MadScout80

I voted no. They moved on and became something even better than DCI. Something really amazing! They should keep doing that, IMO. We need that more than another corps in DCI.

... is next weekend!!!! We certainly can't be the only drum corps fans trying to figure out how to do both DCI and the most renowned jazz festival in the world. Actually, we do have it all figured it out. FYI, VIP seats at Newport are cheaper than Club level at DCI ... luckily we have both! B)

Throughout our history we hold a winning percentage over the both Cadets and Cavies. And these corps never beat us during my few years there!! I agree that soon the natural order will be returned. We gotta be down to the Devils, however.

Oops, price is $30 for QUARTERS, $40 for SEMIS! (had it reversed)

Selling 2 for quarters and semis. Face value ($30 each semis, $40 each quarters). cameron.kaszas@medtronic.com before 4 pm Wed. or kmaytag@qwest.net before 9 am Thurs. Or find us in sec. FF, row 19, seats 20-21 during quarters.

I guess I should have done some check to make sure that real people didnt have these screen names already. Sorry about that. Glad you liked it though :) -Cam

After attending the Cottage Grove, MN show last night, I couldn't sleep... too emotionally drained from a really great show! So I logged onto DCP and read for awhile. When I finally did go to sleep I dreamed I was in DCP Chat with other attendees from the evening's show. This is our chat best as I can remember it. All screen-names are fictitious. And all comments are truly my own. Even (make that especially!) dc-oldtimer and Swing_Dancer's! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- dc-oldtimer> First off, the Troopers. I didn't recognize a thing they played for chrissake! cadet99: so what? they have to play songs you can whistle along with for it to be any good? expand your mind, man! madscout80: Well, it is nice. At least in the lower level corps. But I gotta say that these guys are much better than I expected. I am glad they are doing so well. Marching and music were very tight for their level. Now, you want a corps that has really recognizable tunes - Pioneer! They grooved. Very musically enjoyable. Wish they had more horns though. NewFan> And they did so much just milling around carrying tables and such. I didnt get that. I liked the precision of the Troopers more. madscout80: I think it is Pioneer's way of trying to frame the corps and adapt the field down to their size. I like the concept, but I agree that the execution is distracting. I also hate scatter drill with a passion, and they did way too much. I also thought the Troopers should have beat them. Swing_Dancer - They had a really fine dance solo in the ballad. That girl was talented! madscout80: Yeah, she was good. I love dance as much as the next guy, but I think in general.... madscout80: there is too much BAD dance on drum corps fields - relative to the professionalism of the brass and drums anyway. Swing_Dancer - Exactly! Not everyone in CG has the body, flexibility, and strength to dance. Just because they can learn the moves doesnt mean they look good. I am always so disappointed at drum corps shows because the staff's dont seem to realize this. dc-oldtimer> can we get back to the show review, please?! you want dance go to the ballet! this is drum corps. NewFan> Yes, lets talk about the shows. I really enjoyed the next group. Minnesota Brass. LOVED their selection of music. But I didnt at all like their guard uniforms. Why one yellow leg? madscout80: I used to march in this corps, but I wont let that bias me too much. I think they have just an incredible musical show. I was especially impressed at one point by the contras walking bass part. In Beginning To See The Light it was. A lot of talented horn players in this bunch. IrondaleSnareGod Hey what about the drums. They were real good too! madscout80: Agreed! I just dont know much about drums. But they certainly whipped the crowd into a frenzy at one point. dc-oldtimer> the opening was a bit confusing. didn't get it. why dont they just play the song? i also loved their choice of music. they were the first ones to play with real emotion. just like the old days... madscout80: they have a couple recent bd ageouts on staff. i think that explains the unis and those opening chords and drill. i dont like the intro either. NewFan> I was so impressed with how loud they got. They had like double the horns of the first two units. And they really know how to use em. madscout80: 65 horns to be exact. yes they really have moments of brilliance musically. the show just gets better with each tune. by the end they really had the crowd. NewFan> Really the only legitimate standing-O of the night. madscout80: looking back on it I believe you're correct. marching was atrocious though, I have to say. I mean they couldn't even cover down the files. cadet99: gotta agree there. if you're gonna do so many blocks at tight intervals, you ought to be able to march blocks. They looked good when they were in arcs and at wider intervals. They shoulda done that more. dc-oldtimer> the soprano solo backfield at the end of 'Round Midnight' was the finest moment of the night. madscout80: a G above Double C, someone told me. Good luck to them at DCA. NewFan> The next guys were a real class act. Southwind. Guard uniforms were very elegant, as were the bright yellow of the corps. Really looked sharp coming onto the field. cadet99: The finer Jr. corps just look so much sharper than Sr. corps. It was obvious just when they came on. Even just the difference in carriage between them and Minnesota. Southwind does a lot of neat things. The first corps tonight to have the total package. Guard was a definite level up from the previous corps. Swing_Dancer - They had some good dancers. They used dance well. Not overdoing it. I liked them a lot. RAMDerRick Swing_Dancer, you're a ###### guard boy aren't you? madscout80 Hey buddy, wrong room. Sheesh... NewFan> Who let him in anyway? madscout80: One part I remember with Southwind was some high leg lift marching at one point. Nice contrast. I wonder why more corps dont have more variety in marching styles. dc-oldtimer> I know the spot. Just like the old days... madscout80: But see the thing is you can have that and the modern stuff too. Back in the old days we only had the old. Now they can have it all. Would be nice to see more corps choose to utilize it. And I loved their music. Marche Slav brought back memories of '77 Crossmen. And Tocatta sounded like 70's Phantom. dc-oldtimer> But at the same time the guard looked like Spartacus from 81-82! madscout80: You realize the new kids out there have no idea what we're referring to? dc-oldtimer> Ha! We are lucky because we have the past AND the present. They only have the present. cadet99: getting back to Southwind. They were very controlled and clean. Tasteful. I was impressed. The only thing I wanted was more dynamic range. They didn't have much. In contrast to the senior corps who blew our faces off, but had soft spots too. I guess if we are gonna compare jr. to sr. it just seems like the seniors more enjoy their show and really put their hearts in it, while the jrs are mostly way too serious. I know that isn't the case in reality but that's how it often comes across. NewFan> Next, I thought the Colts were awesome! madscout80: yes, they were. First real WOW! of the night for me. I loved where the whole guard had rifles. These guys can handle their equipment. Swing_Dancer - They didn't dance as well as SW. But you said it about the equipment. Fortunately they stick to their equipment the majority of the time. madscout80: Musically they were impressive, though again, not very emotional. Opened with very typical modern corps-asized arrangement, which I love, don't get me wrong, but just gets old after a while. The ballad was beautiful. Lovely mello solo. I really am a sucker for lush, balanced ballads. madscout80: Not to say I don't love being hit in the face with solid horns. And that is exactly what SCV did next! They really let us have it from the opening note. dc-oldtimer> THAT is drum corps. But then they went into the unrecognizable crap and lost me. madscout80: They didn't lose me. Modern drum corps is just so impressive... the speed these guys run around the field and play. The tempos get me all excited and my heart rate pumped just watching. SCV definitely opens in a very exciting way. NewFan> Why the neon orange flags? I didnt like em. cadet99: I didnt THINK I'd like em. But they served a purpose to enhance the mood of the music, and they ended up working for me. They got rid of em after they had served their purpose. They used black and white striped ones at the end that I also thought added to the schizophrenic mood they were creating for us. Swing_Dancer - Schizo is right! Gee, this show made me want to pull my hair out. These guys were angry! ^0^ madscout80: Interesting you say that. I was at their afternoon practice and the staff actually told them that the motivation at the close should be anger and then triumph. I definitely perceived that. cadet99: Not to be too nit-picky but I think that they ALMOST achieved triumph. The ending kept building and building, but for me never quite made it. dc-oldtimer: I think you're right. That was sort the way the crowd reacted too. Again, Minnesota still gets the crowd award at this point. madscout80: I just wish SCV had more mood contrasts. Except for the ballad, which was gorgeous by the way, they just sounded all the same. At least that is what I remember the day after. Maybe after more viewings I'll enjoy them more. I'm sure I will. This show reminded me a lot of the 97 (On The Waterfront) show. Swing_Dancer - I thought that Colts had a better guard than Santa Clara. madscout80: Agreed! dc-oldtimer: The moment the Cavies started their on-field warmup, I knew I'd like em. That tune always brings back memories. And that is one reason I come to shows. To relive some of my greatest memories ever. madscout80: Here, here. cadet99: So true. So what can be said about Cavies that hasn't already been said? They had me on the edge of my seat from the opening downbeat. madscout80: The show just never lets up. They slip seamlessly from one idea to another. You don't even have time to really see what they have just done and they are grabbing your attention with the next thing. Uncanny. NewFan> I've never seen anything like it :D dc-oldtimer: Even I liked it! I guess the difference is that even though its weird new music I've never heard before, it is genuinely pleasing music. There is melody. I love melody. We've been missing that for many years now. madscout80: Truly a symphonic experience. Never once did a voice stick out of the ensemble, when they crescendo, EVERYONE crescendos. Unsurpassed tone quality and intonation. And I honestly don't think they ever really let loose. They COULD'VE played louder but chose not to. I can respect that! NewFan They remind me of Tiger Woods! Even though he has the most powerful swing on the planet, you know he is still holding back a bit because control is so crucial. Swing_Dancer - Man did these guys execute. Everything I said about dance before goes out the window with these guys. They definitely have control over their bodies. Only gripe I have is I HATE sticks/poles as a color guard implement. They can never be perfectly aligned horizontally or vertically, and any teeny difference just bugs the heck out of me. Sorry. I also guess I missed what the point was to the 90 degree angled sticks. madscout80: I think they've made some changes to the ending since I saw them a month ago. And maybe they did it very recently because I saw some bad intervals and crooked lines. But they recover in the blink of an eye. cadet99: A cool move that I think is new at the end is where they go from a company front to a block, where as each file of the block forms, the members are turning a 360 slowly around at different angles with respect to each other. Seems like that would be murder to clean. But they were clean. Simply amazing. I don't think I've seen that move before. But I've only followed casually for the last couple of years. dc-oldtimer: I like that they exit to the same bass drum cadence from the 60's! More memories! It don't get no sweeter. NYFD> And I was touched that they played Stars and Stripes in their victory concert. dc-oldtimer: Oh yeah, just like Madison '76! madscout80: I appreciated that as well... I am glad that the Cavies don't take themselves so seriously that they can't play traditional music to please the fans. Swing_Dancer - Like this swing band in town that is so "good" that they refuse to play "In The Mood". Nope, Cavies don't have an attitude, even though they very easily could. NewFan> So what about the scoring? Did you guys agree with it all? madscout80: This was a very easy contest to score. Except for Pioneer/Troopers who basically tied, I don't think anyone could really argue for any different results. cadet99: Yes, pretty cut and dried. What were the scores, anyway? madscout80: Oh I don't know. I never write em down. You can always get em online you know. I just go for the entertainment. I don't care who wins. cadet99: Still, its good that they do get scored, because that's how we wind up with a Cavies 2002. Each corps pushes the rest so that excellence is maintained and we're continually reaching new levels. Swing_Dancer - 'course that doesnt seem to be true in the case of your old corps, madscout! :P madscout80: OK! End of Review!!!