playloud

My wife and I would never miss your show! It is always a treat no matter what is being played (as long as "Stars and Strpes Forever" is the finale :) ) The show this year was entertaining as well, and you would never know it was 100+ degrees outside from the way they performed. The soloists seemed talented, but did not have a good night on Saturday. I like the style of the hornline. They always put out a good balanced sound, but seem to keep some in reserve when the want to really blow, and the impact is that much more impressive. Music? Dynamics? They do it right. The marching looked good, though the drill was not as clean as I have seen in years past. I grew up in Oceanside, CA right near Camp Pendleton Marine Base. We were lucky to get a visit from the Commandant's Own nearly every year, and they would do a few shows around the area, including one at my high school. In 1991 I was a junior in high school, and my band director told me I should go over to the stadium and watch the Marine Corps show. I had seen a few local marine bands, and was not expecting much. I had never seen drum corps before, not even on video, and did not know the difference between a drum & bugle corps and a marching band. I remember clearly that they opened with the main theme to "Robin Hood: Prince of Theives". They began playing backfield until the opening fanfare, when they turned around and let the audience have it. The sound I heard was nothing like I had ever heard before. My friends and I to this day refer to it as "that sound", the unique drum corps sound that bugles can produce. I will tell you, the feeling I got that evening is what I seek everytime I watch a show or a DVD, or listen to a CD. When the sound of the brass envelops you, touches your soul, stops your breath. That Sound. Washington DC in 2000 (Gee, why was I there?) Every Tuesday during the summer the USMC Drum & Bugle Corps performs the Sunset Parade at Arlington Cemetary, complete with the amazing Silent Drill Team. They perform on the lawn in front of the Iwo Jima monument, with NO painted lines. There are no bleachers, just viewers sitting on a little bluff. Watching the show with the sunset behind, and a view of D.C. was another moment my wife and I will never forget. I hope this still goes on each summer, because I will see it again someday. Thanks to the United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps for everything you do for drum corps fans, and for your service to our country.

"Pasting" the note would be a GOOD thing. The first two nights were a little shaky, but Saturday night, he executed the upper range note as originally intended. In other words: - He nailed it. - He smoked it. - He spanked it like a naughty child.

The following is an account of Championship week in Foxboro. The entire account will likely end up very long, and include many superfluous details. I have attended finals week, along with my wife, every year since 1997. We build our vacation around the finals location, and this year it included a Bed & Breakfast in Vermont, lobster in Maine and Fenway Park. It sure would be nice to drive 45 miles from home to Finals in 2007. I was hoping to get confirmation of the San Diego rumor throughout the week, but only heard more rumors. Just people recycling the same possibilities (San Diego, Rose Bowl, etc.) My best guess is that DCI wants fans to plan for Madison in 2006 before making any West Coast announcements. Arrived in Providence on Wednesday afternoon for I&E. Staying at the Westin had its advantages, with a skybridge connection to the Convention Center (I&E) and another skybridge to the mall with plenty of food options. Scoped out the schedule of performers and noted the ones we wanted to see. The highlight was Ryan Darke, soprano from Blue Devils. Just about perfect. Also saw the tuba player from BD, the player that won I think. He was also great – excellent tone quality even on the low stuff. SCV Percussion ensembles (both) were awesome, though I didn’t see the Cavaliers ensemble that won. I heard there was a room for flute, clarinet, saxophone – thought that was a sick joke. This was pitched as a way for kids to display their talents with other instruments. More likely they are trying to ease woodwinds into drum corps discussions. ####, I fell for it. I awoke at 4:30am to join the die-hards in line for 2006 Super 3 tickets. First guy was there at 10:30pm the night before. I have not gone that insane yet, but I like to ensure I get the tickets I want. Plus, it is a great chance to talk drum corps with a wide variety of fans. This year I talked with a 60 year old gentleman that has not liked an SCV show in nearly a decade. I guess we all like what we like. With 2006 taken care of, it was time to head to the stadium for some live drum corps. I have not seen quarterfinals from the theatre, but I hope it comes across well for fans. What a great way for people to see all these groups if they can’t make it the stadium! After paying $16 for a night of parking at the hotel, we drove 30 miles and paid $25 dollars to park at the stadium. I have never heard of such an outrageous parking cost, but the stadium is basically in the middle of nowhere, so we did not have many options. Paying $10 and walking a couple miles was not very enticing. Just like Denver, the club level was more than worth the money. In addition to great seats, we had an indoor air conditioned lounge area with tables, bars, concessions, couches etc. This was great during the breaks as we could cool down, eat dinner at a table, and watch the Red Sox on TV. Our seats were right on the 50, ten rows from the top. Seemed to be the perfect balance between volume (for me) and visual (for my wife). This is not to say we don’t appreciate both elements, but we have our priorities. Kiwanis Kavaliers – Very small. Glad they went on first, or they would have seemed even more out of their league. I remember they played an uninspired arrangement of “Pink Panther”. Quite a bit of talking going on around us during the show, which ticks me off no matter who is performing. Pioneer – Better sound, though I can’t remember much about the show. I think it was Irish music. Duh. Troopers – I am glad to see them in the same uniforms, especially the drum major. They seemed pretty clean, but lacked impact. “She’ll be ‘Comin ‘Round the Mountain” was a little bit too dissonant for my taste. If you do not know the history of the troopers, and what they have done in DCI, buy a few DVD’s. You can start with 1981. Ask someone about Jim Jones, and what he did for the activity. Will anyone ever step up and play a Troopers style show besides Troopers? The Magic – First big horn sound of the afternoon. Pretty big corps, but sloppy drill execution. I did enjoy the show, however. Didn’t think they would be passed by Esperanza. Shows what I know. Esperanza – It sure is cool to hear a corps from San Diego be announced at Quarterfinals. I wish the show would have been more appealing. I did not get into it at all, and it did not seem to have improved much since we saw them in California. I still do not like the whistles. Pacific Crest – Two corps in a row from Southern California? Great to see West Coast represented more each year. I was very eager to see how PC compared to the other groups, especially horn volume in the big stadium. They sounded…average. No one was blown away by the volume, but not disappointed either. I like the show, while others around me had mixed reactions. Quality brass sound and percussion was great. Looks as though they are being topped in visual by the corps above them. Everyone commented on the knee pop before each step-off, wondering why they do it. I do not know why they do it, but I think it is cool to have a unique style. However, if it is not clean (and that would certainly be harder to clean) then it is not helping the corps at all. On this night, it appears visual cost them a chance to move up. After sleeping in past noon on Friday with drum corps dreams, it was time for another round. Forked out another $25 for parking, though the woman had to pry it from my hands. “How do you live with yourself?” I asked. She averted her eyes, looking down in shame. Visited the souvies and bought a Vanguard polo. My wife bought some Crossmen shorts and a Carolina Crown shirt. Lots of people looking and buying. DCI booth was playing 1988 Blue Devils. Many stood around watching with grins, humming or drumming along. Afterwards, we all walked away with forlorn expressions on our faces, wondering if we will see shows like that again someday. It was time to take the stands in Semifinal observation. There was a tie going into Semifinals, so we got an extra corps tonight: Seattle Cascades – I had read much about the show, so I was curious to see what they had to offer. Started off with a very nice sound from the brass, then some guy in front of me started talking. In fact, he was on the field with a microphone. He was even talking over nice horn impacts! Distracting. Unnecessary. Thursday night I listened to what he had to say. Friday night, I tried hard to block him out. The props on the field did not seem to aid the show either. The drill shaped like a plane with the propeller sound would be just as effective without the props. I seem to remember another corps doing a show with a flying theme about 13 years ago (CBC ’92). They made an airplane on the field and played great music. No talking. I sure would have liked to see Cascades ’05 performing something different, because every aspect of the corps seemed good. In the end, I cannot get past the distraction of the narration enough to enjoy the show. No one around me disagreed. Mandarins – More west coast, nice. Many comments about how big they looked. Even more about how big they sound for their size. I agree, although I saw them in California a few times and was not surprised. I enjoyed their show, especially the music. There have been several years recently where I have questioned the Mandarins choice of music, thinking that a top corps has done it before. “On the Waterfront” comes to mind. But they perform their version of it very well, just like “Spartacus” this year. Pretty hard to top “Spartacus” from Regiment, but they don’t try to top it – they do it their way. Nice mello parts. Southwind – I cannot recall much from this show, other than the odd shakos with a big pointy thing sticking out the side. In fact, when I think of Southwind, I think of the bright yellow uniforms and their 2000 show. Oh well, sorry guys. Capital Regiment – Being the avid review reader that I am, I knew what the giant object was on the field. I asked my wife if she could tell what it was, and her best guess was a shark fin. Even after I told her it was a sundial, and we still don’t get into the show. I remember them as being pretty clean, but they didn’t get me on my feet. Colts – There seemed to be a distinct bar raising at this point, as Colts had a Finalist feel to them. Great hornline sound, recognizable music, good soloists. The ballad was better on Friday, and boosted the show I thought. I would have liked to see them in Finals, but they didn’t quite make it. Crossmen – I loved this show, as did everyone around me. Best hornline so far – best show so far. Overall one of my 6 or 7 favorite shows this week. Loved the music, horns, drums and colorguard. Unfortunately, the drill was pretty sloppy. Even the last set had people pointing and mumbling about the form. Just a single line in a soft curve, and it sucked Thursday and Friday night. Too bad, I really wanted them to make Finals, but DCI has some rule about letting only 12 corps into Finals. How about their DM, aging out after 9 years with the Crossmen. Congratulations! After the last show on Friday night, we were treated to an exhibition performance by the Caballeros Alumni Corps. Many people left before their show which is a shame. I do not know what others thought of them, but I thought it was awesome. Brandt Crocker: “On the Starting Line…” and they really did come off the starting line. Straightforward, in your face old school. Most of the big screen close-ups showed guys that are probably 50-60 years old. They had a few Soprano screamers too. They performed a long time, and I didn’t mind. A real treat. Following the performance, we watched the DCI Hall of Fame inductees, I&E winner presentations, and the ageout ceremony. The ceremony was a little disappointing, compared to past years. In the past, members have spoken to the audience, but there was nothing but acknowledgement this year. If DCI is going to have a ceremony, they should make it memorable for the members, and entertaining for the audience. On a side note, I wish DCI would bring back the Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday night as they used to have. This event consisted of Div II/III championships, with the winner of each I&E category performing in between each corps performance. In addition, there was an Olympic style opening ceremony with every corps in every division. No one has been able to explain why this does not happen anymore. Finals day and the temperature hits 101 in Foxboro. Is there any city in this great country of ours where the temperature in August is 75 degrees and 0% humidity? I can think of one – it starts with “San” and ends with “Diego”. There was a delay entering the parking lot, as the cash drawers were apparently jammed due to the wads of cash being collected. Lots of people here today, with the souvie area very busy. Long lines at Phantom Regiment booth, including me. Kansas City Star…err…Star of Indiana 1990 was playing at the DCI booth. Great show. More humming and forlorn expressions. Headed up to the stands so we would not miss the United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps. They must have hidden their amps, because all I saw were two small xylophones, just like every year. Wonderful show as always; patriotic does not go out of style. Baritone section was amazing. If you were not on your feet by the end of Stars and Stripes, than you must have been dead. Just for the heck of it, as I review each finalist, I will include my top 3 favorite shows from that corps. Maybe it will shed some light on what type of shows I like…maybe it will be a waste of time. Spirit of JSU – Spirit got things started tonight, and sounded great, their best show so far I thought. The horns sound good, and I generally like the music. I agree with others, in that the music and playbills could have been coordinated better. Couldn’t they have played the snippet from each musical as it “closed”? or played the Phantom music right when all the others had “closed”? Oh well, overall not a bad start to the Top 12. My top three Spirit of Atlanta shows: 1. 1980 2. 1984 3. 1986 *Side story: Right in the middle of Spirit’s show, an adult couple came down the steps to our right, walked the entire aisle across to the steps on our left, then went down about 5 rows and into their seats. The woman then talked to the man for about 30 seconds. Then she proceeded to put in earplugs. Weird. As the enforcer of our row, I took it upon myself to speak with them after the show, and explain the finer points of etiquette in drum corps stands. Not sure if it sunk in, but ya gotta try. Glassmen – I liked the show more on Saturday than I had so far. I think the first night I was trying to hear “New World Symphony” and did not like the variations. By the third viewing, I was able to listen to the music and enjoy it without expecting it to be familiar. Not sure if that makes sense, but the bottom line is that this was the best show I have seen in several years from them. My top three Glassmen shows: 1. 1998 2. 2000 3. 1992 Blue Knights – I enjoyed this show on Thursday night, and less so Friday and Saturday. It seemed to me they had less impact on those nights, although it could have just been those around them stepping it up a notch. BK has a unique horn sound, which is very clean, but less blended than most groups. The soprano sound is crystal clear and very solid, but sticks out a bit from the ensemble. I have not been a fan of their body movement in recent years, but I really liked what they did with the drum solo. Very cool, lots of things happening. The hornline is doing something the entire time, even a unison handstand at one point. Excellent coordination with the drum parts, portrayed visually. I like full length drum solos with creative visuals from the guard and hornline. My top three Blue Knights shows: 1. 1998 2. 2000 3. 1994 At this point the stands were cleared due to severe lightning in the area. It was hard to complain about being forced out of the heat into a luxury air conditioned lounge, but we all wanted more drum corps. Is there a city in the USA that does not have rain and lightning problems in August? Once the sky was safe, we returned to our seats and were told that SCV would take the field in 15 minutes. After a few minutes, I heard some brass off to the side under the stands, and found it to be SCV warming up just outside the entrance to the field. The drums and brass ran through a few warm-ups, then the hornline played “Music of the Night”. Awesome. I am not sure who was hyped more, the crowd or the corps, but it was intense. Santa Clara Vanguard – I was very curious to see if SCV seemed out of place performing where they were ranked. They did not; they belonged right there in the 8-9 spot. Now, does that mean the show was poor? NO! Unfortunately, most of the country saw SCV on Thursday night, and it was a very bad night for them. One minute into the show I looked to my wife and whispered, “they’re terrible!”. They actually seemed worse than early July. Thankfully Friday was a different story, and SCV had the energy and intensity I love. At the end of the first tune, they form a star on Side 2 and end with the Vanguard Salute. When they hit the next star formation, they wail on the last note and the hornline does 8 counts of high mark time, then ends with a full corps parade rest. Might seem like lame stuff to some, but I eat it up. Also got a huge reaction from the audience. Russian Christmas Music was awesome to hear on the field; I wish more corps would play a song from their past every so often, and play it the right, not chopped up or “modernized.” Entire hornline made a hard pivot during the closer, which you don’t see too much of these days. Looked great with the white pants/shoes. (Anyone else remember the ’87 video closeup of the baritones doing a hard pivot during RCM? I could watch that a hundred times. I probably have.) SCV may have placed 8th, but I would choose to watch this show again over most of the shows this week. Some have said the show is not the Vanguard. Well, the show may not seem like it, but these kids are 100% Vanguard. Thanks SCV. My top three SCV shows (wow, tough): 1. 1998 2. 1985 3. 1989 Boston Crusaders – At Quarterfinals they came out on fire, and really put on a show. Great horn volume, good energy, had the place energized. By Saturday, that edge was gone. Again, it could have been the other corps around them stepping it up a notch, but they did deserve to drop a spot down to 9th. However, this really was an enjoyable show. Everyone around us loved the swing section, the conquest hits and more. I hope the members had a blast in front of the home crowd. My top three Boston Crusaders shows: 1. 2000 2. 1999 3. 2002 Carolina Crown – WOW! That is what I said after their first horn impact on Thursday. Hornline is amazing – very dark with a unique sound. This show was my wife’s favorite of the week. Just about everything was wonderful, the total package. The ballad was delicate but intense, and was played with emotion. I want to see the whole show again. And again. This show is better than last year, and without the “Looooove”. Funny how I did not need a narrator to explain about Angels. I done figured it out myself. Wonderful job, great crowd reaction – pick up next year where you left off! My top three Crown shows: 1. 2005 2. 2000 3. 1998 Madison Scouts – Are they “back”? Well, it was clearly the best show since 1999. They have the volume of a top 6 corps, but it does not have the same sound as it did in the 90’s in my opinion. It might be the hornline balance. In 1995 I recall Scouts had around 30 sops and 16-18 mellos. This year and last they had 22-24 trumpets and maybe 10 mellos. I think the extra high brass with G-Bugles gave them a unique edge to their sound. The show was pretty good, with some hot Madison impact points. The entrance of Carmen was amazing. The exit was cool too. Everything in between was pretty pointless. This show could have taken a huge leap forward with a better ending. I still can’t believe it ended the way it did. The corps scatters into a circle surrounded by the guard, and hits a chord; it doesn’t get louder, it doesn’t change or resolve – it just ends. BIG let down. My top three Madison Scouts shows: 1. 1999 2. 1997 3. 1980 Bluecoats – Bluuuuuuue! Might have been the first year ever that I did not hear someone ask “Why are they booing?” Another great show! Enjoyed this corps all three nights, especially on Saturday night. I think this drill was the most interesting I have seen in years from them – really fit well with the music. Sop soloist pasted his note opening the show on Saturday night, cool. Guard was really good, and had a couple great exposed spots, however I don’t think Sat. was their best show of the week. Wonderful hornline sound, and great music to show it off. The music had intensity, and a drive to it that kept you into the show. Drumline was tight, but jabbering on mics was totally unnecessary and forgettable. Overall, probably the best Bluecoats show so far. My top three Bluecoats shows: 1. 1990 2. 2005 3. 1988 Blue Devils – Missed seeing them in California this year, since they toured Europe. Even though I would prefer to have them at all the SoCal shows, I am glad the BD organization is providing such a valuable experience for its members. No doubt they will remember the trip for the rest of their lives. The tour did not hurt their chances for a title – but their show did. As usual, excellent execution from all aspects of the corps. But the show was flat. The Dance Marathon became just a marathon, and it seemed the end would never come. The announcer did not help the show, and just annoyed me. The hornline was possibly the best of the night…for about 30 seconds at the beginning and end of the show. In between the crowd was sitting on their hands and watching in silence. Friday night I opted for ice cream in the lounge instead of another viewing. Saturday night I watched again, and it was still not entertaining. So much talent, so much music that could have been played, and we got this. It is disappointing that good execution with a poor show still gets 4th place. I would have rather watched Crossmen again. How about next year we get a show of “Legend of the One Eyed Sailor”, “One More Time”, and “Chase the Clouds Away” Not likely. My top three Blue Devils shows: 1. 1988 2. 1994 3. 1993 Phantom Regiment – This was the show of the week! My favorite, and the favorite of those around us. It had everything. The hornline is amazing – loud, beautiful, precise. Like taking a bath in chocolate. Has that line been used already? There were a couple highly exposed soprano features, and they sounded perfect. PR plays wonderful music and marches at the same time. The guard added a lot to the show, and the solo gentleman added more to the show than Carmen did for Madison. The tap-dancing feature was pretty cool. Best release of the night: after the “American in Paris” push, the brass holds out a long note, and release was perfect every night. You know what I am talking about, when the instant of silence is enough to make you catch your breath. Awesome. I loved the show, and wish that it would have been the winner on Saturday night. My top three Phantom Regiment shows: 1. 1989 2. 1993 3. 2003 Cavaliers – I really enjoyed this show all three nights. It does not match up with the 007 show last year, but it is entertaining with lots of stuff going on. The Red Sox jersey and real baseball were fun additions. I loved the drill within the ladders. The hornline had a good sound, and a couple times had some decent volume. However, their opening impact each night was sorely lacking compared to Phantom’s sound. The Cavies horns sounded thin and did not push you back at all. The drill overall was appealing, though it was odd to see some straight lines that were not so straight. The uniforms are always great, as the white hats really project even the smallest movements. My top three Cavaliers shows: 1. 1990 2. 1995 3. 2004 Cadets – If I were at a marching band show and this show came on, I would roll my eyes and wish that I were at a drum corps show instead. Unfortunately, I was at DCI Finals and this show was about to win every single caption there is. How’s that for a Twilight Zone? The brass was very loud and clean – did Gino’s return have anything to do with that? Duh. The 2-sided uniforms were awesome, very creative. If you were not watching closely, you could not tell which was the real front. Lots of cool marching, and drums were smokin’. They were also speakin’ which would be cool on its own, but I don’t care for it in the show. The narration throughout was a major distraction to me, especially the girls voice while she had the toolbelt on. No one could understand what she was saying, and everyone just laughed. I did not mind the door, nor did I mind the concept of the multiple girls. I was waiting to see what jackass would yell during the Finals as the girl approaches the door. Turned out that many ######## decided to yell, so the recording will probably just sound like mush. My greatest fear is that by crowning this show the champ, everyone will want to copy what the Cadets did, and everyone will be clamoring for doors and microphones. My top three Cadets shows: 1. 2000 2. 1993 3. 1995 A few people have said this was a down year for DCI. I would say there were fewer shows I enjoyed out of the 24 than in past years. I cannot think of any spontaneous standing ovations that occurred in the middle of a show. In fact, even the endings of most shows did not drive fand to their feet this year. Phantom probably had the best ending. Out of the top 12 there were 7 shows I will want to see on the DVD many times. I wish that were 12 of 12, but I don’t expect every show to please just me. Nothing I saw this week convinces me that electronics have any place in drum corps. I hope corps go away from them, but I doubt it. The distinction between Drum & Bugle Corps and Marching Bands is continuing to be blurred. However, I will continue to attend shows until I can no longer get that high from hearing brass blow my face off. Now begins the wait for CD’s and DVD’s. Thanks for reading. I’m amazed you made it this far.

For years I have been a “buy-tickets-on-the-first-day-for-every-So Cal-show” guy, but suddenly $25 seemed like way too much for a ticket, especially with only one Top 12 corps. So instead of five So Cal shows, I picked two- Riverside and Westlake Village. I brought a friend with me to each show that has never seen Drum Corps before. Quite a bit has been written about each corps, so I’ll try to add some other thoughts on the weekend in addition to my take on each performance. Keep in mind that all thoughts will be coming from a brass player that is easily won over by high volumes, and I don’t mean from amps. In addition, I am another “high-horse elitist that looks down at everyone” so beware. After reading the reviews of Long Beach, I was expecting the worst and wondering if I made a mistake bringing new people to the show. Thankfully, I got some degree of enjoyment from most of the shows, meaning either Long Beach was an off night OR I just have very low standards. I believe 1996 was the last time the Riverside show was not at RCC, so “regulars” like me were in new territory. Next year the show will return to RCC, with a newly renovated stadium, field and restrooms. King HS proved to be a worthy stand-in, with average height of the bleachers, and a respectable field, though a little torn up. We sat on the 50 in the top row, with our backs against the press box. Some genius designed the stadium so the sun will set in the eyes of the home crowd. Left early from South Orange Co. for the Westlake Village show, taking my friend for the full “experience” of attending a show, which for me includes an SCV rehearsal when possible. Watched from the upper parking lot as the SCV hornline warmed up facing us, and my friend got to hear his first chord progressions at upper volumes. He says, “Dude, look at my arm, I’ve got goose bumps!” Then Gordon Henderson wants to work on “Music of the Night”, so gee, I guess I’ll listen. They play a few sections, and he says, “this time I don’t want you to hold back on the volume.” That’s what I wanted to hear. SCV plays the whole tune, and pushes the volume right to the end. Awesome, a real treat. We watched the SCV clinic, which was mainly for High School students. It consisted mostly of an ensemble rehearsal block, which is definitely a clinic on its own. Kids around me had never seen a 30 second water break. At the end, SCV did a full run of their show, followed by an encore of a few tunes. The stadium wasn’t bad, though certainly not ideal. The field was nice, but the stands were not that high, and I was about one-third of the way down from the top. Individual seats were nice in the center section, with a full walk-way in front of each row. I’ll touch on each performance, with comments often blending the two shows together: Hawthorne Gold – So this was the first performance EVER for this group, and I never would have known without being told. They had something like 13 xylophones. Is that necessary? They did a solid job with the show, and made a strong start. I love to see another So Cal corps start up; hope it keeps growing. Dream Sr. – Better in Westlake than Riverside, especially the opening Soprano soloist. Hornline really did have some impact, more than I expected from their size. Sop feature sounded hot, though a few too many gaps in between licks, and it seemed to run on a little too long. Nice Double C? at the end. Drums seemed nearly non-existent. The drill is not memorable, but that could be due to the interval and form problems. The marching pace seemed to be slower than in past years, which I think is good. Some of those guys are old, you know. I watch senior corps for the volume and music, not to see high-speed drill moves. I can’t excuse the missed halts and horn moves though – should be past that by now. They will be better with a closer, though one would think that would be done by now. The music was somewhat entertaining, but I would personally like to see a Senior Corps play more classic drum corps stuff. Heck, I’d rather see a Sr. Corps standstill and wail on La Fiesta or Firedance than put on a show to try and win DCA. That’s just me though. Jester – So maybe you have read the reviews and you’re thinking, was it actually that bad? Yes. Almost seemed as though they were given drill and music the day before, and told “Go for it!” A woman in front of me took out a book and began to read after 2 minutes. I took the opportunity to educate my friend: 1. Be careful what you say or how you react to a show, because a parent to one of those kids might be right in front of you. 2. What you are seeing is not the fault of those performing kids; it is lack of planning, training, common sense etc. on the part of the staff. 3. I explained that he was watching every show so that he would appreciate the shows later in the evening even more. Vanguard Cadets – Yes they are smaller than the past few years, but they have a powerful group of kids. Very tough show, but at the level of past years. I am confident the corps will improve tremendously as they progress throughout the season. Impulse – Every time I take a new person to a show, they always enjoy Impulse, starting with uniforms. My friend I took 4 years ago remembers only the group that ran on and off the field. They have enjoyed the antics, going back to the “Lucy” show, and the Volcano year. Soprano soloist jumping over the tenor drums, stuff like that. Didn’t see any of that stuff this weekend. I agree that gimmicks are lame without a certain level of quality marching and playing, but this show was fairly flat. I am having a hard time remembering anything about it. Mystikal – I loved the Pirates show last year; it seemed to be the perfect balance of challenge/achievability for the corps. Not so this year. Also not as entertaining. Too bad, because I know those kids work hard. Blue Devils B – This was the best BDB show I can remember. Great horn volume, with decent quality. Guard work did seem to have a lot of tosses, and was clean enough to get this horn players attention. How about “The Kid”; pretty impressive. The Academy – First noticeable jump in volume. Startled my friend on the first note. They had more than just volume – excellent releases created dramatic silences, and nobody yelled ACADEMY! during them. I liked the music, as it had a driving sense to it, always building to something. My friend said, “I thought they were great, and I don’t even know what to look for!” I told him that was the mark of a good show, when you didn’t have to decide you liked it, you just did. Very, very enjoyable to watch; good luck in Division I as you will be there soon. Esperanza – I have enjoyed their show some years, and less so in other years. This show does not grab me, although they are still pretty good. Someone mentioned their color guard being weaker this year, and I would agree that most years the guard has been a highlight. This show was not memorable for me, save for the whistles. The first whistle made me think, “Hmmm, they have a whistle.” The second time I thought, “Oh, more than one whistle.” When all the whistles played together on the last note, it was if a smoke alarm and your alarm clock went off together, and you have a hangover. Lose ‘em or hand out ear plugs. Pacific Crest – I always look forward to their shows, because they have done such great things over the years. I also admire the path this organization has taken, not rushing off to Finals, then going broke every few years. I love the opening with haunting backfield music, then a turn and blow. The hornline sounds loud and in tune. Mellos sound solid. The show was entertaining, though I am not much into theme shows such as the Water theme, and usually miss all the subtle references to water. Mirrors = Ice Cubes? Thank you for the company front – don’t see enough of them. Mandarins – This is the third year in a row that I have liked their show, and it has to do with their increase in size/volume. I enjoy hearing the Spartacus music anytime, and the hornline did a nice job. A little loss of tone quality when they push the volume, but they should smooth that out with practice. SCV – I loved the show. Why? Because the music is wonderful, and the horns sound amazing. Regarding the drill, it is hard for me to say, because I have not seen it from a high vantage point. I see a ton of dirt right now though, lines not straight etc. but they have many exposed forms as usual. However, I agree there are some very basic parts of the drill which I can only hope will be altered. The most glaring to me was the halt on side 2 at the end of the first tune. Some one said it exactly: the music is crying out for some kick-### drill move there, so we’ll see. It was great to see Russian Christmas Music on the field, and I agree the accompanying drill is pretty basic. I don’t mind, as it seems to go with the flashback type tune, high mark time and all. Maybe kids will say, “Wow, that’s cool the way they lift their legs up high while standing still.” (Heck, I am a proponent of a corps doing complete remake of past shows – same music drill etc. Again, that’s just me). I do believe much of this will change, but I wouldn’t mind seeing another 20 times before the change. As far as I’m concerned, SCV playing this piece is awesome. Maybe it will encourage kids to order the 1987 DVD and check out the original performance. A whole new generation will realize that SCV should have won in ’87. (Did I just type that out loud?) Encore – In Riverside there was a DM only retreat, followed by a performance of America/O’Canada by the combined hornlines of SCV and Pacific Crest. Not as impressive as it could have been, as this tune was softer than each corps was on its own during their respective shows. Next, PC marched off, and SCV moved forward and played “Music of the Night.” Again I am a big proponent of playing classic tunes especially from your own corps’ past. Next the drumline played a cool cadence/exercise thing. Next was the show opener, and finally “Send in the Clowns.” Not a bad encore. The Westlake encore was a little different. DMO retreat, followed by a standstill performance by Mystikal of their show. Now, we just got done watching SCV blow us down with RCM, and Mystikal has to perform after that? I don’t care about the scores, and when I factored in my 2 hour drive, I took off. I sure would like to see the shows from atop Mt. SAC stadium. I hope DCI makes enough money off the ticket price hike to cover the loss of people at each show. I’ll have to wait for Boston to get my next drum corps fix. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.