N.E. Brigand

BDB has a very good show, and they deserved their victories over SCVC when I saw them at Kalamazoo and Avon Lake, so to me that makes SCVC's victory all the more impressive. Well done! And eight corps above 85? (So close, Raiders!) First time since 2010. Five corps above 90? First time since 2008. Based on what I saw at Avon Lake, very well deserved. The improvement the Open Class corps can make in ten days (from Kalamazoo) on their shorter and admittedly less difficult shows is amazing.

Last night was my first time this year seeing Cascades and Carolina Crown (live or video). Crown's is obviously a great show (though I think I prefer the Cadets), but the Cascades were a nice surprise for a corps that scored 69.05 just two days before.* And by no means was it a performance that I was embarrassed to have friends see as their first drum corps experience. *I had them with 72 last night, and they got a 72.3. I also guessed the scores of Oregon, Spirit, and Bluecoats within a half point of what the judges decided, and guessed Cadets and Crown would be separated by less than a half point, which also turned out to be right.

What is the meaning of the little girl's red balloon that startles the tenor player, is popped by another member, and then restored to her? These are presented as key moments of Bloo's show (which I'm quite fond of), so they can't be passed off as unimportant to the theme. I have no clue. But I haven't thought about it that much. I didn't realize it was a key moment. I'll have to look for it next time I see the show. (I've never even noticed.) I'm not sure when 'coats added the popping of the balloon to the show, because I don't remember it happening in Akron, but it was prominent enough last night that I heard quite a few audience members saying "awww" after it happened.

A line had to be drawn somewhere. Suncoast '88, the last 30 seconds of which are much quieter than BD '88, was not listed in the poll for the same reason. (All I had to work with when setting up the poll was the recordings. I'd never heard a drum corps until 1989, and I couldn't travel back in time to hear how Cadets '87 compared to BD '88 live.) But I don't think it's a point that needs to be argued over, since the poll instructions clearly state that anyone who wanted to vote for a performance not listed could choose Other in the third question and identify that choice below. Just as you did: believe it or not, you voted for BD '88.

No. Part of the panhandle is in Central time. This fact got some historical significance during the 2000 U.S. presidential election, when some television prognosticators announced the winner in Florida an hour before all the state's polls had closed.

Well, if it sounded soft to me, I included it (and BK is mostly a narrator and one horn), and tried to give voters ways to work around my oversights or points of disagreement!

Hey, I'm in your picture! Lower left, collared shirt with white and blue stripes, next to the woman with big blond hair and in front of the fellow with the shaved head (both among my guests for the evening). Thanks for the reporting, Kevin!

Actually that effect was not executed as smoothly as it should be, and what's more, the pillars very well may have been a problem for the judges at that moment, since they were an obstacle for me, and I was just a few rows in front of the press box (you can see me in some of Kevin's pictures).

What is the meaning of the little girl's red balloon that startles the tenor player, is popped by another member, and then restored to her? These are presented as key moments of Bloo's show (which I'm quite fond of), so they can't be passed off as unimportant to the theme.

There was a little boy in orange who ran onto the lower left corner of the field, at least the endzone, during Sprit's show (right at the end) before his father ran after and caught him.

Their sample of Marlene Dietrich singing a few bars of "Falling in Love Again" didn't play tonight. In fact, all the vocal samples were missing after that point in their show (like the M.C.'s pre-recorded "Fight!" when the members fighting over Lola slap each other), though they were in last night at Centerville. This may be a good time to note something I haven't seen mentioned before: the chairs, the name "Lola", and the Marlene Dietrich song are all references to the 1930 German film The Blue Angel, in which she starred.

Congratulations to SCVC! At Avon Lake, it looked like they might have a championship vehicle, if only they could clean tremendously in three days. Passing that BDB show is quite something. With best wishes to all the other corps, I'm particularly pleased to see Music City's show above 90.

Actually, no! That was the first thing I checked just now on learning the scores: recaps say SCVC took guard with 19.2 to Spartans 19.1. I think Spartans had won that category in each of their ten previous Finals appearances.

"Wow! .... Wow! ... Oh, wow!" The response during Cadets' show from one of the nine friends I brought to the show, eight of whom were new to drum corps. He went on to repeat himself during Crown's show.

Right now the radar looks good for Michigan City.

Yeah, I haven't enjoyed any DCP thread more this year--and it sure makes me glad I chose to go to the Centerville show. Speaking of which, it might be noted that there were sound issues at both Pittsburgh and Centerville, specifically with the P.A. microphones, which when not cutting out (almost all the time) were left on for parts of the performance so that the show was feeding from the corps speakers into the stadium speakers.

Can anyone confirm or deny what jwillis, BRASSO, garfield, and JonW have guessed: that the G7 are ultimately at fault for this mess?

Purple balls. Hmmmm... maybe BK will use that in their show next year? :tongue:/>/ BK's show makes me think of A Christmas Story, as the Old Man opens the present from Mother: "It's a blue ball!"

By "conclusion" do they mean "termination"? I wonder if it would benefit DCI for them to say something during Thursday's cinecast about how the Finals production will be nothing like Buffalo--publicly throw Time Warner (or whomever) under the bus?

I have a group of ten attending the show, eight of whom are new to drum corps (or almost new: two attended their first show Saturday: the Open Class competition in Avon Lake). We'll be sitting in Section 4, Rows KK (3-7)and LL (4-8). Should be just off the 50 and just under the roof. Anyone who's there, feel free to stop by and say hello. (Meanwhile, best wishes to the Open Class corps in Michigan City! I had at great time at O.C. Finals last year.)

Madison uses a lot of electronics/samples, which I tend to think of as "artsy fartsy".

Over seven days, Boston's score has gone from 81.9 to 86.1 [that's 0.60 per day]. It would be great if they could keep up that rate of improvement. Over nine days, Boston's score has gone from 81.9 to 87.25. That's 0.59 per day. Still climbing fast, but the rate is slowing a little, trending to a Finals score of 92.6 (but 91.8 if the rate continues to slow consistently). Over eleven days, Boston's score has gone from 81.9 to 88.5. That's 0.60 per day: they're holding their remarkable pace which would put them at 92.7 in a week. Cavs over the same period have improved an average of 4.55 per day, trending them toward a 91.7. Madison has a rate of 0.26 per day, pointing them to a 89.5. We'll see. Over thirteen days, Boston's score has gone from 81.9 to 89.0. That's 0.55 per day, a small slip in their rate of improvement. At this rate (noting that Cavaliers improved 0.41 per day and Madison improved 0.30 per day over the same period), Boston could break 90 at Prelims and pass Cavs at Semis, and then get a Finals score of 91.7 vs. Cavs' 91.5 and Scouts' 90.1. Best of luck! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Link to discussion threads for all 2013 World Class corps

Boston's staff was either quieter tonight in Centerville, or not sitting anywhere near me. Boston gave a great performance (do they do better when it's raining), and I wasn't distracted by forced applause, and the fans loved them ... although they might have loved Madison even more.

Just got back from Centerville (3.5 hr. drive). Great show, even with the rain. Excellent to see Surf, Mandarins, Crest, and Colts for the first time. BK didn't use their tarp tonight, presumably because of the rain.

Hmm. Looks like five corps may break 90 tomorrow. If you can get to Michigan City for the Finals, by all means do so.