HOOKEDBYLEGEND78

Bump. Even though I do not have any more answers/guesses to add, I'd sure like to see "us DCP'ers" solve ALL of the riddle. A little help please!

Blue Devils 2002. Saw them at one of their first shows of the year (in Alabama), and the show did not work well nor was it being sold. Fast forward to the big Nashville show and......WOW! What an amazing turnaround! The show was light years better in terms of design and content (thanks to the tweaks/rewrites) and the members were performing the doo-willy out of it. You can hear how much crowd support they then received at Finals on the recordings.

That scenario sounds like Phantom '96. Scouts had their highest score of the year at semis in '88, and a much larger lead over second place than they ended up with at finals.

Down to just 3? Oakland Crusaders, the first North Star entry, and the Cavies DM are all that is left?

Colts is their DM at the very end of their 1999 show.

I'm bored tonight, so I looked up the second North Star entry - it's the end of their 1979 show. Down to 5 remaining.

Guardsmen is 1979. Looked it up on Fan Network. During drum break of Russlan and Ludmilla. Down to 6 now.

Looks like skajerk edited the list prior to the last one posted (two lists back). He has the missing ones shown in bold.

I know the story - the continuous climb up from quarters - but I was (very, very sadly) not at that Finals. Can you share what changed and improved (assuming you saw them earlier in the week or summer) from your perspective? Thanks!

One example that quickly comes to mind for me was 1986 Suncoast Sound. I saw them perform and practice many times that summer. They were an extremely talented group that performed spectacularly in spots, but would then seem to suffer a brain hiccup or two. Their semi-finals performance left me flat and un-engaged, and the judges seemed to agree - as Suncoast placed 6th, and just missed making the Top 5 from semis (which is who made the live finals tv broadcast). HOWEVER, they absolutely sizzled in finals! I thought they had ended up in at least 4th, with an outside shot at 3rd. Their FINALS performance level was a couple of notches higher than anything I had heard/seen them do earlier that summer. It was like someone lit the proverbial fire under their collective butts, and the fans received an awesome treat that night. Any others come to mind?

In the spirit of March Madness, I like it when someone or some group accepts the challenge and rises to the occasion - putting on their most inspired or improved performance to date, maxing out, doing everything they could with what they had to work with. Do any particular DCI FINALS performances come to mind where YOU WERE IN THE STANDS AS A FAN that made you take notice, like "whoa, that was on a completely different level for them". Feel free to comment if that inspired performance was also reflected in higher scores or placement.

I was just looking at the last full list. Sorry I missed what you said. YOU nailed it as well! Thanks for being part of the sheer enjoyment the 84 Devs gave to me with Bacchanalia and La Fiesta - two all-time greats in my book!

You nailed it.

I agree with all of your picks, but personally found the 85 versus 93 choice the most difficult. I also like 11, but 84 is one of the all-time classics and I was there in HOTlanta cheering them on in person.

**************************************************************************** You are correct that Magic is from 2002 (end of their show, a great moment). Guardsmen is either 79 or 80. North Star may be 79 (the Chrome Wall, and is that sop soloist Gerry Noonan standing behind the snares?). Madison soloist is from 1998, end of Lupon - their opener. BD DM shot looks to be taken at Lucas Oil. Based on someone in the crowd I think I recognize, this could be 2010. I agree that the Madison clip of DM throwing his hat may be 75 or 76, and that the Cavies clip should be from 79 or 80. I have intently watched the pit clip at the beginning for a clue, and still ??????

BD. As good as it gets. Still one of the best shows of all time. Monster.

IMO this IS an issue. Label it however you want.

The problem exists both live and on the recordings - to me. This is one of the major reasons I have been scaling back $$$ spent on DCI-related tickets and purchases starting with 2009. And, I will once again be extrememly selective this year with how my $$$ are spent. After/as the sound on the field and on recordings improves, my $$$ should once again be spent in rediculous amounts. I look forward to that day.

Dig a little deeper. I qualified why I voted yes, and it wasn't why you are indicating people have been voting yes. Also, there may be others who voted similarly.

I voted that it will get better because: 1) staff will now be in control of the mixing/volume of electronic equipment, so there should now be more responsibility to fix things. The excuse that the people on the field who were controlling the electronic equipment did not know how things sounded in the stands will now be gone. 2) many people will stop paying /decrease spending for these events and recordings if it doesn't stop ASAP - especially given #1 above and the new entertainment committee headed up by Mr. Cesario that should help improve this (by reducing the goo. I would prefer the elimination of it, but I doubt that will happen across all corps or by rule change.) 3) there will be some brave corps that elect not to use the goo that will receive exceptional support (financial, applause, etc.) for choosing to abandon the goo. Will this start a trend? 4) there are probably other items to support the belief/wish that things will get better. I want to believe that things will. We shall see........

Myth believers = corps-mongers?

Troopers - nice poster! That image just became my new display background.

Has anyone watched "The Sing-Off" the last few weeks on NBC? It is an acapella singing group competition, with this being year #2 of the show. I missed the first year, but loved most of what I heard/saw this year. Why do I bring "The Sing-Off" up in this thread? It's a group-based musical competition based primarily on vocal abilities, arrangements, and to a lesser extent - choreography. The reason I like this show is similar to what drew me to drum corps - unique brass choir & percussion sound/performance/arrangements, and done with passion and zeal. Acapella groups are not covered up with instruments, and drum corps is better TO ME not covered up by amplified voice/electronics. I like instruments - but not in what is to be an acapella singing setting (the reason Cheryl Crowe's performance on The Sing-Off was mis-placed in my opinion, as she used 2 guitars). I like amped vocals/electronics/amplification - but not in a drum corps setting. Mike Boo posted a link to an oversized barbershop singing group doing "76 Trombones" a while back on DCP. It serves as another good example of how entertaining and exciting acapella can be (without insturments)- just like drum corps can be (without electronics and amped vocals).

Winner, winner! Chicken Dinner! Spartacus FTW!

Has anyone watched "The Sing-Off" the last few weeks on NBC? It is an acapella singing group competition, with this being year #2 of the show. I missed the first year, but loved most of what I heard/saw this year. Why do I bring "The Sing-Off" up in this thread? It's a group-based musical competition based primarily on vocal abilities, arrangements, and to a lesser extent - choreography. The reason I like this show is similar to what drew me to drum corps - unique brass choir & percussion sound/performance/arrangements, and done with passion and zeal. Acapella groups are not covered up with instruments, and drum corps is better TO ME not covered up by amplified voice/electronics. I like instruments - but not in what is to be an acapella singing setting (the reason Cheryl Crowe's performance on The Sing-Off was mis-placed in my opinion, as she used 2 guitars). I like amped vocals/electronics/amplification - but not in a drum corps setting. Mike Boo posted a link to an oversized barbershop singing group doing "76 Trombones" a while back on DCP. It serves as another good example of how entertaining and exciting acapella can be (without insturments)- just like drum corps can be (without electronics and amped vocals).