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Fan Network subscribers who purchased the live finals feed get the rebate. My wife purchased watched (rather attempt to watch) the live final feed and we got the email. Check your spam folders. Even if you didn't get the email, you can still fill out the rebate form. The deadline is tomorrow. Rebate Form

I always enjoy your reviews Jeff. Nice job.

Excellent review. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Excellent review. Thanks for taking the time to put that together. I did figure out that the Headless Horseman is on the flags in Legend's show, so perhaps an actual appearance we deemed unnecessary and probably harder to pull off.

Gold - I saw Gold early in the season and very much enjoyed the show then. I was really looking forward to seeing the integration of the members from China and the improvements in the program. I was not disappointed - in fact this exceeded my expectations. Aided by a quality guard, the Chinese acrobats really brought home the East Meets West theme. Major goose bumps at several points in the show. High energy. Tons of fun. The original music by Scott Director very enjoyable and really enhanced the visual presentation. 7th Regiment - the show Luminous starts on Side 1 and moves across the field, moving from night to day. The corps makes full use of the field. Great equipment work, especially the rifles and the ensemble flag work at the end when the yellow flags make a big statement. The show starts and ends with pointing skyward where we find the lights. Very enjoyable show. Spartans - Always a favorite of mine, the 2013 show "Live Free" begins with chains and the guard partially covered in black over their face and various parts of their costume. Over the course of the show, the chains are gone and the black disappears. The reprise of Swan Lake at the end has a hopeful feel and left me feeling happy about the show. The show also included music from The Matrix and a piece by Philip Glass entitled Naqoyqatsi, Music City - My second viewing of this show found them to have made a lot of progress in performance quality and attention to detail. The corps brings a big sound and their "Postcards from Havana" show provides opportunity for a lot of individual expression (which I love). I found the guard to be very exciting and took note that this was the most expressive pit thus far in the show - I love an expressive pit, especially when I'm seated in the center, row 2. Genesis - The 2013 production "mOZaic" makes heavy use of music from various Wizard of Oz shows, along with other songs by Pink Floyd, The Doors, Dead Mau5, and Skrillex. Despite the other music, this is a great Wizard of Oz show - complete with Tin Man and Flying Monkey visual references. Musically and visually intense, this corps belongs in the Top 3 of Open Class. The show was very well designed, featuring some big emotional moments, including a nice company front, Vanguard Cadets - I saw this show early in the season and thought it had championship potential. "The Art of War" includes a Key Poulan original for the opener and closes with Hut of Baba Yaga from Pictures at an Exhibition. From the time they take the field, there is a sense of purpose. Early season they were on at the beginning of the shows, so it was nice to see them under the lights. At one point the whole guard (35 or so I think) was on rifles which was a great effect. Toward the end they do a huge company front stretching between the 10s. Blue Devils B - I saw this show several times in June. It is nothing like what I remembered. They have added so much visually from the drum heads, to several large arches, to tarps on the field, to uniform changes. I though the battery and pit were both excellent. I loved the soloist who gets "trapped" in a square created by the arches. He tries to bust out and then finally realizes he need to open the door and just steps out.

Open Class Prelims is my favorite show of the year. For most of the corps, this is my first viewing. For those I have seen before, it has been several weeks and they are much improved. I enjoyed all the programs presented and was impressed by the quality of all the corps this year. While it is a shame that there are so few corps left, the ones that were there put on a great show. My focus was taking pictures, but I did take some notes so that I can provide some impressions of each group. Racine Scouts - The corps presented their 2013 production "From the Ashes" featuring Firebird Suite. The challenging music was enjoyable to hear. At one point the brass took up rifles to supplement the small guard. The show has come a long way in just the few weeks since my first viewing in Minneapolis. Well done and congratulations on making the top 12. Blue Saints - This small corps always finds a way to entertain. The 2013 production "A Canadian Journey" provides a celebratory feel as the corps makes use of picture frames to highlight the guard and musicians. I was impressed by the big sound the 10 person brass line could acheive. The small guard contributed visually beyond their numbers through well staged work and picture frames. At one point the battery adds visually through some nice flag work. Nice work by the trumpet and baritone soloists at the beginning of the show. Les Stentors - The corps is celebrating their 25th season and paying tribute to songs from past shows. Puzzle pieces announce the year for each of the songs and then are placed in a frame at the back. The show ends with the puzzle turned around to reveal a big 25. The highlight for me was the bass drum feature where the guard was tossing rifles all over the place. I think the percussion judge was taken by surprise as a rifle went sailing over his head. Taipei Yuehfu - Competing in the International Division, Taipei Yuehfu presented their 2013 production "The Butterfly Lovers" which is a Chinese legend of a tragic love story of a pair of lovers. It is often regarded as the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet. After the man dies, the woman throws herself into the grave. Their spirits are reborn as butterflies. Beautiful guard costumes and a great visual presentation all around. Colt Cadets - The Red theme certain fit the corps well. The opener from Carmen included a string bass prop. The young trumpet soloist really got the crowd excited as he leaned back and hit his high note. The pit had a lot of fun and the young synth player displayed a confident presence not often found even in World Class. Raiders - The Edgar Allan Poe poem The Raven formed the basis for their 2013 production "The Raven: A Descent Into Madness!" The reading of the poem continues throughout the production adding to the dramatic effect of the original music. The show has come a long way in the month since my last viewing. This show was packed with emotion. Loved the guard work. Legends - The corps presented the story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in their show entitled "Icabod." Recorded narration at the beginning helps set the stage and explain the production. Beautiful guard costumes, well staged show, and a wide range of emotions made for an enjoyable show. Following their successful 2012 (The Edmund Fitzgerald) show, the classic American storytelling genre really suits the corps well.

Buyer backed out, so I have two seats for Semi Finals available. Section 139, Row 13, Seats 19-20. The seats are on the aisle. I'll be sitting in these seats for Prelims as I have since 2010. Face value $75 each. Email me at chris@corpsreps.com I can deliver the tickets tonight at West Chester or this weekend at Allentown. Or next Wednesday afternoon or evening near the stadium.

I just discovered I have more tickets than I remembered ordering. So I have two extra tickets for both nights at Allentown available. Section I, Row 16, Seats 9-10. Face value $40/ticket. As I am not sure what time I will get to Allentown on Friday due to unpredictable traffic on the Turnpike, I would prefer local exchange of the tickets at West Chester tonight. Email me at chris@corpsreps.com I will be on the field at West Chester tonight taking pictures, so I will be easy to find there. I'll have the tickets with me.

The tickets have all been sold.

The tickets in Section 139 have been sold. The Section 540 seats for Thursday and Friday are still available.

I have the following tickets for finals week for sale. Message me here or email chris@corpsreps.com if interested in any of the tickets. Prelims (Thursday): Section 540,Row 2, Seats 22 and 23. Face value $55 each. This is a nice intimate two row section. Seats are right on the aisle so it is really easy to get in and out for a bathroom or food break. This is where I'll be sitting on Saturday. Semis (Friday): Section 540,Row 2, Seats 22 and 23. Face value $55 each. This is a nice intimate two row section. Seats are right on the aisle. This is where I'll be sitting on Saturday. Semis (Friday): Section 139, Row 13, Seats 19 and 2. Face value $75 each. Seats right on the aisle closest to the 50. I'll be sitting here on Thursday. Finals (Saturday: Section 139, Row 13, Seats 19 and 2. Face value $125 each. Seats right on the aisle closest to the 50. I'll be sitting here on Thursday. Here is the view from Section 540 Row 2 Here is the view from Section 139, Row 13

Great post. Thanks for your inside perspective. Sure there were some performance issues with the balance, but on the whole this was a positive thing for our mostly invisible activity and certainly a great moment for those middle school kids. Just think about what they got to experience that evening - not only the opportunity to play with a celebrity but to watch the top 12 drum corps in the world. I'm glad Shaun has found our little activity and hope that he continues his enthusiastic crusade for music education.

I ran into four Teal members heading to Cascades at the Philadelphia Airport the Friday after their tour ended. I was very impressed with how positive they remained. No complaining about what happened, didn't blame anyone. They just wanted to be on the field and were grateful to the corps that was giving them that chance. I ran into two of them outside the stadium in Indy during Finals week. They remembered me and said that they had a great summer and planned to march next year. Bravo to all the corps who took in these kids.

I second the idea of a separate front ensemble judge. There is way too much happening there which you can't possibly evaluate when you are on the field. My main concern with the percussion judge on the field is you cannot evaluate the whole percussion section and clearly from the judge's typical position, the snare line is the primary driver of the score, with bass and tenors only when featured and the pit only when the battery takes a break.

There are more pictures from Open Class prelims on the corpsreps Facebook page and website.

Legends - The corps presents their show The Edmund Fitzgerald, featuring the Gordon Lightfoot song about the sinking of the freighter in Gitche Gumee Lake (Lake Superior), along with other selections. The show is presented well and the ending is very emotional. I was sitting near some Legends supporters and they were very pleased with the performance. I thought it was greatly improved in quality and content from Minneapolis. Nicely done. Genesis - If you are looking for happy, this is not the show for you. The production "Epic" takes place in a post apocalyptic world as a military regime takes control. The production is well done and tries to offer some hope as the Resistance battles the Empire. Within the show, a love story between a member of the military and part of the Resistance brings to mind other similar tales like Aida. 7th Regiment - The show is called 24601-7R. The 24601 is a reference to Jean Val Jean, the main character in Les Mis. You'll have to read the program book to get this concept and maybe read it again. One time obviously wasn't enough for me as I still don't get it. Show theme aside, the music was engaging including selections by Beethoven, Sibelius and others. The corps has a great presence on the field with uniforms that could belong to no one else. Spartans - The show Renewal might have been called The Academy meets Blue Knights as they presented the feature pieces from those 2012 productions. Guard was strong as always. Firebird was particularly well done. Rite of Spring was so intense that the drum major's uniform started to unzip and continued through the rest of the performance until it was completely unzipped. I am sure he'll remember that performance many years from now. Vanguard Cadets - I last saw this show July 1 and hardly recognized it. The show was very good in June but it was so great this performance I was in tears by the end. The closer is wonderfully awesome. The show is called Heroes and Legends. The corps starts out in black hooded garments with purple. Over the course of the show these come off and they are in full Vangard attire. The show is filled with Vanguard classics, including Russian Christmas Music, and tells the story of regular people who becomes heroes and legends. Blue Devils B - BDB explores the power and wonder of water in their production Ecstatic Waters. At times calm, at times powerful, the music and visual. Many changes since my last viewing on July 1, including turning the large drums 90 degrees and playing them vertically. This provided a more powerful visual impact. Oregon Crusaders - when I saw OC at San Antonio, I thought the show had champion written all over it. Whether they will be able to stave off VC and BDB remains to be seen, but the show is championship quality in design and performance. The visual imagery is superb as they present the color wheel in reverse. The acoustic guitar that introduces the "red" theme was well done and the guitarist blows a kiss to the audience. The music includes selections by Eric Whitacre, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross. Now, about to head out to Open Class Finals. Looking forward to seeing all of these corps again. They are all worth seeing, so if you are not in Michigan City tonight, make sure you get to Indy early on Thursday to catch these corps as they perform in Lucas Oil starting at 10:30am.

This is what will likely be my only review of the season. I did not take any written notes. Just 1700 pictures to trigger my memory. I love Open Class Prelims. I think it is the best day on the DCI calendar. The corps are all on top of their game. It is too bad there are not more competitors but the corps that were there completely engaged me and were rewarded by the enthusiastic crowd. Blue Saints - the small corps from Canada pulled off a great performance titled Diamond in the Rough in celebration of the corps 60th Anniversary. Featuring mostly original compositions (Carbon * Heat * Time * Pressure), the show concludes with The Canyon by Philip Glass. I was impressed at how far this show has come since I saw them in Minneapolis. They were an easy group to photograph because each of the 30+ performers really put it all out there. The corps starts out in black capes and over the course of the show, the diamond that is Blue Saints emerges in full uniform. Les Stentors - The other Canadian entry pulled off an engaging performance of The Sixties. Most notable was the drum feature which included the popular Wipe Out. The polka dot dresses on the guard enhanced the theme. A good solid performance and the members looked to be having a lot of fun. I remember one year when my son was with LVK and hosting a show that I ended up being the corps representative to welcome them to their housing site at a local fire department hall. They seemed to be a fun group, though I couldn't tell for certain if they were just having fun or making fun of their non-French speaking host. Colt Cadets - The always entertaining younger siblings to the World Class Colts presented their Alive! show to an enthusiastic crowd. I've heard that they were "born ready" and that was obvious from the way they perform. Most visually striking was the cymbal line in colorful full body suits. The cymbals start out under black sheets on tables and are brought to life by the scientists in the guard. Over the course of the show they become more involved with the production and eventually don a Colt Cadets uniform. Selections included Escape From Chronopolis by Reber Clark, Theme from Van Helsing, Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8, The Theme from Psycho by Bernard Herrmann, and Facade from Jekyll and Hyde. Congratulations on making finals. Revolution - The corps presented their show Shattered featuring selections by Philip Glass, David Gillingham, Trading Yesterday, Joseph Brackett, Mozart and Respighi. The drum major has a very commanding presence on the podium and was clearly delighted with the performance. I was too. Great progress since my last viewing in San Antonio. Raiders - as a resident of the Mid Atlantic I was pulling for the Raiders to do well. I saw the show early in the season but haven't seen them in a month. The show is called Warped. The show is about a journey on a pathway filled with change. The large canvas floor helps provide some sense of that journey. The brass was so much more powerful than earlier in the season. Pit is obviously well trained and had a great presence. Music City - The corps presents Phantoms of the Grand Ole Opera, mixing Phantom of the Opera with country tunes by Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Tammy Wynette and others. The male guard members represent the Phantom and female guard members bring a country music feel to the show. The corps plays well and guard was very engaging. Gold - The corps made their first trip to finals since Pasadena in 2007 and was a welcomed addition to the lineup. The show is an original composition called Different. The corps starts out in full uniform, except the pit who are in halves. Over the course of the show the brass and percussion shed their outer garments. The show ends with the drum major throwing down her uniform, oddly to become like everyone else in an attempt to be different. I think the visually the theme would be more powerful if under the uniform everyone was more visually different through colored shirts.

Tickets have been sold

For sale 2 tickets for Finals (Saturday). Section 139, row 11, on the aisle closest to the 50. Face value $125 each. I'll be using these seats on Thursday and Friday. I've had them the past two years. They are great seats if you like to sit low. For sale 2 tickets for Semi-finals (Friday), Section 540, row 2, on the aisle. Face value $75. This is a cozy little section with just two rows. I've sat in these seats the past couple of years for finals and will again this year but I'll be sitting in the Section 139 seats on Friday. Willing to sell separately or will discount for both.

Excellent review. Thanks for posting.

Thanks for the info!

(continued) Music City - The collection of music in "Let's Dance" makes you wonder what's on the iPods of the design staff. From The Nutcraker to Dancing Queen to Tennesee Waltz, each portion of the show has a different style and features different guard members as the main characters. The show starts with I Could Haved Danced All Night and concludes with all the main characters assembled together for an appreciative wave to the crowd. The corps is big with a sound to match. One of my favorite shows of the season. Well done. 7th Regiment - UnSquare explores a lot of different time signatures, including music appropriately in 7 and a personal favorite Take Five. I would have loved to see this show a few more times. There was a lot going on that I missed in the performances Tuesday and Thursday, my only chances to see them this season. Particularly enjoyed watching the battery. Genesis - Big Top After Dark is not your typical circus show and features original music by Key Poulan appropriately called "Scenes from a Psychotic Circus", along with a rendition of Send in the Clowns. Despite some crazy moments for the lead character, things turn around as she is welcomed into the circus act. Revolution - "Ride!" starts on the ground in a car but quickly takes flight. Fast paced and aggressive, Sammy Hazo's Ride closes the program. Spartans - The Key Poulan original "Midnight" along with Bela's Lullaby from Twilight make for a scary show. The guard was particularly noteworthy, with great equipment work and an emotional performance. Vanguard Cadets - Another Key Poulan original, the show "Balance" explores physical and emotional balance. With lots of balancing acts, the theme is clear and the narration largely unnecessary. In true Vanguard fashion, the cymbals are very involved in the show and make the trademark V. Blue Devils B - Syncronicity is an amazing production, with heavy emphasis on their excellent percussion section. Going on second from the end, BDB made a statement that they were there to defend their title. All around a very enjoyable show and glad to see they kept the cymbal back flip in the show. Oregon Crusaders - Going on after BDB didn't seem to phase them as they presented their show The Blue Hour. The powerful brass line was the loudest of the night. A large blue circular tarp covering a good bit of the left side of the field was used to good effect. A very enjoyable evening of drum corps, well deserved championship for BDB despite a strong challenge from OC. More pictures from this show can be found on corpsreps.com and our Facebook page

Due to the cancellation of the prelims event - after only two corps had performed, all 16 Open class and 2 International corps competed in finals. I always enjoy the open class events. The corps are very entertaining. The fans very appreciative. I just wanted to provide some thoughts on each corps along with some pictures. I didn't take notes, so this isn't a full review, but hopefully this will convey my enjoyment of these corps and this day of drum corps. Spirit of Newark - the show began, the same as Monday, with Spirit of Newark. Unlike the previous day, the jitters were gone and the corps members seemed to have a good time presenting their Spanish Flavors show. Monday was their first competitive show of the year and I am glad they were able to make it to finals. The show featured a very good trumpet soloist and this very enthusiastic performer in the pit who also provided some conducting leadership to the group. The music was familiar and hummable, something that you want from a group of this size and ability. All in all an enjoyable show. Blue Saints - the corps presented their show Stranded about an airline crash with people stranded on a deserted island. The show starts with their Air Cancorps plane taking off. The corps featured a very enthusiastic snare line, some challenging music and an easy to follow storyline. The corps continues to find ways to keep competing despite many challenges. As with Spirit of Newark, they put out a stronger performance on Tuesday. Racine Scouts - Their Resurrection show featured some beautiful musical moments including Ave Maria. The brass line was well balanced while the small battery provided a solid rhythmic foundation. Les Stentors - I'm not sure about their repertoire. I don't have it and it isn't on DCP. What I remember about the show was the expressive guard work and some solid pit playing. Colt Cadets - always a crowd favorite, the Cadets did not disappoint me with their show Notorious. With some challenging music by Copland, Rota and Shostakovich the corps was well balanced musically. I particularly enjoyed watching the pit and battery. Jubal - DCI fans are fortunate that Jubal chose to spend their 100th anniversary on the DCI tour. I saw them in Atlanta earlier in the season. The Back to the Future theme seems to take some shots at old school drum corps, while recognizing its historical importance. The lead character does all she can to bring the corps into the modern era. At one point she tries to help the drum major conduct and finally succeeds in transforming her with a quick uniform change, leading into a great rendition of Remembrance. Forte - I had the pleasure of seeing Forte a few times this summer and see the show develop. The show "DreamZzz" starts with a father trying to get her daughter to go to sleep. The daughter resists but eventually climbs in bed. Using Brahm's Lullaby as a recurrent theme throughout the show, the music includes Eric Whitacre's Sleep and Burly Brawl from the Matrix. After falling asleep, there is a calm dream sequence before entering a more nightmarish phase, ending with bringing dreams to life as the guard uniforms change from pajamas to a more typical costume. Raiders - Seems like almost an entirely different show from what I saw in June and early July due to significantly improved performance. The Bluecentric show explores various shades of blue and how that one basic color really can carry with it a range of emotions. The show opens with an aggressive Blue Shades and closes with Rhapsody in Blue. The narration telling us about the different shades of blue was unnecessary as the corps music conveyed those thoughts very well. Particularly loved the cymbal line - looked like they were having a lot of fun. Legends - Next up the corps from just up the road in Kalamazoo. I really enjoyed their show last year and was looking forward to see what Skyscapes was all about. The music was not very familiar to me, though their opener "Cloudburst" was done recently by Blue Knights and SCV in 2008. Some great guard work, including this behind the back catch. In one of the best visual tricks of the night, there is the surprise appearence of a snare drummer with a yellow plume. Then suddenly the whole corps turns their black plumes to yellow - it appears the black covered the yellow, so it was a matter of pulling off the black cover. It all happened quite suddenly and had a great effect. Yokohama Scouts - It was great to see them again at DCI for the first time since 2007. Their "In Rhapture" show was about as American as you could get with lots of George Gershwin music. Elegant is the word that came to mind watching the guard. The show was entertaining and the corps received a well deserved enthusiastic response from the crowd.

Some additional costs to consider from experience I have as a corps parent. BD did not provide housing or food for most meals for Spring training. Regiment did not provide food for all meals during winter camps. Both corps feed the kids very well once they are on the road, but there were some unexpected costs before they hit the road. Neither corps provided transportation from the nearest airport, so you had to take public transportation. This was all a surprise for me as Crossmen provided food for all meals, housing for all camps, and transportation from the airport.

They are on the 45 yardline side. - seats 19 and 20. I believe they are on the aisle. PM me if you are interested. Will you be in Allentown?