Orpheus

So you don't hold loyalty and committment very highly, do you?

Wouldn't mind seeing that sort of thing once in a while these days. Like, Santa Clara can't play fantastic music without having to give their show a goofy title, or what? "!", indeed! LOL

Of course, when you think about it, it's not half so odd as announcing that you're going to perform a show about the <ahem> "winter equinox."

I think you slightly missed my point, Doug. - :D

Still, playing "The Firebird" in a show called "On Air" messes with my sensibilities somehow.

You mentioned it first.

Then why did they call it "air" and not "birds?" - - After all, there's lots of birds that can't fly. And lots of insects and mammals (bats) that do! <just foolin' around> Seriously, though, a show called "Air," you'd figure it'd be about the Air, as in the classical element (earth, air, fire, water), at least metaphorically, no?

Please be more specific. I can't recall any "championship shows" that received only "polite standing ovations" at Finals. Care to name names?

Yes, I've certainly noticed that the Cavaliers, Blue Devils, Cadets, and Phantom Regiment sure don't seem to have many fans among the general DCI audience.

Just curious, but do you think of James Bond or Billy Joel when you think of Rosemont, Illinois? - - And does Santa Clara, California really put you in mind of Russia?

For what it's worth, though, doesn't it seem like "The Firebird" would be more appropriate for a show about fire than a show about air?

You know, that didn't even occur to me ... good point! Somebody better get on the horn to Colts HQ. There's no such thing as a "Winter Equinox!" edit: sent an e-mail to Greg Orwoll. Hope I didn't sound too cheeky.

Agreed. Xmen did need an extra dose of something at the end of their show. "Birdland," maybe? <just kidding>

Now, Mike. Don't you know that a poll on DCP is exactly the same as a scientific sampling of all DCI audience members? It makes me think of something I heard Colin Cowherd talking about on ESPN Radio last week ... baseball is beholden to its die-hard fans and generally doesn't seem to be growing much or going anywhere. Look at the TV ratings for the World Series and compare them to football or NASCAR. And diametrically opposed to MLB, the NFL and NASCAR aren't afraid to change with the times, and they've never been more popular. In fact, recent decisions by NASCAR involving the way the championship is now determined were initially hated by hard-core fans, but it seems likes it's only added to the sport's popularity. Maybe not directly applicable to this discussion, but it's an interesting thing to think about.

Judging by their four latest show concepts ... James Bond, Chicago, Machine, Billy Joel ... I think it's safe to say that '08 will be something that no fan is gonna predict, and it's a fair bet that it'll be thematically quite different than anything they've done in the past several seasons. It seems to me that, when it comes to selecting their repertoires, the Cavaliers are obviously doing their best to think outside the box they created for themselves in the early 00s. Although "Machine" was maybe a bit of a flashback, I think they'll be exploring more new territory in '08, and not looking backwards.

Define "ridiculous."

They did a "Four Seasons" show back in 1993 ... long enough, I think. It's not even remotely the same concept, anyway. And since when did repeating a somewhat similar theme mean that your show's not gonna be any good? If that were the case, then what about "Four Corners," "Frameworks," and "Spin Cycle"?

"Faithful arrangements" don't always work on the field, though ... especially when it comes to Ron Nelson's music.

Of course, I have read a few posts on here over the years by former marching members who never did "get into" a particular show. Some comments I remember from members of Suncoast Sound '87 come to mind, the "My Fair Lady" show. Doesn't mean they didn't try their best, but it seems to me that even if you love your corps, you don't have to fully agree with every single decision the designers make, do you?

True enough ... it wasn't quite a finalist-caliber show, but it was still darned fun.

I like a show or I don't ... why should it matter where it places? Just because a corps might give a nearly flawless performance doesn't automatically mean that I have to be a fan of their show. Conversely, a corps could be fairly sloppy but still very entertaining. In their heyday, the Velvet Knights had a lot of fans, after all, and I don't believe they ever placed higher than 7th. Sometimes my favorite corps of the summer is in the top three, sometimes not. Carolina Crown was my favorite corps of '06, simply because *TO ME* they were the most entertaining. Simple as that.

Again, a piece that consists of several seperate songs.

So? All you said was that you'd like to hear someone play "On the Waterfront" ... :D

Check out Cadets '86 ... absolutely-freakin'-fantastic arrangement.

Agreed. As I wrote at the time, that was the first time I've actually been totally entertained by a corps using amplified voice. Cadets '05 was acceptable, but Crossmen '06 actually made me believe that it can be a beneficial addition to a show if it's used properly ... as an integral part of the mix, without pulling the audience out of the experience. Blue Stars '06, on the other hand, was exactly what I hate about voice -- using lame narration to tell the audience what to think, instead of actually "showing" us through the music and visual.