jasgre2000

Without a Jesus fish?

Where did I say you couldn't express your opinion? You are obviously free to say whatever stupid thing you want to say all day long.

In '84, SCV had dancing brass (without playing). Same with The Cadets in 1989 (and I think Star as well). Maybe you are considering the 80s recent drum corps?

Yes. I'm sure the first thought that came into his mind when he was trying to decide how to promote his music was "Hey. Let's go to a drum corps competition and play a pop song for a bunch of people that don't love pop music." He is either incredible stupid (and doesn't have very good promoters), or he isn't doing this for "self-promotion". Can we think about some of the crap we say before we say it?

I am sure there are worse guard uniforms than the two listed (which is why I said "worse" and not "worst").

I think the point is that some people like his music (not me, personally), and that when they buy the music for their own personal pleasure, he is donating some of the profits (which would normally go into his own pocket for his own personal gratification) and giving it to music programs. Is this really something to criticize? He is a musician, not a charity.

If by self-promotion you mean promoting drum corps, you might have a point. No wonder the drum corps fan base is so small. Someone tries to help promote it, and he gets crapped on by a bunch of fans. Do you honestly think he played at finals in order to sell more of his own records? Give me a break!

Yep. The lighting doesn't add much in that setting.

No offense to BK, whose show I really enjoyed this year, but the guard uniforms were a little over the top for my taste. 1986 Star's were pretty over the top as well. Is it coincidence that both of these shows had extra-terrestrial themes?

Anyone have any idea which show included the fastest drill ever?

I think that is awesome, but there are so many things that are lost visually with it being that dark. Especially on video (where you really need good lighting for the camera work to be effective). There is no way to judge marching technique with that kind of lighting. The other thing is that a show like that would be cost prohibitive to put on a field. It works in a smaller setting, but the props would have to be several times larger to be effect in a large stadium setting.

I have noticed a few of the older fans here complain about corps dancing and performing other non-marching movements in shows, and how it is a change they don't like. I don't agree with that sentiment, but can understand and respect it. With that said, I don't understand why some suggest that it is a new thing. SCV did it as early as 1984 and The Cadets did it a few years later ... I think several corps did it in 1989. Does anyone know when the first instance of it occurred?

I would also like to see The Troopers do The Cowboys (by John Williams), but do it at the speed it is supposed to be played (unlike the version on the fan network).

I have been watching a lot of older fan network videos the last couple days, and I noticed that in the late eighties there were several corps that had members with long hair sticking out of the back of their headgear (lots of guys with mullets). I don't know that I have seen any corps with that look in more recent times. Is this purely a function of more modern hair styles being short, or do corps require members to keep short hair or put it up in their hats? I imagine most corps (if not all) have rules about how to wear your hair when in uniform these days. Also, are there any corps that have rules about facial hair for guys? Or what about glasses, for that matter? I don't know that I have ever noticed a recent show with a member wearing glasses. I'm guessing that corps don't require members to get contact lenses or march without glasses, but it is a difference. That is probably the result of contact lenses becoming much more ubiquitous in more recent times.

What show from the past would you like to see a corps do a revival of? Perhaps not the identical arrangement and drill, but based on a previous classic (or not so classic). I am still working my way through much of the past on the fan network, but I personally would like to see The Cavies do Rutter's Gloria again.

I don't think it would work until they invent stadium lights that can be turned on and off (or dimmed and brightened) instantly. Drum Corps is a visual medium, and would not work well if it all took place under dimmed lights. I would hate to dim the lights for all corps for the sake of introducing lighting into shows. It would make it difficult to see marching technique and intricate details in shows. If they could figure out a way to dim the stadium lights for some parts of a show and brighten them for others, then I think it could be really cool to incorporate lighting effects. Maybe they could figure out a way to light the field without the stadium lights that can take minutes to warm up to their full brightness.

1989 - Velvet Knights

So we should be expecting something amazing from the Cavies next year, right?

I think the Cavies is the obvious pick (and my pick). If you look beyond championships though, I don't think there is anything that comes close to what the Blue Devils have done since 1994 (medaling in 18 of 19 years). I am not really a Blue Devils fan (except for this year), but that is quite impressive.

Why should anyone have to prove anything? Can't we just hope for the best? What is wrong with optimism?

What would stop them (other than cherry picked statistics from "history" ... except history that you find inapplicable)? What do you think explains these statistics? What would hold them back from competing for a title next year?

I'm sure they can figure the schedule out if they want to. Do you have any comments on the substance of the idea?

Really? What was I thinking when I used the word, since you can read my mind?

Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you (but obviously you were offended). I was only using the label other older fans of drum corps used for themselves in this thread. Do you have a comment on my idea, or are you just going to be offended?

What's the difference?