George Dixon

I'm fairly certain the guard was highlighted consistently by most observers (and judges) as the corps major weakness. Being as the brass & drums finished #1 and #2 - it is pretty obvious

I tend to agree as well. It was clumsy and inappropriate.

I'm all about accountability. If you run the caption and it fails you lose your position. That's the way the world should work.

Cadets considering Pines of Rome

after the guard he put on the field last season he deserved to be fired... horrific waste of a vet-laden guard, probably cost them a championship Bye!!

Wow. Such a great show - too bad you didn't enjoy it.

London is very expensive. Indy is CHEAP!

wow - I don't think Indy is nearly as expensive as London (which is on par with New York) I like the JW Marriott - a short walk from the stadium, terrific property and wonderful service The Westin is a nice option for a business class hotel There are others further up the food chain and a bunch of 3 stars Big thing is - stay near the convention center and/or Lucas Oil Stadium. Don't stay at the airport - it's miles from anything including the event Good luck!

Agreed. 93 was anything but a "down year"

Most popular at the time aren't always remembered as "best" long term... I didn't get the reaction to Crown at all this year - but I guess they wanted "anyone but BD"

Yeah - well. We all have opinions. I would have had Star win by a mile (and I'm a Cadets fan) -- and as far as Coats this past season, I would have had them over Crown and possibly beating BD by taking GE, which in my view the program had in spades. JMO.

I know. But seriously - 87 was a classic and if you can play that again, you can play anything again :)

I love THAT :)

Hey if they play this show I agree to pay the licensing fees :) They have a brass sponsor - so they'd be cut a good loan/deal on the horns. Besides 150K for that boom boom is well worth it :)

Totally agree! They bring new ideas to the table. (as long as they do!) Another example was the very enjoyable WSS Sky Ryders show just a few years after Cadets 1984 winning one. An extremely popular production quite the fan-favorite.

disagree If SCV can play Appalachian Spring after the Cadets masterpiece of 1987 then anything goes.

this has actually been done by BOA bands and indoor units - very cool effect. There is a harness that they buckle into and the pole is counterbalanced. Very cool vertical effect :) also - an interesting behind the scenes video from the composer - describing it as a Rock Opera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xESFyIxito0

Thanks! I frankly really dig the movie. One of the best action films EVER - if not the best ever. And the thematic elements are insanely great

look for scalfolding design with guitar and pit - rear of field and the rigging poles used by the guard during the production

thanks! first image is the "mutant/evil human" look from mad max - second is the five wives "humane" look from the film - echo'd in the guard costumes of this concept proposal:

Going out on a limb here - most will probably hate the idea Even if you do - at least have a listen to the 2 major components: Ballad: https://youtu.be/dK1rDUJSF-8 Battle Theme: https://youtu.be/RQqMYzhu2Q8?t=3m30s Mad Max movie Fury Road has a very interesting soundtrack and thematic material including despair, hope, love, sadness and battle Music by Tom Holkenborg aka XL Junkie Staging for the show - corps marches 80 brass with 16 contra, but that expands to 32 tubas during sections of the soundtrack - including opening prelude. Guard in rags, masks, scaffold structures around the field to climb, run and perform on. Two squads, good and evil... or say Mutant & Human, distinguished by their costumes and actions. Percussion with large "war drums" straight down the 50. Pit to rear of field on the scaffolding in 3 or 4 sections - metallics, woods and electronics (including a very prominent electric guitar) mic with speakers up front. Cabling run down sides of field and to front. Opens up entire front of field for guard, drums and brass. Corps proper in dirty/muddy version of current design uniform - aged and ripped up. Allows Crown to really drive thru a dynamic range of sounds and emotions. Big/fast drill moments along with compact and tender ones... Preshow - "Survive" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41wF7ei98Rc&list=PLVXXtkqpldpHIGXVcFTezwhKc2FzsDF1G Opening sound from "as the world fell" highlighted at the start of this https://youtu.be/yKAHGwCyamc Introduction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQg3DtVOBME&list=PLVXXtkqpldpHIGXVcFTezwhKc2FzsDF1G&index=6 (brass back on regular instrumentation, heavy electric parts including guitar, and war drums with monkey arms) 1 min 30 secs or so... Into the Canyon/Brothers in Arm Production - featuring 32 contra in a section, drum features, "battle scene" - major 5 minute (total) production with a lot of interplay between sections comprised from: 1. intro drawn from "into the canyon" https://youtu.be/IytNYKwZdM8?t=31s 2. main "battle" drawn from "brothers in arm" https://youtu.be/RQqMYzhu2Q8?t=1m58s 3. climax drawn from: https://youtu.be/HfNY1m4UAUE (humans triumph, or so it seems) Ballad - "Mary Jo" https://youtu.be/dK1rDUJSF-8 2 minutes 30 Finale - Mad Max Fury Road - the battle continues... a mutant survives... drawn from "Doof" - includes electric guitar https://youtu.be/0AsFCkqHTP4 2 minutes 30 total... Resolution to conflict - thematically. Drawn from "Let them Up" https://youtu.be/2gMUQfuFa6Y?t=37s Crown - corps proper - would end the show back in cream. The rags removed. In other words, a suggestion for something completely different! Makes use of their massive sound, improving percussion and great strength at weaving melodies together and stages the guard thematically central to the production. I personally think it's a program only Crown could deliver.

that's right. I always get the year for Colts wrong. Camelot was good too.

I know your heart is in the right place BUT - they just lost a couple seasons ago and Cadets2 will challenge them easily next year if they show a similar improvement to this year. And I think they will. Cadets2 are already showing increased interest for next seasons membership and I bet they also retain more vets. So worry not. Bucs will be challenged AND DCA will be just fine. JMO.

I personally don't think ANY drum corps show translates that well onto video. You lose so much of the nuance and power. Even with BD and a great video/sound system. This is probably most especially true of more subtle and musically sophisticated programs such as the ones we are discussing.

The tenors. Ohh - the tenors!! All 60 or so of them. Slight exaggeration but #### that was FUN