losnickes

For those of you that have marched in a corps before, what stadium(s) were your favorites to perform in? Why?

I would kill to see a revamped "Phantom of the Opera" show from SCV.

I don't think it will be anything catastrophic. As I understand it, Michael Gaines left only temporarily (If I'm wrong, please correct me). For all we know, the drill might be just as good with the new guy, or at the very least passable.

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

Personally, I'd like the Blue Knights to keep playing what they've been playing the last couple of years, and I'd like them to put those crazy visuals back into their shows.

I didn't even know this was on the table. Is this for real?

I'm going to have to say no.

I think I'm going to puke.

Michigan State University has A LOT of Phantom/Cavalier vets/members. I imagine it partly has something to do with geography.

I think as far as new uniforms are concerned, The Academy had the best one. I was skeptical at first, but they look outstanding on the field.

Just for the heck of it, I thought I'd attempt to amass a list of every World Class corps' "corps song." If you all would be so kind to help me complete this list, or correct any mistakes I have, I would be eternally grateful. The Academy- ??? Blue Devils- ??? Blue Knights- "I Go On" Blue Stars- "Jewish Chorale" Bluecoats- "Autumn Leaves" Boston Crusaders- "Giant" The Cadets- "O Holy Name" Carolina Crown- "Carolina in My Mind" Cascades- "Imagine" The Cavaliers- "Over the Rainbow"/"Semper Paratus" Colts- "Morning" Crossmen- "Russian Christmas Music" Glassmen- "Madre de la Tierra" Jersey Surf- "Pure Imagination" Madison Scouts- "May You Never Walk Alone" Mandarins- "Year of the Dragon" Pacific Crest- "Ave Maria" Phantom Regiment- "Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral" Pioneer- "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" Santa Clara Vanguard- "Send in the Clowns" Spirit of Atlanta- "Georgia on My Mind" Teal Sound- "Nothing Else Matters" Troopers- "How the West Was Won"

At the end of the gladiator fight in "Spartacus," a bass drum emulates the sound of a heart-beat, and suddenly stops when the guy gets stabbed.

All the shows that are essential to see? You're going to be busy if you plan on watching them all. 1988 Madison Scouts 1988 Blue Devils 1988 Santa Clara Vanguard 1988 Velvet Knights 1988 Cavaliers 1989 Santa Clara Vanguard 1989 Phantom Regiment 1991 Phantom Regiment 1991 Star of Indiana 1992 Cavaliers 1992 Phantom Regiment 1992 Star of Indiana 1992 Blue Devils 1992 Santa Clara Vanguard 1993 Star of Indiana 1993 Cadets 1995 Cavaliers 1996 Phantom Regiment 1997 Crossmen 1997 Madison Scouts 1998 Santa Clara Vanguard 1999 Madison Scouts 1999 Santa Clara Vanguard 1999 Blue Devils 2000 Cadets 2000 Cavaliers 2000 Blue Devils 2001 Cavaliers 2001 Blue Devils 2002 Cavaliers 2002 Blue Devils 2002 Cadets 2002 Santa Clara Vanguard 2002 Phantom Regiment 2002 Boston Crusaders 2003 Cavaliers 2003 Cadets 2003 Boston Crusaders 2003 Madison Scouts 2004 Cavaliers 2004 Blue Devils 2004 Santa Clara Vanguard 2005 Cadets 2005 Cavaliers 2005 Phantom Regiment 2005 Madison Scouts 2006 Cavaliers 2006 Phantom Regiment 2006 Blue Devils 2007 Phantom Regiment 2007 Carolina Crown 2007 Bluecoats 2007 Santa Clara Vanguard 2008 Phantom Regiment 2008 Blue Devils 2008 Cavaliers 2008 Carolina Crown 2008 Bluecoats 2008 Madison Scouts 2009 Blue Devils 2009 Carolina Crown 2009 Cavaliers 2009 Santa Clara Vanguard 2009 Bluecoats 2009 Blue Stars 2009 Phantom Regiment 2010 Cavaliers 2010 Bluecoats 2010 Carolina Crown 2010 Santa Clara Vanguard 2010 Blue Stars 2010 Blue Knights 2010 Madison Scouts That ought to get you started, anyway.

What do you mean by playing on a 45-degree angle?

I never said they were the best of the night, just the best part of the corps.

This review will be very opinionated. I do not intend to offend anybody, but it will probably happen at some point. This is a review of the Live Theater Cinecast, and therefore I will only be reviewing the corps that I saw. This is the last show I will get to see this season, so I will really make an effort to make this a great review for you all. So, without further adieu... The Academy Tempe, AZ "(RE)" I never thought much of The Academy. They certainly had my attention when they won the Open Class title in 2006, and I usually got to see them one time or another every year. This year....WOW. It's as if those new uniforms afforded them otherworldly powers. Where in the world did these guys come from? In a word, I was flabbergasted. The Academy uses Bach's "Little Fugue in G Minor" all throughout the show, and they have taken what some may find as kind of an annoying tune (I love it, personally) and turned it into a very entertaining show. The music utilized in this production is by far some of the greatest I've ever heard. The percussion also performed exceptionally well, topped only by their magnificent brass. The visuals were both clean, and rather effective. The only shortcoming this show had (and it barely qualifies as a shortcoming) is the color guard. They weren't terrible, they just didn't particularly thrill me. Overall, an outstanding performance from The Academy, and a perfect way to kick things off. Glassmen Toledo, OH "My Mortal Beloved" Here is where I may offend some people. This show is, to be blunt, garbage. "Garbage" is probably going too far, but this show is probably one of the worst I've ever seen. I'm sure you have all seen at least one show where you were left thinking "What in the world just happened?" The Blue Devils' "Through a Glass, Darkly" was one of those shows for me, and "My Mortal Beloved" was another. This show has a vampire theme to it, and it was only a matter of time, I suppose, before this was done by a drum corps. The music is depressing, the guard costumes are both creepy and an eyesore, and the Glassmen's overall performance level isn't up to par with previous years. I usually like the Glassmen, but I just can't get into this show. Troopers Casper, WY "The Road Home" When I first saw this show, I rather enjoyed it. But, every time after that, I enjoyed it a little less. When I saw it tonight, I was just bored. They played some great music, and played it very well, but it's just not one of those shows I can just watch over and over again. The brass was this corps' biggest strength, and they take great advantage of it. The percussion was acceptably good, and the color guard was decent. Overall, the Troopers did a good job, they just didn't impress me all that much (that's probably more my fault than it is their's). Spirit of Atlanta Atlanta, GA "ATL Confidential: A Tribute to Film Noir" Spirit of Atlanta is sitting in a top 12 Finals spot, but they aren't out of the woods yet. The Academy, Glassmen, and Troopers all could potentially take that spot away from them. Right now, Spirit as the advantage, but who knows? "ATL Confidential" is a very cool show. It's fun to watch, and fun to listen to. The movie quotes played throughout the show were neat, but got a little annoying after a while. It didn't ruin the show, but it didn't necessarily help it, either. The "Night Club" scene is my favorite part of this whole show. The snares play on bar stools, and the music from the brass is a lot of fun. The color guard didn't particularly enthrall me, but I know very little about the inner workings of color guard to pass fair judgement. Spirit is probably looking at a return to Finals, and they certainly deserve it. I'd like to see that phenomenal Academy make finals, too, but I'm not holding my breath. Blue Stars La Crosse, WI "ReBourne" I've been perplexed all season as to why this show is placing so low. Tonight, however, I wasn't as much. The Blue Stars seemed a little off tonight. Does anyone else agree? They still put on an excellent performance, but I can definitely see why it's placing so low, especially when it's stacked up against some of these other performances. I never much cared for the "Bourne" movies, but seeing them in a drum corps show was very fun to watch, and the Blue Stars do it very well. The brass didn't seem as delightfully overwhelming as it has in the past. Maybe it's because I was hearing it all through speakers. If you were there, please tell me if you thought they were weaker than usual. The percussion is just as awesome and fun to watch as they were last year. The Blue Stars can really put on a show, and I'm sure they'll be a crowd favorite, despite their placement. Blue Knights Denver, CO "An English Folk Song Suite" This show continues with the crowd-friendly direction they started going in last year, and audiences everywhere have been eating this show up. The musical selection works especially well, because it's all music that everyone knows. If not a specific piece, you're probably familiar with the style. The music all blends seamlessly together, and the corps performs it beautifully. The highlight of this show is definitely the drum feature, which includes members of the pit emulating some very precise Scottish drumming, and it's extremely entertaining, and I could tell the crowd was loving it, and I was loving it. The Blue Knights are FINALLY a corps that everyone can enjoy. Madison Scouts Madison, WI "New York Morning" At the beginning of the season, everyone was going crazy for that outstanding brass-tastic closer, "Empire State of Mind." Now that we're all over it, let's face some inconvenient truths: The visuals in this show are extremely lacking at several parts of the show. It seems like it's mostly scatter sets and "follow the leader" drills. I don't know about you, but for me, that gets really old really fast. The color guard is dreadfully boring (at least it is to me). I honestly don't know if they're performing well or not (I'm not a color guard guy), but they aren't really entertaining me. All of this, however, can be forgiven, because the brass section compensates for any shortcomings the Madison Scouts have this year. This is one of the best hornlines of the year, by far. The closer is absolutely phenomenal. I could listen to that sucker over and over again. Robert W. Smith arranged one heck of a closer. Boston Crusaders Boston, MA "Revolution" This show is a bit better than when I last saw it, but I'm still not loving it. I can see the connection between "Les Miserables" and "1812," but I just don't think they work together that well. I love "1812," and I love "Les Miserables." I also love hamburgers, and I love Lucky Charms, but I wouldn't put those two things together. However, I think Boston moves better this year than they ever have before (at least since I can remember). If they can move like that next year and put on an awesome show like...say...2003, they will be an even more serious contender than they already are. I think we all need to give an enormous pat on the back to that Baritone soloist. That takes some serious guts. I can honestly say I don't think I could handle that kind of pressure. Santa Clara Vanguard Santa Clara, CA "The Devil's Staircase" I want to say first that I loved how Brandt Crocker said at the beginning of the show, "Imagine you're in hell, and you want out." Anything that Brandt Crocker says is magical, and something other than a traditional corps announcement is always a treat to hear from him. I'm not going to say anything different from what I've said before. This show, while strange, is outstanding. They were a little rough around the edges early in the season, but they've cleaned everything up, and they are on fire now. The brass, in my opinion, is the strongest part of this corps this year. They play the snot out that weird music, and it's hard not marvel at the complexity of the visuals that they're pulling off. I have one complaint, however. I may have just missed it, but I didn't notice the cymbal line do the "Viper." Did they get rid of it? Bluecoats Canton, OH "Brave New World" I haven't really cared for this show all that much all season. But when I saw it in the theater, for some reason, I was really liking it. "Creep" is a great opener. I think we can all agree that they did a good job with that one. "Deus Ex Machina," however, is just strange. The whole quadraphonic sound idea is definitely neat, and very innovative, but it sounds far from spectacular. It's really just a large portion of the show that's just sort of 'there.' It's not bad, it just isn't anything special. "Harvest," being a John Mackey piece, is very difficult to put on the football field and still make it sound good. The Bluecoats are the only ones that I've seen do an excellent job of it. I noticed some big differences in the arrangement from past shows, and it's a lot better. The Bluecoats also have a new ending, which ends with a big company front, and they reprise the "Creep" opener. Phantom Regiment Rockford, IL "Juliet" Phantom Regiment has finally fixed all the problems with their show. As you all probably know, one of the biggest problems was the fact that it was hard to get the whole "Juliet" concept out of it. The new ending completely eradicates this problem, and a few others. As "Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral" begins, the drum major descends from his podium, and makes his way towards the center of the field, where he poisons himself, and slowly dies. Steve Rondinaro said it best when he said "It isn't a Phantom show without a dead drum major." Juliet rushes up the podium with a dagger, which has pretty much been the way this show has ended all season. The hornline blasts the audience with one final massive chord, and tops all of this excellence with a nice, powerful kick-halt. This is going to be a Phantom Regiment favorite. I can already tell. Carolina Crown Ft. Mill, SC "Rach Star" This is probably one of the cheesiest drum corps shows I have ever seen, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. While this show is extremely cheesy, it's incredibly fun. They blend the "Rock" and "Rachmaninoff" so nicely that you almost don't notice any difference. They've taken an almost laughable show concept and made something spectacular. There wasn't a single weak section in this corps. Everyone was performing exceptionally well, especially the brass, which is definitely their biggest strength (big surprise, I know). I really don't have anything new to say about this show. Everyone knows by now that it's extremely well done. I don't think they'll be moving past 4th place, but they definitely need to watch out for Phantom after that spectacular performance. The Cavaliers Rosemont, IL "XtraordinarY" This show is pure insanity. You have to watch this show several times to see all the stuff that's going on, and just when you think you've seen everything, they throw in even more crazy stuff. This show is strong and "in-your-face" all the way through. They're performing some extremely complex drill (even for them) and they are executing it very well. Obviously, The Cavaliers' visual is their biggest strength, but we can't deny the power of their hornline this year. They've always had a great hornline, but this year they seem even better. They play some fun music, and they play the pants off of it. I'll fill you in on some of their latest little tricks. There are really only two significant ones that I noticed: at the end, they have horn players on stilts, and they've turned one more thing upside-down: the drum major! The Assistant drum major flips the head drum major upside-down, and he conducts the ending of the show like that. It was a perfect blend of hilarity and awesomeness. The Cavaliers are sitting in third, but I wouldn't count them out just yet. The Cadets Allentown, PA "Between Angels and Demons" These last few years, a good Cadets show has been hard to come by. This is one of those years, however, when we are lucky enough to get an awesome Cadets show. The whole "Angels vs. Demons" concept is easy enough to understand, especially with the two different uniforms. It's a classic "good vs. evil" idea, and they don't go too over the top, so it's very easy to follow, which makes the average idiot fan able to enjoy it. The brass performs exceptionally well. I personally love the opening hit of "Angels in the Architecture," and the whole "160 BPM" is a lot of fun, too. I think most will agree that the "battle scene" with the hornline twirling those poles is probably the highlight of this show. That whole section was very well done. Unfortunately, they lost an Angel snare player (to a hip injury, I believe), so that kind of throws off some of the visual effects, but it doesn't really ruin the show, so it's not big deal. Blue Devils Concord, CA "The Beat My Heart Skipped" It's hard for me to like most Blue Devil shows. They have their own style, and it rarely does much for me. They have a lot of fans, so I'm assuming it does something for a lot of people, just not me. I really liked this show, but they tweaked some of the arrangements since I last saw it, and it doesn't really thrill me anymore. They changed the trumpet solo at the beginning, which was one of my favorite parts. However, they took some great music, and made it even better. They played the snot out of Burt Bacharach, and it was phenomenal. The props really don't add anything spectacular. They don't clutter up the field, but they don't really need to be there, in my opinion. This is an excellent show, but in my opinion, this is not a first place show. Now, the scores were a bit surprising, which shows what an interesting weekend we have ahead of us: 15. The Academy (82.100) 14. Troopers (82.700) 13. Glassmen (82.950) 12. Spirit of Atlanta (85.500) 11. Blue Stars (86.900) 10. Madison Scouts (88.500) 9. Blue Knights (88.700) 8. Boston Crusaders (90.200) 7. Bluecoats (91.800) 6. Santa Clara Vanguard (91.850) 5. Phantom Regiment (94.150) 4. Carolina Crown (94.800) 3. The Cavaliers (96.450) 2. Blue Devils (96.850) 1. The Cadets (97.350)

Fair warning: My OPINIONS may or may not be incredibly offensive. "Opinion" is the operative word here. No offense is intended, but it could happen anyway. 11th Place- Cascades- 74.050 "Pandora, a Dark Gift" I first saw this show at DCI St. Louis in the middle of July. To be honest, I can’t remember a ton about it, so I can’t really offer a great comparison between the performance in the middle of July to the performance now, and I can’t tell if any changes have been made, but I’m sure there are some changes somewhere. This show is intended to be creepy, and it certainly is creepy. The boxes all over the field work very well for the show, and I’m not a huge fan of props, so I don’t just hand that compliment out. The new uniforms are fantastic, and work especially well for this show. The uniforms are “out there,” and the show is “out there.” Overall, it was a good performance by the Cascades. 10th Place- Jersey Surf- 74.700 "Petal Tones" I had never seen Jersey Surf until last year, and they were surprisingly good. I wasn’t prepared to be as impressed as I was that day. Jersey Surf impresses me still with “Petal Tones.” I noticed a lot of selections from “Carmen,” which always makes for a nice repertoire. I’ll be interested to see where they end up in Indy. They might have a little fight in them, still. 9th Place- Teal Sound- 76.450 "Sinvitation 7" You were all warned that this review would be very opinionated, and that no offense was intended. However, I can’t in good conscience review Teal Sound’s show without the likelihood that it will greatly offend Teal Sound’s members and alumni. Therefore, I will not be reviewing Teal Sound. 8th Place- Mandarins- 77.500 "The Forty Thieves" Maybe I’m just an idiot, but in no way am I getting “The Forty Thieves” at all from this show. It seems like they just slapped a title on this show to intrigue the audience. The title intrigued me, only to confuse me when they started playing. That being said, the Mandarins are performing at a higher level than I’ve ever seen them perform before. I’m very impressed. I’m not expert when it comes to percussion, but I’d say that the percussion is their Achilles heel. 7th Place- Pacific Crest- 78.950 “Push, Pull, Twist, and Turn” I hate the fact that I have to tell you all what I’m about to tell you, but here’s the deal: we all have to pee sometime, and I was trying to hold it. Unfortunately, it grew too unbearable for me to wait another second. I didn’t want to miss Pacific Crest, as I haven’t seen their show yet. Sorry, everyone. 6th Place- Crossmen- 81.850 "Renewal" I heard a lot of great things about this show. I was both let down a bit, and pleasantly surprised. It’s a strange feeling to be both disappointed and overjoyed at the same time, but that’s what I felt after the Crossmen took the field. The Crossmen disappointed me with their visuals. I suppose I shouldn’t say “disappointed,” but rather “underwhelmed.” The music, on the other hand, was exceptional. I’m so glad to hear Bones playing this kind of music again. By the way, the white aussies look much better than the black ones. I think Bones is back, and not a minute too soon. 5th Place- Colts- 82.050 "DECEPTION: The Jagged Edge" What happened to the Colts? They aren’t near as good as they were last year. “True Colors” was a great show, and performed very well. “DECEPTION: The Jagged Edge” is a great show, too, but it’s hard to enjoy when it seems like every section is kind of weak, especially when compared to last year. Are the Colts full of a bunch of rookies this year or something? I really like the Colts, but they seem a little off this year. 4th Place- Troopers- 83.500 "The Road Home" I’ve never been an avid Troopers fan, but I usually enjoy them. “Wanted” was not one of those instances. “The Road Home,” on the other hand, is probably one of my favorite Troopers shows. The brass section is probably the best part about the Troopers this year, and they all move very well while playing some outstanding music. By the way, the new uniforms are great. They took everything that was wrong with the 2010 uniforms and did the opposite. Good move, Troopers. 2nd Place- The Academy- 84.250 (tie) "(RE)" Where in the world did these guys come from? These guys are tearing it up this year, and they definitely have a shot at finals. It never occurred to me that Bach’s “Little Fugue in G Minor” would work well in a drum corps setting, but it works extremely well. The Cavaliers are using it too, and both of them play it very well. This show is very entertaining, and I had no idea that The Academy could bring it like this. By the way, the new uniforms are one of the snazziest uniforms ever donned by a DCI corps. 2nd Place- Spirit of Atlanta- 84.250 (tie) "ATL Confidential: A Tribute to Film Noir" This show is extremely cool. It’s very clean, the brass and percussion are exceptional, perhaps not in terms of proficiency, but in terms of entertainment value. I had a lot of fun watching this show. Spirit of Atlanta is probably going to see a return to Finals, and they certainly deserve it. 1st Place- Glassmen- 85.250 "My Mortal Beloved" Of all the shows in DCI this year, this show’s title alone provided the most intrigue. And, it is indeed an intriguing show. It’s kind of creepy and depressing, but still enjoyable. I’ve never seen a show like that before. Unfortunately, that bizarre show concept may keep them out of Finals this year. It’s too bad, because I’ve always rather liked the Glassmen, and I’d hate to see them get knocked out of Finals. Just because I enjoyed the show doesn’t mean everyone else did. A lot of the people around me didn’t quite know what to make of it. The Blue Knights, Boston Crusaders, and Madison Scouts were unable to perform due to rain. But if you've been journeying through the bowels of DCP, you probably know that the general consensus is that the Blue Knights are playing "real" music this year, to the delight of everyone, the Boston Crusaders move well, but have a weird musical selection, and the Madison Scouts' show...well..."Empire State of Mind." That's about it.

Are there any Open Class corps that allow rookie drum majors?

I know that, and he knows that. But, this kid is an exceptional drum major, both in terms of leadership and conducting. I don't think he'd have a ton of trouble landing a drum major spot. Of course, I'm no expert.

My profile is extremely bare, especially when it comes to personal information. I'm very careful about putting info that could easily identify me on the internet, so as you read this, you will get a glimpse of some rare information about myself. Anyway, I'm an IT guy at a high school, and said high school's band director often sends any of his students who are interested in joining a drum corps to me, because I have marched before. I was recently contacted by the band's drum major, who is very interested in joining a drum corps. Unfortunately, he is a saxophonist (a very gifted saxophonist, but that still doesn't help him much here). I told him that he could join Phantom Regiment as a rookie drum major, but that didn't particularly thrill him, as he wanted more than just one choice. He asked me if there were any other corps that allowed rookie drum majors, and I wasn't entirely sure. So, I decided to ask all of you. What corps, besides Regiment, allow rookie drum majors?

Confederate Regiment Alamo Scouts Both uniforms were brilliantly designed by DCP user DannyII.

Sorry, I'm a man of very exclusive musical tastes, and Radiohead is not among them.

I don't hate BD for winning a lot. It's a little annoying, but it doesn't bother me that much. There are certain years where I feel their championship is a bit undeserved, but life certainly goes on. Everybody wants their favorite corps to win at Finals, but when you get right down to it, does it really matter that much? As long as they put on a good show, and we were entertained, what do we really have to complain about?

Be forewarned: this review will probably be anywhere from somewhat to extremely opinionated. "Opinionated" is the operative word here. No offense is intended. Open Class 1st Place- Music City- 72.350 "Let's Dance" I've never been an avid follower of Open Class. I've never marched an Open Class corps, I don't know anyone who has, and I don't know anyone who will. Music City, however, has changed all of that. I've been watching them very closely all season, and as a result, I've been checking up on a lot of other Open Class corps as well. Music City blew me away when I first saw them in Lebanon, IL. I had a prejudice in my mind that Open Class corps were just sort of "okay." Thanks to Music City, my heart grew three sizes that day. They have an exceptional brass section, with equally superb brass arrangements. Their musical repertoire is very accessible by any audience, and the show is just plain fun. They've had a very quick and powerful ascent up the Open Class competitive ladder, and may find themselves with an Open Class title in the years to come. World Class 8th Place- Blue Stars- 84.100 "ReBourne" I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I really like this show. It's not overly complicated, and the musical selection is top-notch. It's truly a spectacle, and I urge anyone who hasn't seen it yet to get to a show. The raw power of their brass alone is worth the price of admission. I'm really liking the visual style that the Blue Stars have developed over the last couple of years. It has a certain intricacy to it that is almost up to par with the great Michael Gaines. It's really quite impressive, the corps performs it very well. Whenever I'm at a DCI show, I like to ask the people around me what they thought of each show, and the biggest criticism the Blue Stars' show got was the catwalk/bridge thing. I can see the reasons for not liking it. You could argue that it crams the corps into one area of the field, but it's not like it's cramming them into a small corner. They cover a lot of the field, and I personally thing the catwalk is cool. I wouldn't want to see it every year, but I think it works for this show. You can go under it, over it, and around it, and it all creates some cool visual effects. Overall, I think it was a good move on the designers' part. I'm not a judge, so maybe I'm missing something, but I fail to understand why the Blue Stars are a full 3 points behind the Bluecoats. In my personal opinion, the Blue Stars were at the very LEAST as good as the Bluecoats, if not better. 7th Place- Bluecoats- 87.200 "Brave New World" I'm not a die-hard Bluecoats fan, nor a Bluecoats alumnus, but you'll often find me Blooing them along with everyone else. The Bluecoats are a very talented corps, and very fun to watch. However, "Brave New World" is not doing it for me. It's a neat idea, but it just isn't translating to the field very well, at least not in my opinion. "Creep" is an interesting choice for an opener, but it works very well. The Bluecoats took a terrible song from that revolting Radiohead, and made a gorgeous opener out of it. I applaud that. "Deus Ex Machina" didn't really wow me. I practically didn't notice it was going on. It just didn't have anything special going on. I was already excited to find out what the Bluecoats' show would be a couple months ago, and when I discovered they would be playing "Harvest," I was ecstatic. They pulled off "Asphalt Cocktail" rather nicely, which is not easy to do, and I thought they would make an exceptional closer out of "Harvest." Sadly, I was a bit let down. It's alright, but it's extremely difficult to make John Mackey's stuff work on a football field. Granted, the Bluecoats probably do the best job of it, but it just isn't the same exciting piece that you would normally hear in a concert hall. Of this infamous G8 thing, "Brave New World" is probably my least favorite show. I don't hate it, I just don't love it. 6th Place- Santa Clara Vanguard- 87.450 "The Devil's Staircase" This show is bizarre, but in a good, nay, insanely good way. I was skeptical at first, but this show pleasantly surprised me when I first saw it. This show is frantic, fast-paced, and kind of nightmarish at times, and it couldn't work more splendidly. It really follows it's stated premise, "You're in hell, and you're trying to get out." This basic storyline is extremely easy to follow, especially with various corps members running frantically around the field, with the demon-like color guard constantly complicating things for them. I really can't say anything else about this show, other than I think it's brilliantly performed. However, because of it's bizarre design, it's probably going to place at Finals about where it is right now. 5th Place- Phantom Regiment- 88.400 "Juliet" This may come as a surprise to all of you, but here goes: Phantom Regiment's brass is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. You need a second to let that one sink in? My original complaint about "Juliet" was the fact that I wasn't really getting the whole "Juliet" thing out of it. Thankfully, they've made slight changes here and there, and it's a bit more understandable. Unfortunately, I can't follow it like I could follow "Spartacus." The visual is a huge step up from last year, and the brass is just as good as it's always been. The percussion isn't as good as last year, but still a very formidable percussion section. I'd like to see this show get higher scores, but Phantom is probably going to stay where they are for the rest of the season. 4th Place- Carolina Crown- 91.350 "Rach Star" I didn't like this show at first, but it's really starting to grow on me. The "Rock" and "Rachmaninoff" mix works extremely well. It seems laughable, but it works so well, it really defies description. The "We Will Rock You" pre-show is a lot of fun, and the first hit of "Bohemian Rhapsody" is simply awesome. The visual effects are dazzling, and this show is overall very well-performed, which is something we have come to expect from Carolina Crown. 3rd Place- The Cavaliers- 92.400 "XtraordinarY" This show is unbelievable. It's great to see my favorite corps perform such an exceptional program. The term "extraordinary" would be an understatement. This show is phenomenal, and the fact that it got 3rd Place is a travesty. The brass section is probably the best of the year, and they probably have best percussion book in years. And, of course, the visuals are as spectacular as ever. No surprise there. By the way, the new ending is pure insanity. They are renewing a favorite visual effect from "Samurai," and it makes an extraordinary ending for an extraordinary show. 1st Place- The Cadets- 93.150 (tie) "Between Angels and Demons" The Cadets are finally putting on a show that the entire audience can really enjoy. The two different-colored uniforms make a great visual effect, and adds a spectacular twist on classic Cadets drill. The battle scene/drum feature is the coolest part of this show, hands down. That's saying a lot, as the entire show is very cool. I really want the Cavies to win at Finals, but it wouldn't kill me if The Cadets won. 1st Place- Blue Devils- 93.150 (tie) "The Beat My Heart Skipped" Burt Bacharach's music makes for one fine drum corps show. This show is absolutely impeccable, and I can see why the judges might have put them in first, however much it kills me inside. The props are weird, and I could live without them, but they don't ruin the show. The whole love theme that they're trying to convey doesn't really come across that well, but I can get enough enjoyment out of this show from their exceptional music selection, and wonderful brass performance. It's truly an excellent show. I'll conclude my review with my ideal placements for the night: 8. Bluecoats 7. Santa Clara Vanguard 6. Blue Stars 5. Phantom Regiment 4. Carolina Crown 3. The Cadets 2. Blue Devils 1. The Cavaliers

Fair enough.