Grumpy

Consider the same poster posted a topic "Can DCA Corps beat DCI Corps", in this forum, and concluded that the top DCA corps would be comparable to Jersey Surf. His personal bias in that post was less than veiled. Skeptic, please return to the DCI Forum, you'll find others of like mind there to consort with. Tom, calm down-we don't need you back in the hospital, you've given us enough scares this year!

You will be missed but by making a decision that had to be made it will allow for the opportunity for us to see you in future years. Best of luck this season and we hope we will be get the opportunity to see you in '13!

IIRC, the same was pretty much true when Teal Sound moved to WC as well...they had received word that everything was in order but couldn't say anything officially until after DCI had made it official.

Maybe that's what they mean by "feet" in the music????

In regards to #2, Madison tried that route last year-and couldn't get the rights for it. Who's to say the orchestras wouldn't/aren't having the same problem?

Not arguing that, just making an observation that we already have what he described...almost to the letter.

But this already exists...The Commandant's Own is almost exactly what you describe above.

New souvie t-shirt: Coed Naked Drum Corps

Sorry to hear that Sun Devils won't be back in competition this year, but glad to hear the facts and look forward to your return.

From the links you've provided, I suspect your last statement is probably correct...if that's the case, however, why does the OP feel that beer will be sold at the stadium for the I & E? I personally don't give a rat's tail-I'm just itching for the season to start!

With all due respect Jeff, IMHO most of the issues in Scranton came from where the staff viewing area was located-I know, because I was two rows directly in front of them. I am quite certain that in some instances, beer was certainly involved but most staff don't hang around inside the stadium prior to their corps taking the field, so whether it is sold at the stadium is probably a moot point. There are likely just as many instances where it was just staff being over-zealous staff, and as many where the staffs were respectful of those who had paid for the privilege of deciding whether or not they enjoyed the performance. I have enjoyed the occasional beer at DCA "just because I could" but had there not been beer available it wouldn't have played into my decision whether or not to attend. MikeD, you quoted the alcohol policy of the stadium but my interpretation of that would be bringing in alcohol on your own, not purchase inside the stadium. Most stadiums or major concert venues have a nearly identical policy. This is to increase their profits on the beer concessions inside the venue-many also prohibit bringing food into the stadium, but they will happily overcharge you for theirs. A lot of these policies are also subject to the whims of the gate personnel. At DCI in Foxboro, the stadium gestapo refused entrance to a guy in front of me carrying a candy bar on his person, but this year at Lucas Oil Stadium it was not unusual to see outside food and beverages in the stands and there were no "bag checks" or pat downs being conducted as we entered the stadium each day-through the main entrance.

This is because INT has issues every year trying to acquire rights. They are so disorganized that they wait until the last minute.

Some of the local drum corps fans only make it to one show per year, their "local" show (that's how I started out-although at that time, there was no internet to log on to and watch how things progressed over the summer). If their local "one" show happens to be that early show, and they're not getting a complete program from the participants, that would certainly play a part in whether I wanted to come back again and spend what a show ticket costs the following year. As for my personal opinion, I would set aside time to watch something like this on Fan Network but wouldn't go out of my way to see it at the theater. A big part of that is that there are no theaters less than an hour drive from where I live that do the cinecasts. I did go to some of the early "countdowns", but then they started narrowing that format down to shows from the last several years-which I already have on DVD, plus access on FN-and it seemed kind of pointless. I think a lot of us don't think about the fact that as far as DCI is concerned, this is more recruiting tool than established fan product. If it's not doing it's job of drawing bandos and getting them hooked on corps, DCI may be looking for other ways to get more bang for their buck.

Is MCL coming back out this year?

Have you tried contacting the DCI offices? They might be able to supply you with the exact video you are looking for, or even some acceptable substitutes. They may also be able to give you some helpful hints on the recruiting process from their experience.

If that were the case, however, wouldn't everything for the declined piece(s) that's been rehearsed and taught at the camps have to get thrown out and the corps have to start from scratch, right down to beginning the process to secure rights to whatever they want to use as the replacement music? I wouldn't think this would affect the theme of the show, unless rights were declined for most or all of the original music choices.

IIRC, that same member marched BK for several years (someone more familiar with the corps can probably verify this) and I heard or read somewhere that he had been born with his disability. He certainly served as a great example of someone who didn't let it run his life but took it in stride and overcame it.

The "wild card" in every place you mentioned, with the exception of KY, is weather...I sat through a concert in Nashville during Fan Fair a few years back, when the remnants of a tropical storm came through (doesn't that sound familiar?). I got just as drenched as I did when Ernesto visited Rochester, it was just warmer. The point being, you are much more likely to feel the effects of a tropical storm or hurricane the deeper into the South you venture at that time of year. As Ernesto proved, you don't necessarily have to be in the South to feel the effects, but face the facts that's where most of these storms seem to come ashore and sometimes wreak more havoc than just rain. I think the biggest obstacle to any area submitting a bid is stadium availability. Once Labor Day rolls around, it's football season-and they play on drum corps' fields. I think that's one reason Rochester was so successful-we weren't competing with any football programs for stadium facilities. I've been attending championships since the mid-1990's and the only actual football field that I can remember championships being held was Allentown. As has been mentioned, the problem there is competing with the state fair. Scranton, Syracuse and Rochester in the '90's all used baseball stadiums.

But you have to come back on Sunday. Odds are, with your choice of attire it won't be difficult to find you.

This was absolute brilliant proactive thinking on DCA's part. I wish DCI had taken the same approach in Madison-Bloomington-and too many smaller local shows to list.

The original price for a member jacket wasn't paid in cash. I told my wife that if she decides to have me buried when I leave this world, it should be with my corps jacket on.

The problem was they couldn't find anyone who knew how to play the yimp.

IIRC, Charlie Poole really got his clock cleaned a few years back. Maybe that's why he doesn't judge DCI as a field judge anymore!

I really don't see "how they will be perceived" really has any significance to the drum corps activity. If the judges "perceive" them to be talented and entertaining, they'll move to the next stage (forgive me for not knowing, nor really caring, what happens next-I don't watch the show and probably won't unless I know they're going to be on). Ditto for the audience. IF drum corps is mentioned at all, some in the audience may say to themselves, "Wow, drum corps sure has changed since when I was growing up". It wouldn't matter if it were the Edge, Blue Devils, Star United, the Hawthorne Caballeros or Our Lady of the Single Valve Cadets-their perception of drum corps probably goes back to the time of starting lines, timing guns, tics and marching timpani. No matter who is performing the show or the level its being performed at, it's not the way they remembered it. Some will think the change is for the better, some for the worse, some will have no opinion. All will reach for the clicker at the end of the show and most likely not give it another thought unless they are on again. Most others, IF drum corps is mentioned, will watch and either enjoy it-or not-and not give it another thought. Those who truly enjoy it and want to know more, will seek out information from places like the DCI or DCA websites, you tube clips, or grabbing a corps member or staff member at the next parade they're at and asking some questions. Those who watch it and are thinking that the drumline is dragging their sixteenth notes or the third snare missed a flam or whatever, already know what drum corps is. Or perhaps they will just be introduced as "Edge Musical Performance Ensemble" and make this entire thread, plus the one on the DCA forum, totally meaningless.

IIRC, when the Edge performed in Rochester, they weren't introduced as a drum corps...I don't remember exactly how they were introduced, but I clearly remember thinking to myself, "What is this?" before they came on. They weren't introduced as a mini-corps either, rather they happened to follow the competing mini-corps and used the same stage for their performance. My thought on this, is that this venue and this time period within the DCA championship weekend was probably deemed most appropriate. It also gave them great exposure, as the mini-corps portion of the weekend attracts a large audience. Personally, I don't understand some of the ill will that this post has created toward this group. They are a group of present and former drum corps members who put together a group and simply played to entertain. Somewhere along the line, it was suggested that they audition for AGT and suddenly they're villains who are trying to smear the good name of drum corps? There are plenty of instances in the past where individuals who were identified with corps, or corps themselves, have done far worse to damage the image of drum corps than a group of people with drum corps backgrounds playing to entertain.