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I am looking to purchase 4 tickets to Friday night semifinals. Hoping for something on the club level. Bringing the family to watch the show, and of course the Santa Clara Vanguard Alumni Corps! Thanks!

Does anyone have a use for some Finals VHS tapes? I'm willing to give them away. I would just ask to have shipping covered. If anyone has a way for them to encourage kids to march, I'll send the whole bundle and cover the shipping. I have tapes from: 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Also: 1999 SCV Tour SCV: Tradition Madison Scouts History (3 Tapes) A few others Let me know if you're interested

Overall, I think it was a great day, and I hope DCI continues to participate annually. A few things: I wish the corps would have been warming up closer to the stadium. I'm sure they would have drawn a crowd, even from the "potential" corps fans. Having the BD drumline inside was cool. No "Vanguard" Yell, but during Pacific Crest show in a moment of silence I heard "Kettle Korn!" I was dismayed to see Pacific Crest setup for their encore completely facing the end zone. So much for the DCI preferred seating. While the rest of the corps performed to the front right corner, its not the same as receiving the sound head-on of course. However, I am sure this was done to try to keep the fireworks crowd entertained until the "real" show. The mass performance of "America the Beautiful" still sounded pretty dang good at an angle. I took a low quality video of it. One might find it on a popular video site if they were to search for "July 4th DCI Rose Bowl Mass Performance"

Make that 8 different corps that have won.

Answering a few questions: The crowd picture was from Saturday night, though Thursday and Friday looked similar. This was the first year retreat was organized in the manner it was. They were placed in order, alternating side 1 and 2 as PeeWee described. Pretty good idea actually. Perhaps the only good change to retreat in the last 10 years. Laura - Behind me for 3 nights and I never met you! That is what happens when I sit with family and friends (10 seats). One of the most fun parts about attending all three nights is meeting new people, making new friends.

Wonderful review! I agreed with you about Blue Stars, Spirit, Boston....heck just about everything. Your seating issues sound a lot like my experience. Let's hope 2008 allows us to get the seats we want! Thanks for writing.

This was the 11th Finals week for myself and the wife, our first coming in 1997. Typically we will make a vacation out of it and visit the surrounding area. I took a vacation instead to the Baseball Hall of Fame to see Tony Gwynn inducted. This year Finals week was a little different. On Monday, I went to work. Tuesday….work. On Wednesday, we drove 40 miles from home to Pasadena for I&E. Unfortunately, this was the most disappointing I&E show we’ve seen. Not the performances, but the lack of participants. No one from Phantom Regiment, Crown, Bluecoats, Glassmen, Blue Stars? I think there was only one bass drum ensemble. Large gaps in the schedule meant lots of waiting around. The performances were spread out in four locations across several blocks which made room jumping difficult. There were no printed schedules to carry around. When I got back to the hotel, I saw DCI had posted the map and schedule online at 1:09pm Wednesday. How is this of any use when I&E started at Noon? Is there any reason this could not have been posted 1 day earlier? Just one of many DCI dropped balls this week in my opinion. On the positive side, some cool performances, my favorite being a trumpet trio from the Cavaliers. They played Bugler’s Holiday, but worked in little snippets of past Cavies show music. Other favorites included Academy Tubas and Pacific Crest cymbals. PC cymbals played Bohemian Rhapsody if you can believe it. I saw a camera filming some performances which I realize seemed to be missing in past years. They used to show highlights on the broadcast back in the early 90’s. Do kids even know I&E goes on before they join corps? We stayed at the Sheraton in Pasadena, and walked to and from the Rose Bowl each day. It is about 2 miles, and the walk was much better than sitting in traffic after each show. The weather was identical for all three days: perfect. For southern California, you might say it was a little warm, but there was always a breeze, and not one cloud all week. A welcome change from passing storms and humidity. The stands looked very full for all three nights, and I understand there were record crowds this week. So, perfect weather, record crowds….why didn’t DCI come here sooner? Oh yeah. The Rose Bowl. I will not say it is an awful venue for drum corps, but the worst we’ve been to for Finals. I do not think there is a perfect seat in the place. If you are high enough to get a decent view of drill, you are very far from the field. We opted to sit closer for sound, sacrificing top view visual. We would glance at the video screen occasionally to see some forms. The next issue was the section numbers. This began on Thursday and was a problem all the way through Saturday. Nobody seemed to know which section was which. When you came down the tunnel marked 18, you did not know if 18 was left or right. The clueless Rose Bowl security/ushers gave two different answers. I finally hiked out to DCI ticket booth for an explanation, which I got. Section 18 begins halfway through one section, crossing the stairway, and ending halfway through the next. This division is completely invisible, and was not marked in any way. VERY confusing, and in no way marked or designated. Even a quick announcement would have cleared it up. Therefore, I was very disappointed with our seats. I ordered Super 3 tickets the very first day I received the form, and my seats were on the 35. Hard to blame DCI for this, but if they had sold tickets they way they had for 10 years, we could have had this explained and hand picked our seats. How will ticket sales be handled for 2008? Anyone? DCI? Lots of people wondering this weekend with silence from DCI. A public announcement saying they are working on it would be better than silence. We arrived at Quarterfinals On Thursday to a LONG line waiting to enter. Security was checking bags, but they were pretty lax. Took in a small gym bag with bottles of water, sandwiches and snacks. Only visited concessions once, for a couple frozen lemonades. Poked around DCI marketplace and got some free Mentos. Not sure why they would be sponsoring drum corps, but thanks. My wife got a poster from the Marine Corps (they always give her free stuff). I usually buy a shirt from the corps with my favorite show each year, so I have Phantom Regiment shirts from the last 2 years. One thing we did not see was a DCI update. Usually there is a 3-4 page newsletter each day with the lineup for the day, and a few articles telling about Div II/III competition or other news. Not until after the first 3 corps did we see copies of a 1 page sheet of paper circulating around the seats. Not only was this sheet pretty cheap, and late, the lineup was wrong. Several corps’ came out in a different order. Couldn’t this have been done in the morning and handed out at the gate? I don’t think that is too much to ask. After figuring out the seating issue, it was finally time to sit down and see what turned out to be the bright spot of the week: the amazing collection of shows! Yokohama Scouts (Exhibition) – I was surprised this was the only international drum corps here. Didn’t we have multiple corps from Japan, and corps from Taiwan, Korea, Holland etc? Scouts were all alone in the international division. They were good, and reminded me of Yamato – tight and clean. Pioneer – Yes it is more Irish music, and yes I still enjoy it. I saw the show in San Diego last week and liked it then. When they marched off, they trooped the stands with the horns playing to the crowd. Awesome! Can’t remember the last time I saw that. The show is played with energy and it goes a long way toward selling the show. Met the drum major, who aged-out, at IHOP around 3am on Friday night – very nice guy. Mandarins – Saw this show several times this year, and I never grew to like it too much. I have enjoyed their shows more over the last few years than ever before, just not this one. I certainly do not like the new uniforms. Met the parents of a member Saturday at The Gamble House in Pasadena. They were completely new to the activity, and had no idea what their son had signed up for. They were quite blown away by the whole activity. Troopers – Just like others have said all season, great to see them out there! They were a good sized corps, and their unique look serves them well. Several people commented the drum major still has the best uniform, and I must agree. The horns produced quality sound, if not very loud. Everyone around seemed to enjoy the music. I really wish someone would play music like this consistently besides Troopers. The starburst was cool and got us to our feet. Southwind - I missed this show while talking to DCI ticket booth. Cascades - I missed this show while talking to DCI ticket booth. Pacific Crest – I have seen this show probably six times this season, and it didn’t change much, except to get better. I described it to my mom as a little cheesy, but very likeable. I think recognizable music with a fun concept and energy is a winning combination. I would like it MUCH more without the little narration snippets that do not add to the show. This is such an obvious concept, the words were unnecessary. Conversely, the theme could have been demonstrated in other ways, showing the audience not telling. The colorguard in showgirl costumes? I remember Ryan Turner suggesting several ideas too, that would have really pushed the show to the limits. I did love the little things like the drum major smiling with the chime. The opening music was one of my favorites all year. I had it in my head every night I saw the show. Overall a fun, enjoyable show and seeing PC do more of the same would be a good thing. Crossmen – One of the groups that had a pre-show during the warmup and it was cool. Brass and colorguard all with capes in a tight circle spiraling out to the edge of the field. Like many have said, the music consists of small samples of music, with not enough full tunes. My wife heard some Pat Metheney and said “oh I like this song”, then it was gone a few seconds later. They started out in 15th, but deserved to be passed by Madison. Madison Scouts – Heard a lot of comments while Madison marched on like “why are they so early” and “what happened to Madison?” Well, speaking for myself, I was not disappointed one bit with their show. The opening was very unique, and I loved it. It built the suspense slowly as they form a straight line that moves 10 yards looking perfectly straight. The make a couple Fleur-de-lis forms and several half versions. The ending was different even since San Diego, and way better. It capped off the show properly. Very entertaining. That being said, it was clear to all that they would not move up. Blue Stars – The Blue Stars represented one of those clear jumps up in quality, and seemed finals worthy in my mind. Wonderful hornline, and the music was recognizable, including one of the several renditions of Firebird Suite. The uniforms and special two-tone shoes seemed to me not worth the effect they generated. I liked how the horns would turn to one side or the other to change the color, but it just didn’t make me say “wow”. Keep it up Blue Stars, and hopefully Finals next year. Academy – I loved this show in Riverside, and I loved it even more in Long Beach. For some reason, I liked it less in Pasadena. I thought Blue Stars were better, but it was very close. Apparently the colorguard was their weakness, though I did not see it. At Quarterfinals the corps was 13th while the guard was 21st. The show was exciting and fast paced in the beginning and end. Nice double-tonguing by the trumpets. Good brass and drums. Maybe finals next year? So many good corps! Spirit of JSU – Quality level was worthy of 12th place, but I just never got interested in the show. I liked it less each night, not sure why. My mom enjoyed it a lot. I would have voted for Blue Stars or Academy to take this spot, but it didn’t happen. The new uniforms look nice, but for Spirit I prefer the previous version. Glassmen – This show makes two years in a row I have enjoyed their show. Another corps with a pre-show, where they add one percussion instrument after another building into the start of the show. Cool. The opening was Capriccio Espagnol, a very under-used piece of music as one friend put it. The clapping from the guard was also nice. It was a fun show to watch all three nights, and I hope Glassmen keep up the interesting shows. Colts – Wonderful brass sound with some cool drill. I liked this show all the way through and it was nice to see them not only in Finals, but hit the top 10. We thought this was their highest placement ever. I like the uniforms, and don’t think the red is overwhelming. Boston Crusaders – A significant jump in score, but not as noticeable in my opinion. The hornline sounded a little louder than past years, but the music arrangements sounded like Boston. I could have had my eyes closed and known it was them playing. The easels seemed to be a waste of time and effort, as I hardly noticed them except the very beginning and the very end. Speaking of the end, I did not like it. I am all for soft endings, but after the hornline forms in the end zone, they play one note, and it does not seem to resolve the show well. Blue Knights – I was one that did not enjoy their show much last year, but I am a big fan of this show. I love shows with a lot of things going on, and BK does not disappoint. I recognized the opener from their ’98 show and I love it. Lots of visuals from the brass, a treat to watch anywhere you look. My favorite show from them in 10 years. Bluecoats – Every year my wife and I smile because we hear someone near us ask “Why are they booing?” I had to laugh when my mom, looking concerned, turns and asks the same question. I prefer the old uniforms by far. This show was my wife’s favorite this season. Right from the start with the theft of the briefcase the show keeps you engaged. Of the 4 or 5 narration comments, I enjoyed two: “Drop your weapons” and “Right to remain silent….anything you play can and will be used against you”. Clever. We noticed the colorguard, who began in prison suits, had chains on their hands, and even spun flags with the chains on. We liked the laser dodge by the guard, and my wife thought it was based on the movie Entrapment. Likewise, I thought there was a reference to the movie Thomas Crown Affair, as multiple brief cases appear at the end to confuse authorities. On Saturday night, instead of a different guard member, someone wearing the old Coats uniform got away with the briefcase. Not sure why they dropped to 7th, but I think it had more to do with Crown and SCV getting better, not Bluecoats performing poorly. Carolina Crown – For the third year in a row I exclaim “Hornline!” The sound Crown is getting from the brass is unique and solid. Rich. Deep. Long chord at the opening got me on my feet yelling. The horse theme is evident throughout the show, portrayed by hornline movements and colorguard hair. (Extensions for the girls, Mohawks for the guys). The horse race at the end set to William Tell Overture was brilliant. Another clever use of narration, though we could have understood what was going on without it. We laughed though as the announcer called the horses “Holy Garfield”, “Devil in Blue” and “Green Machine”. Excellent show, appealing to all. From the 2nd half of 2004 show until now, one of my favorite corps. Santa Clara Vanguard – After seeing this show on Thursday, I decided I didn’t care much for the music, and 7th place was fair. But Friday night was a different story. Maybe they sold it better or something, but I was really digging it. Lots of cool stuff, including the cymbals of course. The drill seemed very clean, and it is not easy drill. The ending was different than early season, and I liked it. The brass volume could not match Crown or Phantom, but it did generate an impact within the show, in my opinion. We noticed very few age-outs in the corps indicating a younger group? Hopefully they can continue to build on this success. Phantom Regiment – They were staying 1 mile from my house this week, so I got to watch rehearsals twice. I loved the show, though not as much as 2005 or 2006. The opening is great, building suspense and teasing you until the big hit. Low brass did not seem as strong as last year, but still one of the best. Maybe like taking a bath in sugar-free chocolate? The flugelhorn solo was gorgeous and sounded flawless on Saturday. Nice job. Excellent solo opening Firebird as well. Being a mellophone player, I was blown away by the PR line. Loved the “never-ending mello note” in the closer. Three years straight with Phantom putting out one of my favorite shows. I could have seen this moving up one spot, but Cavies came out strong. Cavaliers – I did not know what to expect from this show, and I ended up loving it. As usual, many cool visual things going. I enjoyed the “rolling on the ground” from the hornline. The brass volume did not match Phantom, but was solid and they used dynamics well to make the brass seem loud at the right spots. I enjoyed the music, even though I recognized only about a third of it. I think their drill was the only drill on par with SCV. I want to see the DVD top camera and take it all in. Cadets – I came up with the Barry Bonds analogy while watching this show. They are so good that you want to like them and root for them. But every time they open their mouth you despise them. That is Cadets 2007 show. Equal parts awe and annoyance. What loud solid hornline as expected and great drums. I could not appreciate the narration on any level. Parts of it changed each night, but it did not improve anything. I would expect to see this show at a band competition, not here. I guess that makes me close-minded. Well, I didn’t like 2005 or 2006 either, so I guess I can just hope for something different on 2008. I have not looked yet, but I’m sure the hash-mark debacle from Thursday has been well dissected and discussed. I suppose it was OK for Mr. Hopkins to ask for the re-painting, I just can’t imagine any other corps doing what he did. You should have seen him going after Dan Acheson after the penalty score was announced. It looked like Billy Martin going after an umpire. I am curious what they did for the theater broadcast while the field was lined. I have to say, I was rooting for the Blue Devils partially because I did not want Cadets to win. The last thing I want is three more shows trying to copy this because it won. Blue Devils – I liked this show, but I didn’t love it. One of my complaints over the last five years with BD is that they do not play very much. That is not an issue in 2007 as this hornline wails most of the show. The drums were also on fire and I think they won the title. Colorguard had been an issue early in the week, but they must have done well enough Saturday. Big ovation from the semi-hometown crowd. Hate to think what would happened if Cadets had won instead. The Pasadena riots of 2007? Retreat – This year the corps' were lined up to have the top corps in the center instead of at the end. I guess that is cool, just different. Spotted Cavies doing some machine moves in their block; Crown had their fences out there; saw SCV do their snake ripple. No surprises during scores, with only Glassmen and Colts flipping. The corps all played a new arrangement of America the Beautiful, which seemed to begin with Auld Lang Syne. What was wrong with the arrangement that was used in the late 90’s? I never heard anyone say anything bad about it. This version was OK, and it’s always cool to hear that many horns together, but I like the old version. BD did their encore performance, with a chord progression to the audience first. Quick clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_mjWJEpZPs. The encore was good, but not much different than the official show in my opinion. United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps – They performed before Finals on Saturday, and we never miss them. This was a treat as always. Highlights included “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and a James Bond medley. Of course the finale was “Stars and Stripes Forever” which brings you to your feet clapping in time. If you ever get the chance, see them in Washington DC at Arlington Cemetery during the summer. Kingsmen Alumni Corps – Performed after Semi-Finals on Friday, and brought the house down. I saw this show a few weeks before, and it was MUCH improved since then. 286 members, average age of 49. The inevitable comparison to Madison Alumni came up, and I would say I enjoyed both equally, though Madison drill was a little more polished. Marching tympanis, a concert piece, and the most hardcore colorguard I have ever seen. By the time the opener was done, the crowd on their feet. Multiple standing ovations throughout. A real treat for us, and I hope the crowd made it worth all the practice for these performers. Not For the Faint of Heart – This was a book I read last month and was lucky enough to meet the author, Jeremy “Spike” Van Wert, in DCI Marketplace on Saturday. This book recounts Spike’s “journey to manhood” in the Santa Clara Vanguard. 3 years in the drumline of SCV and how it shaped his life. I cannot express what a treat it was to read this book. For anyone who did, does or will march drum corps, this book must be read. You can check it out at: http://www.wildridepublications.com/index.htm 2008 Finals – New city, new stadium, new ticket process. I have no idea what to expect, but we will be there. I can’t say we will go to Indianapolis for 10 years, but we’ll go for one.

Playing the full show in standstill, as well as "Over the Rainbow" is a "non-core"? What exactly were you hoping for? While it always nice to hear a suprise tune, I am grateful to any corps that takes time to give us fans a special treat after the official show is done.

Links removed--LM

Ditto.

I have used '89 SCV as well as 2000 Cadets. For 2006, I would probably say SCV or Cavies....and I would make sure they didn't accidentally see the Cadets.

I received a tracking number from DCI, and mine are supposed to arrive Monday, 8/28 in California.

Yes! Funny that I can tell what part you mean just by reading "Da Daaaaahhh". I can't tell you how many times I have listened to those chords, then hit rewind and listened again, just soaking it in. Awesome sound. Can't wait to hear more of Crown's brass this year...when the CD's arrive....

Thanks for the information / review! I have done the following: 1. Read your post. 2. Ordered CD from the website. 3. Setup a folding chair by the mailbox to wait.

Cavaliers - 1990 Phantom Regiment - 1989 Blue Devils - 1994 Bluecoats - 1990 Cadets - 2000 Santa Clara Vanguard - 1987 Blue Knights - 1998 Carolina Crown - 2005 Madison Scouts - 1995 Boston Crusaders - 2000 Glassmen - 1998 Spirit - 1987 Colts - 1993 Blue Stars - 2006 Crossmen - 2001 Capital Regiment - 2006 Mandarins - 2003 Southwind - 2000 Seattle Cascades - 2002 The Magic - 1998 Pacific Crest - 1999 Esperanza - 2003 Pioneer - 1998 Rising to the extended challenge. B)

Sorry, I don't think I'll be following this advice! :) Thanks for the review....waiting for mine.

Jack Kent Cooke Stadium was the original destination in 2000. Everyone got seat adjustments for Univ. of Maryland, we dealt with it. The real travesty was another tie for first. <_<

Thanks for the review! It sounds like you enjoyed writing it just as much as I enjoyed reading it. I think you were right on regarding Blue Stars. I'll take a "tired old patriotic" show like that one any day of the week. I sure wish a top 6 corps would do another straightforward patriotic show. Something like Star '92 or God forbid....a Troopers style show. Hope you make it out to Pasadena!

I agree and keep telling anyone I can find about this. Wednesday evening show combining the opening Ceremonies, the best Div II/III corps, and the winners of each I&E category, in case you missed them earlier in the day. General admission seating....great fun. Made more sense than any other schedule I can think of.

Quite a week of Drum Corps, in beautiful Madison. My wife and I flew into Chicago and spent Monday and Tuesday. White Sox game, Sears tower, sunset cruise on Lake Michigan. Deep-dish pizza at Gino’s East was highly recommended, and I now pass on this recommendation. A life-changing meal. Headed up to Madison on Wednesday morning, just in time to check in at the Madison Concourse Hotel. The Madison Concourse has got to be one of the nicest hotels we have ever stayed, and staying on the Governors Club level is certainly worth the extra money. Private elevator, free bottles of water in the room and free continental breakfast each morning overlooking the capital. Not a bad way to start a day of drum corps. Headed down (1 block) to I&E. The new Overture Center was probably the nicest location I have ever watched I&E. The theatre hosting many of the larger ensembles was like a full-fledged symphony hall. More than enough room for seating and good acoustics. Highlights for me were SCV Bass Drum ensemble, SCV Cymbals, Blue Knights Brass Ensemble and Cavaliers Brass Ensemble 2. Must have been pure coincidence, but I did not happen to stop by the woodwind room… My wife was not feeling well, so I headed out alone to a local Madison HS for the show Wednesday night. Capital Sound, Jubal, Madison Scouts and of course the Madison Scouts Alumni Corps. When I arrived, the stands were pretty full, but I found a seat exactly where I hoped – on the 50 in row 1. Drill was unrecognizable, but I was there for sound. Jubal was impressive – good volume and lots of energy. Got the crowd really fired up. They had a solo whistler…a dude using his fingers to whistle a tune, and doing it well! First time I’ve seen that. Had no idea what to expect from Madison Scouts this year, and what I got was a seriously loud opening impact from the hornline. Now tonight was my first live drum corps in over a month, which can skew my perception of volume….but this was loud enough to get me pumped. More on Scouts later. Next was the Alumni Corps, and again I had no idea what to expect…not a disappointment. There is a soprano solo of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” which leads into the full corps playing “The Way We Were”. Took my breath away, let me tell you. At the time, I did not even know the corps had formed a giant Fleur-de-lis. Even cooler! A great night of Madison Scouts history, whether you were an alumni or not. At one point they had every living Corps Director in Scouts history on the field. Scott Stewart got a large ovation, and well deserved. After all the shows, the Alumni Corps, Madison Scouts and many other alumni joined together on the field to sing together “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” This was such a touching moment, I cannot imagine what it meant to each and every Scout out there singing. Well worth the $10 of the show. Fantastic weather, felt like Southern California. I may have thought we were in the Rose Bowl, but for the giant red “W” in the center of the field….and the great view….and the great sound. But we all know Camp Randall is a wonderful place to enjoy Drum Corps. The stadium is now enclosed, and the extra bit of reverb was noticeable and appreciated. Our seats were in the upper deck, 4th row on the 50. The first 3 rows were reserved for judges, so in essence we were in the front row. Not bad having a row open in front to stretch your legs and set drinks. This was our 10th consecutive year attending finals, with 3 times in Madison. I believe my seats this week are just about the best combination of sound and visual that I have found. Too bad we won’t be coming here again for many, many, many years. Sat next to an SCV Alumni from the early 80’s, and also a finals attendee for nearly 30 years. Some good conversations all three nights. We thought the no backpack rule was pretty ridiculous – we took the same bag into a major league baseball stadium, but it can’t go into a drum corps show? Well, did anyone actually want to hear about the shows? OK, but keep in mind that I like loud brass and soft pits. I am less interested in story lines, and more interested in impact moments, wherever they come from. I had not seen anyone except BD, SCV and BK before Quarterfinals, and I barely know what an APD is let alone dowload one. Also, I have been known to disagree with the placement of some corps, once in a while. Based on some of the DVD commentaries by judges, I am not looking at the same things they are. Oh well. I had to say after Quarterfinals that I liked almost every show this year, which does not happen every year. I did not take notes, but here goes. Southwind – The first corps I saw at Quarterfinals, and I was impressed. I thought they should have moved up, but I did not see Mandarins from my seat, so I cannot say for sure. I saw Mandarins early in California, and was not much into their show, for the first time in a few years. Southwind had half the corps in black and half in white. Kind of cool, but didn’t have an oooh/ahhh affect like I thought it might. (I am thinking of ’92 VK when they would spin around and the white uniform would go to red – cool effect.) I remember and liked the bright yellow uniforms of 2000 or so. Great sound, especially from 18th place. Capital Regiment – I sure liked their show better than last year. The highlight was the Frisbee toss, and my wife thought that was fun. Quite a bit of wind, but that drummer caught it both nights. Another good horn sound. Way to go, Ohio! Putting out some strong hornlines. I hope Cap. Reg. keeps progressing. Blue Stars – Back in Div I after a long time (not sure how long). Heard a couple tales about the guard from the 70’s and the tight blue shorts. All in all, much of the crowd was appreciative seeing them back in D1 action. My wife did not see Quarters, so I had a preview of everyone. My advice to her regarding Blue Stars was to block out the talking as much as possible, and you might be able to enjoy a nice patriotic show. I read about the theme of the show, but I certainly did not need passages read aloud to me. I would have enjoyed the show much more without narration. The brass was fantastic, and really had some energy. They produced one of my favorite loud-ballad-note-cutoffs of the night. The end of the show was one of the few that had us spring to our feet for an ovation. Nice job. Lose the talking next year. Crossmen – One of my favorites in 2005, I enjoyed this year’s show a little less. Got started slowly I thought, until the “radio” section. I will say that it was rather clever, but my wife found it very annoying. I got a chuckle from “Find hot singles in your area…”. Some might say, “See, amps are great for drum corps!”. I say that I would trade a couple chuckles if I could get rid of all the other crap coming out of the speakers this week. I enjoyed the “Born to Be Wild” section, and it seemed the horns were into it. Alas, extremely sloppy visual is their downfall, just like last year. Maybe next year they can clean up the drill and slip back into Finals. Colts – My first brilliant prediction of the night was “I think Colts can pass Spirit.” Well, I was way off, but I still really liked the show. More so than the last few years I think. “As Time Goes By” was nice, and the whole show well done. It was hard to believe at this point that we had not even cracked the top 12. Spirit – Great horn impact for the start of the show, but I did not get into the show as a whole. I enjoyed Colts show more, but I cannot say Spirit was bad. I recognized Blue Shades, but it’s hard to pull this off after another corps nailed it so recently. It just makes me want to listen to ’99 SCV. In fact, I’ll be right back……….OK, ’99 SCV rocks. Solid show for Spirit; not good enough to move up, but fine for 12th. Glassmen – Yeah! The most enjoyable Glassmen show since…2000? I like straightforward, recognizable classical music. The Beethoven show was accessible, even if you do not know each tune. I liked the opening statement, the ballroom dancing section, the “deaf” section and the horn re-entry. This hornline could put out some power. Overall an original and enjoyable show. Way to go Glassmen! More shows like this! Boston Crusaders – Dropped to 10th at Finals, but it was hard to notice a drop in performance. This show had a lot of good things going on, but as a whole was not very memorable to us. No one around us understood the big brain stems or columns or whatever they were. Likewise, no one understood the significance of them coming together at the end. I finally decided on Saturday night that they were they to store flags around the field. The horns seemed louder than most Boston shows I can recall. The drumline had some good moments and the drill was interesting. I just can’t remember much of anything. Madison Scouts – Seeing them from the top, I still felt the hornline had some giddyup. While there was volume, I still do not think it sounds like the horns of the 90’s or even 2000. I think G bugles and a lopsided balance toward upper brass gave them their unique sound in the past. Someone else said, and I agree, “They sound like everyone else now.” I know their guard was not scoring well, but I just didn’t notice them for most of the show. I was curious to see the drill written by Myron, and I recognized it immediately. Even my wife after the first 2 minutes said, “it looks like SCV drill” and she did not know that Myron had taken over the drill. Unfortunately we both noticed it was very dirty. By no means was it easy drill, nor easy to clean. But that certainly contributed to the lower score. Overall though, I did like the show. I can deal with a little drill dirt if the show has energy, it Madison had it. Carolina Crown – Hornline. Hornline. Hornline! When Crown gave the crowd its first big horn impact, there was an audible gasp from the crowd. The sound smacked you right in the chest, and brings a smile to your face. A rich, full sound from Crown, which has become distinctive to them. This is third year in a row with a fantastic brass line. 2nd best of the night, I think. It seemed they have the impact moment thing figured out, because they had some spots that made me yell my approval. Awesome show, had our section on its feet immediately after the show. No one I have talked to yet can believe they dropped to 8th. Second year in a row with one of the best shows of anyone, and no singing. Right on. Blue Knights – I saw this show in California early this summer, and my comment was “It’s different, but I think I like it”. This is pretty much the same way I feel about it. I love the dark brass sound, and the dark music. Some interesting things visually as well, and what has become a unique style for BK – lots of movement and the knee pop. I think this show could have been a disaster if not for the energy being poured into it by the members. I don’t think it should have passed Crown, but congrats to BK for pushing it to the end. SCV – Mr. Moto rules! I did not know about this guy until Quarterfinals, and then I read the article on dci.org. He is not just circling the field; he is ON with the rest of the hornline. The sops do a little feature down front, and then do a visual where they wipe of their mouths. Mr. Moto does the exact same visual while on the back sideline, exactly in time, then pops his horn up just as the other horns do. In the ballad, he completes the form in the lower left corner, arriving just in time to fill the spot for a beat, then hard pivots around the corner. Good stuff. The rest of the show? I loved it. I saw them in June, and there was so much drill dirt, some lines were barely recognizable as lines. Vastly improved by now, and the drill is very good. Different than Myron’s, but no less exciting and challenging. I love the box the builds from front and back near the beginning of the show; when the form hits, the horns pop to the box and paste a chord. Cool. I was hoping for some more volume from this hornline, but it just was not there. Not in the same league as Crown or Phantom or BD. They cranked it up for the appropriate impact points, but it was not as deep or rich as the above mentioned. Closing drill was great, as the corps exits the field…cymbals on a yoyo string, making the “V”. Wonderful show, which I feel could have taken 4th just as well as 6th. I can’t wait to see next year! Cadets – Oh boy, where to begin. How about the positives. Brass sounded good, especially the first few minutes. Some great drill around the big door in the middle of the field. Drums sounded pretty cool, had some fun exposed parts. The drummer tossing a stick to another was cool. Beyond that, I am at a loss as to how this can be considered a good drum corps show. I do not see how this is a sequel to last year, besides the fact that I didn’t like 2005 either. I see the door from last year, and the 4 schoolgirls. After that, who knows? The characters were useless and distracting. I watched them more than I should have on Thursday, and tried to avoid looking at them Friday and Saturday, keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of real drum corps. My wife referred to the characters as The Easter Bunny, Austin Powers’ Girlfriend, The Joker and Super girl. “Why are they on the field?” she asked me, and I did not have an answer. We wondered what would have happened if the bunny had won a category at I&E. Would he wear that bunny suit for the I&E winners ceremony? I was not as entertained by the pink tables and jumping as I hoped I might be. Nice long chop break for the horns, just in time for the ballad. Wish I could have heard an entire run of the horns playing the ballad without accompaniment, but it was not going to happen. The brass was joined by humming and moaning coming from the young lady with a microphone. I am sure she is a very talented singer, and could do well in a BOA show. I just wish I didn’t have to try and block it out during a drum corps show. The mirror/looking glass thing at the end might have been cooler if they were dressed the same, but I’m sure there was some reason for it that escaped my simple mind. I found myself thinking that it was hard to believe last time we were in Madison, Cadets were bringing me to tears with the “Pledge of Allegiance” ballad, and blowing me away with “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”. Is this the same corps? Overall, my thought was “I think there could be a great drum corps show in there somewhere, it’s just covered up with too much unnecessary garbage. I really hope Cadets will take a different direction next year, but I doubt it. Was the yellow Alice really G. Hopkins’ daughter? Wow, putting your kid in the show tops sending a plane around the stadium with your daughters name on it….. Bluecoats – I came into Quarters expecting to really like this show, but I was a little let down. The quality was high in brass and especially drums. However, it didn’t seem to have the drive of the 2005 show. Soloist missed the big note on Thursday; the dreaded feeling when you go for a note and nothing but air comes out. Nailed it on Saturday though. I was rooting for SCV to take 4th, but Bluecoats pulled it off. At least they passed Cadets. I think if I watch and listen to the show more, I might like it more. But right now, its not sticking with me. Blue Devils – I liked this show, but I didn’t love it. I like the big horn entrance, just wish it came sooner as many have said. Whaddya know, I caught myself humming their music in the elevator one night….can’t remember that happening for several years, probably 2002, which was the last show I really enjoyed. The music sounded great, but a little repetitive. I have not seen “The Godfather” (I know, I know), but I did get a few of the gags….fish flags, gunshots…I did not get the chair, however. Someone mentioned before that the “offer he can’t refuse” guy sounded more like Jack Nicholson than Marlon Brando, and I agree. Has this kid even heard the real quote? You would sure think so, but I don’t know. Seems like someone in the corps could do a better imitation. Guard had some awesome rifle tosses going on, but I did see quite few drops. On Friday, during the gun form, 3 rifles in a row dropped. This went down to one on Saturday, but still pretty exposed. They won guard? All in all a great show, and I will not be skipping them on the CD or DVD like last year. Phantom Regiment – This…place…is…Electric! My favorite show of the week, out of many good shows. This hornline is one of the best I’ve heard live. At separate points in the show, I found myself saying “wow, those mellophones!” or “wow, those baritones!” or “wow those Sopranos trumpets!”. I do not understand how they missed winning high brass. Shocking. The drums were great, and they got rewarded, but this hornline is what made the show exceptional in my mind. The ballad was moving, with trumpets going to Baris, and the long building chord at the end. I want the CD now to listen over and over. They were on fire Saturday night, and earned the 2nd place finish. I do not think they should have beaten Cavies, even though it would have been cool. Two years in a row with my favorite show of the night. Thank you Phantom Regiment! Cavaliers – This is the type of show that should win DCI. It is an advanced show technically, innovative but entertaining, accessible by anyone in the stands. I think the 007 show was on the same level. Not some complex storyline, but a simple theme which is displayed in every area of the show, in interesting and fun ways. I loved the show, as did my wife and everyone around us. I do not know if the music will be fun to listen to by itself, but we’ll see. It worked well with the show. Its amazing how different corps’ have different ideas of what it is to push the envelope of be innovative. I can only hope that more design teams will be inspired by the Cavaliers so we can see more shows of this type. I am glad the winner, and the top 3 are all shows I would like to see looked up to by high school bands. Madison Alumni Corps Reunion Project – These guys made good on the hype, and blew the crowd away. Hometown or not, they kicked some G-Bugle butt. “The Way We Were”, “Remembrance” (my wife’s favorite drum corps tune), “Malaguena”. They had some serious power, good sound and some soprano screamers. I hope we get an alumni corps of this caliber every year. Watch out for Kingsmen in Pasadena. Marine Drum & Bugle Corps – I saw them in March at the Rose Bowl (also got to scout the stadium for seating preferences). They were impressive as always, in their own style. Nothing very fast-paced, and a clean, balanced brass sound. Their version of “Stars & Stripes Forever” is a favorite of my wife. If you ever get a chance to see them perform in Arlington Cemetery during the summer, make sure you do it. Retreat moved along at a nice pace, which is a positive. Champions Fanfare was a negative. It is not awful, it is just not as emotional or inspiring as America the Beautiful. The ending did not seem to max out in volume, which was a letdown. Why not play both tunes? I will say again that I miss each corps playing something before marching off the field. Doubt we will see this again, but one can reminisce. Airport security at O’Hare was not as bad as we feared after all the trouble. Don’t you hate it when you get stuck sitting next to some weirdo on the plane? Well, for me the weirdo happened to be named Ryan Turner, who I know by reputation, but had never actually met. Good to discuss some drum corps with him – SoCal Dream, finals week, Harry Potter books. Usual stuff. Hard to believe Finals will be in Pasadena next year. That’s a 40 mile drive from home for us! I cannot endorse the Rose Bowl as a wonderful stadium for drum corps, but I hope it is not a big disappointment. I am not sure if we will continue to attend finals beyond the first year of Indianapolis. I don’t know of too many options for surrounding activities in Indiana. The downtown area is great, and will serve well as a hub for the show, but we like to make a vacation out of the trip, and I don’t know what else we would do. In addition, I do not want to see Finals in a dome, even if it is raining outside. If it sounds anything like the RCA Dome, I would run away screaming. I understand all the reasons for moving to Indy for 10 straight years, it just may not be a fit for my wife and I anymore. If you’re not asleep by now, thanks for reading.

I guess the real question is what the #### am I going to do Thursday morning in Madison? Do I stay out late drinking the night before? Maybe if DCI had the Opening Cerimonies on Wednesday evening I could do that. Seemed like a perfect plan - Opening ceremonies, Div. II/III Finals, and the winners of each Individual/Ensemble category. Anyway, has anybody heard an update on the ticket sale plan? Anything for the Super 3 loyalists?

I have been arriving around 5am and waiting in line for tickets since 1998. I do not see it as something else I must do during finals week, but rather part of the experience of the week. As mentioned earlier, the people you meet and discussions you have while waiting in line are priceless. I was pretty disappointed when I read that this will change. Refreshments are provided, and you get to sit down with the representative and select your seats. Last year they had someone right there to reserve your hotel as well. I was looking forward to this process especially this year, since Finals are finally coming to California. Lots of family/friends to bring to the shows, so I wanted to be near first in line, and be able to get exactly what I wanted. I sure hope there is some benefit to being an existing Super 3 ticket buyer, rather than random phone call/internet. Of course, if Finals go to "permanent" status in Indianapolis, I won't be going every year anyway.

Well, I was pretty suprised to see the final lineup: 1) 1975 27th Lancers - One of two that I voted for that actually made it in. Can't wait for some to see those rifles and more of that 27th style. 2) 1979 Blue Devils - Hard to argue with this one...there are so many great BD shows out there. 3) 1980 Bridgemen - Awesome. I would have voted for this but spent my 80's votes elswhere. Voted for '79 though. 4) 1984 Garfield Cadets - I think it's one of the best Garfield Cadets shows out there. I chose 2000 last year and '93 this year, but can't complain here. Someone else said its one of the best West Side Story shows...it is the only WSS show that I have enjoyed. Mmmmm, mello solo. 5) 1988 Madison Scouts - Again, so many kick ### Madison shows to choose from, won't mind watching this one. I love the closeup of the mellophone taking the note up during the Malaguena intro. 6) 1989 Phantom Regiment - The other show I voted for that made it. My bet to be the leading vote-getter. This show epitomizes classic in my book. I can't count the number of times I have gotten a look from the car next to me as this show is blaring... 7) 1992 Crossmen - Not a fan of this show. Voted for Crossmen '01 8) 1993 Star of Indiana - Certainly not my favorite Star show. I have never gotten into it. I remember watching the live broadcast many, many minutes into the show and wondering when they would let loose with some volume. Not my style I guess. Very clean, cool visuals, excellent brass when they did play. 9) 1995 Cavaliers - In my top 3 Cavs shows; I love it from top to bottom. I would have voted for it, but ran out of 90's spots. I love the look on the DM's face (Dustin something?) after he turns around, kind of like "Holy Crap, they just blew me away!" 10) 1999 Santa Clara Vanguard - One of many SCV shows to choose from. Hard to believe '87 was not on the list. Would like to see the votes on that one. I'll watch '99 over and over though. In fact, I have. Too bad we can't see their encore performance after retreat in Madison...you think the Finals show was intense..... 11) 2004 Carolina Crown - Wow. A Drum & Bugle "classic" with mics and singing. Sure didn't see this one coming. How am I supposed to turn down the volume during the singing and llloooooovvve like I do when I am listening to the CD? I remember the deafening silence in Denver during this section. At least we can all see/hear the awesome hornline in a great arrangement of Bohemian Rhapsody. 12) 2005 Bluecoats - Excellent show, maybe their best ever. (Nah, 1990!) Seems like I just saw it though. Just think, many may see it on the big screen before their DVD's even arrive. A couple things I will observe: 1. Clearly those who post on this board represent a small sample of who actually voted on the website. A few of these shows were barely mentioned in 30+ pages of voting choices. That's fine, just unexpected when many seemed confident that this show or that show would make it based on what they saw here. 2. It seems everyone voted for their classic shows from the 80's, 90's and 70's, then chose from the "leftovers" in the 2000 era. What does this say about the quality/overall appeal of the shows in earlier decades? Could it be that those are the types of shows more people would like to be seeing nowadays? It is not that there is a lack of great shows these days, but I see fewer "no-brainer" shows that everyone can agree would belong in a classic countdown 5-10 years from now. Oh well, I hope everyone still goes out to the show to support and celebrate drum corps in the movie theatre! Pester your local theatre manager to turn up the volume!

I finally cast my votes, though it took a little (a lot) of thought. Kind of like putting together a puzzle - If I choose this show, then I can't pick their 2002 show, but I need another show from that category..... Overall, a great idea, and any group of shows on the big screen is something to celebrate and enjoy. 1975 27th Lancers 1979 Bridgemen 1981 Troopers 1987 Santa Clara Vanguard 1988 Velvet Knights 1989 Phantom Regiment 1990 Star of Indiana 1993 Cadets of Bergen County 1994 Blue Devils 1995 Madison Scouts 2001 Crossmen 2004 The Cavaliers See y'all at the theatre! I'll be at the Irvine, CA theatre.