Tad_MMA

Refresh our memories: on which side of the field were you? Is McGarr a former student who didn't follow your exemplary example as a judge? Or were you sitting at your computer judging horns? Call DCI! They can use your superior decision to have all the judges sit at home and (literally) phone it in! Imagine the expense that would save. THANK YOU! Oh, THANK YOU!

I can't remember a season where I've thoroughly enjoyed nearly every show I've seen. The comments on DCP are more positive than I remember (or maybe admit). Frankly, I've been p'ing/m'oaning about electronics for years; I guess I'm used to them (or most just don't get in the way anymore). I turned my back to non-traditional horns; trombones and Frenchies are winning me over. At the Dublin show last night, Pioneer woke me up with their opening statement right from Cecil B. DeMille. FUN SHOW! The Colts took one of my favorite childhood entertainments (radio drama) and took me right into Johnny Staccato's life. The Crossmen, clearly the night's shoulder shrugger, were still pretty ok. I'll anticipate seeing them again, because I didn't get it. But I want to! Troopers just nailed my second favorite horse show. What a riot! Absolutely fantastic ending (escape). The crowd loved it! First time I saw Blue Stars, I was confused, addled, disappointed. All it took was some theme clarification and cleaning, and I loved it! The guard is just amazing, too. I predicted Bloo would fall from last year's grace. I'm not sure they'll get 2nd, but what a blast of a show! It gets better as it progresses; the audience (and I) jumped out of our seats before it ended. Before 2014, I hadn't "loved" BD since 1986. Really. Last year, they made me love everything they did. Admittedly, I still have a hangover for them; comparatively, this show is a huge step down (but is great fun and could easily win, so there!). "Ink" should really be, "Ex machina II: Color Guard," because those people simply aren't human. Crown's guard is scoring higher? Seriously? I'm drooling for Monday night in Massillon. And so it goes. Nothing but wonderful, positive drum corps vibes in 2015. I hope they keep it up!

G. Hopkins mentioned to M. Sylvester that when he took over (post-Zingali), the battery purposely got closer and closer to the horns:) They also talked about the 1983 drum judge who "didn't like them" (and judged Finals). At one show, he wiped out getting out of the way. Whoopsie! 1990 Cadets was the first time I've ever see the entire snare line back through the horn form (near the end of Galop). I'll never shake off that innovation!

Right on! The '93 Tour Video has a very nice shot of that whole phrase. Star of Indy had a couple of amazing flag moments that night, too (esp. the fanfare just before the Dance of Vengeance [finale]). It's cool that the post-2000 DVDs offer a guard cam. Cadets 2003 was great...and 2002's Boogie Woogie is just sick! See, BD doesn't write that way; their guards are less "obvious" with equipment. That's why I'm so underwhelmed by them. If I want that much subtlety, I'll go to an art museum.

I still consider that one the best of DCI (including all those BD/Cavalier 20s). Wow.

1989-1996. What a great run. I still can't see Cavies and BD ahead in 1995. That guard never stopped moving!!!!!

It's really too bad that a corps with such high standards can't find anybody to clean that color guard. They've fallen big time since April Gilligan left. I was thinking the same as another poster: guard could keep them from winning. I just looked at the staff roster, and it's a litany of talent (and a bit of nepotism). (I'll amend: Jonathon Schwartz's 2005 guard was absolutely wonderful. But they've never come close in the last ten years.)

Again, they won the Visual Performance Trophy. And GE *IS* a caption, which they won. No back-pedaling. I don't accept it from Hillary Clinton; I surely won't take it from you.

"like 2011?" They owned V.P. championship week. (Prelims: 19.8 to BD's 19.0)

Your syntax is addled, but I think I got it. In 2011, you say they didn't win any captions? They won GE (HUGE) all three nights and Visual Performance (Huge) all three nights. And Music Ensemble (Analysis) all three nights.

A truly love/hate show. It's cluttered, messy, a visual stank. The three things I loved: **I laugh uncontrollably at dancing mascots (Dude Perfect Panda, Tampa Bay Lightning Astronaut, etc), so once the pink elephants show up, I'm in tears. **The "Star wipe" in the closer, courtesy of PBS. **One of the best soloists I've ever heard. Ever. Who was that mello player who owned the ballad? If he's on DCP, BRAVO, Dude! (What was that tune? corpsreps doesn't list it.)

Man, all of a sudden, I suck at this. I was there in 2001, but all I remember was the crowd booing the BD/Cadets tie, saying, "Didn't we eliminate ties?" Yes. Briefly for 1st. Glad that's gone. Anyway, Cavies won guard in Finals but lost the average to BD.

Oh yes. And for whatever reason, Phantom's DM stepped forward to salute. Did she mis-hear?

This bears repeating from me: in the entire history of DCI, SCV has ONE High Brass trophy. ONE. And that was 1987 where the microphones were not kind to all the splatting and tone-deafness of the players. (Before you come at me, relive that CD.) I won an argument with a buddy over '86 v '87. Since they were STILL repeating tunes, I played the Mussorgsky---he didn't know which year was which. He agreed that '86 was brilliant---their best line ever. Too bad they were followed by that wall of BD sound that year.

2007 (Cavies' best guard ever.) BD has won Guard in: 84, 86, 90, 92, 95, 97, 98, 99, 03, 06, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Holy Crap. Now, the one possible dispute is 2004. Cavies won in QF and SF; BD won in Finals. Since DCI has waffled (badly) over the years with trophies, I ASSUME Cavies won in '04---even though they finished 3rd in Finals, they had a 0.1 average edge over BD.

Exactly. Rewatch the 1996 Cadets' guard during "Tulsa." The corps stops to play those 16th note runs while the guard furiously spins gigantic yellow silks on 7-ft poles. The athleticism is amazing---not to mention switching direction on a dime. (And great TV direction!) And after the drum feature of "Red Pony," they emerge from behind the props spinning the flags while jumping and flipping a 360, and the line is perfect. It's no wonder that's my standard for DCI color guards! (It's flashy stuff like that---and nearly ALL of Cadets' 1994/5 guards---that do it for me, an ignoramus when it comes to Content. Hence, I don't understand all the 20s given to BD's guards over the last 7 years. I don't question judges' knowledge; I just don't get it. Too subtle and run-aroundy for me.)

In 2006, they climbed their highest--to 4th. The next year, they beat BD and Cavies in Centerville, OH on 7/2. This was THEIR year!!! Well, at year's end, it was back to the middle (7th). In 2010, they had the #2 seed and medaled for the first time in their history. 2011? Back to 7th. Then a slow climb: 6th--->5th. Second place last year. Given their history, I wouldn't bet 5 nickels that they medal this summer. But hey, in this time frame, there have been some unprecedented events ('08 BD being the only semi winner to lose DCI in the build-up judging system; BD's lofty score last yr), so I won't count them out until about June 20.

Think about this before looking it up: which Color Guard was the last to beat the Blue Devils for the final trophy? (tick...tick...tick) Hint: 2007. Yes, BD has won CG 7 years in a row. Unprecedented for any caption. A quick bit of research shows their dominance. In '09, '10, '12, '14, they scored 20s in Finals (2010 was a clean sweep of 20s in all 3 shows). Frankly, it's not my "kind of" guard. There was so much WOW over the years watching Cavies (2007 especially) and Cadets (A. Gilligan's 1989-1996). That all said, which corps has any shot at topping them? Crown was close in 2013, finishing 0.1 behind. Seriously, that's quite an accomplishment given these last few yrs. My guess is the Blue Stars, given their staff and a 4th place finish last year.

"Glory" was in the key of C. I have perfect pitch, and that was a gimme. 14 contrabasses in the back of the wedge still send that last note (of the fff) right through my groin.

I envision you sitting at your $2,600 MacBook Pro sniffing the farts in your wine glass. Get off our buzz!

Rabbit Hole starred Nicole Kidman who won an Oscar playing a woman with a freakishly large nose. Tod Browning directed "Freaks" which is the ultimate precursor for the Kardashians. Dash is my favorite Incredible. Holly Hunter voiced Elasti-Girl. Why does she sound like she has cheeks full of nuts? This is nuts. I have to finish an article!!!! Thanks to Rick from MMA for extending my deadline. No thanks to you people for pulling me away from my writing responsibility. The east coast drum corps community is counting on my three-page claptrap, so LEAVE ME ALONE! (Home Alone was really funny---)

Purple? PURPLE?? I fell off my bicycle, and my entire left arm turned purple. My doc told me it was a hematoma, and it would go away on its own. It just wouldn't, so I went back. His manner wasn't very bedsidey and gruffly asked if I'd like him to drain it. I hate needles; I can't sew very well and jammed the $%#@'ing thing into my thumb. Remember the purple thumbs from the iraqi peoples' fledgling democratic vote? I can't get my friends to register to vote, yet they constantly pitch and moan about the current state of things. "Our Favorite Things" was one of the Cadets' least inspired show ideas from that staff. Ooh, if I had a son, I'd name him Staff, because I've never heard of an English person named that. Are they ever going to officially change the name of the English Horn, as it's neither English nor a Horn? How about Oboon? Obone works, but High School kids would snicker every time the Band Director said, "We need more, Obone." That sounds like Shakespearean porn. Did you know that Judi Dench won the Oscar in Shakespeare in Love for being onscreen for 8 minutes? That's why they created the award in 1936. I don't like Leonardo DiCaprio per se, but he was robbed of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for What's Eating Gilbert Grape. What did the green grape say to the purple grape? "BREATHE!" Get it? It had turned purple. "Breathe..." Carolina Crown's purple pants.

As long as we're veering off MY topic, *my* alma mater once wiped Ohio State out of the room. (Full disclosure: Bachelor's deg from Bowling Green State U & some post-grad work at tOSU.) Anyhoo, both concert bands were featured at the Ohio Music Educators Assoc. convention (in Columbus). tOSU played a noonish concert where the ballroom was half-full, and the performance (closing with Symphonic Metamorphosis) was pretty good. Polite applause was received. Then we "little guys" walked into the ballroom to a SRO crowd. Seriously. They were all there to hear us play "Festival Variations" --- luckily, our DoB was a close friend of Claude Smith as well as Col. Gabriel of the US Air Force Band (at the time, the only band to have ever played it). We had Xerox copies of the original manuscript. (Not to speak ill of the Dead, but Dr. Smith was the Master of Chicken Scratch.) So, we got through Jupiter and the Rob't Jager Concerto, and BAM! Eleven minutes later, we received a 13 minute standing ovation. It's the one time in my life that I felt like a rock star. For the rest of our time there, if anyone recognized us, they beat a path to meet us. An aside: our second chair flute player was a young lady with a cute Appalachian accent named Jennifer Higdon. So, for that one afternoon, we were TBD(Concert)BITL.

Look at the drill, the feet and the Vis Effect of 1983-1985. Then in one fell swoop (and yes, MANY ageouts), look at the drill, feet and Vis Effect of 1986. Disaster. They were ###### lucky to come out of that on the other side. Not since the Anaheim Kingsmen had a defending champion looked so badly. Granted, that Disaster was 0.1 from 3rd place, but 5th through 8th had a lot of scoring baggage---luckily for Garfield.

After their disaster of 1986, I was told they were close to folding. Then, I read a DCW blurb that winter that Garfield welcomed the return of Zingali/Sylvester, and since I assumed they'd be paid a lot (baha), all was well in Joisey.