Tim K

Back to back shows with different uniforms. Amazing!

Blue Devils seemed to get off to a bit of a slow start but as the show progressed, the it gained momentum. The ending was particularly powerful. I am a sucker for a company front and BD’s is well done. The guard seemed energetic tonight which is not unusual for Blue Devils but tonight really performed well.

I think the folks in Murfreesboro enjoyed Boston Crusaders! There are so many spots where this show could be a hot mess, but it gets cleaner and cleaner and it’s so well performed. I felt the corps was comfortable with tonight’s show and seemed to enjoy it. It also seemed to have more color this evening with some of the flags which could been there all along but there were better camera angles this evening but if it was an addition it worked well.

Workman’s Compensation falls under insurance. You file the claim first and the insurance companies battle behind the scenes as to who pays. That’s how insurance companies work. If it takes place in a work environment and you are not to blame, the type of injury Workman’s com covers usually does not matter. My guess would be in most situations you would go to the hospital and your medical insurance would be billed, but your medical insurance would probably require a Workman's comp claim so they can battle with Workman’s comp and other insurers the school system uses. I’m not defending the school system and in that situation I can’t believe a school system would put someone through what the teacher has faced in the aftermath. I have an opinion but it would probably be considered political so I’ll keep it to myself. That being said, the things teachers have to face today ranging from low pay to life or death matters can be astounding. Again I might get too close to politics so I’ll stop.

As absurd as that sounds, initially it would fall under Workman's Comp. I worked at a bank when I was in college and we were given forms to fill out for Workman's Comp and one category was injuries as a result of robberies. That being said, I would think that in the case you mentioned, I would think the school's insurance and the teacher's medical insurance would be the ones battling with Workman's Comp, not the teacher herself.

Phantom in 4th could very well happen, but when it comes to Crown, I’d wait till Atlanta and NightBEAT to predict how the season will end.

Does the show want to retell the Faust, sell your soul to the devil theme or be a retelling of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia?” It seems a combination of both but the two stories are different. The theme might work if you lose the devil mask at the beginning and just have him be interesting. Have most folks enthralled with the guitar player not knowing the true identity and someone be suspicious of the guitar player who is the devil in disguise. When there is a realization of who the guitar player really is, the guitar player begins to wear the mask, then bring on the Trooper to save the day.

As a regular attendee at Allentown, Friday and Saturday night are in many ways two different shows. I love both nights but there are differences. Friday has a smaller crowd though not significantly smaller, and most are there for the two nights. Friday is more of a drum corps audience. Saturday is much more of a reunion atmosphere. You also have folks who seem to be new to drum corps, at least where I sit. Saturday is also where you hear the scuttlebutt, predictions, news, rumors—some accurate some off the wall, and your “experts” who tell you all you need to know even if they have no idea of what they’re talking about. It could be due to most people having Saturday off, but there’s a real energy on Saturday night. It may also be due to the fact I visit Lancaster County on Saturday so after tranquil moments with the Amish on Saturday morning and afternoon I’m revved up for excitement Saturday night. An important factor to keep in mind with Allentown other than tradition which I do believe is important, Allentown with its stadium and amazing crew of volunteers is one of the best run shows and a huge moneymaker for DCI. It is a favorite of many donors. It also gives a boost to the local economy. Since the corps determine the rules, they could change the two night show at Allentown and how the scores used for performance order in Indy. Though scores this year are very tight, in general, for most years the rankings prior to Allentown and after do not change.

I agree. I’ve only been to Atlanta once in 2014 and the average age of the audience impressed me. I attend Allentown most years and while it’s an enthusiastic crowd and some have argued the most knowledgeable audience, Atlanta’s audience was younger with lots of high school groups attending as well as recent alums. This is a show that needs to be strengthened. This is where we build future audiences and in the case of the students, inspire younger marching members. I think Atlanta and San Antonio should be everyone in one show with the two evenings for Allentown.

Two weeks ago I would have said Pacific Crest. Earlier this week I would have said Blue Knights, prior to San Antonio Crossmen. Now I’m thinking Madison will be the sleeper hit of the summer.

I also thought we’d see Boston Crusaders in 2nd. Though I agreed with the placements overall, there were a few captions that surprised me. It will be interesting to see what happens next week in Atlanta and at NightBEAT.

The last time Phantom beat SCV was 2012.

That surprised me too, as did Mandarins placing 4th ahead of Phantom.

True, but I think most people predicted the top four rather than the top three. The scores between Bloo, Croen, and BAC were much closer this time last year. Also, Crown had a show that had a cohesive story that took time to develop. Personally I think we will be seeing Bloo have an undefeated season with BD and BAC trading places all season with Crown in 4th. I won’t count Crown out and with scores so close, the conversation could be different next week.

Boston Crusaders keeps getting better and better. I'm impressed with how precise the show is and has to be. The precision is so critical to this show, one flaw could ruin the whole thing. Tonight it seemed flawless to me, but where i really noticed a difference was with the brass. It sounded much stronger. It's interesting, I know people who go to San Antonio from Boston each year. One has a house on the Cape and if you go to Texas rather than stay on the Cape Cod, you have to love the corps. Even though many changes often happen between San Antonio and Indy, they get a feel in San Antonio how the corps will fare for the remainder of the season. My guess is they're happy this evening.