Hrothgar15

Has there ever been a narration-driven show theme in drum corps that wasn’t trite and insipid like this?

The question isn't "why" but "why not?" Twenty years ago the answer was "because of the rules." The rules were the one thing saving DCI from cringe. It's become clear that show designers only had taste inasmuch as the rules prevented them from going overboard. You really think that Garfield's 1987 show designer wouldn't have included narration throughout if the rules allowed? Thankfully, they didn't. Then.

They are a lot closer to the same thing now, but 50 years ago a DCI drum corps and a marching bound sounded nothing alike, because they used entirely different instruments. This was by design; it took a series of rules changes, proposed by DCI corps directors and put to a vote, implemented in 1977, 1990, 2000, and 2014 to make the instrumentation between the two more similar with each iteration. Try listening to recordings of a top marching band and top drum corps from the years 1976, 1989, 1999, 2013, and today (with trombones) and you'll see what I mean. By this point, after that fourth rule change, there is no difference between the brass instrumentation of a marching band and a drum corps, so it makes sense why you would use the terms interchangeably.

Hmm, you should be able to paste the URL in the first post into Google Calendar like this: If you see this, you’ll know it worked:

Forgot to add: if you use Fantastical as your calendar app, you can see up to date weather info for each upcoming show. Not looking so good in Atlanta tonight 😕

Agreed. I think it's worth taking seriously the question of how we got here, who allowed this to happen, and who can change it.

Updated for the 2022 season, see first post. 🙂

Finals lock. This ballad is beautiful.

Can't even remember the last show that started off with the hornline (I want to say Madison 2015). Nice design! 👍

I hate to admit it but I like these uniforms more and more each time I see them. Good step in the right direction toward a new Crossmen visual identity. The only thing I'd change would be to go for full sleeves.

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Always good to see a drum harness go under the uniform (a rarity these days). Not even Blue Knights are doing that this year, and they basically have a 2012-era uniform. I guess after only six years of spandex people have already forgotten how it used to go? Only other one I can remember from before that was Cadets 1990, not sure why they did that either.

I guess Crossmen are going on before INT?

I love how in 2022 the standard positive reaction to any performance is “Okay [corps name]… 👀”

Honestly at this point I'll take any uniform design that isn't just a Bluecoats 2016-style body suit 🙃 I'll take any added piece I can get.

Music City sounds great.

I'd give all the props in the world to that hornline 😅

IIRC the flugel soloist’s mic didn’t work at all, but as a result that performance was the best that solo sounded all season. Unfortunately I don’t think that’s what’s on the official recordings.

I remember the palpable hype around them at Subaru Park in Chester, PA, the night they debuted those black uniforms. Unfortunately my read of the show that night was similar to yours, and it definitely felt like a letdown after they were done. That night was supposed to cement their contention for the 2015 title and it just became clear this wasn’t doing it.

The technical excellence of the performers is unmatched, but you'd think the design team would get bored after basically designing the same show structure for the past decade. Maybe some fresh blood is needed?

They didn't perform the closer tonight.

Tallest looking corps on the field so far.

They sound really good for 11 horns 🥺

Is the stream super quiet for anyone else?