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I do stand for everyone. I appreciate every performance.

Boston Crusaders posted from the DrumScorps app

And in the end I’m not sure it matters that much. The Bluecoats shows for the past several years are all about creating a fan-pleasing experience, regardless of placement. I can honestly say that I can’t think of another corps that has had my favorite show for more years in a row than 2014 - present Bluecoats.

Pacific Crest posted from the DrumScorps app

I was able to attend some of Bloo and some of BAC’s ensemble. Great stuff! We’re in for a treat! I’m headed home to grab a bite to eat (and maybe a nap) and then I’m off to the show site! posted from the DrumScorps app

I've wished for a long time that the excessive shrieking could be addressed in a lighthearted educational campaign. If WGI/DCI got together on a series of short Youtube videos, with silly subject matter, like a pack of girls following someone around the house and SCREECHING every time the person successfully put a dish away in the cabinet, etc. I think there is a way to make the point that everyone loves your enthusiasm, but perhaps be considerate of being overly intrusive on the audience environment. People need to be able to enjoy/appreciate the shows, and that gets diminished rapidly with constant outbursts.

... or going on line and posting our opinions about how the corps should design their shows because every one of us knows better than the people actually doing it, and our opinions are so important that everyone involved with drum corps needs to hear them ... THAT'S how you do narcissism. Old School, baby!!!

I try to be honest and I’ll say there’s not a whole lot I love this year so far. I love three corps, like some of them...others...well, I say nothing. Boston is one of the three I love.

I thought the corps was great tonight. I would have placed them in 3rd.

Bluecoats posted from the DrumScorps app

Last night after their performance, I turned around to the DCI media box and said to Jim Tabuchi "Saturday Night, Baby!" and gave him a thumbs up!! He had a nice big grin and said, Thanks so much! I'd be surprised to.

I fell out of this thread last night when friends showed up, but I wanted to say that yesterday was a fantastically entertaining show top to bottom. We brought four friends who hadn't seen drum corps before and had no idea of what they were in for, and every one of them asked me to grab tickets for the show next year before the final few corps had even taken the field. There were lots of folks in the stands, and I have to imagine there are now a bunch of new casual fans in the STL area. I hope we get to host another regional again soon, and this show really has us excited for finals week!

lindap: I'm sincerely not meaning any disrespect. Girls in the audience at DCI shows need to understand that their laser screaming shrieks for each and every rifle catch for every guard of every corps for the entire evening are excruciatingly painful to those of us seated in front of them.

Crown is now within .05 of the Bluecoats, and within .6 of being in the lead! WOW. Their GE went up like crazy tonight, visual as well. I know the rest of the top 6 was at different shows, but still, huge strides. Keep up the good work ladies and gents.

Colt Cadets now returning the favor. Up next: Colts! posted from the DrumScorps app

Blue Stars posted from the DrumScorps app

Sacramento Mandarins posted from the DrumScorps app

Oregon Crusaders posted from the DrumScorps app

I'm thinking the age of the screamers might better fit into generation Z than millennials. Let's go with that, so the boomers and millennials can finally stop fighting and join forces to blame generation Z for everything.

Upon careful consideration, after reading this entire thread, I just want to say EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

I am not really a fan of the Vanguard yell at all, as I want to hear and see the show as SCV intended. But if anyone MUST do it, please please please, do NOT do it before the horn snap and big hit in the ballad. This is an exquisite musical and emotional moment, and the yell there would be artistic vandalism. Just....don't.

It would be annoying. But so was 'CRYYYSSTTAALLL!' 'CROSSMEN DRUMLINE!' 'SPANK ME!' Not to mention 'THEY'RE ALWAYYYSSS READY!' I remember protracted debates about DUT DUT DUT. How about staffs going nuts for their corps on the track or even worse, in the middle of the stadium? I hated the thing two years ago with Carolina Crown, some parent getting up before the show and yelling it's someone's birthday and that everyone should yell 'Happy Birthday!' Maybe the symphony would be better - on the other hand, ever been to a symphony concert when someone is opening a breath mint wrapper while the orchestra is at pianissimo? I suppose a murder in the balcony would be more disruptive, which is part of the reason I don't do it. All I'm trying to say is that I think there have always been annoying moments at a show. If some people who have been attending shows for decades see that it is more of an issue nowadays and are annoyed, I think it's understandable. But it's not new in at least one sense. Is it different at finals? I would think there would be fewer shrieking guard girls front and center there. Maybe it is more of a problem in the lower rows. I think a lot of fans prefer being up higher and I wonder if those seats, which tend to be filled up ahead of time, unlike lower seats, have less of the fangirls. But I could very well be wrong. I don't attend enough shows to know.

Interesting how some folks, when they see that kids aren’t facing as much adversity as they did back in the day, simply skip to the whole “participation trophy” idea as if it’s a relevant or valid concept.

I may be with you on the screaming. I will continue to stand & applaud after every performance. I guess I can assess demonstrable appreciation for ALL work & effort. Try it

I guess I don't get your math. BAC is 2.77 behind BD. So that's 5 corps within 2.77. BAC is 1.35 behind Carolina who they tied last week. BAC was .45 from Cavies. So how this is "not close" is what I don't get. There is a month to go so there are no safe bets. Especially in the top 6.

Even if Crown doesn't medal this year, I love this show! I believe they're headed in the right direction with the changes they've made so far. I know brass has an off night, I'm certain Matt Harloff will take care of that as he always does. But let's talk about this percussion! Wow! Even if they don't medal, how great would it be if Crown took home the Sanford?!

Judges tonite would tend to agree. They are potentially medals worthy in Brass, Percussion. Guard. They march well and they play well, and they utilize Guard equipment well. They are scoring within medals range for certain in performer execution But these performer execution captions are not rewarded as they used to be on the sheets. Thats not a complaint. Thats just an observation of the change in whats rewarded. GE is what carries the scores/ placements. And with the disparate shows, and completely dissimilar instrumentations being utilized between all these competing groups, the sights and sounds coming from the field ( with singers/ electronic layerings ) are all equally great but completely diverse and unlike one another in virtually every respect, imo. So its not a matter as to which show design is " better ". Thats now indeterminable in my humble opinion. Its now a function as to what do the GE judges " like " and " prefer " more now. Not what is " better ". Thats pretty much impossible to tell us now, imo. Judges could reasonably do this in earlier decades when all the instruments of competition were the same to determine what was performed" better " and whose Marching was " better ". Those " better " executed music and marching things then showed up on " better " GE scores. Does this happen now ? No. Of course not. A corps can be subpar in execution in ( for example ) Percussion playing, but still score high in GE, and even win or place high despite subpar performer execution. So its all changed. Show Designers are tasked with figuring out what is being rwarded on score sheets and create show designs that reward such.. and spend more time and focus there, and not so much on performer execution and cleaning anymore .NONE of these top Corps march particularly well, imo with proper marching skills anymore, imo. All the top Corps have dirty feet, bad lines and spacings, etc and so forth imo .Thats not so much a criticism as much as it is an observation that these things tend not to be rewarded when done well anymore like they used to be anyway. So Boston needs to figure out WHAT most is being rewarded now in GE and respond appropriately to that moving forward. I believe they will. They did not move up from 13th/ 14th at this time just 2 seasons ago by not figuring those placements and scores out. They'll figure out these current GE scores and respond in corrective fashion too, imo.

Congrats Devs and Blooo! Fun times (except in the show thread lol) BAC staff and kids know what to improve upon and add. Hopefully these adjudicators also get less peri-washed and more peer/staff critiqued and evaluated. Safe and hydrated travels to Texas. BAC (en fuego) Giants. ••|•|••• ♥ Ro-ah ~ Y'all.

Don't let all the nay Sayers run you away from the show, it's turning out to be one of my favorite Crown shows! ENJOY THE SHOW!!!

Um yeah we were at the show.

Spirit of Atlanta is going to close like a freight train and take it. Take your pick on who they displace!

Colts posted from the DrumScorps app

SCV got an 88. Scores on DCI

Don't know how you got that out of it. Lots of interesting races. Thread asked for opinions, I gave mine. 3.83 is a massive gap and it is insurmountable at this time in the season, in today's DCI.

It's fun to imagine that we can solve problems by talking about them on the internet. The reality is that if you are not in close touch with the organization, it's useless to speculate on what the fix might be in any particular case. Here's an example: a few years ago a certain alumni group was calling for the head of a certain program coordinator. They got it. That person is now coordinating the program for another corps. Is he bringing them down? Nope. In fact, they are a lock for a medal this year and the odds-on favorite for gold. Obvious-but-truism: You really just can't analyze the dynamics of human relationships from a distance.

Those ballad changes sent chills down my spine last night, and it was that low brass at the end that did it. If they keep those kind of changes coming, they will silence the haters that have been putting them down since the first competition

But still...don't they possess a 33% chance just like the other two in the 1-3 draw? Seems like they "beat the odds"...I don't really care, but it doesn't matter how many championships you've won if you are in a field of 3 to be drawn...you should have a 1/3 chance of drawing the closing slot.

Having seen every corps at yesterday's regional, my wife and I both thought that the Mandarins' show was the most pleasantly surprising. We really enjoyed last year's program, and this year they exceeded our already high expectations! The level of demand is up another notch from '17, and the show was consistent and engaging (even if there were times where I wasn't quite sure what, exactly, the show was trying to get across). I thought they'd be on the bubble for finals, but after yesterday I'd be surprised if they *don't* make finals. We got very similar vibes to seeing Academy this time of year in '16. I think the vehicle is there, so clean it up like maniacs the rest of the way!

That awkward moment you sign up for a forum, but instantly regret doing so, because after 22 corps battle it out in a heated competition, the only ongoing conversation seems to be: To scream or not to scream? SMDH.

In case anyone has forgotten, part of the DCI script read before every show is the suggestion that everyone scream, yell, applaud, etc. when they see something they like on the field. We shouldn't be surprised if a few take this suggestion very seriously with "great vigor" (+1 JFK).

oh lord. I assumed you missed the opening of BD's show this year - when the guard is spread 0 to 0 with the brass players and they power right out o f the gate spinning, playing and marching at north of 200 bpm with insane demand and exposure? just because they work to make something "look easy" doesn't mean it isn't difficult And the 1990 comment - what an odd choice in a year to pick. 1990 Cadets had a ton of simultaneous demand (the most?) and WON. 93 Cadets - similar story. 94 BD similar. 91 Star similar. So the 1990 date is why exactly?

As did I! It seemed to be such an inspired run, very cohesive IMO, especially in the Dome Dome Dome Dome Dome

It's am uphill climb to beat the Blue Coat's, The Bluedevil's, and The Vanguard's.

Hey everybody! We know whats going to trigger N.E. Brigand!

Interesting. I think he's one of the best, and he's normally unafraid to get under the hood. However, for a first sampling on everyone, could give him a Mulligan.

Glad to hear it. Anything to address the drums... and maybe pile on the GE goodness even more is good with me! I don't mean to just be critical. That brass placement is a vital achievement (especially with BD AND Crown there).

Btw it’s the first time Allan specifically and many of the judges saw these shows field level. Do you know the hours any field judge spends mapping a show? To know when to be where isn’t a random walk on the field... Jesus Christ, never mind!!

One step closer to possibly adding a brand new trophy to the collection...a Sanford sure would look pretty next to those Ott's

That was another great performance by Boston! Decided to post the love on here since there seems to be a lot of negativity on the show thread. I love the additions to the show and the amount of movement these members do is just stunning!! Keep it up Boston, you're amazing!!