AlCastellanos

GOOD - Another great year of drum corps. I go to shows to get wowed & I sure did! Just loved the shows this year! - Marriott Courtyard had great accommodations & a nice staff (except for the guy who checked us in Wednesday evening.) - The shuttle to the stadium from the courthouse was very handy. - I feared the worst flying out and took the earliest shuttle to the Indy Airport and sure enough, it was a mess already at 6am Sunday morning. Drum Corps always wrecks the local airport but what can you do? Thank God for the self-serve kiosks for those of us who have the luxury of not to check luggage. I got my boarding pass right away and even made an earlier flight back to NYC & was able to have lunch at home in my apartment. NOT-SO-GOOD - Disrespectful fans/bad sports e.g., we were seated near fans of a specific corps and 1 guy in particular was loudly and rudely blasting other corps performances and/or show concepts. I was a guest of VIPs who told me this guy was on that corps board to which I say, so what, don't be rude! While awaiting scores at finals, he was loudly congratulating a PR fan on his cell phone saying he got the news on his blackberry that they had won before it was announced. I know you can't do anything about other people's behavior except rat them out. - I received a clear-as-day flirt from a handsome fella (mid/late 20s, br hair, some kind of chin hair, rugby shirt, shorts, flip-flops) and I made it clear (perhaps too clear?) that I was amenable to the flirtation. I went to the concession area during the breaks w/my wingman, sans wingman but I got the idea one of the 2 buddies you were with was coaching you out of responding. I know it is better to have loved & lost but here I just lost! Anyway, I am the big bald dude w/mirror sunglasses and I just put this out there bigger than Dallas! - Steak N Shake not the best food but they were open 24 hrs which was handy and that's where you people were and my buddy & I love talking to other drum corps folks after shows

Someone MUST do a Rocky Horror Show!

Candide with singers - many, many excellent (and mic'd) singers for the "Make Our Garden Grow" finale

I loved BD's Yowza - One of my favorite BD shows in fact.

Holy Name - Candide Not just the tunes that are presented in the Overture, but several selections from the operetta. I also want there to be a full compliment of singers - amazing ones. PBS recently broadcast an unstated version and it was excellent and very entertaining. The story is a farce and it was narrated (don't kill me) by one of the main characters. It has the things that make for a great story: sex, comedy and plenty of blood (everyone dies) Make Our Garden Grow for the finale....has championship written all over it!

I have never had a problem finding Dorothy's friends during finals week and last year was the most festive finals ever! Anyway....solution oriented attendees of any orientation, feel free to message me. There are several clubhouses near the hotel & Marriott Courtyard.

The Crusader have played a little bit of Conquest every year since forever...

For sure - topics cold be interesting!

If you are, message me. I'd like get my daily dose during finals....

I was one of those golf-clapping at the end of The Cadets performance in '05 and have since decided that it was indeed an amazing performance and a great show. Likewise for Star in '93. I literally made a point to watch that videotape (remember videotape?) over and over and was eventually won over. I do stand by my lackluster response to '06 Cadets however. I did not and would never boo a corps nor do I condone those who did or would. That is just plain ###holedom if you ask me. It's just my opinion that particular show missed the mark.

I'm as open-minded as the next guy (on DCP, that is) so I definitely have my fixed opinions well in place and are just as uninteresting as everyone else's I'm sure. Narrate, don't narrate, do what you got to do. But, if you do it, it should be judged, content and performance. If you have a group performing world-class wind & percussion literature and a sub par spoken word book, that should be reflected in the score. Same with a poor performance of the narration itself. Good content/performance should help, just like anything else. There, I've solved everything for everyone! I have to say that was pretty easy.

Crown's Wild Horses was hands down my favorite followed by the Cavaliers And So it Goes. Phantom's Flower Duet was exquisitely played but I thought it was way too fast. Another great year for music!

I like this show a helluva lot better than I did at the beginning of the season. It was a tremendous effort musically & drill-wise. It deserved to be in the top 5 which is saying a lot for this year. I could have seen it winning. I could also have seen it coming in 5th. I am a fan of the ensemble, themselves. Their defenders, on the other hand - I have grown tiresome of their griping and condescendence. What is innovative about narration? Dozens of corps have used it, some more effectively than others. I was way more offended last year when we (drum corps fans) were total idiots for not getting their show. Just so you know once and for all: We all got it, just a lot of us did not care for it. I think '05's The Zone (mic'd singing, but no narration btw) is a fair comparison to '93 Star. I saw it again the other day and found myself thoroughly enjoying it. It took me some time to enjoy Star's effort also. This year's drill was amazing and I do give he Cadets their props for pulling it off. Well done! I also applaud the Cadets for performing wind band music. They are one of the few corps who still do that on a regular basis.

Cavies or Crown

I loved this show and is one of the more effective uses of narration in a marching show that I have seen & heard. "Mr. Yowza" was great at his character and he was playing a hell of a lot of notes in the front ensemble as well. I found it easy to get that we were being guided backwards thru time and this show actually had a very clear storyline. Prelude, Fugue & Riffs is one of my favorite piece so I do admit to being biased to show that incorporate it in their show.