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A few observations from DATR -- both the Casper and Denver editions. Casper NCHS is a small but excellent venue to watch drum corps. Same could be said, from the fan perspective, about Casper. There is no question that it is in the middle of nowhere, but once you get there -- and it takes some effort -- the city offers quite a bit. The local restaurant scene is vibrant and a tasty variety of local brews can be found on taps. It's not New York City, but there is more street life than you might imagine. For the corps, Casper is not as accommodating. NCHS itself provides everything a world-class DCI corps could want, but there aren't enough schools of that size, or willing to house a corps, in a 60-mile radius to provide housing for more than a small handful of corps. There may have been a day, a generation or so ago, when the name Casper Troopers could unlock any door in the city, but those days are gone, sacrificed to the national-brand imperative of drum corps, to the rise of risk management, to the demise of arts in the schools, etc. These days, the Troopers have to market themselves to their home city as hard as any other local competitor for entertainment dollars. The venue itself, however, is heaven for a drum corps fan. The field is tucked close to the stands, the box is low, and you can see the sweat on every performer's face. From the leafy neighborhoods beyond the school, the rumble of batteries warming up and the sound of big brass chords can be heard. Plus, the Wyoming sky is always a great backdrop. Some distant lightning bolts to add to the mood on Friday. It was a tidy 4-corps lineup, and the MC announced a slate of 5 judges, all of them box-oriented, no perc or brass judges on the field. Genesis has a well-constructed show with some really nice ideas and some cool moments. The 'wall of brass' maneuver with the horn line (except tubas) on the wall is very effective. Brass has a good sound; percussion writing seemed a bit thin but the members sold it as hard as they could. I could have done with about 70% less of the lecture from 'Mother Nature' at the start of the show, but when she finally stepped aside, the music and movement took over nicely. After I don't know how many years, I have found a Crossmen show I enjoy. For so long, Bones has been competent, smooth, polished to a mass-produced corporate sheen . . . and difficult to remember. This year is different. You will remember Crossmen. Will they execute to the level they are known for? That's another quesiton, and on Friday, the answer was no. The front half of the show is lots of scowling, big hits and power-posturing, and not a whole lot of melody, but they definitely own the field and are selling hard. The dark, ragged skirt-like bottom half of the uniform makes the legs and feet all but insivible, which I'm sure was the objective. The electric guitar fits the mood, but at times covers up the brass. The show gels better in the second half, where there is some very nice brass ensemble work and that classic, glossy Crossmen sound comes through. Love the way Wagner's signature work gets an over-the top treatment; it's very effective and connects with the audience. Drums are dirtier than I usually hear from Crossmen, but it could have been my side-1, 25YL listening vantage point. The dozen disc prop/platforms have a cheap & cheesy look to them, but they don't distract. A passing storm cell dropped no rain but pushed some strong wind gusts across the field during Xmen's show (it's Wyoming), and carried airborne flags and rifles well away from their intended landing spots; the guard worked hard to keep equipment under control. And props to the baritone who, very busy with his own responsibilities, saw and scooped up a dangerously large bass-drum mallet that had been dropped on the field, did some body movement with it, then found an opportune moment to chuck it under one of the prop/platforms. Overall it's a relatable, if sometimes cartoonish, show with lots of audience appeal and, finally, some emotion and connection from the Crossmen. Over the years, Casper fans in their tiny HS grandstand in the middle of nowhwere have been treated to an intimate encounter with some astounding drum corps: E=mc2, Kinetic Noise, Propaganda. This year, it was Behold. Well, there is a lot to behold, all right. Cadets are all over the place. Look here, look there . . . what exactly is going on? Brass sound at times is just about perfect, but there are long stretches between full-ensemble playing. This show takes to an extreme the "small group on an island" ensemble approach. Little pockets of playing here, there, over here again. . . . and for what purpose, I'm not entirely clear. Visually, too, there are a lot of small groups, disconnected from each other, doing their own things, and not as much in the way of full-ensemble formations. For a show called "Behold," there is definitely a "ta-daa" feel to the show, a sort of continual introductory fanfare, but this production had the least continuity of the four on the field. Nor was there the attention to detail we expect from the 10-Time World Champion Drum and Bugle Corps. At times when the horn line was barging around the big staircases, fans were treated to the backside view of the props, and to all the guard and other equipment stored on them. Musically, the drums are nails as usual, and they move and attack constantly. The (long!) tenor feature on the elevated platform was a highlight of the evening for me, a former drummer. Cadets gave us that signature brass sound in spots, but left me feeling they had served a snack tray, not a full meal. More than a few visual individual-performance issues in more than a few spots, but I understand they've been inserting some changes recently, and Casper is a nice low-profile show to get them worked out. The guard had big problems with the wind; one rifle got carried downfield, and as the guard member tracked it, he wound up straddling the back of a brass performer -- who was, coincidentally, purposefully scrabbling along the ground at the moment -- and dragging him along as he lunged for his rifle. Flags were heroic in keeping their work under control. So, some challenging conditions, and I guess some new parts or movements or something, but man, the Cadets look like three busloads of tremendous talent in search of an idea. But then, Cadets have always been the kind of outfit that bulids the airplane during flight. By the time they land in Allentown, who knows? Troopers got lots of love from the home crowd, and their show is evolving nicely. They've worked out some 3rd-movement transition issues and put them on display Friday. There are some tricky section-to-section timing challenges among the brass, and when the execution is there, the effect is really cool. Troopers are the palette cleanser to the Cadets: they march, and they play, and they make formations, and they don't mess around with any props (they do have a tarp, but they didn't use it Friday because of the wind). There was no perc judge at the show to verify, but to my ears Troop drums sounded cleaner than Crossmen, and their book is full of some sweet Rennick writing. The brass is disciplined, well-coached, and young. They make a very good, balanced sound, deliver some strong impacts, and are still learning how to master the more challenging technical demands. Their trumpet soloist makes a gorgeous sound. The ensemble still needs horsepower, but that will come with age and experience. And that, of course, depends on retention. With that in mind, and with the change to a broader programming palette this season, the staff has got the members on a multi-year plan to grow their capabilities, while the admin is 100% focused on member experience. The most powerful influence on auditions tomorrow is the show design you put on the field today, combined with the quality of the summer you deliver to the members. "Beyond Boundaries" is an entertaining, satisfying show that is worth the price of a ticket, but even if it doesn't electrify the drum-corps world the way "Downside Up" did, it is meant to serve as a new foundation for the Troopers' new direction. If the members go home happy and wanting more, when they come back they'll get a show and book that will take them even further. Denver At 9 p.m., after the contest was cancelled, after the Troopers and Pacific Crest left because their drivers were on the clock, and as The Cadets brass entered the Mile High field to kick off a series of standstills . . . . it was a beautiful night for drum corps. No rain, no wind, and a diminished but still large and extremely responsive crowd. It was just a real shame that, during that one 90-minute window that mattered most, the weather ruined everything. It was a gorgeous day up until those 90 minutes, and it was a wonderful evening after those 90 minutes, perfect for drum corps. But life is all about timing, they say. Cadets gave us O Holy Name and a couple other chorales and called it a night. It was beautiful, it was stately, it was Cadets, and it was over. Crossmen saw the Cadets brass and raised them one battery. They ran through a couple abbreviated bits of their show, which was difficult without the FE. They gave us the Rocky theme that they use in parades, and that was a strange moment, hearing Rocky come from a corps looking like a Teuto-Norse-Ninja invasion party. Genesis then came out and earned it. They gave the crowd a big chunk of their show, with battery, and brought a passion that the Cadets had left on the bus. By the time the Cascades lined up, the stadium camera crew had figured out that close-ups of the members during their setup was generating some funny and charming Jumbotron moments of recognition by the players, and so that became part of the routine. It loosened up the awkwardness of standstills. Blue Devils, brass and battery, lined up and clinically ran through Toto's "Rosanna", space chords and a couple other examples of lot wizardry, then zipped off the field. Then the Columbians pushed their pit onto the field and brought out their guard and gave their final performance of their season, in standstill. BD may have impressed the crowd, but The Columbians, desperate to perform, owned it. They played their entire show, and the standing O the crowd gave them lifted the members 3 feet off the ground. It had to have been a bittersweet moment for them, and the crowd did its best to tip the scale toward the sweet. It was the final show for Battalion, too, and they got their own standing O. This corps is slowly, surely, gathering strength and sophistication. Their new uniforms look sharp, too. The Blue Knights were, undestandably, crushed by the rainout. Guys, listen, this show is electric, it is starting to pop off the field, and the members know it. The kids could barely keep their feet on the ground during their afternoon production runs, in anticipation of going against the Cadets at their home show. So when they got to the stadium and got the word that they would do a standstill, it was a huge letdown, especially for the age-outs (to say nothing about the fans). But. Someone BK talked to someone Mile High, and badda-bing badda-boom, BK was going to do their full show because weather conditions were perfect, they had rented the stadium, there were no judges, they were last on, they didn't need to travel overnight, it was their home show, there were still thousands in the stands, and who was going to stop them? So the brass emerged from the tunnel, then the guard and their equipment emerged from the tunnel, and the USS Front Ensemble emerged from the tunnel, and then the battery, and the crowd went nuts. The musicians performed in uniform, though the guard did not. No matter. The home crowd was here for it, and BK let it rip. You can call it weird. You can call it unique. You can call it typical BK. Whatever you call it, it is compelling. Someone else on these boards said it, no one puts a mood on a football field like BK, and that is the truth. The show is unified and seamless, a complete thought -- however esoteric that thought might be. There is an endless amount of content in this show, with tremendous dynamic variety. There is still some dirt in the brass in "Liquid," and the players know it, and they know that as they have started to master greater amounts of it, it is turning that segment of the show into its powerhouse. The battery's sound during "Hurt," all scratches and distant thunder and echoes, is only enhanced by the canyon walls in the big stadiums like Mile High. Enormously effective. The guard is performing at levels not seen since 2014. The closer features a killer trumpet solo that introduces a groove to the show that feels like a bright, positive awakening from a long, introspective thought. There is still much visual to clean in the closer's final moments, but the picture is coming into focus. When I talked to the members, they express a sense of where this show can go. They have an air of momentum about them. They sense the moment. And they are having a blast. Oh, and the field, subjected to a monsoon for those critical 90 minutes, wasn't a factor. No falls, no slips. I asked a couple members of the horn line after the show about the field, and they shrugged. It was fine. Didn't give it a thought.

Times, they are a changin’. Drill is not the sole denominator. (Unless you are a dentist.) But thanks for your comment.

That's because they have less drill to clean 😉

Now my dilemma, I'm in a section surrounded by 70's Belleville drum corps Dino's.... SEND HELP!!!!!

Fantastic run by Blue Stars... Solid in all sections and fun to watch... I'm convinced, no matter the era, drill designers hate lowbrass players. Baritones were trucking.

Although this sly creature prefers the west coast it is sighted just about about everywhere on DCP. Bold in nature, it delights it poking the soft spots of other wildlife.

And Pizza. 🍕

Great run by Cavaliers, that ballad is fantastic. Very very engaging.

UN. BE. LIEVABLE. Bluecoats... Holy chit!!!! That was just on another level. So clean you can eat off of it.

Holy biblical epic, Batman!! BAC are goooooooood.... Guard is astounding, and they're not competing clean yet. Room to grow. And ladies and gentlemen, never underestimate the power of a squeaky clean guard show on the effect of the visual program. A.maz.ing.

Regiment just lit the crowd up. What a lucious brass line. They definitely righted the ship from earlier.

Spirit posted from the DrumScorps app

Colts. posted from the DrumScorps app

Guardians posted from the DrumScorps app

OK Bloo...let's just save everyone a little time here and bust a 90 tonight!!!

Let's have a great run tonight, Men!

This year (And an ongoing trend overall in all the circuits, boa, wgi imo.) features way too many cerebral shows. Good variety would include more straight forward themes. To me Bluecoats is just plan cool, hip and fun and no one sounds like them this season so they are also original.

That looks right.

Mid-Season Analysis Saturday, July 13 was the 22nd competitive day of the 47-day competitive season (show days only). Given the importance of Saturdays in the DCI schedule, this is the best date to use for a mid-season analysis. The rain-out in Denver means we are missing scores for several finalist-level corps however that was the case last year too and most of the placements held to finals anyway. The Medalists Current standings give the medals to Bluecoats, Santa Clara Vanguard and Blue Devils, in that order. Carolina Crown is just 0.050 points out of third place although that is compared to a three-day old Blue Devils score. The Top 3 order did not change from mid-season to finals in either 2018 or 2017 with close races those years as well. Does this mean things are set in stone? Of course not. However, Bluecoats are undefeated, Santa Clara Vanguard and Blue Devils have traded victories, and no one else has really been close to any of them in head-to-head competition. The spread from 1st to 3rd is 1.05 this year compared to 1.05 in 2018 and 0.90 in 2017. Given Blue Devils have not had a score since 2010, it is safe to say that this spread is much smaller than 1.05. The Top 6 Beyond the medalists, the corps that make up the Top 6 have been identical for each of the last three seasons. For this year, Carolina Crown, Boston Crusaders, and The Cavaliers are 4th-6th, in that order. Given the back-and-forth between Carolina Crown and Boston Crusaders, this seems to be the place for the greatest possibility of order change. The Cavaliers seem to be on a bit of an island based on spreads with corps above them so far. The corps is currently two full points out of 5th place. The 4th-6th grouping saw change in 2018 and 2017 from mid-season to finals. Last year, The Cavaliers dropped from 4th to 6th and Carolina Crown and Boston Crusaders both moved up a spot. In 2017, Bluecoats fell from 4th to 5th and The Cavaliers moved up from 5th to 4th. The spread from 1st to 6th this year is 3.95 points compared to 2.95 in 2018 and 3.05 in 2017. The Top 12 If the current Top 12 holds, the corps will be the same for two years in a row. From mid-season to finals in 2017, there were no changes at all in the 7-12 grouping. In 2018, Phantom Regiment dropped from 10th to 11th and Mandarins moved up from 11th to 10th. The Academy dropped from 12th all the way to 15th with Crossmen moving up from the 13th into the last finalist spot. The spread from 1st to 12th right now is 8.90 points compared to 8.75 in 2018 and 8.60 in 2017. More importantly to the corps battling for finals, the spread from 12th to 13th is 1.20 in 2019 compared to 0.25 in 2018 and 1.85 in 2017. Spirit of Atlanta will need a serious push to make up that ground based on past trends. For example, when in 14th place last year Spirit of Atlanta was the same distance to 12th as it is now in 13th and that is with Spirit having a score on July 13 and Crossmen not.

The report of Crown’s death was a great exaggeration. [W]e shall fight in SA, we shall fight on the fields of the ‘Benz Dome, we shall fight on every field from here to Indy; we shall never surrender. One starts the day in exceptional form, when you can quote or paraphrase both Twain and Churchill.... Magnificent job, Crown👑!!!

Venue Alamodome 100 Montana St. San Antonio, TX 78203 Lineup & Times All times CT and subject to change 1:30 PM Welcome & National Anthem 1:40 PM Compass - Midland, TX 1:50 PM Arsenal - Albuquerque, NM 2:07 PM Guardians - Houston, TX 2:24 PM Seattle Cascades - Seattle, WA 2:41 PM Jersey Surf - Camden County, NJ 2:58 PM Music City - Nashville, TN 3:15 PM Genesis - Austin, TX 3:32 PM Troopers - Casper, WY 3:49 PM Pacific Crest - Diamond Bar, CA 4:06 PM Madison Scouts - Madison, WI 4:23 PM Intermission 4:43 PM Colts - Dubuque, IA 5:00 PM Spirit of Atlanta - Atlanta, GA 5:17 PM The Academy - Tempe, AZ 5:34 PM Phantom Regiment - Rockford, IL 5:51 PM Crossmen - San Antonio, TX 6:08 PM Mandarins - Sacramento, CA 6:25 PM Intermission 7:15 PM The Cadets - Allentown, PA 7:32 PM Blue Knights - Denver, CO 7:49 PM Blue Stars - La Crosse, WI 8:06 PM The Cavaliers - Rosemont, IL 8:23 PM Carolina Crown - Fort Mill, SC 8:40 PM Boston Crusaders - Boston, MA 8:57 PM Bluecoats - Canton, OH 9:14 PM Santa Clara Vanguard - Santa Clara, CA 9:31 PM Blue Devils - Concord, CA 9:48 PM Encore: DrumLine Battle 10:05 PM Scores Announced Judges GE 1 – G. OLIVIERO GE 1 – M. STONE GE 2 – G. MARKHAM GE 2 – G. FUGETT VIS. PROF. – R. SOLOMON VA – T. OCHRAN C. G. – J. HOWELL BRASS – D. ARGUL MA 1 – J. KENNEDY MA 2 – R. SAUCEDO PERC. – M. LEITZKE

The Mandarins’ guard is the same difference behind the cavies in guard as the cavies are from Boston. That’s incredible. Love that little west coast corps!

I like mine smoked with mesquite

It’s almost 11 and all I am thinking about now is food. :’(

Me like Mandarins score.

And Texas BBQ

Wow. Great scores tonight! I had predicted they stick to 2 point gaps at the top (88.0, 86.0, 84.0) but that was only party true. (88.1, 86.6, 84.6). Awesome job everyone.

Tuesday in Broken Arrow is going to be fun. Those naughty little Devils are coming.

DCP has scores posted before DCI...LOL http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/stats-captions/

Too much of anything is bad. Except for Thai food and breadsticks.

I’m just going to lead the way like last night from the blast zone in Atlanta and Indy. Stand up ######! It’s fantastic!

Bloo has no fluff or rainbows or unicorns in their show. They are just bad ### drum corps ... not 101 ... but master level!

Boston crusaders posted from the DrumScorps app

Is there a stronger word than wow for Boston? That is a top 3 show. No weaknesses anywhere.

Blue Stars posted from the DrumScorps app

Bloo is awesome at it. But I don’t want to see all corps doing that. Omg how boring things would get if they were all feel good shows.

In DeKalb my Wife said to me " who are so many drum corp members crawling around the field on all 4's with angry face? I'm not a fan of dark shows with skulls, the devil, hell, etc. The Bluecoats have figured out the formula for success...and that is to perform uplifting shows that make people feel good. I wish more corps would take that approach...minus the ridiculously loud over-amplification of the horns and drums of course.

As expected, Mandarins so much better in person. Brass is much improved over last year. Corps performing g with confidence. Opener especially is musically and visually tight! Show is exciting. Guard is pretty much killing it.

Maybe Cavaliers need to go co-Ed. Made you look!

Hardly the biggest difference. What Bluecoats has figured out (and what BD has done for over a decade) is how to have powerful solo, small group and ensemble moments of equal importance in their shows. This is all now backed up by their costume concepts—individualism within conformity. You get this gliding sense of uniformity and flow from beginning to end. It just FEELS like a 12 minute experience. SCV did this brilliantly last year. So did Mandarins. To me, Cavaliers has one of the best horn and percussion lines in world class this year. What the corps above them are doing better is simultaneously delivering that uniformity with individuality.

So let it be written, so let it be done. For all you corps out there in pursuit of a precious or semi precious metal: game’s over. Gas up the busses, and head back to the barn. Age-outs, start your post MM life a few weeks early. 2nd tier & below staffs, get the pole position on 2020 prep. Talking to you: BAC, Cadets, Cavies, Crown...pack it in, folks. If, on the other hand, you subscribe to that sage philosopher Yogi Berra that, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” or perhaps more apropos, “It ain’t over ‘til Brandt Crocker sings,” then your temerity to stick around might be forgiven. Stranger Things have happened. Even outside, the upside down.

He’s the one who yells “Bloo” when Blue Stars takes the field, isn’t he?

I have stayed somewhat quiet on here for at least a few days because of, for lack of a better word, clique-ism, on many a side's view. Really not on here to step on toes, but it's a discussion forum so here I am giving MY opinion. It is a little annoying to be called a honk or something just because you really enjoy a corps with the name of Crown. Either way. C'est la vie. Crown wow's me every time, so much improvement in drill, drumline, and especially guard. I find myself watching the guard more these days. Big flag moments have me enticed, but rifle moments find me watching the drill. The drill is nothing to look past though, I see major Frameworks vibes like the crazy movements coming to a line with a percussive or brass accent at the come-together point. Guard wise, I seriously think it's the uniforms, don't know where to look. Bluecoats DO know their color it's something all corps can learn from. All about the pop of color. Brass needs to up it in terms of loudness, wam spots like in Dies Irae in 2015, very that... all throughout places. Pretty sure I'm echoing another poster from some page on here....great job Crown in closing. You'll wax on, wax off like everyone else (oh #### now I'm insecure LOL). Keep doing what you're doing, we Crown Honks 🚓 love it.

My first time seeing Phantom since week one. They're cleaning up nicely. Performing with passion. Very spirited performance. Big crowd reaction. Phantom not giving up their finalist spot without a fight (with a Battle Song).

No worries. We who can't be there, appreciate any tidbits provided. Hope you have a great time!

who knows. I'm really disappointed with their selection this year - especially with the unfortunate rain outs

Why oh why isn’t Broken Arrow on flomarching instead of the Texas show?

The Too Cool For Everything band Kid. the kid who sitting near you at a show, will trash everything he sees because "my band does it soooo much better"