Sideways

Yeah...but...as of right now BAC needs the bump in the Vis Ens/Analysis caption and there is not much bleed over from the guard caption...that’s a red flag.

Many, many years ago Lee Carlson was judging GE for a high school marching band show in Michigan. I was in critique with my band wearing a Hawaiian beer shirt and he offered to buy it off me...told the band later they won the GE trophy because of my shirt. This is actually a true story....winning GE and Lee Carlson offering to buy my shirt...not winning GE because of my shirt.

Most impressive moment of this show to me is the opening brass hit. Sustain at a standstill, seamless transition into a jazz run, and diminuendo....serious box 5 level demanding and execution already. What a great opening effect moment and I've not really heard anyone point this out.

This closer is anything but a rehash of Babylon's Metropolis 1927. That was slam the gas pedal to the floor and go. This is shear rip your heart out and grind it to a bloody pulp on the ground, emotional power. I'm not sold on the front half the show yet but let's wait and see how it all fits together with this closer. Considering the power and intensity they are already playing it with this show is going to have that raw emotion you get with those old Bernstein conducting Mahler Symphonies recordings. Top six is already going to a a bloodbath, in a great way, but SCV is going to steamroll a lot of corps with this offering and their performance level. Only of the first week has gone by and I can already say there are at least 4 championship worthy shows!

Kansas City Star...RIP

Wasn’t me!

Old school Prussian with the spiked helmets? 19th century French Zouave with fez style hats and parachute pants?

Let’s get back to uniform discussion instead of what’s been going the last few pages...FYI the mods banned the off topic political forums here a long time ago... What would VK be wearing these days?

Crown...every element is there for you. Guard is improved but not top tier. Lot of design issues from Beast have been addressed...just...goes...no where. I want to love you but....

Boston - visually a beast. Battery staging in ballad was problematic tonight. Musically I like the Cadets book better....music book may hold Goliath back in August. Performance wise BAC in every caption so far...though couple of huge drill brain farts in the brass.

Boston - opening duet did not start together!!! First corps to show they can cover down in drill tonight...huge plus!

Cadets - brass, percussion, and feet were awesome. Drill is going to keep you down...new writer needed stat. Guard seems the strongest in recent years too!! You/we can do better...cut the vocals...huge albatross in the program.

Some big brass ensemble issues in the beginning for Blue Stars...whole performance got stronger as the show progressed. Big sound and lots of field coverage like last year...this will take multiple viewings.

Percussion appears noticeably more prepared than the brass too for Phantom...and I’m a brass guy.

Phantom - program and performance huge step up from last year. Feet strangely an issue at smaller step sizes.

Key change on Fire of Eternal Glory is offensive

Crown/BD/Blue were splitting performance captions all finals week, with Santa Clara snagging percussion. Crown got the overall average on brass, guard, and visual performance. GE often wins the day when performance captions are that tight. Blue's show was the "GE moment" and never stopped...they were consensus winner in GE all three nights and we know how that played out. Crown went soft on GE with the "mercy" play at the end...not saying that made the difference (but an extra death or two worked for Phantom in 2008). When in doubt...(if the performance level is already there) always go with the gratuitous GE.

Does Star 1993 even count since it is the greatest show of all time...

Star 1990 Phantom 1993 Vanguard 1997

They’ve never done a show themed “Up in Smoke.” Better suited to the former Empire Statesmen and their utilization of fire extinguishers.

EPO works great for endurance sports (Le Tour and Ironman racing). Essentially allows you to do harder workouts more frequently and recover faster. Would actually be an ideal ped for DCI but the cost of getting 150 kids on it and keeping them quiet...good luck with that.

Guess I’ll have to pull out my old Magic jacket. Section 107 row 24.

Anyone going? See you there.

After a couple rounds of bleach.

Going dark horse and saying Phantom 1995.