ross6200

1982 is my favorite. It's the first show I ever saw, and was a real game changer with Zingali's drill and that horn line. The beginning of what would become decades of dominance in the activity. 1982 really put the rest iof the drum cops world on notice. I marched Cadets starting in 1984, so I never watched that show live. But I suspect 1984 could be one of the best drum corps shows ever. I am devastated that I will never again get chills when I see the maroon and gold take the field.

Congrats to all the 2018 Cadets!

I saw SVC online only. And after one viewing - heck, throughout the entire viewing - I knew I LOVED their show, both musically and visually. Musically I thought it was a masterpiece, although I knew none of the music. I have a music degree. I marched & taught for several years, and consider myself 'old-school' when it comes to drum corps. So I am an expert on nothing! But I know what I like. And even with things I don't like or prefer, I am always able to find artistic merit, because I know my opinion is not fact and is not shared with everyone. So for this original poster to call this show an EPIC FAIL as if he/she is an expert....well, I consider that review to be an epic fail! In fact, having listened to the original source material, I am amazed at how seamlessly and beuatifully SCV was able to integradte all these themes musically and visually in a way that was endlessly compelling. And yes, I can't stop hearing the tunes in my head. For me (I've been a DCI fan since the mid-1970's), this is is one of the Top 10 shows ever. Of course this is just my opinion. Nice job, SVC. Well deserved!! Ross 1984-88 Garfield Cadets FHNSAB

Congratulations to the Cadets for an amazing season. It may not have shown up in the form of a medal, but this show was a real winner in my opinion. I am a Cadets veteran who marched in the 1980s, and do consider myself 'old-school' - so I typically don't like vocals and amplifiaction, etc. But I have to say that this Cadets show was groundbreaking in how it seamlessly (and successfully) brought so many elements together in a production that really blew me away. I will admit that early in the season, I was underwhelmed by the show. But the growth that happened both creatively and from a membership standpoint (I understand there were a LOT of rookies) was incredible. This turned into one of my favorite shows this season - and one my favorite Cadets shows ever. Normally I wouldn't have posted this. But Cadets members are likely seeing a lot positive and negative comments about the show on this forum, and I thought they should be congratulated for an amazing job pulling off a classic show. I am not a fan of vocals or changes to the Cadets uniform. And I am also not religious. And STILL I loved this show!!!! Well done 2017 Cadets!!!

1982 Blue Devils - colorguard wore spandex uniforms, incorporated more dance and used wings and feathers 1983 Garfield Cadets - entire production of Mass/Rocky Point Holiday redifined what a drum corps show could be; while other corps were still performing 'variety' shows, Cadets created a show that was one unified concept. Also, all the elements (brass, percussion, guard) were incoprated into the drill design (not seperate entities) - especially how the percussion was integrated & marched (I think they invented the 'crab' marching style that year?) 2005/2011 Cadets - The Zone and Angels & Demons brought new 'theming' idea to the field; drum cops became more of a production/theater-like 2016 Bluecoats - completely did away with drum corps convention in regards to uniforms, staging and presentation. A game changer!

YES - one of the highlights of my years as a Cadet. Maybe my life! yes - we stood there motionless, proudly....but my body was screaming BLUE DEVILS!!!!!! Thanks, Stu Stu for posting! First time I've ever seen this clip! THAT is why the Cadets stand still....to keep from falling over when the Blue Devils are playing in your face! Talk about discipline!

Not sure why this is such a big deal to some people. Everyone should define for themselves the best way to react and behave, without being judged negatively for it. To assume that George and the members of the Cadets 'felt' a certain way or were being disrepectful is just plain wrong. The Cadets organization chose to react in a way that suits them and honors their tradition. As a former Cadet - I can only say that disrepecting competitors is the absoulte opposite of what happened Saturday night. The Cadets have an 80 year history, dating back to pre-WW2. And much of the Cadets traditions are rooted in military traditions. One of these is standing completely still regardless of what is going on around you. Period. The Cadets move, perform and behave as a unit. They react as a unit. The individual is NOT more important than the unit - at least while you are wearing that Cadets uniform! When I marched, we won a couple, we lost a couple. Our reaction was always the same: Wait until everyone leaves the field (if we won) or head back to the buses (if we didn't) before we react. There are many more traditions the Cadets adhere to - and take pride in (miltary haircuts & no facial hair, for example). THis does not make the Cadets better or worse than another corps, just different. It's what defines them, and that will never change. And as for why they left the field so quickly: the competition was over. the field belonged to the champions. And as the Cadets always have done, they returned to their 'base' (buses) so they could celebrate their season as a unit. I am sure they are not feeing sorry for themselves. They delivered an amazing show, scored an impressive 97, and achieved greatness. If there is any disapointment in dropping to 3rd, I'm sure it is far outweiged by the celebration of what they achieved this summer - a feeling they can all share an enjoy AWAY from the field, in private among their fellow Cadets. That being said, the Blue Devils and Bluecoats were awesome. They deserved their placements. And they earned the right to celebrate the way they saw fit. What a great night!

Fair enough!

OK.. Just to stir the pot a little....why WAS BD congratulating Bluecoats a classy move? Trying to figure this one out...... Is congratulating someone for beating someone (while that someone else is standing right there) a classy move? Why bot congratulate Cadets for taking the bronze? And for the record, I think Bluecoats deserved the silver.

So, if there were one more week left in the season, the Blue Devils kids really couldn't improve? Not just their score, but their own individual performance?

I agree in theory. But by giving any corps a perfect score, you're basically saying that there is no room for improvement. I guess I've always felt (and been taught) that there is no such thing as perfection. But it's the attempt to get there that makes the hard work worth it, and so much fun.

Loved Blue Devils. Deserved to win for sure, so I don't want my comment here to be seen as negative in any way towards the kids that did such an awesome job tonight. But the judging community ought to be ashamed of themselves for letting the scores get out of hand this year. Was the BD show the best drum corps show ever? Was it even the bst BD show ever? Tough to say. 1980, 1982, 1986 BD were all just as great relative to their competition - an just as clean as this year's BD show. But a near 100 should never even be possible. For the integrity of the activity, I think the judges this year really messed up.

I think this year's show is a masterpiece. I 'got it' the first time I saw it live a couple of weeks ago. But I'll admit that on this weekend's live webcast, it loses a lot of it's effect, and is not as impressive a production. On the other hand, I have only seen Crown's show via live webcast, and think this show is absolutely incredible. So I can only imagine what the show must be like to see and hear live (sadly, I won't get the chance). Cadets show is very clean and is performed very well. Crown's show still is dirty, but it seems they have not improved 'the dirt' much from when I saw them in June. So if Crown can't clean this show up, while the cadets continue to improve their show, Cadets could take the title running away. IMO - the Cadets shouldn't change a thing, especially the closer, which I think is brilliant! One of my favorite DCI moments ever. Blue Devils show continues to grow on me. I think as they continue to up their performance level, they will have a good chance to pass Crown as well. So I feel bad for Crown if they can't clean their show...because their production is s real winner.

How about the Freelancers? They made finals a few years in the early-mid 1980s, then took a year off/folded in 1986. Then came back again the next year and were in finals within a couple of years. The Sky Ryders came in 9th in 1986, then dropped to as low as 19th by 1990, only to jump up to 12th the next year, 1991.

Have to disagree with you here. I never saw any of the 1983 drum corps shows live (I was a poor HS student with no car). But when I saw the PBS broadcast, it was clear to me that Garfield's show was totally different from anything else on the filed that year. Sure, I wish I could have seen it live, but a poor PBS telecast wasn't enough to hide the Cadet's greatness and innovation. Only a few months after that broadcast, I was at a Cadets audition camp, and marched there until I aged out!

'Best Champion' is a pretty vague term. The '82 Blue Devils had one of the best horn lines ever; the '88 Scouts could be considered a great champion for coming out of nowhere to win despite not winning any captions. And while I love SCV's '89 show, they weren't the best corps that night - it was Phantom's New World Symphony. In fact, I think SCV's 1987 show was even better than 1989, and they came in second to Garfield by just .1! 1984 Cadets was an awesome show, but tough to judge since I marched that year. Also marched 1987 Cadets - I know we had a great show, but it wasn't the best Cadets show of the decade IMO. For me, the best Champion was the 1983 GARFIELD CADETS. Not only did they go undefeated that season, but THAT show is the one that changed drum corps forever. 1983 Garfield was more than drum corps, with a drill and musical book that was years ahead of the competition and redefined what drum corps could be. It turned marching & music into an artform, and forced the drum corps community to evolve to the next level. Because of this, I voted for the Cadets of 1983. But if I had to vote for my favorite, it would have to be 1989 Phantom!!!!

thank you for proving my point.

sad, sad, story. It's amazing to me that a member of any corps would wish to leave this type of lasting impression. As a Cadet, the only impression we ever wanted to give others was that we respected ourselves, our corps, our competitors and the activity. And hopefully, that's the impression others got. I am sure members from other corps feel exactly the same as I did when I marched. But, it's terrible what a few words or actions can do to have the complete opposite effect! My respect and admiration for some of the corps named in this thread has certainly gone down a notch or two!

wow. some of the stuff posted in this thread, if true, is disturbing. As I said in an earlier post, I appreciate(d) all the different personalities the corps bring to the table, and that's what made doing retreats so rewarding for me when I marched (mid 1980s), when we did retreats every night....unless it was pouring rain or oppressively hot (there were many day shows back then). While every corps was different and did what worked best for them during retreat, I never witnessed anything but complete professionalism and respect from every other corps - toward the Cadets and other corps. In fact, I can't recall a single incident that comes close to what kids today are purportedly doing (candy throwing, touching, pushing, making comments). When is this behavior even acceptable in every day life, let alone on the field of competition? We used to share a respect of each other's hard work and a respect for each others' desire to win. And never, ever, did we break each other's ranks! That was just an unspoken code of drum corps ethics, and I can't even imagine this level of disrespect happening today. So, I hope it's not true. But if it is, maybe that's why DCI stopped having retreats. And that's a real shame, since it's the one opportunity the kids have to stand in honor of their fellow marchers, and show respect for their fellow competitors. It's all a reflection on the corps management, I guess.

OK. here's my list. I'll pick one show for each corps. They'll mostly be older shows, since I think it's good to expose some younger people to shows that defined each corps - at least in my mind. These are just my opinions, so I am sure some will disagree. But the following shows are just flat-out awesome, and old or new, any drum corps fan should appreciate these fine corps: BLUE DEVILS 1982 - HOT! You have not heard a great technical horn line until you've heard this show. The soprano book alone for their opener (T.O.) is one of the best ever. One of the best soloists ever (Pegasus). One of the hottest numbers ever (One More Time Chuck Corea). And visually, a wide open drill, all-female guard that set the trend for class and style. PHANTOM 1989 - With all due respect to SCV and their Phantom of the Opera show that year, PHANTOM's 'New World Symphony' program is my all-time favorite, and probably should have won that year. As one earlier post suggests, SCV was a bit sloppy that night (but still great!), although PR should have pulled off the upset, IMO. This is one powerful program that still gives me chills when I listen to it, much like it did every time I saw the show live. One of the greatest drum corps tunes ever is the slower, 2nd movement, which Phantom jazzed up and orchestrated to perfection. What a great, well-balanced horn line! SANTA CLARA VANGUARD 1982 - they came in 2nd, but what a fantastic show! SLAVA is one of my all-time favorite numbers for this corps - I wish they'd bring it back! In fact, the entire show has such a complicated horn book, I don't know that I've ever heard anything as good since 1982! And they capped it all off with Appalahian Spring, then brought back the bottle dance: major timing issues made this sloppy, but who cares? By the time this show ended, SCV had brought the house down....still one of the biggest crowd reactions ever! CADETS 1984 - okay, I am biased. I marched this year. But, I never saw the show live, and it took me many years to fully appreciate it. There are so many impressive musical moments to love in this show: how the corps starts with a soft ballad (Maria), followed by the Rumble, which ends at around 230 beats per minute (I think I have that right), the best mellophone solo ever in 'I Have a Love'.....simply gorgeous. Then the last loud note of the finale after the Z-pull. WOW! CAVALIERS 1987 - really, I could have picked any year from 1984-1991, but this show for me is the ideal Cavies show. At a time the Cadets, BD, SCV and Phantom were doing their thing, the Cavies quietly came along and did things a bit different, and it was great. With a brilliant drill (and music to match it) that still leave me in disbelief, wondering how they conceived this stuff! 1987 was a great show, with big musical hits sprinkled throughout, and one of the best moments: taking up the entire field in a spead block formation at the end of the quiet section of Korean Folk Song. gorgeous show, and lots of fun to watch! BRIDGEMEN 1980 - what could easily be lost when you watch all the antics of this corps during the opening 'circus' production is that these guys could f-n play! What a hornline. It is this show that got me hooked on drum corps! A soprano line with tons of range, baritones that played incredible runs (with 2 vales!), and one of the best drum lines in drum corps history, this show is non-stop fun. best moment for me is the end of 'In the Stone': the hornline simply blows your face of, with such clarity - and high notes from the sopranos.....one of my favorite shows to listen to. awesome! MADISON SCOUTS 1983 - let's say you're younger (under the age of 30), and you can't quite understand why some older fans are so ga-ga over Madison - even when they place out of the Top 12. Just check out Madison's 1983 show (1980 wouldn't be a bad choice, either). Their opener (something-something overture) ends and disolves into Strawberry Soup, with ear-piercing soprano solos you won't believe! Then, Strawberry Soup keeps jammin until they hit you in the face again at the end with a powerful hornline and sop soloists that do not miss! The 'Cats' company front at the end of the show is a never-ending crescendo of volume that gets the crowd in a frenzy. This is one show that, if it comes up on my iPod, I have to hit repeat at least twice. a great, powerful, crowd-pleasing show! SUNCOAST SOUND 1985 - Florida Suite. I really miss this corps and their unique sound. Florida Suite was an original composition for this corps. Although you've never heard this music, you love it instantly. This corps had a very talented hornline and great soloists. Fun show to listen to top to bottom. STAR OF INDIANA 1986 - I know, they only came in 8th place this year. But it was just their second year in existence! Their 'Space' show fetaured drill by George Zingali and hornline taught by Donny Van Doren (now with Carolina Crown). I'll never forget hearing this corps play as we (Cadets) were approaching the tunnel at DCI Canada. we could hear the corps playing the beginning of 'Close Encounters' with something like 24 contra-basses! Then, the chord at the end was fantastic! **On the CD recording from finals: At one point in the 'Close Encounters' production, after a big moment in the song, you can hear George Zingali give a big 'HA!' in delight of his own drill move. How cool is that?

When I marched in the mid- 1980's (Cadets), the retreat was my favorite part every night! Yes, it was tiring, and I would have liked to take my uniform off and eat. But, I enjoyed seeing the other corps do their own thing, then hear each corps play itself off. I am a drum corps fan first, and as a marching member, retreat was the only way I got experience the character & music of each corps. I loved hearing Madison play 'You'll Never Walk Alone", slowly to a huge crescendo, then stop and point the bells of their horns right to the crowd as they blew their faces off! (I got goosbumps every night). Spirit of Atlanta always got a huge ovation as they played the first bars of 'Georgia'. When else would I have had the chance to hear 27th play Danny Boy???? It was cool to stand right next to BD or SCV, watching them out of the corner of my eye in complete awe (I was standing next to the Blue Devils!!!). I even enjoyed hearing each corp's drum cadence as they marched away from the stadium..... Being a Cadet, I know it was old school to stand at attention or parade rest in complete silence for the duration of retreat. But hey - the Cadets ARE old school, with a 75 year-old tradition based on military values. For me, retreat was a way of challenging myself to present myself in a way that was respectful to the thousands of Cadets that came before me.... If every corps looked and acted the same, that would be boring. As a Cadet and a fan of drum corps, I'd like to see full retreats brought back, at least at major competitions. I think corps members and fans alike deserve to have this unique, shared experience! ROSS - Garfield Cadets 1984-88

1980 Bridgemen 1980 SCV 1982 Blue Devils 1983 Bridgemen 2000 Cadets

In 1989 (after I aged out and started teaching), I got to watch many corps every night for the first time in my life. My favorite show of all time was Phantom's New World Symphony that year. SCV, of course, won that year with Phantom of the Opera. I was not a big fan of that show (too dirty, bad intervals, sloppy drums....but awesome GE). In fact, I think the stadium was pretty spilt that night: many thought SCV deserved to win, many thought Phantom desreved first place. Anyway, during retreat, the 2 corps were lined up next to each other. And of course, once all the other corps left the filed it was just Phantom and SCV. What happened next was awesome to watch (and to hear): Phantom turned to face SCV, and began playing New World right from the top. They didn't back up, they didn't form an arc, either...they just turned and played right in SCV's faces (that's my recollection). The SCV members must have been shaking in their bucks that night....I know I would have been! Phantom's hornline was LOUD that year, but that night they must have tuned it up a notch. In retrospect, SVC probably deserved to win that night. But I'm willing to bet every member of SCV realized just how good they must have been to beat Phantom that year!

Thanks for all the replies so far! I should have mentioned that I already installed a new head unit. Just need to pick the right components. Polk, MB Quart, Infinity.......any of these would do the job I guess!

This has been an interesting thread to read! Let me first say that, as a former Cadet, I am NOT a huge fan of the 2005 and 2006 shows. However, I do believe the quality of the writing and perfomance of the members both years has been incredible. I am a fan of George's however. Not because I marched there. But mostly I admire his dedication, and how much he cares about the experience of the kids. One thing no one has mentioned yet: It may not be the actual scores and placements that bother George (and others). It could be what judges are basing those scores on during critique sessions. If the judges were saying, "I like your show, but it's just not as clean as the others", George might not have much to gripe about. But if judges are saying that they can't understand the show, and that there's too many distractions, then this could affect they way they perceive (and score) the entire production. And maybe THAT'S what his gripe is about (fair or not). Quite possibly, if judges are not 'buying' the show, it would then be difficult for a judge to give the Cadets a higher score than another corps whose show he is definitely 'sold' on. Would this be unfair of the judge, since they ought to be judging performance and execution? If judges don't 'prefer' the Cadets show concept, or are confused by it, then only GE scores should be affected. I'm not saying this is what's going on, but if this IS the case, the George has plenty to gripe about. This year, I much prefer Phantom's show to the Cadets' show. It entertains me more, and has lots more GE (for me). But I have to say that the Cadets' show is much deeper, with more layers, more for the members to execute, and more for the fan to take in. Now, execution among the members being equal, which corps scores higher? It all depends on the judge. Glad I'm not one of them!