Grumpy

FWIW, I think more people are upset about the issues with Crown and Cavies than Madison. For the most part, we had a pretty good idea we weren't going to get Madison-it was stated even before the end of the season that sync rights had been denied. The issues with Crown and Cavies came out of left field, and NOTHING was mentioned until customers started receiving their products and noticed that certain "edits" had been made-and then, at the same time, the FN videos were pulled. IMO, that's called "bait & switch"-you purchase the product thinking you're getting one thing, and another lesser one is substituted in its place. DCI should have stepped up and been completely forthcoming as soon as they realized this possibility. Actually selling AND shipping a product that they KNEW was incomplete (in addition to Madison) is at the very least, unethical. Is this the message that we want our young men and women to take with them from their drum corps experience, that it's OK to try to fleece your customers so long as you close the sale?

The "bloopers" I was referring to were NOT performance-related; rather, those involved with the recording process. Any one of us that has been on the field KNOWS when they make a mistake and highlighting and re-living those moments benefits no one.

'11 Madison '94 Blue Devils '95 Madison '11 Crown I'm sure there's more, just can't remember them off the top of my head right now.

Madison can be HEARD enjoying their dessert, but no one is allowed to actually WATCH them eat. Phantom will be in charge of carving the bird, as long as there is an "I AM SPARTACUS!" as the knife is plunged in for the initial cut. BD will be Constanly Risking Absurdity. George Hopkins will propose a number of "changes" to the menu, guests, and decorations. It will be explained to BAC that playing "Conquest" as dinner begins would really be in poor taste.

IIRC, *somewhere* on this forum in the past few days, I recall Tom Blair saying that judges or other factors will sometimes mess up shots and I'm sure that quite a bit of footage ends up on the cutting room floor when they are putting these together after season's end. Here's a great marketing idea for DCI...put together a "bloopers" DVD of some of the gaffe's that have never made it onto the "finished product" over the years. I bet it would be a hoot!

Explain to him that the babies come from being thrown during Madison's shows I ordered my standard DVD with my FN subscription last spring and UPS delivered it today. If the wife thinks there's going to be anything done around the house by me this weekend, she can now forget that Since I just got home, I haven't watched anything yet but that is soon to change!

It's quite possible that rights for these may still be "pending", but DCI simply couldn't wait any longer before shipping their products. We know that sync rights for Madison were refused, but if Crown/Cavies performances are still being considered and they secure the necessary rights in the future, it may be possible to see the full shows restored to FN and/or for DCI to offer a one-disc deal that has the full performances. Perhaps Crown actually DID secure the necessary rights so that THEY can offer the performance for sale, but DCI has not yet secured them so that they cannot sell the Finals performance at the present time. Splitting hairs, yes but unfortunately that's life under the current laws.

NOT good...it took them until the finished product commenced shipping to realize there were copyright problems? At least with ESOM we knew from the start that the potential was there for a problem, and a solution was arrived at so that at least we had the audio...DCI must be using the same PR organization as some political candidates and college sports teams.

Does anyone know if Music City Legend is planning to return to the field?

Rumor has it, that's why Annapolis got the nod for the next two championships.... (just kidding!)

IIRC, I don't believe this is totally accurate as far as PR. Again, IIRC there is a brief segment in which they were initially granted the rights, but later those rights were revoked. That took place after the initial release of the DVD's. Anyone who received the initial shipments of the DVD's has the full and unedited show, I don't remember the exact date but sometime shortly before Christmas the rights were revoked and DCI was forced to edit PR for all product sold from there forward.

The last I heard on this, and I don't remember the thread but it was on here and in mid-September or so, IIRC-is that they will use the audio with a black screen for the music from a certain song. Again, I don't recall exactly but I seem to remember that this came from quite a reliable source. I plan on making Madison the first viewing as soon as I can get the wrapping off.

I know I've had to make the drive at least twice. On the tag they left at the door, the box was checked that said "signature required". If there is a place to leave it that is relatively secure and weatherproof, you can sign the tag and they will leave the package the next day. Unfortunately, where I live there really isn't anyplace where the package can be left so I'm forced to make the drive if the neighbors aren't around. "Early delivery" here for UPS would be around noon!

IIRC, they have always used UPS in the past. Unfortunately, I have always had some major issues with UPS and wish we could get another option-I would even pay extra to have them delivered another way, but it is what it is. That being said, UPS will NOT leave the package without a signature-so if no one is home and there are no neighbors close by who aren't home, your other option is to trek to UPS to pick it up (one reason I have an issue with them-it requires nearly an hour (one way) to get to their delivery depot from my house).

The first two options in your poll pretty much say the same thing, but my thinking is exactly the opposite-the corps dressed as Pio (in reality, the Cavies) would still be scored near the bottom, and the corps dressed as Cavies (in reality, Pio) would be scored near the top. One reasoning for this, as we've heard before, is that the corps dressed as Pio, going on at or near the beginning, would be scored low because the judges are "leaving room" for the corps that appear later to score higher. The poll also indicates that these judges are getting "first reads" on these shows. IMO, judging is supposed to be neutral, unbiased, etc. but I think it's nearly impossible for any of the judges to not take into account where a particular corps is "supposed" to finish and score them accordingly. Even if a top 6 corps happens to have an off night and a semi-finalist outperforms them by delivering the best show of their lives, I'm not sure that the judges wouldn't give the top 6 corps a "pass" and still score them higher.

What a shame that the Standish Guards aren't even performing in their own home town. This event used to be a great showcase for the "local" corps...this year, less than half the lineup is from New England.

Country music has come a LONG way since Dolly Parton and Billy Ray. Kenny Chesney, whom I mentioned above, set a record this year for the fastest sell-out of Gillette Stadium (home of the NFL New England Patriots) with 55,000 available concert seats selling out in 9 1/2 minutes. These tickets went on sale 9 months before the concert! He later added a second show for the following night, which ALSO sold out. Taylor Swift also sold out two shows at the same venue earlier in the summer. Chesney alone performed before over a million fans just on this summer's tour. Country music may not be big in the UK, but here in the US, it is VERY big...and there are a good number of fans in these audiences that are the exact demographic that DCI is and has been targeting. FWIW, I never thought I was a fan of Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, Debussy or Pat Metheny until I heard them performed on a football field. Just because you may not be into the lyrics or some of the "twang" of country singers doesn't mean that the music itself isn't enjoyable.

I listen to country music quite a bit, and believe it or not, there ARE country songs that I think would translate quite well to drum corps...Kenny Chesney music, with a beach/Caribbean theming, would make a GREAT show.

ANYTHING would be better than the lame format they have had for the last few years, which I think is little more than a DCI recruiting gimmick (get the bandos in, and get them hooked). I haven't gone because the closest theater from my house is a good hour's drive and I already have the last 10 years on DVD...why would I want to drive an hour to see something I can watch in the comfort of my home? Show us some of the older shows we CAN'T see on Fan Network-like '94 Velvet Knights, for example. Didn't score well, but was one of the funniest shows I can remember. Maybe have folks vote for the top shows to NOT make Finals, and limit it to pre-2000; again, the stuff you CAN'T get on FN. Just MHO, but I know that format would get me back in the theater.

From personal experience, we decided to call it quits when we were down to about 11 or 12 members, and we weren't able to recruit new blood. We trudged along with that core group for the better part of a year, but we knew we couldn't go out on the street with four drums, three horns, an A-flag section and a drum major (and THAT was if everybody could make it). All but about 3 or so members decided to continue marching and found other corps to hook up with. We were still in pretty good shape financially, so the remaining members all went out to dinner at a fancy restaurant, and split whatever was left in the bank account between our horn and drum instructors (who had been volunteering their time for years up to that point). We donated our instruments to a recently formed alumni corps who had gotten together for a "one more time" performance and still had enough who wanted to keep it going (who, by the way, are still going strong 15 years later). I also know of corps alumni groups who are still active as a group, but not as a drum corps (Cardinals Alumni of Beverly, MA come to mind). They sponsor a DCI show every year and use the proceeds to provide scholarships to members of each competing corps in the show, plus some local students who may not even be affiliated with drum corps.

I had quite a few that I donated just this week; though they don't go back as far as yours. It's that dang "closet shrinkage" thing. I just donated them to a local charity that operates a second hand store. A good rule of thumb to use for an estimated donation value is approx. one third of the item's original cost.

It was a snare drummer and drum instructor of the Manchester Muchachos, Tom Downie. He unfortunately passed away while marching.

I was a spectator one year at the Pittsfield, MA Fourth of July parade. It's one of the biggest in the northeast with about 75,000+ spectators along the parade route, or at least it was at that time (not sure about present day). The parade was going along, and eventually there was a very long gap...suddenly some of the fire units from the parade that had already passed us were going BACK along the parade route, and none too slowly...one of the float vehicles had apparently caught fire. Thankfully, the fire was minor and extinguished quickly, and noone was injured.

As in "DCI, Madison Scouts, 2011"?

Great news, except for the venue...Lawrence was light years better, IMO...seats are too small at Manning, plus the "sun glare" factor, and the fact that pedestrian traffic behind the bleachers is WAY too congested at Manning-which is why I'm skipping Beanpot this year.