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I'm clear. Thank you Mr. Boo, for your post and the heads-up on the Facebook milestone.

Because the Original Poster (Sam) IS World Class! +++ General interest subjects should be allowed to start on this forum, then moved after a week or so if it is deemed too specialized. That would be my vote.

Sam, you're the best! Please let me know when you start up, I'd like to send you your first pair of cymbals.

Geez, you are a corps nerd if you went to a band show and just for fun counted the instruments! Did you ever think of going to the show just to enjoy the music and the marching? +++ This is what I imagine is a Big Fantasy Moment in your life: "Hey honey, I'm going to the band show this Saturday." "Why? You like drum corps, not band." "Yeah, but I hear Sasquatch High School is featuring oboes in the Sousa medley closer. I really want to see if they can march more than one and still stay in tune..."

I'm in all the way, the way I've always watched corps shows. I'll catch all the local shows I can which is usually 1 or 2, and I'll catch a G8 event if it's within a few driving hours of where I live. I've never been a finals guy, because I can't stand the snobby know-it-all corps "fans" who are recent age-outs who scream like idiots during the soft sections of ONLY the top corps, trying to become immortalized on the DCI recordings. I know I'm right about that because people don't do that at semis or quarters, and never on lower placing corps. Next year will be year 31 for me. I am now, and have always been, just a fan, with no corps affiliation whatsoever. And that makes me special.

I thought I was the only one who felt that way. This was early in my drum corps watching years, and I happened to see Garfield several times that year, so I knew what was coming. I stood, and like an idiot SCREAMED at the stupid TV and the stupid camera people who missed that shot. Just like you, it STILL makes me mad!

Excellent call! Absolutely a classic moment in drum corps history.

I FORGIVE the young people on this board for not knowing what the 1983 Garfield Cadets "Z-pull" is. The ancient videos simply do not do it justice. But for you old folks WHO WERE THERE AND EXPERIENCED IT, there is NO EXCUSE for not having mentioned it before now. Can I get an "amen?"

Mr. Boo, I have read and enjoyed your writings for three decades now. That may have been the single best thing you've ever written. It's unfortunate that the people who most need to understand what you wrote will understand it the least. But I think the rest of us who have loved drum corps over the years and have seen many beloved corps die, do get it. I get it, and obviously, so do you.

80's. The ten year span would be 1983 to 1993.

Carolina Crown (2010) used electronics for a nice little piano piece right during the Spanish number, and a really tasty Spanish guitar solo. Both fit perfectly and seamlessly into the show. It is significant that NOBODY on DCP has even noticed this, or commented. That my friends, is electronics well done. +++ Reference: So we are all on the same page, look up "Carolina Crown 2010 Rehearsal Full Run part 1" on that video website Which Shall Not Be named. Piano at 5:15, and guitar at 6:56.

Steve, maybe you've clarified the issue of what is a "pit." Clearly BD grounded their timps in 1978 during the concert tune, and four of the timp guys played small accessory instruments such as tambourine, cowbell, etc. But after "Legend of the One Eyed Sailor" they picked up their instruments and moved on. Are you saying Guardsmen grounded their instruments the entire show, and they used larger instruments such as chimes and marimba? There did used to a harness to carry chimes, if I recall. So the question is, is grounding timps the same as have a "pit?" Or is grounding other large perc instruments on the sidelines the same as a pit?

Oh, you can argue with me and win. I'm just a fan. But you'll have to argue with the Bridgemen. I'll try to do some research to see where my fading memory has taken me, but back in the day of those great drum lines they started a tune with a simple roll-off (I think Barnum and Bailey's Favorite, but I'm also thinking 1980 at Huntington, WV). It was done PERFECTLY together, and to this day it is the single loudest thing I've ever heard a battery do. Of course they played it hard, but they played it together which is what made it so loud. I guarantee you a perfectly played drum lick is MUCH louder than a garbled one. Come to think of it, you could probably argue with my addled memory and win on that count, too.

Nice list, but you missed the one most important part; the drummers. A 12 man snare line was considered the "ultimate", and 12 good snare drummers could put out some volume. But if you check stick heights, they are consistently low except for accents. And clean equals good (and loud).

And if I might expound... The standstill was not only expected, but it was a part of corps strategy of how to achieve a "perfect" score. Since a "tic" was a mistake and a deduction, once you start 128 marchers in motion, there was the potential for 128 mistakes. Standing still eliminated that, and was the "safe" way to avoid getting a deduction. Once the tic system was eliminated in 1983 (partially in 83, fully in 84), corps were not penalized for taking chances during the "concert" tune. Shows became more interesting and corps were rewarded for doing interesting things since points were scored for "building up."

If you check the 1978 Blue Devils (as I just did) on the stand still tune, "Legend of the One Eyed Sailor" the 5 timps were prominently displayed grounded front and center on the 50. One guy played them while the other four guys who carried the beasties in kneeled near the sideline and played cowbell, tambourine, etc. After the tune the guys hooked back up and marched them. All the players and equipment were in the field of play, so technically there was no "pit" which was outside the lines. The full pit area came later, which I think Boo identified as 1982, So actually, I think all of us are right.

Dear Scouts, Please; no spats. They stunk then, and they would stink now. Sincerely, A Fan PS - I loved this year's uniform. Good job.

LOL! No problem, I was just busting your chops. The fact is, we have all just witnessed history, the greatest back-to-back seasons ever. That will be a hard record to break. Especially when BD goes undefeated next year.

I would also guess their color guard set some scoring records with all those 10's from quarterfinals through finals. We'll need some stat nerds to confirm that, though.

Uh, what other corps were you thinking of that have had back-to-back undefeated seasons? You didn't break any records, b If BD was the first to do it, wouldn't that count as a record?

Congrats Blue Devils! You had a great show, were the best all year, and were the best when it really counted in the end. Fantastic job by the kids, and by the staff.

Congrats, Bluecoats on your best season ever. Your great drums this year was my favorite part of your show. They are the closest thing I have to a home town team.

Great job DCI. Very professionally done, I watched everything you put out there instead of wasting my time reading the negative DCP comments. Thanks.