TastyWaves

lol... This is the definition of a coward. To actually state that judges have been paid off in the huge letters and then immediately punk out and try play it off as a "joke". haha. Just another example of the insufferable arrogance that exists here. The thought process that because "My" opinion is at odds with the end result, the system is now wrong, everyone but "Me" is an idiot and of course "Judges were paid off". Why not just state "I am so smart and so important and so much better than EVERYONE that anyone who disagrees with me is either wrong, stupid, or paid off!"? At least have the courage to say it without pretending to be kidding.

"DCI Needs to fix the scoring system" = "MY favorite corps didnt win so I am going b*tch and moan like a petulant child and arrogantly state that the system is broken because the end result was at odds with my personal taste".

Here are my thoughts on the DCI cinema premier. As always, they are just that. MY thoughts. Keeping in mind that its "early", that i am in a movie theater, not listening live, and that its a multi-cam viewing so I was not always getting on the screen what the designer wanted. I will list them in reverse order of where I would have placed the corps. 7) Madison Scouts As a young man in 1992 seeing my first drum corps shows, this group was one of my very favorites. Big, loud, bold, intense. But over the years, something about them just didnt stay consistent for me. And unlike many other corps where I generally like or just dont care for their style, I would go back on forth on Madison. For about a decade, I kinda forgot about them. In 2011, I fell in love again. Head over heels! But since then, its been back to not caring for them. Basically, this was like an alumni corps only technically better and in tune. When the program coordinator came on screen to explain the new obnoxious white uniform and the show concept, I thought "okay.. this could be cool". But what followed was just a lot of very loud noise. This is a pretty low level design which frankly could have a tough time making it to the 12 this season. As always, I admire the kids performance. But its the programming that I just cant get into. There is nothing inherently wrong with this style, but the show just lacked what I usually look for in a program. Great shaping, dynamic performance, variety, visual artistry, and a sense of a total program rather than just a couple of songs put out there. Perhaps the worst part of it is the "we want to wow them with color" and the long explanation of the uniform being there to serve as the neutral backdrop for huge flashes of color etc, and not one significant color flash hitting. As far as the elements, they seemed on par with what I have come to expect. Brass has the chops. Loud and brash and clean! Very well done. I love me some Drumming and the battery is raw and aggressive. Color guard didnt really contribute and i forgot for awhile that they had a front ensemble. Visual design was stunningly lacking. I can see this style being "loved or hated". The enthusiastic crowd in our theater sat on their hands for this one so if thats any indication... 6) BAC Since hearing about the "Animal farm" concept, I have been rather intrigued. It certainly sounded unique, and daring which I am ALWAYS a fan of! But then the program coordinator comes on to say "the show isnt about the book animal farm....". From there he frankly kind of rambled a little bit and did not give a clear picture about what the show IS about. And that is exactly what came through from the corps. Its a great looking, dark, and intense program which is in most way very enjoyable. VERY ambitious visual and musically! Percussion has taken 2 steps forward all around, brass seems as good or better than the last couple of years and their visual program is steeped in demand. The color guard has a monster task trying to spin with the masks on! I have already seen people saying "get rid of the masks" simply because its hard to spin in them but I think that time and reps will cure that. Consistency will get better over the summer. The big "moment" where they create the human tower with the animal on top making a cross was musically very dramatic, but due to what I am sure is just a lack of refining was clunky. Hopefully they extend the moment to where he makes it to the top and holds the cross longer. And again, I know the fix is coming, but it was SOOOOO very annoying when they were taking apart the "human tower" to see the members just distractingly running around, putting drums on, and breaking character while that wonderful brass moment is still going. From a pure "story" and "concept" stand point though you cant help but wonder whats going on. Dont get me wrong. I do not believe there has to be a "story" in a drum corps show as the blue coats masterfully showed (more on that later). But when you spend all off-season getting people set for a story show and then there is no story, you just kinda feel let down. Knowing BAC however, they will fix it! it is june after all. I thought this was 4 points better than Madison but then, I am not the guy whos opinion matters! 5) Cavaliers- "Immortal" has all the makings of a drum corps classic! Raw, intense, soul-devouring music and visuals will have fans on their feet when its all said and done! Percussion definitely leads the way in this corps right now. Great clarity from the battery and fantastic impact, musicality, and showmanship from the front ensemble. The "marimbas on the field" thing in the opening felt like a let down. I am just one of those people who want to see something special when a corps makes a big deal of something. And every twitter or facebook post from the cavaliers this past month is all about the hashtag, "#MarimbasOnTheField" so when 2 minutes went by and they didnt do anything, I was getting annoyed. But in the second movement, they let you have it! Cool, clever, fun and unique integration of the instrument! Naturally needs refinement but its a great moment in the making! The soul being taken from the soloist moment was so cool! Crowd in the theater went nuts! The color guard lacked that classic cavie "punch" but I am also hoping that its an early season thing because they really need to sell it for this show to be fully realized. Frankly, I liked this show better than Phantom, but execution wise they are a few steps behind. 4) Phantom Regiment- I am one who normally falls deeply in love with Phantom early each season. I am not fully there yet with Swan Lake, but that does not mean it isnt a great show in the making! The overall "Feel" is classic phantom regiment, but its not hitting just yet which is okay. These things take time! The brass, while not the PR brass of old has a big, beautiful and powerful sound. They create beautiful color musically which unfortunately was lacking visually. The visual program seems just overall very average. Seems like a visual program more suited for Colts or Pacific Crest than a championship contender. The battery percussion has taken some small steps in the right direction (Thank god). I was really beginning to worry there. Color Guard didnt blow me away like they normally do, but again its a nice show. The uniform change is definitely where the show begins. Frankly, the show up until then is very flatline but maybe thats by design. As soon as that change happens, something comes over the members and they let you have it! It goes from a very "Blah" performance in white to a stunning performance with moments of goosebumps in black. I am probably most excited to see this show develop because I know PR always delivers the goods! 3) Carolina Crown- With crown being the "it" corps lately, people seem offended by my stance here. I desperately wish people could get over their own egos and stop acting like someone has insulted them if they differ on a corps placement. Where you place a corps based on your personal evaluation of "criteria" has nothing to do with your enjoyment of them! (at least it shouldnt). Example... Phantom Regiment 2003 and 2010 are among my very favorite shows of ALL TIME. Yet I know that neither one of them belonged in the top 5 competitively. Anyway... Crowns show is truly magnificent! The uni is definitely a winner for both the corps and the guard. Their brass section once again is absolutely awe inspiring and the overall package is just so cool its going to be contend again! Percussion wise there is improvement. I wont say "huge" improvement because unlike the legions of people who let recaps taint their senses, I know that crown had a great percussion program LAST year!! Again, its better, but they have always been great so lets just get off of that! The color guard did not (yet) serve up that "Punch" I normally get. Each year, it seems Blue Devils and Crown are on their own planet guard wise a few steps ahead of the pack and Crown usually has me stunned silent but at least for this viewing I was not there yet. In terms of the overall program, I think they are "complete" in the basic sense, but still probably have a lot of refining to do. The drumming car parts moment is definitely hip, but it needs to be shorter and thinned out. I am a drummer and love me some "notes" but i think overly packing the moment with notes takes away from the effect. Especially when the synth part comes in. Take more advantage of the unique sounds of those metallics rather than trying to do such flashy stuff. It could also be about 10-15 seconds shorter. The "Ballad" for me loses the theme. Its so stunningly beautiful musically, but its almost a complete abandonment of the "space" theme for about 90 seconds. There may be more coming, but for the moment, that was my feeling. Its like when you sit in a movie theater and after what feels like an hour of commercials and coming attractions, you say "what movie was I here to watch again?". Overall another beautiful program. Cant wait to see it again! 2) Bluecoats- This was a great reminder to me not be fooled by certain little "things". For example, I saw a picture from a couple of nights ago of the big orange border and the guard uniform. Didnt care for either one. Saw the new corps uni. Frankly, I was thinking "this is lame". Then the program coordinator came on the cinecast to say that they picked some music and then took a while to decide how to use it. Sounded unorganized and unambitious, similar to what the program coordinator of BAC sounded like. Then the show happened. WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!! What a stunning performance! This is the most complete drum corps the Bluecoats have ever put out! (in my opinion of course). I have aLWAYS loved the Bluecoats, especially their percussion. But I have never had their elements come together in such a way to produce such a maximized overall effect. Their brass has such fantastic range right now. That note "bend" moment is unbelievably well balanced and so clever and original! The power is there but so is the low end. They create such great moments! I never in my wildest dreams thought I would think Bluecoats guard should be over the likes of crown and cadets, but frankly, I do! I think they were the best guard of the night! Their front ensemble has come a long way this year to keep up with the others and their battery percussion. Well, if you saw it, you know. I can honestly see this show coming out to knock out one or two or three of the "big boys" this year. Is a medal in the Bluecoats plans for this summer? I certainly would not be the least big shocked if it happened! They will need to refine, clean and expand because the big boys are going to give it their best. But the Bluecoats best will do the job this season. 1) Cadets- Both Cadets and Bluecoats have shown the world that "its only june" is a sh**ty excuse not to perform at a high level. The cadets preparation is simply impressive. No other way to put it. Strong corps in all areas. I think they can and will be in the top 3 of every caption. Percussion is again championship caliber, brass is stunning and guard colors the picture. Beautifully balanced narration, and a spectacular arranging of classic Copland with stunning performance quality. Hard not to see this as a medalist, maybe a champion? This to me was clearly the most prepared corps of the night. Like most people, I saw the spread between them and Crown and thought "is this for real?". Those doubts are gone. This is a complete drum corps doing a June performance that I honestly believe would have won DCI's August championships only a few years ago. It is that good. My Captions: Overall Effect- Cadets Visual- Crown Music- Cadets Battery Percussion- Bluecoats Front Ensemble Percussion- Cadets Guard- Bluecoats Fan Favorite- (in my theater) Bluecoats. congrats to all on a great opening!

Sounds reasonable. A few logistical flubs have taken place in the VERY early season as corps move their props on and off for the first time, some in unfamiliar venues. The answer? Get rid of it! yeah. great idea! I also saw a snare drum head explode once AT THE GATE! They should get rid of snare drums. Contras are very heavy and bulky and the cases they come in done stack evenly on a truck. Lets get rid of contras too. I saw a podium once roll over an uneven piece of pavement and jam a wheel. On that note, an equipment truck once had engine problems and had to be fixed. There are two more things we can get rid of. Trucks and Podiums. Joking aside, These are simply early season problems. Penalties can and do take place, so there is really nothing to discuss. I am a fan too, and I personally dont mind an extra couple of minutes if it means seeing a program fully realized. I do think Corps should be familiar with their venues and make sure each venue can accommodate their production size. I am sure the corps do their due diligence, but sometimes there are just issues with doing things the first couple of times.

ABSOLUTELY- I have been to Dayton many times, but my group this year were first timers. Many of them are wind players in the fall and we had a full troop of parents with us as well. ALL of us were left in awe of Aimachi's performance. I think what they did was fantastic! Same with Northglenn Performance Theater. A wonderful example of what can be done in an open setting. I know many go out of their way to criticize because its not what they did in their day, but honestly I think its a wonderful medium WGI is bringing forward. I was skeptical but after seeing two completely different extremes of two very different possibilities this weekend (multiple times each) I am full on board. I hope to see this really flourish!

Absolutely great point! I was playing some drum corps during lunch of one of our band camp days in my band room and some of the kids say "What year is this?" I told them it was 2006 and they say "oh... old school corps..." and then they walked out. lol.

I love all the negative votes I got! lol. I am now somebody! In any case, I should have clarified my particular response. Im not sure what the OP was looking for, but for me, I answered in terms of the "Season" which as a marching member I define as day 1, to DCA championships. The last time I marched, day 1 for me was the open house thanksgiving weekend after which we went just about every weekend with a few exceptions until September. So for me, yes. Going from November to September was too long. Even if I was young enough to hang with those kids out there now, I don't think I would because that is a LONG time for me. I work full time and am a Band Director and direct an indoor percussion ensemble as well as having a relationship. Thinking back to having rehearsal 3 nights per week, shows on Saturdays and then driving to and rehearsing all day sundays during Indoor season was crazy. Then doing all of the marching band during the spring and summer all week before driving over an hour (or 4 hours depending on which season were talking about)was also a lot. So again, I am answering the question in context of my life and experience. If I had nothing going on except for marching on weekends, I would probably want it to go until October. lol. but I don't. Anyway, "negative" vote away!

Yes. The season is waaaaay too long in my mind. I think it should be over a month earlier or start a month later. I marched 3 seasons there and while I value those experiences, by mid August I was so ready for it to be over.

I don't understand why giving the upside makes anyone a "nimrod", but to each his/her own. about 12 of my students and a good handful of fellow "Drum corps types" I know had no issues so I was simply explaining my surprise. I didn't ever doubt that there were some issues. My point was simply that sometimes (A LOT of times) there is user error involved in a many of these types of events. Connections, equipment, not knowing what button to push etc. Maybe I did not read the thread thoroughly, but I missed the entitlement/manufactured outrage part. I did not through those out there myself in while speaking of the DCI stream. Back to the point though... Im glad the stream worked great for me! And I am glad DCI is doing right by the customers who did not have as good of an experience. That's more than a lot of other companies do when there are breakdowns.

Forgive my wording. "Some of the equipment owned by !diot$ who don't know how to set it up might be to blame". Im not talking about this specifically, but in the course of every day life, I find myself trouble shooting for people with anything electronic where most of the time the answer is "plug it in" or "turn it on" or "plug the right cable in the right port". Again, I didn't say this was definitely equipment failure on any number of viewers of the DCI webcast. My point was simply that my experience was so easy and smooth that I couldn't help but flash to the many technology challenged people I have dealt with over the years. Now breathe in and out. I wasn't calling out anyone specific.

The offer and communication really show that DCI is doing a great job of listening. That being said, I was very surprised to get that email! Surprised because the stream for me was an enormous success! I connected very easily and even ran it from my tablet into the 70" flat screen. There was one or two little hick ups in during SCVC, but nothing that took away from the enjoyment. After that there was one very minor blip during Madison Scouts. Other than that, smooth sailing! I wonder how many of these reported issues were due to individuals own computers, Wi-Fi connections, or equipment were more to blame than DCI because again, my experience was first rate! Bravo to DCI!

Its a very high quality percussion unit. Strong all around, especially in that front ensemble. I dont think its so much what they are not doing, but rather what SCV/Blue Devils/Cadets ARE doing. That being said, this thing is far from over, even percussion wise. I think all of the top 4 teams have taken turns winning percussion head to head at some point this year and its all been a game of 10ths and even hundredths. lol. I think its exciting! I think Crown will be in the mix but all of those corps have to really bring it every night. Makes for an exciting last few weeks! I cant wait to sit in the stands at Allentown and watch every show for the 5th straight year!

Every corps from top to bottom built from somewhere. Blue devils, carolina crown, cavaliers, cadets, they didnt wake up one day being a "powerhouse" with no work or effort. They put in the time, the effort, the energy, and spent decades building what they have. To even hint that taking away from corps who have worked hard and succeeded to just give to other corps who have either not worked hard enough, squandered their resources, or who maybe are on their way to the top but just have not reached it yet is ridiculous.

Absolutely! I go every year for both. Musikfest by day, Drum Corps by night. Its such a great time! Opens up hotel options too. Not much in allentown other than the show. Bethlehem is a great time! We used to go to Eagles training camp (even though im not a fan, its still fun!). But they are no longer at Lehigh U. for camp. Go to Musikfest people!

I disagree that previous performances are done "in the same vain". If you really watch each performance from say 2007 to present, I dont see a lot of similarity other than the fact that each time they are going in radically different directions from everyone else. HOW they are doing that changes each year. Thats what I love about them! Its not always my "favorite", but man what they do is great fun to watch. Sorry for the sidebar!