wheelerand

I have never booed anyone at any contest. I absolutely loathe the Cadets' show - three years running now - but I never boo them. That's my personal choice. It's just not in my nature to do that. Having said that, I would not impose my personal choice as a standard of behavior for everyone. It's a mostly accepted premise that paying fans at an event have the right to cheer or boo, or remain silent. We are not obligated to pretend to like a show that we don't like. Now, I believe that most of the kids who join the Cadets are way more than intelligent enough to understand that no one is booing THEM. In all of these threads, I have not read one comment that was negative about the kids or about their performance (disclaimer - I have not read every post in every thread; sadly, I do have a life I have to attend to). The kids that march the Cadets are working as hard as anyone else out there, and anyone who has been in drum corps or who has attended many shows can appreciate that hard work. That doesn't mean that they like THE SHOW. People who are booing are booing the show concept, not its performance. Let's not confuse the issue. I don't believe that anyone is actually booing the kids; and again, I think they know that. Now, you can say that it's impolite or whatever else to boo the show concept; I accept that point of view but I don't think it should be imposed on everyone. Hopkins knows that his show concepts are not widely popular outside Cadetdom. Heck, how do you propose something for twelve years in a row and get it voted down every year and NOT realize that people don't really want this? How could you have gone through last year and heard the response at Finals and NOT know that people in general do not like this type of show concept? Hopkins is not stupid - he understands all this. His kids aren't stupid, either - they understand it also and know what they're getting into. The bottom line is that neither Hopkins nor the kids are letting that dissuade them from designing and performing these shows. They're sticking to their guns. Call it visionary. Call it stubborn. If you think about it, there's not really much difference. They're doing what they BELIEVE in (sorry about that) and people are expressing their reactions. To me, it's not right or wrong - it just is. I'll go on not booing the Cadets. And, as was the case last year, they will also be the only APD in any division that I DON'T download. These are my personal choices, and I don't insist that anyone else make the same choices I make.

Suggestion: In addition to refunding the money for those who paid specifically for this webcast and posting the show on enCorps, it would be a great act of goodwill if DCI would offer free APDs of all the performances to anyone who paid for the webcast or any who are Platinum members. It's all about customer service, and given the problems this summer, I think DCI needs to go above and beyond the "we'll refund your money and let you see them several days after they've performed" stance.

Just a thought...I wonder if they'll be reimbursing me for this day of vacation I took to watch the show. I don't have that many days left.....

LIve chat isn't much help right now...of course, that could be the 1.5 million people in front of me.....

Same experience here. I wonder if they're undersized on their servers.

I haven't been able to find any info on Vision Elite this year. Does anyone know what's going on? I didn't see anything on their website that either confirmed or denied that they're marching this year, but I also haven't seen any shows with them in the list. They're not on Corpsreps for this year. I met several people from the corps at Michigan City last year and really enjoyed talking to them. Anyone have any info?

I lost it too. It wants me to log back in now, but when I try it just hangs.

Does anyone else miss, "So-and-so, you may take the field...." I find that I never know when a show has started any more.

It's called "evolution"...at least, that's what I heard it called.....

Hmmm...we could start out with Magic's water from the Pirates of the Caribbean show a few years back.....

I was lonely in high school too. Anyone want to hear my story? Thought not......

My wife just walked in and asked if I could mute the people doing all the talking. Working on that voice filter now.....

It's working on me..... <**>

Good point. Might not show up well under the lights either.

Would love to, but they're not listening when they're talking. At least, that's what my teachers used to say.....

Thanks. Quick question, for anyone who might know...is there any reason in the rules why they COULDN'T use laser lights? I'm not necessarily in favor of turning Drum Corps into light shows, but it would seem that with amplification in now, there might be openness to lights also? Anyone know?

I couldn't tell - were those red "laser lines" actually light or ribbons?

Wow!!! Phantom has done so much with that show! The new sashes and gauntlets, matching the drums; the new CG unis at the end; I've liked this show better every time I've seen it this year, but it seems like almost a new show this week from Atlanta. Great job, PR!!

My best week of Drum Corps ever was Madison 2002 - a Drum Corps extravaganza that I'd love to repeat. I saw every performance in every show except for 1 of the D2/3 prelims (didn't get back from lunch in time). Boy was my butt sore by the end of that week!! (If you've sat through shows at Camp Randall, you understand.) Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it for Prelims last year, but I saw all 5 other shows. I wouldn't want to eliminate any of them. For me, the worst possible solution involves making D2/3 shows COMPETE with the D1 shows - who ever thought that was a good idea? And yet, that's what they did from 2003-2005. What a crock. In Indy, I plan to go to all the shows. Here's an idea, though...move I&E to Tuesday and let the actual shows be on contiguous days. I've never been to I&E and I have absolutely no interest in going - not that I don't respect the performers or their talents - that's just not what interests me. Having a "day off" in the middle of drum corps week never made sense to me. The most sensible organization I ever saw was in 2002, where they had shows every day, Monday thru Saturday. That was when they let some corps declare for Div 1 and continue competing - I saw Magic 6 times that week! What a great storyline that was. I was OK also with the more compact format last year (Friday and Saturday having two shows each) - as long as I get to go to all 6 shows without having to miss any, I'll be fine.

Yeah, Stef, you're right - deja vu!! When amplification was originally voted in, I hated the whole idea. Didn't think the activity needed it. Didn't necessarily think it was the end of the world, but really felt it wasn't anything we needed to have. I've since changed my mind about amplification in the pit (yes, even I can change my mind, although it doesn't happen often...). I've heard some effects that I wouldn't have heard otherwise, and frankly, I like the fact that I can hear ethnic drums better now - they're always a favorite for me. I can't say the same for amped voice. The best I can say for it is that there are a few shows that it didn't totally ruin. I've never felt that it actually added anything to a show - usually it distracts from the music. There are some shows in which the amped voice simply goes with the theme. I don't like it, but I get that. Then there are others that actually try to preach to me. That's how I felt about the beat poetry in Crown's Bohemian show and that's how I feel about the first section of Cadets' narration this year. I expect to be preached to at church, but not at a drum corps show. To me, it's a backhanded way to get some propaganda in. All that said, here's the point I find most interesting. I don't know if you remember the wording of the original proposal (the one that passed) or not, but I do. Amped voice got one short line near the end: "Amplification of voice would also be permitted". That's it. I find it interesting that what I find most objectionable about the whole amplification thing wasn't even a focus of the original proposal. As always, JMO. I think I can be open-minded about things (like amplification in the pit) - but there are other things that I just simply don't like (like amped voice). I don't think that makes me close-minded about it, it just means I don't like it. Off to bed now, but great hanging with you and George!!

Hee hee, I can take that in the spirit you meant it, George. Honestly, I thought their 2001 show, "Juxtaperformance" was one of the best I've seen. They've just been getting increasingly gimmicky since then, and, well, that's just not my style. I'd say that about any corps. I love the Cavies, but I whined about the gimmicky ladders in their show a couple of years ago. I think the Cadets are trying to drive things in a direction to prove one man's vision. IMO, their shows suffer for it - but that doesn't mean that they don't have a good corps or a lot of talent. I just get too distracted by the gimmicks. Just me.

I see your point, Stef, but honestly, it's 10:30pm (Central Time) and here we are debating a Drum Corps show. Aren't we all just a bit obsessive? I did that only because I wanted to see if what I felt when I saw the show on the webcast a couple of weeks ago was backed up by fact.

Well, that won't be an option for me this year...no bucks for a trip to Pasadena. But seriously, there are shows I like that I haven't seen live. I like Spirit and Crossmen. My favorite of all time is Boston 2001, and I never saw them live. So, although I get your point, I respectfully disagree - I think you can make SOME judgments without seeing a show live.

Yes, I'm not sure the Billy Joel theme does a lot for them. I like the show in general, but IMO they're better off with the original music - the one exception being the Bond show, which I thought was fantastic.