wishbonecav

For the Honda Battle of the Bands, RESERVED SEATING, TICKETS ARE $10 FOR UPPER BOWL AND $12 FOR LOWER BOWL (Children under 15 years of age will not be admitted without an adult. Children under 33 inches can be admitted free but must sit on an adult's lap.

Honda Battle of the Bands More than 40 bands display their show stopping skills September through November in a series of pre-qualifying shows around the country and compete for a chance to perform in January during one of the largest marching band shows in the U.S. —the Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational. Only 8 will win the chance to take the stage during the Honda Battle of The Bands Invitational, which draws nearly 65,000 screaming and dancing fans to Atlanta's Georgia Dome each year. The Honda Battle of the bands was created as a way to celebrate and support Black College marching bands and highlight Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). In addition to being witness to the awesome display of musical talent that is the Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational, potential students can visit with representatives from nearly 40 HBCUs. It's a great opportunity for younger students to check out colleges and universities. Honda Battle of the Bands Date Regional competitions take place September through November. The Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational typically takes place in January. Visit the Honda Battle of the Bands website for more information.

This is what its all about. Love it.

local people, weekend rehearsals, weekend contest schedule, local circuit, reasonable ticket prices, great entertainment, worthy and valuable championship contest (both to the participants and fans), lower cost of participation, lower cost of travel, progressive ideas to support smaller corps (mini corps, Class A) and keep the veterans in the loop (Alumni corps) in other words....DCA.

Who's the guy in the picture?

Brian...no fair :) you have that stuff at your fingertips :P

May this thought of Ed's come true.... PS...CANNOT WAIT TO SEE/HEAR C2....and Fusion doing "Speak Softly"...and Ghost Riders (wow)...DCA is fun :)

Um....wow. (if ya missed it, Star's website has a link or two that recaps their 2011 tour de force)

If any of you actually believe this..... :) ...there will be a fundraiser, bingo game, contest or program book that can't get along without Tom somewhere in 2012. Look for the line that says "consultant - Tom Peashey" on it :) ...even if it goes "uncredited" (like so many other things over the years where Tom just "did" and left the credit part to others to sort out), you and I both know that he'll still have the "Bat Phone" at the ready and will find it as hard to say no in this round of retirement as he did the last four. Without Tom Peashey, I don't do drum corps. Period. He was there at my first practice for the Patriot Cadets in 1979 at John Marshall High School. He handed me my first drum and pair of sticks (the drum was soo big and the sticks were too!) He and Karen picked me up 100 times to drive me to rehearsal over the years. He gave me a job at the Bingo Hall when I was 15 so I could put a few bucks in my pocket (and let me put on my dci cassettes over the PA while I cleaned). He made sure I had a home in the corps even when I was a pain in the butt (and I was), came out to offer support when it came to job and family, and invited me into his home whether it was in Rochester, NY or Seattle, WA. I watched more tennis with Karen than I did with my own family. I was proud to be a part of his PR team at DCA for several years and even more proud to be there as his guest during his HOF induction. Mostly, i am glad to call him my friend. Tom is one of those "2 a.m." guys in my life....one of the people who, when life hits you with all it can, at 2 o' clock in the morning, and you can pick up the phone and call...and know he will answer the phone. Am I smiling when it comes to "passing the torch"? Absolutely. Does he deserve a little retirement after 57 years of this "drum corps thing"? Sure. Do I believe it for a second? Do you? All the best "Mr Peashey"

If all-age was looking for a buzz, Cadets2 has filled the bill. If they are talking about you, that aint a bad thing. Cadets2 will create more buzz for all-age in the music community than any other person, corps, email blast, tv-ad or news story. Period. If All-Age Corps is a place to march that both unders (21) and overs (21) find legit, meaningful and do-able at the same time...MORE people will show up, not fewer. Cadets2 will HELP to fill the ranks of the Cabs and Bushwackers and Bucs and Empire and MBI and Renegades and so on. The Ghost Riders dont just practice the hell out of their show "so it can be the best it can be" and all that happy talk...part of the reason you show up is to beat the other guy. And that's a reasonable comparison to this "Cadets2" thing, imo. Star United didnt make mini-corps worse. They went a LONG way to making mini-corps bigger and better...a MUST SEE, standing room only event. From THE LONGEST YARD: Burt Reynolds: You want to play some football? Inmate: No. Burt Reynolds: We're playing the Guards. Inmate: The Guards? Burt Reynolds: The Guards. Inmate: Yeah....I wanna play. Go get em, Cadets2.

Let's root for good weather and the introduction of several hundred "new" drum corps fans to our great activity. We all know that the drum corps bug is a lifetime thing. We all caught it once...probably at our first show. All the corps' needed was a chance to shine for us..and we were hooked. Once the newbies in Bridgeport get a load of our great DCA line up (and the Cabs Alumni with Jimmy reminding everyone that the performance is "for you!"), I bet a bunch of 'em come back next year and the year after and the year after that. This kind of thing can't help but be a long term win. DCA's best will put their best foot forward and we'll watch the magic happen. In fact, I have no doubt that this WILL happen. It's fun to have confidence in DCA and our great showmen (and ladies)...and our brand of entertainment. Awesome.

draw for position at prelims.....based on scores from previous weeks; like it is now, just a blind draw...but not so ridiculous that the Bucs might go on first...to wit: Open Class top 5 Lottery....put any of the top 5 on in the last 5 slots and it still works :) Open Class remainder, separate lottery for 6-11. Class A...top 5 lottery...the trophy and finalist competitors still head-to-head. Class A remainder lottery Earn your way to the block during the season, reduce impact of West, Midwest, East score bias or lack of a late season score, mix it up a little FINALS: could you do a similar draw for finals spots 1-5? Separate idea. Scores announced at PRELIMS as they are tabulated up to the 6th seed. Top 5 corps scores withheld. Fran announces order of appearance at FINALS with 6-10 seeded by PRELIM score and 1-5 a blind draw. This way we dont give away the ending and create a little buzz at FINALS:) and e=mc2.

89 Les Miserables..."Go for it Paul!"...helps me time the lead in for the rifle catch and big impact while I conduct the show in the car :) And "86 Champions" is annoying but ever present.

The picture of the entrance brings back memories.....and that swooping arc at the top from field level..wow...thanks for posting :)

Year after year, youtube video after youtube video.... the crowd at mini corps shows its respect by being the most intense, vociferous, fist pumping, catcalling, loony bin of the entire weekend! You want performers to feel some enthusiasm? Let 'em play WELL at mini corps and watch what happens. Rich Duarte, Ponzo, Joe Murphy, Jeff Gibbens, Tommy Davenport, Vinnie Cieselski...these guys worked that crowd into a frothy, fanatic, sream fest (Joe did it on a contra for crying out loud). Freelancers, Eagles, Ghost Riders and Star this year...WOW! Baby tossing all over the place. look it up...you tube it, whatever....this crowd is off the chain...something good must be happening somewhere for that kind of connection to occur...."lack of respect?" I just dont see it anywhere......maybe a little "familiar", but no way disrespectful....there is a real give and take in that hall that just doesnt fit into a neat little description....everybody is a part of a collective type of energy...its REALLY cool. Maybe it compares to showtime at the Apollo? A little loose, a little noisy, but MAD PROPS to those that make the best sound :)

Before you read, know this: mine is a party-goers perspective :) ...and DCA invites everybody to the mini-corps party...no VIP passes, no reserved seats, nobody screened for drum corps pedigree... :) First things first: a cover charge? no way. spoils the fun. "come to my party....that'll be $5"...yuck....that's when it goes from a party to a performance and I dont think thats the point :) Its the one thing in drum corps that doesnt take itself too seriously and IMHO, thats what keeps it fun. Quick...what place did Freelancers take? What did they score? Who'd they beat? No idea. Now try this one: Were Freelancers AWESOME? Absolutely! Everybody went bananas! I'm not sure that Freelancers showed up to accomplish much more than that: showcase their talent and turn people on. Score! Anyway, Frank, I sat behind you in the fourth row...and we both got to hear things loud and clear (I have both our reactions on vid...we LOVED IT to the point of laughing out loud and clapping at some of the ridiculousness coming from the Star ensemble:). Great view, great seats. When i did get up to get a beverage, i waded into the social and thought about how cool it was that both things were happening simultaneously. Then I went back to my great seat. I could literally go from a "catch up" conversation to engagement in a performance in a few seconds. I admit that I did both...because i could :) Where the imaginary line between performance and social was, I guess I couldnt tell you. Here's the thing: I guess I wasnt paying too much attention to all the other party goers at this-or-that instant because, in the atmosphere, it felt like we were all on the same page. i look at Mini kind of like a wedding or bar mitzvah or family reunion...we're all there for sort of the same reason (call it fun? a celebration?)...the band is gonna play... GREAT! ...while they are, you can either dance or have a drink, make a request for a favorite or socialize...you almost get to choose the type of fun you have and when you are going to have it during the party. The band is either the focus or the backdrop..and you get to pick when you dance and when you dont....no disrespect if you dont like the tune or just need a minute to catch your breath....you take a break, chill, talk, whatever... and then come back....and everybody is there to celebrate the same thing so, if someone "has a little too much" or talks a little too loud, they get a pass...because they are family :) It's so cool that we are having this discussion about MiniCorps :). Its so cool that mini corps went from a few corps in one of the I&E rooms to this monster we call Mini Corps Championships. Its so cool that 17 years of laying the foundation has gotten us to this point where we want to max it out for everyone. I hope we dont overdo it by overanalyzing it (whoops, I think I just did that).

the social is the beauty of mini corps. remember that the origin of mini corps awesomeness was the Erie Thunderbirds and their style was like over-the-top entertainment at a party. the party is the key. mini corps is the exclamation point on the party...a party that started when everyone got on the bus on Friday morning and finally had a chance to get together around 8pm at dca. the "gathering" is still the draw.... and LOOK! everybody shows up :) that was a 3,000 person hoo-hah and all you had to bring was a pulse and a smile. Thank you, Dick Pronti :) "toning it down", "dimming the lights", and all that misses the point.... its loose, its fun, its unique the way it is....and is absolutely true to its origin as a party and a happening. please, DCA, dont change a thing

There was a little controversy over the DCA decision to follow the book to the letter and have 10 finalists in an 11 corps prelims. For my money, this was absolutely the right decision and this thread gives it some weight. Why? Because it lit the fire of competition. A free pass to Finals for all 11 corps would have been a whole lot less meaningful than competing for a spot and KNOWING that there might be excitement for making it and disappointment at missing out. To make the finals, you had to be good :) No matter who missed out...Kilties, Bushwackers, Renegades, CorpsVets, Scouts....MAKING IT meant you beat a solid competitor. I suggest that the bus rides to dca, Friday and Saturday run throughs and prelim parking-lots were full of electricity because you had to bring your A game at every practice, in every caption, down to every member. Horn pops were tighter, mistakes more relevant....this is what it's all about. The fact that the Scouts were so good made it even more exciting. To be the best, you have to beat the best. Kilties were no joke. Out of 23 corps in DCA, they were 11th. "We had to beat the Kilties to make Finals" is a phrase that could be uttered with some pride. And no shame in them saying, "we gave it our best, but that cut was brutal...did you see Bush and Renegades?" Good decision, imo. And the Rochester thing....Rochester has hosted DCA through thick and thin. The crowds come out. There is excitement and enthusiasm. The alumni corps can participate in droves (9 corps, average of 100 members plus their family and friends) and those people buy tickets. And Allen Buell has it dialed in down to every detail...including the Visitors Association that rolls out the red carpet...closes off Main Street for us, provides security at a friendly but competent level, gives us great facilities at a reasonable cost (for shows, practices and that Mini-Corps thing that is FREE because Rochester helps to make it so) and makes sure the press is there. In tough times, when no other city was committing to make DCA a partner in 2010 or 11, Rochester stepped up to the plate to pretty much save the day. Is it time for something fresh for DCA Finals? Maybe. But it isnt because Rochester was bad to us. A lot of people went a long way to insure that everyone experienced hospitality and a solid weekend. Coordinating 23 field corps,10 mini corps, judges, trucks, buses, personnel, facilities, etc is a big deal. A "thank you" once in a while shouldnt be out of reach :)

from the Renegades 2009 Yearbook Write Up: Since 2002, one of the most anticipated events in any contest city is the arrival of the San Francisco Renegades, the official drum and bugle corps of the city of San Francisco and 7-time DCA finalist. With swagger and style and an almost circus-like aura, the Renegades exude confidence, charisma and the elements of cool that can only come from the California coast. This was true then and still is.... THIS is the Renegades...

Does the same hold for the DCI "stronghold of the G-7?" No matter what happens outside the G-7...? Or doesnt this line of garbage count when it comes to DCI? Why do we do this to ourselves? Is anybody any good? Do they deserve any of their rewards? Or is true accomplishment just dismissed as "bias" and have no relevant value? I see red with this stuff.

Make it a poll...easier to get more replies to the question without starting a war. So far, it looks like "deserved 10th" is beating "royally screwed". For my money, they didnt come in "last" (I hate that word)...they made finals and, out of 23 DCA corps, placed 10th overall. Good corps. Good group of people.

Disagreement is one thing. Implying a bias or a lack of integrity on the part of the judges is another. Cut it out. Make an argument that supports your position. Then discuss. To bandy about "Southern" corps getting the shaft because they are from the south sucks. Is it just possible that Alliance didnt quite play all the notes on Sunday night and got a field score based on THAT performance, rather than on reputation or a simple regurgitation of their prelim number? Yup. Is it possible that Empire's ensemble numbers were based on THAT run rather than the prelim performance that had some real tense moments? Yup. And I'd say Stauff got it right. Do I have a beef with a couple other numbers from where I sat? Maybe I do. But that is PART OF THE GAME. The guy on the field (or in the box) at DCA finals is not new. To smear his reputation by claiming a bias hits below the belt. And to spend too much time poring over the recap isnt really in the spirit of the competition. Were the right corps in the right order when it all fleshed out? It looks ok to me.

This has no basis. Please stop doing this stuff, Ed. Please. It doesnt help anyone and serves no real purpose. Just enjoy the show...please....please.

ha!

Careful, Liz! it goes back to 1974...but its kind of a big deal in Rochester. Phoenix was pretty darn good...and some of the people that remember it have held onto a few "ideas" about the result for about 35 years.