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I got the same e-mail.

Why do so few of the hotels have rooms available Wednesday night? I find it hard to believe they are sold out so far in advance. I;ve stayed at Embassy Suites downtown every year since the first year at LOS (and am a Silver HHonors member) and have never had trouble booking my room before.

Philadelphia PAL is still around but they pulled funding from the corps in the mid-80's - 1985 I think. I remember going to a few rehearsals in the Spring of '85 after I made the Crossmen and playing some of our exercises and opener for them, but I think they folded before the season started.

I don't understand - why is that? I'm sure there is more involved than just throwing a switch, but thousands of dollars?

Thinking out loud - if the roof started open and weather came in at some point during the show so they close it, wouldn't there be an unfair advantage between those who performed with the roof open vs closed? As much as I hate the roof I think it's more important for all corps to have the same conditions.

Well - the guy I talked to at the video booth at Lucas Oil assured me that pre-orders would be open a week or 2 after finals. Looks like he was talking out of his butt. Come to think of it, he looked alot like my avatar.

I plead Alzheimer's

I'm nearly 100% certain we had a Brit in the Crossmen in '85 or '86.

You are putting words in my mouth. I said no such thing. What I said was that they are fine the way they are, but if THEY decide they should rethink their philosophy that would be fine too. The point is that it is up to THEM (admin, staff and members) to decide what they want their identity to be. They have no obligation to live up to anyone's expectations but their own.

I can answer that part of the question via my niece's experience. Yes - the members absolutely know that the Surf experience is not the same as other "more competitive" corps. In her case and a number of her friends in the corps it was that fact that drew them to Surf. She was easily good enough to march in one of the big names but had no interest in doing so being happy with what she had in Surf. After her first year, one of her friends wanted to "move up" and went to Cadets. She ultimately returned to Surf before the season started saying that the "cult atmosphere" (her words) at Cadets was "nuts" and she was much happier with the environment at Surf. Not everyone has the same goals/desires. I think Surf is fine doing what they are doing until THEY decide it's time to buckle down to move up.

See any one of the numerous threads about copyrights. It was a rights issue that prohibited them from providing the service.

I have no complaints except lack of DVR and archive to watch shows when more convenient.

Vet Stadium had a really cool implosion once both Lincoln Financial Field and Citizen's Bank Park were opened https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_JfySVUoz0

I thought ISIS destroyed Palmyra? Oh . . . . THAT Palmyra.

This is the heart of the point I was trying to make. Neither I know nor does anyone else here know what is in the hearts and minds of the corps members and its staff. If they are indeed unhappy about their current status then by all means they should take steps to change it for the better. On the other hand, if the are happy with it, who the hell are we on DCP to tell them what the should be doing?

Cool video, but I think the acoustics would be terrible with the roof closed or open.

I assure you that they do have fun. My niece marched their guard for 3 years and loved every second of it. The majority of the kids she marched with felt the same and were perfectly content with their lot. Those who wanted to be more competative moved on to other corps, but plenty who could have moved on stayed instead because they liked the environment. Not everyone that marches is burning for a medal or a finals appearance. Some march for the simple joy of marching and performing and really don't care if they are "competative" as long as they are having fun and entertaining the crowds.

Says who? If they are content the way things are who are "we" to say they need to change it? I'm not saying that they ARE happy with the status quo - I have no knowlede whether they are or not. The question was is there anything in the rules that mandates that they should push harder to compete?

Here's what I don't get: If the corps administration, staff and marching members are happy with the status quo (ie entertaining light-hearted shows that are less competative than those who "take themselves more seriously") then why should they change anything? Where does it say that in order to be a world class corps going on a full summer tour that you need to compete to move up the ladder or you shouldn't bother to show up?

Ouch. I hated that show too.

2016 Blue Devils show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_51Axv3LzQ :laugh:

Anyone seen this? It's freakin' hilarious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUqF8pK2acs

You aren't wasting their time. Go. Even if you don't make the cut you will get invaluable instruction on what you need to work on to improve enough to make it next time. The first time I went to Crossmen camp in the fall/winter of 1982/3 it was pretty obvious to me right off the bat that I didn't have a shot to make the tenor line. I went to the first 2 or 3 camps anyway because: 1) I got to march in the Gimbles Thanksgiving Parade in Philly as a Crossmen where we played a couple holiday tunes and the ending of Russian Christmas from the '82 show; 2) I got to be around and part of one of the Corps I had worshiped for several years watching them on PBS every year and seeing them in person in Montreal; 3) I got great instruction from the staff and one of the vets in the tenor line. The vet in particular took time to show me what I needed to work on to make it in the future. I spent the next 2 years working on everything I had been shown while marching in PAL. After the '84 season I thought I was ready and auditioned again for '85 and made the line. If I hadn't gone to those camps in late '82 -- and then stayed for awhile after it was obvious I had no prayer -- I probably never would have improved in the areas I needed to to make the line in '85.

I don't think you would ever get George Hopkins to agree to that. (See what I did there? )

Vinyl blows the doors off of any other medium. Don't get me started about brick walled CDs