mirrormen

I felt it clear each time I heard them that Bluecoats were well taught and performed consistently all summer. I equally felt Spirit's horn line to be well taught. They had a great, unique sound and played as much meat as any world class line.

Ooooo. Your're right. And it was a bit of stretch for him. Great movie.

Who is this guy? What are his credentials? Curious, really. He has done a fair job. I just found the following to be one of his more "interesting" comments: Alex Mendoza: "A Vegas show and NO Sinatra? That's a first." Well, Alex, "Luck be a Lady" is one the most famous tunes Frank Sinatra he has ever performed. Made famous in many different contexts including as part of his famous movie roll in the Broadway Musical, "Guys and Dolls." Frank Sinatra did not compose most of his songs, though he did write a handful over his lifetime.

Umm. No and No. Great that you support your favorite corps so much. A top 5 show??? Not close. Bottom of top 12 at best and probably 14th when all the finals dust clears and we look back more objectively. Dance demand higher than some. Risky concept beyond most. Dirtier than many. individual challenge, less than most top 15.

Two friends on staff and vets who are already in town said tonight's run was awesome! Said the confidence level was off the hook. Was told there were about ten changes/alterations based on judge input and design team plans. I am excited for this corps. 17th place just two years ago.

"Yeah, but that's happened a couple of times this year already, and both times, Spirit opened the gap again. I just looked back at the 16 times that Spirit and Blue Stars have met this season. The first time they met back on June 22, Spirit was 3.9 points ahead. By June 26, Blue Stars had closed that gap to 1.1 points. On July 7, Spirit's lead was back to 2.75 points. On July 11, that lead was cut to 1.6 points. But on July 16, the lead was back to 3.05 points. Last night, the gap was back to 1.55 points." posted on another thread by oldsoprano The gap last night was actually 1.55. not 1.4. I don't see Stars taking over Spirit unless some rogue judge calls the contest between the two on his/her own by writing down some unprecedented number. Such of course has been known to happen.

SCV Spirit Crown

SPIRIT OF ATLANTA they win most improved again for the second year in a row. Love the show. If Cesario really did charge all the corps with being sophisticated and entertaining, Spirit was listening. With as much energy as they pump out now, when it gets cleaned up and the really get confident, it will be a show that no one should miss. I also really like Crown and Cadets. The end of Scouts, not the whole thing, and Phantom Regiment.

Umm, she is just plain uninformed and too young to be doing this. I would have hoped dad (if the posts are true) or someone would have stepped in by now and said "Darling, chill the #### out." Or, maybe it is one of those liberal family everyone has a right to expression and I don't have to be socially conscience things. We just need to feel good about our selves and all that we express regardless of others. Sorry. I am sure she is a very nice soul.

Considering that, here would be my adjustments: 1. Blue Devils 2. Crown 3. SCV 4. Cadets 5. Cavaliers 6. Phantom 7. Bluecoats 8. Boston 9. Madison 10. Spirit 11. Blue Stars 12. Blue Knights 13. Crossmen 14. Academy 15. Glassmen 16. Troopers 17. Pacific Crest 18. BDB 19. Colts 20. SCVC 21. Cascades 22. Teal Sound 22. OC 23. Gold 24. Mandarins 25. Pioneer

Counted 15 or 16 contras on the Memorial Day video of them playing Georgia. Did they fill the tuba spot or is that alumni? Sounds fantastic btw.

Tune titles, PLEASE!!! Excited to hear what is up!

Easy campers! I HATE how a thread about a corps' show has become some discussion about woodwind players playing brass instruments in drum corps. I know plenty that have done so in the top five spots. Can we let it go? I have been to camps and I am very impressed and excited for them, and all of their audiences this summer. I was also at some of last year's camps and feel that they are ahead of last season at least from what I heard and saw talent wise. LOVE the rep and as someone said earlier, the show theme seems right up their alley. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER SOA!!!

I'm confused. Seems I did something wrong. I love my home team, the Glassmen, and other corps too. Wasn't a Spirit fan until last year. Just got to see them cause I have Spirit friends that live in the Atlanta area and I am only a four hour drive away. It was fun seeing them and I think they are doing well, really that simple.

I was able to attend a Spirit camp since being there at their auditions. We showed up a little early for their show and tell. I am glad we did because we got to see them putting their opener together with percussion and brass. I was really surprised how fast and how well it came together. It was like they had it for several camps but one of the staff said that was their first time playing it since getting parts on Friday of camp. Well, let me say they seem to have no intention of slipping out of top twelve from the way they carried themselves and from how great they sound. They said the were not ready to announce their show, but when they played the opener, most everyone around me looked at each other and said the same show idea. The style of it and quotes from some famous tunes give it away. It is very exciting and very fun and will be very entertaining. I will be surprised if we are wrong about the theme. The brass are LOUD and the trumpets are hot hot hot, mellos played Bs and Cs like they were nothing. My drummer friends said that the battery and especially pit was vastly improved over last year at this time. The vibe was really positive. Best of luck Spirit, I probably wont make any more camps. Thanks for letting the general public into your show and tell. It was alot of fun.

Went to today's show and tell to support my friends. I know things have been getting better and last year's show was awesome, but I wasn't expecting what I saw and heard today. I mean, Holy Cow. The gym was packed with auditioners, so many I stopped counting. Huge guard, like five drum lines, and a double horn arc that went along three full walls of a full size gym. They played "Tara's Theme" from Gone with the Wind, and their corps songs. People were screaming and crying. It was weird and cool all at the same time. I wish my corps would experience something like this, it has to be a great boost. My friends, mostly ageouts are geeked and they should be. Thanks for a great concert and congratulations with a super start to your season.

I will copy this one and tape it above my computer. See how right I was come August. Feel like being blunt tonight. Sorry if I offend. BD: Take some risks and play longer melodies and have some audio/visual simultaneous demand. Decide no one but them gives a s*&^ about number of wins. Do a show my grandma would like, please. Crown: It is time to move back up. Staff changes do not scare me. Will boost visual program. Lots of returning members. Cadets: Talent and possibly a better show than 2011, but BD has too many weak minded judges wrapped around their fingers and Crown plays so #### well Phantom: Can take last year up a notch. Gwaltney is figuring out the outdoor thing. Talent will be ridiculous. Guard get credit they deserved in 2011. Crowd goes ape. Cavies: Percussion awesome again, visual and brass lack enough finesse. Not original enough. SCV: Has some better staff vibes and a MUCH more accessible show that people can actually stand to see more than once. Blue Knights: Have a banner year. Take a step forward programmatically. Guard staff decides to write much more musical book. Bluecoats: Brass staff stampede hurts, attempt to be more creative just doesn't resonate. Weakest guard in a while Madison: Though not a lot better, perform well with better demand and a percussion book and battery tuning that is at least somewhat pleasant Spirit of Atlanta: Stomped competition last couple of weeks, extremely entertaining, all returning design team, established a unique style for themselves Boston: A better show, but with less talent and wearing politics. Blue Stars: Having a hard time recovering from a really weak show in 2011 that should have been 12th with talent that should have been 6th Academy: Gaining, but too many solid staff have left and top twelve getting ridiculous Crossmen: Better show and with better talent and a guard that pushes them early season Glassmen: Improved show, but things still not gelling. Brass program still extremely rough (are those G bugles?) with percussion that excel. Guard OK at best. Troopers: Just making too many poor decisions and judges can push them just so much Colts: Not enough percussion and brass leadership and a quickly declining return rate

Did not think I would want to ever admit it, but SOA blew their competition away, including my home corps. Holy Cow, what a performance! Well deserved Baby Blue.

Cavies are pretty terrific this year. All sections are very solid and one of few corps tonight that really connected with the audience. Crown has some outstanding brass and some very entertaining moments. Drum line has some awesome stuff. A little flat overall. BD has better music than I have heard in a very long time. Good performers. Boring show tonight with no real punch. Regiment sounds terrific and also had some hot drum line moments. Not sure I get the whole show. Also flat tonight. Crusaders were OK. Have some flow issues and I don't get the last half at all. Not their best year. Blue Knights had some good moments with some great drill. Guard seemed a bit off tonight. Performance flat. Too vanilla overall. Scouts are doing last year's show with more talent and different melodies. May be a smart move. Really connected with the crowd. Troopers have one great moment, but without electronics, that moment would be lost. Extremely flat tonight and not much going on. Spirit created some real high points and may have been the shock of the night. One of the corps that really communicated with the audience. Colts are having a rough year. The brass really struggle on the move. The drum line is pretty rough. I was in shock. Teal has some solid moments and should be way closer to Colts. Their unique approach is finding its own voice. Cades were weird, but have some good talent and a few really clean moments. A better year for them.

Troopers over Spirit of Atlanta???? WTF Boston over Madison???? WTF Left before scores. Both of these are a complete shock! Really. No way. Crowd could not have agreed with this nonsense when announced. Troopers may be the biggest smoke and mirrors corps since BD, but without any depth. WOW

Great show so far! Teal sound has some talent and I love their unique style of drum corps. God Bless em. Crossmen were confident and I dig the new/old Crossmen sound. A safe package, but well done. Spirit of Atlanta was pretty outrageous! Big sound and great theme. I was thoroughly entertained beginning to end. Troop was good and had a few solid moments. There isn't a lot of complex things going on so you get to take it all in slowly.

Seems that souvies play a part in drum corps history and of course money making and image boosting. I have been around drum corps for 15 years and have about 20 t-shirts. I also have other items that I can't think of getting rid of. My dad says it used to be cool to have stuff from as many corps as possible. He has items from 27th, Avant Guard, St Joes, Dutch Boy, Southerniers, etc. I guess I think more about getting a t-shirt every summer from my favorite corps and not for the sake of drum corps in general. I also don't wear all the t-shirts I buy because one of my favorite corps tends to have pretty weak t-shirts every summer. I want to support my favorite corps financially, though tougher now I am back in school, but I want to wear the stuff out as much as possible. I have many t-shirts i don't wear because they are just not attractive in the least. Guess I could just donate money instead. All this got me thinking about how souvies play a part in the activity in many different ways. Wondered about other people's thoughts.

I am surprised to read most of this. As the Glassmen staff used to say, know what you are talkin about or don't say a thing. Saying people were fired or let go is very different from them choosing to leave. Seems that all the people in question here left on their own accord. What I know of Colts and their last seven or so years, Jude was very responsible for many of their best years, including those when Mr. Hunt wrote the drill. It is not as if they have been tenth or ninth for years and just recently started this in and out of finals thing, or were put there by these guys. How members are teated is often evaluated differently. Experience and maturity go a long way for how member sthink they are being treated. Some corps get all they can out of members in a very supportive positive and healthy was, some corps are famous for babying members. Some members like being pushed to their full potential and really know what that means. Some think they are being pushed to their full potential and they are not, they just think the staff is mean. Some say they want to be good, but still would rather take four hours off when there is work to be done and go to Dairy Queen.

I thought it was going to be someone else based on DCP rumors. Glad they were wrong. This is fantastic news and a pretty big shock considering I had not heard his named mentioned in the mix of those running for the position. He was so influential at Glassmen for keeping things "real" and for often being the "adult" in the room. Love his writing and creativity. This is a pleasant surprise and a real find for Spirit.

I hear rumors that make me feel Colts are loosing yet another skilled staff member to Spirit. Not confirmed obviously.