SkyDog

I agree the neighborhood near the Coliseum is way too rough. (There are actually nice parts of Oakland, but not near there.) But more importantly, it's a horrible football stadium. It was a great baseball park before 'Mount Davis' was built in centerfield to accommodate the Raiders. Now it stinks for baseball or football. Honestly, I can't think of a single suitable venue in the Bay Area. Oakland's out, Candlestick Park is a dump, and Memorial Stadium at Cal is waaaay too flat. The new stadium being built at Stanford looks nice, but the capacity isn't big enough (50,000).

Exactly. Sorry if that was misunderstood! (I don't even know what the placements & scores were.)

That would be Mike Judge himself.

Geographically, KC seems perfect. It doesn't seem like it would be too far away for any corps to make it. Some of the smaller west coast corps didn't go to DCI in the past because of the travel expenses to make it all the way to the east coast. Any opinions on the new Soldier Field in Chicago?

I think you might want to word that differently. Being next to last in percussion isn't something most people would brag about. ;-) Main Entry: pen·ul·ti·mate Pronunciation: pi-'n&l-t&-m&t Function: adjective 1 : next to the last <the penultimate chapter of a book> 2 : of or relating to a penult <a penultimate accent> - pen·ul·ti·mate·ly adverb ...maybe "perennial percussion powerhouse"?

Doesn't Allegiance Elite still exist?

The Ford Pinto was a best-seller, too. ;)

Scott on Contra? I'd pay to see that! :P ...but not nearly as much as I'd pay to hear him on his usual horn. While browsing through some other threads, it dawned on me who Scott is. I had the pleasure of listening to this guy almost nightly for a few summers.

If you show up, I wouldn't count on just 'seeing' the corps. I tried that at a White Sabers practice a couple months ago and before I knew it, someone was pulling a set of tenors off the truck for me. But I guess the recruiting tactic works since I've been to each practice since then! If they offer, I'd suggest picking up a horn, even if just for the day. Playing with a drum corps is a whole lot more fun than watching one rehearse. Enjoy the day and make your decision afterward. I'm sure the corps will appreciate the visit whether you end up in the line or in the stands cheering 'em on.