Bandguy

I don't think I'll be attending this event again if it's in the same venue. I got there pretty early (no big line getting through the gate). My issues came with security allowing people to walk through the aisles during a show. I went to a security person and said it was improper to allow people to move through during a performance. She told me it "was only the first group playing". Interesting to me it wasn't two minutes later I saw Dan Atcheson going UP the aisle during the Cadets performance. The aisle thing soon stopped after that. The other issue was the "packed in" feeling in the concession/bathroom/exit area. That was downright SCARY. I watched several older folks who were having difficulties moving around to begin with (canes, walkers, etc.) get overwhelmed by people just trying to go somewhere. That was a source of pretty high anxiety for a lot of people, including me. I think the people at Ralph Wilson Stadium didn't know what they were going to have to deal with. I don't know who dropped the ball on that one, but I believe there will be at a cost of future ticket sales.

Saw the show on the west side of Columbus OH. It was a very good experience! One of the theater workers came out and announced AHEAD OF THE SHOW about the anticipated sound problems (it's going to happen at 7:55!) to the people attending. It was really nice to be warned it was going to happen, and that no corps performance was going to be affected. Volume was fine given all the complaining from the staff people (the wind is going to be bad for the sound!). Definitely a thumbs up good time!

Let me say first I'm a Cavies fan as well as all the other corps. I'm still having a hard time going with a first place nod when the show wasn't complete. I have my own opinions about placements, but that's all they are - my opinions. The fact remains, though, that the other groups finished their shows and risked their scores by doing that. Honestly, I think one of the most entertaining things I watched tonight was the drum judge trying to navigate on the field. It looked to me he was taking a pretty good beating!

Gives a new meaning to listening vertically, doesn't it?

OK - so I didn't read the subtitle of the discussion group. But hey, 90-93 is close to 89, isn't it?

Hello - Back in the early 90's I got on a roll with buying patches and bumper stickers from the souvie trailers. I recently came across them and thought I'd like to send them out to folks who were in the corps back then. The patches are what they are - patches. I never put them on anything, so they are intact. The bumper stickers never went on a car - I left the backing on them. There are some pin holes in the corners from when I had them hung up on a bulletin board. These items are free to a good home! Patches - Blue Devils, Santa Clara, Cavies, Crown (teal and purple!), Troopers, Glassmen, Blue Knights, Phantom, Freelancers, Boston Crusaders, Cadets of Bergen County, DCI Summer Music Games Bumper stickers - Beatrix 1991, Limited Edition, Magic, Phantom, Troopers, Spirit of Atlanta, Crossmen, Cavies, Star of Indiana, Boston Crusaders, Blue Devils, Bluecoats, VK (the license plate), Sky Ryders, Blue Knights, Dutch Boy, Madison, Santa Clara, Cadets of Bergen County (I wrote 1993 on it), I (heart) drum and bugle corps. So if you were a member of any of the above corps around 1990-93, I'll send you what I have. PM me if you have any questions. I figure it would be best to do a "first ask-first served" kind of thing, so don't think too lomg on this!

Congratulations, BD! Incredible run for you!

1. Star of Indiana alumni (after their Friday performance) - "Hey that was cool! How about we do it again tomorrow night?"

1. The Most Interesting Drum Corps in the World decided to make a special appearance!

Easton Town Center in Columbus, OH. IMAX, baby!

Great news! Mountains, indeed, CAN be moved.

I read with interest all the posts about this subject. I've hosted drum corps for a long time (since 1989) and have a had a wonderful relationship with everyone I've met. I don't consider myself as being "lucky", about that, either. I will also be first to agree that housing is getting harder to come by. To add to the trend early is the notion that high school sports are now more like semi pro. The demand on high school sports programs is through the roof as compared with "back in the day." It's tough to get a drum corps some practice fields if the football, track, soccer, baseball, softball, and field hockey teams are practicing all summer. I was told by a tour director once that they are encouraged to ask for everything they can get from a housing site. On the surface that sounds pretty pushy - however, like someone mentioned before if you don't ask you don't receive. I understand that, and I also don't promise anything I cannot deliver on. Good communication is obviously the key. There have been a LOT of occasions when I've had multiple corps at the same time. The answer to that possible nightmare was actually pretty simple - I asked the tour directors (who knew beforehand they would be sharing a housing site) to get together and plan their day. The result is everyone wound up with adequate space and rehearsal time. There was no traffic jam at the showers, and everyone was fed. Happy ending, all because there was decent communication. One more thing - some corps are easier to host than others. It's easy to host someone like Blue Devils or Santa Clara (you get the drift, I'm not leaving anyone out here) because their members usually are older and more experienced with life on tour. Others are more challenging, but that's where the band director in me kicks in. I have freshmen in my band who have to have learning time in the way we do things. It's no different with a younger drum corps. Props to the staffs and administration who really do an incredible job of handling the younger members. I'm fortunate in that my school administration supports my work with drum corps. I also understand my situation, regretably, is becoming more rare.

BGSU's stadium is nice, and I'm glad to see the building at one end of the field. Bowling Green is a pretty flat area, and I marched there once when I was in college. Only time I ever lost a hat (along with about 30 other people). Yeah, it was kind of "We're not in Kansas anymore" wind experience. The building on the end should cut down the wind factor - otherwise the color guards would be in for an adventure, I think.

I'd like to echo what some of the posters have mentioned and add a bit more insight into things. I've been hosting drum corps at my school(s) since 1989. I've hosted just about every world class and most of the open class corps during that time. I can tell you every single one of them handled themselves in a courteous and professional manner. There was one year that due to housing issues I wound up with three corps on the same day. On the surface one would think that would be a nightmare, but the solution was simple; I told the directors to get together and plan the day to their best advantage. They got together and decided rehearsal time for our stadium, when they would shower, etc. and the day went smoothly. There are obviously some corps that are more "needy" than others. The corps with the older members seem to run smoother than the corps with the younger members, but that should be expected. The younger corps members are still learning how to be in a corps. I mean to say there's a difference between my freshmen and my seniors, so why should I expect any different from a drum corps? I had heard some gossip about corps X that they were "way too demanding" with a housing site. Yes, we all would like three full sized practice fields and use of the stadium (with lights), but corps in general realize that probably isn't going to happen. And they will make do with whatever they are given. Now, I've spoken with some directors who tell me they cannot host a corps because of a bad experience their school system had. I ask them when it happened and I will get answers like 1978, 1982, 1991 and the like. I agree, I don't see the sense in that thinking either - it's 2010, for goodness sake. To summarize - I don't think anyone should place any housing blame on the corps behavior. I just haven't seen any evidence of that.

Tough, tough, tough decision. Add to it other shows we all can think of and it gets even more tough. I'll go back to the days when we voted for the Countdown the very first time. Most people agreed with me then, too - 1989 Vanguard.

OK - so I decided to have some pizza rolls for a snack tonight - and the memories of hosting drum corps camps started flooding. Makes me wonder - what foods make you have the "Pavlov's dog" effect? By the way - thanks, Rhonda! Some of the things you made for Capital Regiment are legendary!

I wonder if the cut list from "the most interesting corps in the world" is available...............

They have committed to perform at Bob Barker's eventual funeral. They believe it will end all the rumors once and for all.

Just a few observations: 1. I agree the term "hated" could use some improvement. 2. Don't confuse that with jealousy. It's quite a normal thing for some people who don't win to be jealous of those who do. 3. Also don't confuse it with rivalry. I think the rivalries of the past were more intense because of the number of corps and the closeness of their locations "back in the day". 4. Don't "shoot the messenger", meaning don't hate on the members for a show you didn't like. 5. Going back to rivalries - we live in a more "politically correct" world now. The "kick butt and take no prisoners" stuff that happened back in the day isn't accepted anymore. 6. I tell my students all the time they are not themselves whenever we are out performing. They represent their classmates, their band, and their school. They have figured out to not judge an organization based on one or two people's actions. Having said all this - whoever scores higher than my favorite corps sucks! lol

Come brothers, hail! Alpha Kappa - Ohio University, Athens

I have a bit of a different take on what you mean by "elegant". I'm thinking what you're asking about is what shows have the smoothness factor. I can think of many shows that a corps looked more like it was floating instead of marching. I can also think of some corps who march so well that I think I can join them and not suck! They make it look THAT easy, and we all know how much work it takes to make something look easy. Cool moves are cool moves, and I love them too. But when a corps pulls off the cool move and makes it look effortless, THAT'S elegance to me. Having said that, I agree with the earlier poster that the Cadets "anniversary chunk" towards the end of the 2009 show was truly elegant.

I thought the overall quality of this year's shows was magnificent. Even during quarterfinals I wasn't thinking in terms of who would win - it was more like "they are all great, but somebody has to win". I believe some of the shows that did not win this year COULD have been a first place show in other years. For example, it would have been interesting to see Crown's 2009 show matched up with BD's 2007 show. I'm not saying AT ALL that I didn't like Winged Victory - in fact, I loved it. I just wonder, though.......

Great information so far, because I love history and enjoy hearing traditions. Any more information as to who or what the toast is directed to?

I've been doing some reading in past posts and can't find what I'm looking for, so perhaps someone can tell me - during the SCV company front there is a salute done by one of the trumpets. Who or what is being saluted?

As much as I loved watching VK and Bridgemen over the years, I believed they kind of painted themselves in a corner with the humor. Being funny year in and year out (at least to me) kind of equates to pranking people in college. Every new edition has to be "a little bit bigger" than the last one. It wouldn't take long for the group to implode. I really enjoy the humor in a show as long as the humor isn't the "main ingredient".