ctrain08

You're right about the Bluecoats this year, and there are many other corps who are doing similar things to Crown as well. Just because they're doing stuff I don't like doesn't mean I'll ever stop being a fan. All the corps, including Crown, have great moments in their shows...which makes the synthesized stuff even more distracting. You're also correct in that corps have done goofy stuff going all the way back to the 70's and 80's. However, Crown has taken it to a whole new level and just happens to be leading the way right now.

A couple quick follow up comments: -Obviously, I don't claim to speak for everyone. These are my opinions and nothing more. No one should have to qualify every statement they make with pointing that out. Yes, it's blunt and meant to incite conversation. No one need to get indignant or offended here. -We all know Crown is is good...I'm speaking purely from a production standpoint. -Everything I've listed in my original post is stuff I've seen in shows this year and last year. I'm not using hyperbole.

For the last few years, I've been extremely disappointed in the direction DCI is going in terms of show production and artistry. It started in 2004 when they allowed electronics. We were told it would help us hear the pit and could be used in tasteful ways to enhance the show. Those of us who knew it would be abused also knew that that was a specious argument. No one ever had problems hearing the pit. So here we are a decade later and what we are seeing on the field is not drum corps in my opinion. What we now have is Cirque du Soleil meets interpretive dancing at its worst. In my opinion, Carolina Crown has been the worst abuser of this new style of drum corps. They have been dominating DCI for the past several years, and it seems all the competition has collectively decided they must imitate them in order to stay competitive. And so I say to Carolina Crown and all other Corps who are becoming Carolina Crown: STOP IT. PLEASE. You're killing me. I can't take it anymore. What you are doing is the antithesis of drum corps. It's almost as if you are now TRYING to make the traditionalists angry. Just to give you an idea, here's a quick list of what nobody needs to see in a drum corps show: -Props. They only stifle drill writing and are extremely distracting. -Quasi-political or subliminal thought-provoking messages -Narrations telling the audience what's going on (btw, it still doesn't make sense) -Singing or gregorian chant -jumping on trampolines -lying on the field -Neon colored body suits -Pre-recorded saxophone drops -Trombones -Squatting, pleats, dancing, or any variation of a ballet move Is there anyone out there who was a fan of DCI and what it stood for pre-2004 who is actually excited about the direction it is now headed?

Very surprised to see everyone's thoughts on the Cavaliers thus far. I realize there is no right answer to this question...but let's be honest...Cavaliers 05 & 07-13 is not even in the same pantheon as 00-04, 06. Not even close. Someone please back me up on this, there's just no way I'm in the minority here! My Cavaliers ranking: 1) 2002 Frameworks 2) 2003 Spin Cycle 3) 2004 007 4) 2000 Niagra Falls 5) 2001 Four Corners 6) 2006 Machine Everything else up to this year has been a let down for me, considering where the Cavaliers once were. Just my personal opinion so no one get too offended or try to crucify me!

Well said. The squatting has gotten out of control.

Excellent replies from everyone! Just a couple things to follow up on my original post... 1) I realize that the previous generation always craps on the younger and current generation, that's always going to exist. Someone metioned earlier that it is worth looking at who is actually to blame for perpetuating some of this nonsense. The show designers, music arrangers, judges, board members, aka: the "good idea fairies".....Dare I say, the previous generation??!! Can't prove it, but an interesting point nonetheless. 2) I also recall there being some serious discussion (in my day) of allowing woodwind instruments to be included in DCI and therefore blurring the lines between marching band and Drum Corps. Let's count our blessings that THAT horrific idea never came to fruition. 3) I personally will not stop buying tickets and attending DCI shows just because I do not like everything I see on the field. I continue to be amazed at the quality of musicianship and precision displayed by the marching members. I think that overtime things will correct themselves if it gets to the point where fans aren't buying tickets and corps members aren't returning to march. It is refreshing however, to hear from some like-minded people who want to stop this waterwheel of punishment in the form of new age/ultra-modern show desingns.

Alright, folks...let me start by saying I have been somewhat out of the loop with DCI over the last decade for various reasons. The last year I marched and followed DCI closely was 2003, but from time to time I catch a youtube video of a show and I am amazed at how much things have changed...some for better, some for worse. This is going to sound like a long-winded rant from an old-timer (although I'm really not that old) but I honestly want some thoughtful feedback on whether you agree or disagree. My contention is that while DCI has never been full of so much raw talent and passion, I fear it is being overrun by an inordinate amount of props, ballet-influenced choreography, gaudy uniforms, tasteless voice-overs, musical writing that lacks creativity and originality, and shows that put too much effort into conveying completely arcane and esoteric themes rather than playing good old-fashioned MUSIC that people can relate to. In the early 2000's, the biggest complaints you would hear from the old-timers, traditionalists, or anti-"YEA" folks were replacing G bugles with B flat horns and the mere idea of electronic amplification. It almost seems absurd looking back on it now, but it was a big deal at the time. A lot of people put up a fight, but soon everyone realized that B flats sounded light years better than G bugles and that electronic amplification could actually be used in a tasteful manner. No big deal. So how did we get to where we are today? Here's my theory: At a certain point, it almost seemed mandatory to design shows overly-doused in props, voice-overs, and ballet in fear that you would lose those precious "GE" points...and now all we have is a bunch of corps trying to out-GE one another. I hesitate to say that it's ALL bad, because some corps have used each of these elements tastefully over the last decade. Generally, I'm all for progress and new ideas, but there are certain times I just want to scream "I TOLD YOU SO!" when I hear a wildly inappropriate and tasteless voice-over, and hunt down the dark overlord who keeps punishing us with this melodramatic "new-age"-sounding music which is an outright attack on my senses at times. There is a place for that in DCI, but not every corps is capable of pulling it off like the Cavaliers did in 01-03 with their all original shows. It has to make sense within the context of the show and the music arranger still has to make it accessible to the audience...not an easy feat. It's almost as if each corps is trying to stuff in as much GE material as they can just for the sake of doing it, while losing track of the fact that the audience just wants to hear music that is melodic, LOUD, at least somewhat familiar, and most of all...memorable. And so I throw this question to you, my fellow drum corps fans: For those of you who remember the days before "amplification", has our worst nightmare come true? Is this simply progress, or did we open Pandora's box 10 years ago?

I'm aware of the skill it takes to truly play a dissonant chord in tune. My main point is that it would not kill some of these corps to play a song with a melody once and a while. Sometimes I think corps these days are SO focused on technique that they forget that most people just want to hear something that is recognizable and audience accessible. Sure, you can spend all day referencing various performances from the past that disprove my point...but by and large I think most people would rather see a show that is somewhat familiar and memorable.

Triple Forte- I get where you're coming from. I can pretty much guarantee you that drum corps composers use dissonant chords to cover up tuning issues and bad musicianship in general. I think this trend really picked up around '07 and has only gotten worse. Frankly, I'm sick of it and can barely stand to watch drum corps shows these days. I've always been a music first guy myself and a traditionalist overall. There is so much great music out there that hasn't even been touched in the past that has the potential to make great drum corps shows, but year after year every show sounds basically the same. It got so bad for me that I don't even go to drum corps shows anymore. Every once and a while I'll look up some clips of recent shows on youtube, but that's about it. Seems like more of the same this year as well.

And why do you think everyone liked the Crown's show about horses? If I remember correctly, the high point of their show was when they played the William Tell Overture (audience accessible music). So thanks for further proving my point. And yes, I know there were also props in that show...they didn't need them. Just like you thought I was too extreme by saying 2008 is "the worst year ever", I think you went to another extreme to suggest that I think all corps should play Sousa marches. There is so much great music out there that has never been used by DCI. In fact, I think it is MORE innovative to turn songs that we all recognize (and that we would never think to do on the field) into drum corps shows. As far as the rules go...we definately need them or else we are going to wake up one day and see saxophones in DCI which will be the end of the activity as we know it. The problem is that people have forgotten how much outrage there was going into the 2004 season when they allowed amps. People have gotten so used to it that they just sort of shrug it off now. Well, I and a few others on here still haven't forgotten. Frankly, I am insulted when ego maniacs like George Hopkins continue to shove this narration crap down our throats year after year when he KNOWS 90 percent of the fans want the old Cadets back. I think he's just doing it for attention to be honest.

Thank you to everyone who made thoughtful replies. To everyone else: I can think of smart-### comments on my own. I'm looking for real input here. To respond to some good points that were brought up: -I believe that to a certain degree show designers have forgotten that the main purpose of drum corps is to entertain, not to necessarily to win. Drum corps has become more of a competitive sport in recent years (and there's nothing wrong with that) but I think at the end of the day, most people just want to go to a show and be able to hear some great music. They don't necessarily care who has the most sophisticated show or the most difficult music. -To those who think I'm a grumpy old man stuck in the "good ol' days" of drum corps: I'm not that old.

just to reiterate, I'm NOT talking about talent or quality of the corps themselves, just show design in general. Thank you for the comments though...

Is it just me or has the quality of DCI declined significantly in the past two years? To me it doesn't seem to be the level of talent among the members of the corps that is lacking, but in the the designs of the shows themselves. It is especially apparent this year in the top 6 or 7 corps (Cavaliers, Blue Devils, Cadets, etc...). The narration in the Cadets' show is an unmitigated disaster, the level of sophistication in the BD and Cavalier shows is that of a high school marching band. The only two shows I saw with any sort of potential were SCV and Bluecoats, but even their shows have significant design flaws. Here are a few specific things that I think need to be done in order to reverse this trend of vapidity and save DCI from destroying itself: - NO MORE AMPS. period. Yes, there have been corps that have used them tastefully, but this narration crap has to end NOW. - NO MORE MEDLEYS. This is something that only the music arrangers can fix. For once I would like to hear a complete song. Nothing sucks the life out of me more than listening to medleys. A perfect example is the Bluecoats' show this year. There was absolutely no reason in the world to mix in clips of "On The Waterfront" between the Rocky music. Very difficult to listen to and it makes no sense thematically. - MORE MEMORABLE MUSIC. No more of this arcane and abstract crap that seems to go on forever. Maybe it will impress a bunch of highs choolers, but it's growing old on me. Also, no more shot notes every 5 bars, and no more drum breaks that last forever while the horn line is off in the back corner doing choreography just for the sake of doing choreography. If you pick music that people are familiar with, the will be able to relate to it more. You can still do a lot of crowd pleasing stuff without sacrificing difficulty. - NO MORE PROPS. They're distracting to look at and they take up too much space on the field that could be used for drill. I have never seen a show where I thought the props enhanced the show in ANY way. If you need props (and narration for that matter) to help the audience understand the theme of your show, it's probably going to be a bad show anyway. I hope there is someone out there who understands what I'm talking about here. With the exception of one or two shows, I felt 2007 was a bad year for DCI and I didn't think it could get any worse until I saw this year's shows. I know this whole post sounds very negative and pessimistic, and I know there's a whole brigade of pollyannas out there who will disagree with me, but I feel DCI is slowly metastasizing in to some sort of nightmare out of a BOA contest. What does everyone else think?

Agreed! Drum corps is my life!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's some of my thoughts on the the evening show (from what I remember). I saw and heard a lot of things that I totally didn't expect after reading these reviews all summer.... Vanguard- still not back to where they were pre-04, but they are significantly better than last year and if they continue to improve at this rate over the next couple years they will get back to where they want to be. Don't remember a whole lot about the show, but the crowd seemed to dig it. Not a very memorable show in my opinion, but whatever, it's been great to see them improve these last couple years. Keep it up guys. Carolina Crown- They have a very mature sounding hornline and honestly they were the only ones to kinda give me goose bumps. Their brass sound is so rich and well balanced. This was also the first corps in my opinion to carry out the theme of their show well. The show was very well written and it's very audience accessible. The crowd reaction was great. Phantom- Not quite sure I understood the theme. Hornline was certainly good, but I don't think they were "showcased" well enough. Also, it seemed like all their soloists were having problems tonight (a lot of cracked notes). There was also a little too much ballet and prancing around for my taste. I know that is kind of their trademark, but it's growing old on me and I think it makes them look kind of sissy. I was hoping for a lot more "in your face" kind of stuff. I don't really know what else to say about them, I kind of zoned out during their show...not too memorable. Bluecoats- This show was fantastic and seemed more like a show I would expect from the Cavaliers (more on that later...). The "Criminal" show is by FAR the most entertaining and most audience accessible. It was honestly the only show that kept my attention the entire time. Much like the Cavaliers, I thought all their choreography actually had a PURPOSE and actually ENHANCED the show. I see so many corps out there who do the same old choreography that all corps do every year and it starts to seem after a while that their just doing it for the sake of doing it. Also, the "narration" (or whatever you want to call it), fit the show perfectly. This show is so well designed that I just can't see it placing any lower than 4th on finals night. Oh, btw, I was skeptical about the new uniforms, but they look GREAT live and I think they are good for the new direction that this corps is headed in. Having said that, I do really miss the white pants and helmet. That was one thing I always loved about the Bluecoats was their uniform. It was always so refreshing to see them enter the stadium after seeing a million corps with black pants. Now they just sort of look like everyone else, but whatever, I can live with it. The new ones look really sharp. Cadets- I'll start with the good stuff....Music is awesome, I can really appreciate them putting Symphonic Mvmt. on the field because I've played it sitting down and it was hard enough to stay together like that! The hornline was AMAZING as usual. They march well, they play well, yada, yada, yada.....Now to the bad stuff....That's right, the narration. Yes it's pointless and distracting and doesn't help get the point of the show across. We could bash it all day so I'll try to keep that to a minimum. However, there are a few things I just have to get off my chest here....was it just me or did the guy's voice sound EXACTLY like Napoleon Dynamite!!?? It just made the narration sound THAT much more ridiculous. And come on...."When I play my trumpet, something MAGICAL happens!!!" Can it get anymore cheesy?? Anyway, not a very good theme which made for a mediocre show. What was the show called again? "This I Believe"? What does that even mean? The Cadets have been trying to get a little too philosophical on us the last few years and I think we're all getting sick of it. Blue Devils- eh, it was sorta cool I guess. By the middle of the show I was pretty much zoned out though. What was the theme of their show again? Who knows....and I really don't care. We all know these guys can march and play like nobody's business, but I think the people who have been designing their shows the last couple of year need to get it together. Cavaliers- The show itself was good, but certainly not what you would expect from the Cavaliers. Like I said earlier, it seemed like the Bluecoats had the kind of show the Cavaliers needed this year. To be completely honest....No, they're not as good as they have been the past few years. They don't play as well, and they don't march as well. That is not to say they were bad, it's just that they don't stand out among the other corps the way they usually do. When I saw them up close during the encore, it looked like it was a REALLY young group of guys, and probably not a lot of vets. (but I don't know for sure). Any way, like others have said before me, the ending will probably get revised a little more before finals. As a matter of fact, I would say that this corps has the MOST room to improve between now and the end of the season, which is good I guess. My overall impression of tonight was that most of these corps didn't have very well designed shows. Bluecoats and Crown were the only two (in my opinion) that had excellent designs and I think they will be rewarded for that on finals night. As far as talent goes, these corps are pretty neck and neck. No one really stood out in that respect. That's why I think it's all going to come down to SHOW DESIGN. So, here's my predictions of the top 7 corps at finals this year... 1st- Cavaliers 2nd- Blue Devils 3rd- Bluecoats 4th- Cadets 5th- Crown 6th- Phantom 7th- Vanguard Sorry if I sounded too negative here, but I really don't like to "sugar-coat" anything when I write these reviews and feed you the same old lines that everyone else writes and wants to hear. So take it for what it's worth I guess, it's just one man's opinion.