Fran Haring
-
Posts
22,197 -
Joined
-
Days Won
113
Posts posted by Fran Haring
-
-
One suggestion, if the DCA championship does end up in Winston-Salem next year:
The people on the local committee might want to reach out to the Carolina Crown folks down the road for help in promoting the event.
The Crown organization's Night Beat show is, year after year, probably the best-attended locally-run drum corps show in the country. (Of the shows not run by DCI or DCA themselves.) And this is with a weeknight date and not always the absolute strongest lineup of corps. The Crown folks, no doubt about it, know how to put butts in seats.
Plus, Crown operates CrownTickets. Beats the heck out of dealing with Ticketmaster, IMO.
Just my opinion. I am not a paid endorser of Carolina Crown, their Night Beat show, or their ticket operation.
Fran
-
Now that I've gotten some sleep:
Terrific weekend, other than the raindrops! It was cool to finally meet more people from the Renegades and hang out with them. You guys are awesome!!!!
Nearly everyone seemed to be having a great time at the Friday night Loud Music concert. However, I was amazed at that one youngster sitting in the first row, who basically slept through most of the second half of the show.... with some very loud corps right there in front of him.
Saturday night, the guys in the press box who were running the scoreboard in the room next to me got a look at Kelli Giles peddling the ReneBike, and they instantly formed a Mistress Kelli fan club!!!! B)
Foothills Brewing, downtown Winston-Salem: Pretty good brewpub, within easy walking distance from our hotel. Good pub grub, very nice pilsner, pretty decent ESB. I liked the place enough to go there four times in two days!
Groves Stadium definitely needs more food/snack choices for the customers. But up in the press box Saturday night, we were livin' large..... Chick-Fil-A delivered several trays of chicken nuggets for our area, and sandwiches for the judges. Chick-Fil-A is the favorite fast-food place for both me and my wife, so needless to say, we were happy to sample the product!!!!
OK.... getting ready for the "social event of the century" next weekend (my niece's wedding in NJ! :) ) Hope to see you all in Scranton.
Fran
-
My car. b**bs
But seriously, folks.....
Hilton, downtown Scranton.
Fran
-
Barbara and I got a chance to meet Al this weekend..... what a great guy! (And another former Jersey boy.....
)Stay safe Al.... and thank you for your service to our country. We hope to see you next year!
Fran
-
Fun weekend. Wet, but fun.
Looooong drive home. Might post more thoughts about the weekend..... provided I wake up before Tuesday. :P
Fran
-
I still don't get ES playing Rio......
Statesmen have been using "Rio" as a parade/encore tune for the past 10 years or more.
Fran
-
In another thread, someone (Ed Mason, I believe) mentioned Staley's steak house not far from the Wake Forest campus. BIG steaks, he says. Sounds like a plan!!!
Fran
-
The only negative of the night were the bugs. They were huge and scary.
I mentioned something about all the bugs to a few folks sitting behind me.... one lady said "they're May bugs." I replied, "someone tell 'em it's July, for God's sake!!!"
Fran
-
Don't worry, everyone. This year at DCA Finals, the number of awards has been cut back to 115. B)
Fran
-
B ) Is this the only show in DCA where they allow people to walk freely on the running track, RIGHT IN FRONT of a performing corps during their show?
I hear ya..... I was sitting up against the wall along the track, near the 50-yard line, and folks were strolling by all night, several of them seemingly oblivious to the fact that a corps was performing at the time. Annoying.
Jeff's right...Cabs Alumni absolutely tore up the place. The DCI fans in Foxboro are in for a real treat at the Friday semifinals.
Fran
-
Just call him Sean "Flying Fingers" Holton... the fastest man with a computer keyboard!!!!
Fran
-
I think it is awful selfish of the mini corps people and actually DCA for allowing this rule. So what if someone wants to perform without a score, or take
penalties??? Why does it bother people so much...????EGO!!!! <**>
Now Crunchy Frog is a whole different story...
Donny, I will agree to disagree with you on this one, bro. With the large amount of entries/potential entries/inquiries into participating in the mini-corps show this year, PLUS the flak DCA officials received from legitimate mini-corps over the Crunchy Frog "performance" last year, the DCA I&E folks felt they had to draw the line somewhere, and thus decided to enforce the 21-maximum rule, which has been on the books for several years now.
The size-limit rule has been abused before, once several years ago by an alumni corps that decided to show up and do an "exhibition" at the mini-corps show... the problem is, that corps had more than 40 horns, plus a full drumline. They were followed by a legitimate mini-corps, with maybe 18 or so horns. THAT was completely unfair to that mini-corps which was playing by the rules, in my opinion.
Donny, I can understand your feelings about using the mini-corps show as a springboard to getting back on the field. Remember, my "alma mater" the Sunrisers have done this twice... in 1993 and 2002. But I agree with the size-limit rule for the mini-corps. It's a way of preventing complete chaos at the mini-corps show.
Fran
-
when DCA changed the rule last month
I don't think DCA "changed the rule" last month. I think the DCA I&E people (one of whom happens to be my wife) simply decided to enforce the existing rule that mini-corps be a maximum of 21 members... period. No exhibitions, no corps exceeding the limit. End of story.
Fran
-
And don't forget to stick around and catch the post-competition exhibition performance by the Hawthorne Cabs Alumni corps.
And you might even get to see Jim Mallen sweat. That, alone, would be worth the price of admission. B)
Fran
-
if there is one thing left in DCA that needs fixed other than not hiding in the winter and acting like it's military secrets, it that people could realize leaving a corps doesn't mean you're an ########, dead to me, etc.
I hear ya. For example, my wife Barbara has actively encouraged me never to return to the Westshoremen Alumni corps. So I guess she doesn't mind if people leave or switch corps. :P
Fran
-
That's a great story, Jim!
It always takes a lot of heart and guts (and perhaps a dose of lunacy!) to put a corps back on the field. My "alma mater" the Sunrisers went through the same thing twice, in 1994 and again in 2003. I will always have the utmost respect for the members of those corps who wouldn't say die.
Fran
-
I was considering a longer rant/critique/editorial coming on this after the season ends, but for now:
I honestly think that in recent years too many DCA corps are focusing a bit too much on the difficulty factor, especially in the visual caption, and are falling short in the performance area as a result, especially in the early months of the season (June and July).
No offense to anyone, but I really don't need to hear senior corps bragging about how "tough" their visual show is, how many pages of drill they have, how many sets, etc. etc. I don't watch DCA corps to be "wowed" by a tough visual show, the way I watch junior corps such as the Cavaliers, Cadets, etc. Why? Because in all honesty, DCA corps cannot perform/execute a "busy" visual show at the level of a top junior corps, no matter how hard they try..... with a weekends-only rehearsal schedule, it simply can't be done. IMO, leave the crazy drills to the junior corps, who can do them. DCA corps, again in my opinion, can't. And sometimes they look silly trying to.
I think if DCA corps focused on their strengths more (music, personality, honest emotion, audience connection, great soloists, etc.), with their visual shows complimenting all that, they'd be better off for the ENTIRE season, and not just outstanding in the final weeks of the season. (And they ARE great those last few weeks, especially at championships. DCA championship weekend ROCKS!)
Please don't get me wrong here, guys. I love watching DCA corps... and I know there's a fine line between doing too much and not doing enough, in terms of demand. Show design isn't easy, and I salute those people who put their time and effort into designing corps' programs. And of course I don't expect any corps to be "championship clean" in June or July.
But I think the corps, and fans, would be better off if many DCA corps spent a bit more time thinking about their overall show design for the full summer, and not just focusing on "looking good" on Labor Day weekend.
OK.... off my :ramd: . Bring on the rest of the DCA season, and best of luck to all the corps... Class A and Open Class!!
-
-
If you were going to feature the minicorps champion at another venue besides I&E, why not let them do an exhibition on Sunday night during that dead time between the last competing corps and retreat?
I personally would love to see an exhibition during that time period.... it would buy us on the show staff a bit more time to get our act together for the awards ceremony, which has gotten more and more complicated over the years. The champion mini-corps might fit the bill nicely.
Just my opinion.
Fran
-
As I said, if you haven't heard them you really should. I still feel they were the best "hornline" in DCA to date.
I'm going with Mike on this one. Bucs had great hornlines in 1979 and 1981, but their 1980 line.... holy mackerel!!!!!
Fran
-
Fran -
I'm sorry I missed watching Sky's Alumni on the front sideline with you this year...did you stand in front of the baritones as usual?
I sat this year at the judges/announcer's table, basically in the middle of the corps. But I could DEFINITELY hear Ruben and the rest of Sky Aumni's bari line, loud and clear. Those guys certainly aren't shy about playing at full throttle!
Sky Alumni was SMOKIN' Saturday night... I'm still checking for powder burns!!!!
Fran
-
Ok.... not a full review.... too tired for that.... instead, I'll keep to a one-line summary of the corps/events/stuff at the Clifton DCA show last night:
The lineup had something for everyone. Juniors, seniors, alumni. cool!
The Caballeros really know how to run a show. It's a pleasure to work with them.
The corps:
Raiders: Good ensemble sound at times, nice program. Feet need work.
Jersey Surf: This corps "gets it." VERY entertaining show!
Sunrisers: Much more energy than at Copiague. Show is a bit... uhh... odd.
Hurricanes: Some cool moments, some rough moments. Strong percussion.
Bushwackers: Opener on fire. Second half needs more energy/volume.
Buccaneers: Wow!
Caballeros: Excellent drumline. Improving hornline. Drill needs lots of work.
Skyliners Alumni: Rocked the place. REALLY loud. And that's a good thing!!
Cabs Alumni: 2005 version is the best alumni corps I've ever seen. Awesome!
Next "working weekend" for us: Winston-Salem, July 29-30. Bring on that Southern hospitality!
Fran
-
I just might have to make that trip to Lewisburg.
Me, too. The missus is working next weekend.... but I'm not. Possible road trip in the making!!! It's nice to see a show as a spectator once in a while.
Fran
-
This show and Orlando are DCA Sanctioned shows.
And I'm sure Vic will be wearing a DCA-sanctioned Hawaiian shirt to the post-show party!
Fran
2006 DCA Championships
in DCA - All-Age Corps Discussions
Posted
OUCH, man.
Fran
Long-suffering Rutgers fan