's it at all, BUT there are those who choose antagonistic condescending words merely to provoke confrontation and little to do with the subject. This turns debate or discussion into something very different and IMO deliberate for pages and pages. There is no doubt DCI was successful in the past. If it weren't would it be here today? I don't think so. DCI was successful, and because of that we have what we have today. Well, with that remark, I was having a little fun at the expense of those commenters who have, in a half-dozen or so posts over the past week, uttered variations on "It's like people want DCI to fail". The point being: that reply works as well for the doubters of 1981 as for the doubters of 2015. Just because you question the 2015 numbers doesn't mean you want DCI to fail, and just because you question the 1981 figures doesn't mean you think DCI was a failure in the past.

Well, if The Cadets want to stay with this formula that did not medal this year, its their choice. I did very much enjoy this type of high velocity drill, and irrespective of what the judges are currently rewarding, I too hope the Cadets keep this type of show for 2016, as it was a crowd pleaser, and one of their most crowd pleasing shows in a few years, imo. The fact the MM's chose this type of show, and enjoyed performing it " immensely " is all one needs to know that is not governed by placements.

But remember the type of show the Cadets' designers wrote in all regards this summer was in direct response to the end of season evaluations authored by the marching members of the Cadets at the end of the past few seasons. They didn't want to be like everyone else, they didn't pay probably the highest tour fees in the activity to park and bark, they asked specifically for a show with the same velocity drill that challenged corps of Cadets in the '80's and '90's and very early 2000's. They specifically asked that it be a vintage Cadet style show, not a BOA style show, not a Texas band style show, not a WGI style show, not a color guard show with musical accompaniment. Those who marched Cadets horn and drum lines, who won this season's Ott and almost won the Sanford too, could have qualified for many other DCI finalist corps. They chose Cadets and chose to stay with the show that was given them, even in the blackest moments. Ask Hopkins, he'll show the evaluation sheets if you ask nicely. The MMs played and marched exactly what they asked for and enjoyed it immensely. The BD philosophy of the ring as the only thing isn't what this Cadet season was about.

I don't feel bad about linking these as they are put up by corps and companies to be watched on YouTube and aren't rips of the DCI broadcasts of semis and finals performances. Blue Devils Finals Encore Performance (multi-cam) The Cadets Finals Week Multi-cam Full Show - Percussion Focus: Part #1 (Vic Firth Percussion) Part #2 Part #3 Carolina Crown Finals Week Multi-cam Full Show - Percussion Focus: Part #1 (Vic Firth Percussion) Part #2 My apologies if these were already posted somewhere else on the forum or if these are old news. I'm sure someone will see this that hasn't yet watched them and would like to.

Jeff is the right person, at the right time. His business savvy (he rescued a revived a failing business that is now one of the leaders in the industry), his corporate experience before that, his drum corps experience and his passion for his "home drum corps" will serve the corps well. It is very much not a "toy" to him. He's stepped in because he loves the corps and loves the activity. I look forward to seeing where the corps goes moving forward under his leadership for the board. AA

That would be me, my wife, her mom, and anyone else we can fit in the car!

I'm a BK honk, but no, not the best top 6 ever. In my mind that's 1991 hands down! Star- Cross to Cross most innovative ending with incredible brass way ahead of its time Cavies- Dark Xmas music- Truly Amazing! Phantom- One of my all time favorite shows- gorgeous design with all the Opera Music and guard thematic costuming/equipment. Hornline swooning over guard opening legs a classic and somewhat XRated moment;) SCV- Miss Saigon- my favorite percussion book of all time! The ending where they're just tearing it up while the hornline sustains is ######! BD- Bird and Bella was wicked cool, great soloists, honestly even though it was their lowest placement- this was one of my all time fav BD shows! Cadets- Classic Cadets, great music, drill and guard. Top 6 was truly special

I don't think you would ever get George Hopkins to agree to that. (See what I did there? )

3 to go. Next, the Cabs and "Unchained". I apologize for not getting a count. There's a LOT of them. Please take my word for it. The new unis stirred up the soup early on, and I wanted to see them for myself. They're really different! In those discussions there was serious talk about how modern uniforms needed to be able to deal with the demands and challenges of modern drill, and it's obvious that's exactly what they're doing when I got a good look at them. At the distance from the box to the field, they do make the corps members look more athletic and strong as well. They're different, yeah, but I think it's a good kind of different. The same applies to this show. I'm seeing all of these chains draped over the corps members, the Drum Major chained to the Podium, WHOA! I knew this show wasn't going to be something you see every day. The flying start is just the beginning of the really intense, exciting crazy that's "Unchained". The way things set up with the drill, the guard, and the rest of the corps really added to the drama, then the corps wound up, and POOM! WHOA! You realize this corps' got an incredible amount of sheer power that they know how to use and use very well. The show's built around "Unchained Melody", which sneaks in and about the program, and it's an extremely high-energy and dynamic book. The Front Ensemble is "Crazy-Articulate". Yes, they articulate very specifically and cleanly when they approach the bars with the mallets. You hear every note on their runs to a ridiculously clear level. The brass has a very precise and tailored sound, and when they crank it, it sounds like Captain Nemo getting in touch with his wild and freaky side on the Nautilus' Organ. The Tubas are as fat and rich as they have been for the past three seasons when called on. The battery feature when some of the members are suspended and chained makes for high drama, and is really exciting, the Battery's got a lot of energy, and this season, they've refined that energy to a fine point. This show is extremely inspiring and exciting. Two things, though, and the second definitely played a real part in the near-tie in scoring: The trumpet soloists seemed a bit thin in one of the dramatic moments. I know those guys aren't normally like that, I don't expect that for Clifton. They're pros. The big issue is this: It's a very solid and sensible visual book. It's really good. But... is it as strong as what the Bucs have, and for that matter as the scores broke down- C2's? More on that later when I discuss the Bucs and break it down. As for the guard, I'm not a guard person, but I felt they may have been underrated. I felt they made some strong contributions to the story, added positively to the drama, and had a good run. I liked em'. But, again, I'm just some Baritone guy. I said in my write-up at D-Town that another corps that projected a strong personality- one that wasn't just going through the motions and simply executing cleanly had a chance to take the fight to the Bucs. This corps obviously can do exactly that. Saturday will be a real test for the Cabs, one they should be looking forward to. If they can keep the heads on, stay cool enough not to blow up the stuff yet still project their passion for the program- it'll be interesting. I think Fusion Core's (23 battery/14 FE/34(?) Guard/44 Brass/2DM been overlooked this year. This was going to be a demanding season for Fusion, and they went into it with their eyes wide open. At the upper levels of DCA, which they definitely are at now, they could have a far better program, perform it far better than 2014, and still drop in placement. They fully understood this going in. It's very tough at the top end of the activity. Tell you what, folks, this is a quality program. From the really cool flying start, it's obvious this transcontinental train journey they take you on is a fine, fine show, placement, schmasement and it's performed well, too! The start, the fanfare, it's obvious that Fusion's taken a large step in technicality and challenges within in the drill and brass, and I'd also believe percussion though I'm not as astute with those kinds of things. They had some problems with some of the sound effects, but the show holds up strongly without them. Again as with the Cabs, I felt the guard was very talented, relaxed, and polished in their performance. Were they under-appreciated? To me, yes, but I can only tell you when a guard is really clean, sensible, and working to entertain and be exciting (as they were to me!), or if a Guard is really awful and clueless. This guard makes the work they do look effortless, and they're delightful to watch. I know what they do can't be easy... can it? I know if I tried that stuff, It would be good for serious comedy during break time for a corps. The gold flags at the end make for a solid impact. The brass section's is the largest the Core's fielded in their history, and when it plays deep harmonies, it's got a really lovely sound to it. The Mello feature as always with Fusion, really good. The Front Ensemble is very good, quite subtle. The battery had some fuzz on the feature, but when they get that tight, it's going to be really cool and exciting to listen to and watch. The drill is very good and elegantly written, but again- is it on the level of the Cabs', C2, or the Bucs? This may be the main issue that will hold them back this season. In any event, is the corps better than 2014? YES. Noticeably better. Their placement at Finals may not indicate this- but those who know will understand this and appreciate how good Fusion is regardless. Now for the Bucs: The first thing I noticed is that I felt the Guard had a real fire lit under them at Scranton. I thought it showed, at least to me, and I appreciated that. Wow- I'm mentioning the guards a lot in this review. That's saying something. When a guard comes out and grabs my attention that much in a positive way, they have to be doing something right, don't they? I do know they had some drops. I'm a more forgiving person about those. I pick up a guard utensil, I usually dropping it is the next thing that happens. It's like when I play a bad note on my Bari. It can happen. My guess is that they'll work that out of their systems and be fine. I also thought the battery had a blisteringly good run that was effortless. They were 3rd- which is scary. Percussion's been a mainstay of the Bucs' dominance. Now, C2 and the Cabs have shown that this can't be taken for granted anymore by the Bucs. Now, we appear to have three really elite percussion ensembles going at it hammer and tongs. This really makes it interesting, to say the least. Did they have that real vibe and personality as they had at D-Town? Not quite. They really need to have it. The score implies they'd better. The show's great, but again- the people in that corps and the vibe they send when they're locked into that show are what send it over the top and make the difference. The one thing that I thought really kept them ahead at Scranton was this: Their Drill. Visual people look at the cleanliness of the forms, the readability of the forms, how they logically transition from element to element, and whether they support what's happening musically. Do you see what you hear/hear what you see? This is where I think they held enough of an advantage to win the contest. Looking at the recap, they had some real chinks in their armor, but no single corps was able to exploit enough of them to win. Clifton should be a fantastic contest. Everyone at it has something serious to prove. Someone to beat or stay ahead of, or at worst to keep the issue in serious doubt. To try and send a message to the judges and their opponents that they've got things covered, or even just that they'd better be seriously thought of as an Open Class Finalist, period. The DCA Champion may well come down to who really comes off with that special personality and special performance at Finals. The corps that comes off as wanting the Championship more than the others. Right now it's what I see happening. We'll see if Clifton changes that thought on my mind. Fistbump time!!!! Sky: The Upper and Mid-Brass. C2: The Bari soloist in Scheherazade. Well done, very well done.... Sabres: The Bari soloist in Rite of Spring. Cabs: The Front Ensemble. Mind-blowing stuff. Fusion: The Color Guard. For what it's worth, I though you guys were really cool. Bucs: The Guard. I know they're not sitting down and taking it, they're putting up a *bleep* of a fight to compete. 410 AM. I said I;d be done by 5 AM, I am. GOOD LUCK to everyone at Clifton, A wish for every competitor to stay healthy and to kick some you know what out there. Leave nothing behind on the field, huh? See you there!

While it is hard to really say "ever", my vote was yes with the criteria I put on it since following DCI closely since 1980, Most entertaining top 6 ever for me Most creative top 6 ever for me Most DIVERSE top 6 ever for me My favorite show may be the sixth place one

Are you asking quality of shows or excitement of competition? If you look at the intensity of the competition, this year's top 4 were amazing, I would not put SCV and Blue Knights in the category of best 5th and 6th place corps. We did not see the best BD show this year, and it could be argued we did not see the best 2nd place show ever with Crown. Yes they were top notch and the season was exciting, but exciting competition does not mean best ever. I don't say this with any disrespect to the corps. You gave us perhaps the most exciting season ever, and one that was unpredictable. I stayed up past my bedtime on more than one occasion waiting for scores.

A lot of DCP posters may not admit it, but Cadets did get the shaft. In fact the top 4 even if the placements remained, should have all been within a point. That gap that opened in 2 nights was an glaring embarrassment for the DCI judging process.

I almost always feel that the judges get the placements correct in the end. However, the 2015 Cadets were NOT evaluated objectively at finals. It's humorous to see all the criticism of the Cadets intended to justify their 4th place finish. 4th place was an injustice to this beast of a corps. And I am sick of hearing that any of the top 4 could of won this year. The judges made it pretty clear down the stretch that the Cadets didn't have a chance of finishing in the top 3; not a fan of DCI judging (and I use the term loosely!). Rant over, the abuse will start now.

And a not-so-fun memory of tour + reception of that 92 show by judges. From what I hear GR loved the members & show, but was constantly frustrated by DCI judges who didn't appreciate the show as much as GR had hoped. I agree that "Fiddler" is a show concept that SCV should keep in memory of GR and not bring back, unless it is a quote or something really super special (such as the Bottle Dance pose that SCV visual team seem to love putting into shows as homage)

Well that was exhausting. Kudos for winning brass with not only the running while doing runs, but maintaining the wonderful dynamic ranges and balance they had while spread out with their expansive drill patterns. They should have called their show "GAME ON" because that show was about athleticism.

1. Few corps are able to maintain the consistency that corps like BD, Cadets, SCV, cavaliers have had over the last 30 years. Cavaliers are going through a rough patch, and SCV hasn't medaled in a while but have only finished out of the top 5, 5 times since their last gold. But overall the corps at the top of the activity in the 80s still are at the top, and we have seen new corps get thrown up there. 2. In a time when many corps have folded, we should be fortunate that older corps like spirit, crossmen, boston, madison, blue stars, etc. Are still active and competitive. Considering that the 90s weren't kind to spirit, im just happy they made it back from that brink. 3. This thread should be closed since OP's questions can be answered by reading the spirit thread. And its my understanding thatvwe wont know anything new (and credible) until we hear it from spirit.

What a bulls**t topic, but if you must know...the alumni is pulling together and that's all I'll say. Bye the way, I was part of some of those years where we actually beat Cadets, Phantom, Madison, Cavies, and others in drums throughout the year. Yeah, those crappy scores are what defined my seasons!

I'm just thankful Spirit is still a corps that is up and running.

Any Corps performing on Saturday night is a success. Why should so many strive so hard for that 12th slot? Why do we spend so much time trying to predict who that final Corps will be?