Jake W.

JEEZUS!!!!

Good call, and I should have phrased it differently - I am used to seeing The Academy grow & polish much more by the season's end. Pacific Crest, Genesis, & Music City all grew and polished like crazy...The Academy seems to have languished for the back half of the season, or even most of the season.

Ah, I like the show a LOT, but I'm used to Academy cleaning much much more by the season's end. I know we keep reading about how young they are and how it's been a rockier road for this normally-smooth corps. They'll get it figured out! It just stinks that this is a really solid, entertaining design that could have potentially hung with Troopers & Colts, and now they are far behind. But, we've seen dips before (The Piano Man) and their consistent & educational leadership always manages to rally the corps on track, so I don't doubt that this year is just growing pains. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if Music City passed up Academy today or this weekend. In fact, I'd place money on it.

Ok, Music City!!!! This is by far the strongest they've ever been late season. It might be a tall order, but I think they can manage to stay ahead of all or most of the top 4 OC corps - they have really cleaned up a mature show nicely. What a pleasure to see! A versatile corps - loved their fun shows, love this show. That says a lot.

You know, Pacific Crest still has some (distant, and occasional) shades of Finalist-worthy skill and design moments. Yes, they've clearly taken a huge hit in the last three years, but I'm not ready to call their 2019 success an aberration just yet. It will take a while to build back up there, but they're not going away quietly. This actually shaped up to be a pretty nice show - love the unsettled vibe to it all. It makes sense in ways it didn't for much of the season. It's grown on me. Judos to this corps for pushing through a rough season!! I'm liking what I'm seeing.

I have to say, Genesis was MUCH stronger than I anticipated. I know they probably didn't receive the numbers they wanted for most of the season, but they really rallied at the end here - that was a strong performance, and the design really came together! They are looking great for the future - and whatever rebounding was/is happening after the last few seasons of no competition, they are still in an infinitely better place than when they ended that 2018 show/season. That was the only time I was really worried about them. I really feel like Genesis is ending high and setting themselves up for a successful 2023. I also mentioned earlier that I think Guardians might be able to hang with Genesis score-wise - I don't believe that is the case anymore. Way to rally at the end, Genesis! Well done!

Absolutely agreed - whereas this one felt like they were begging for more time to clean and add more gimmicks! So that is a good sign. I am just a firm, FIRM believer that the entire activity is healthiest when all corps, top to bottom in the ranks, are revving at their full potential, and with Surf now the bottom WC corps, and coupled with their rousing surge in 2019 -- I just want to see them thriving!

Love love love that Surf show. Is it enough to stay ahead of Southwind & Battalion and snag that 25th spot for Semis? I think so, but it won't be the craziest thing I've ever heard if either of the OC corps squeak in ahead of them. I wish they were cleaner! I do hope they use this season and the unique challenges they've faced as a springboard to recapture their 2019 skills. Hope to see you again tomorrow, Surf! I think that would be a terrific end cap for the corps this year.

Alright, Surf, let's do this. You have a terrifically entertaining show and making Semis again would be a great cap on a season that was full of new challenges. Everyone wants to see you thrive. Just need to be cleaner than the Southwind/Battalion tier. Have a good run!!

Lovely Johanna ballad!

GOLD!! My first time viewing the show after reading the hype over the last week or two. I have to admit, I haven't been their biggest fan - all of the late 2010s shows that landed them in Semis were too syrupy & lacking in depth for my taste. What a step up in maturity this year, and the kids handle the more complex show just as smoothly as prior seasons, and with their Covid hiccup too! I am so impressed - what a giant step forward in maturity and design for this corps, and I am beyond thrilled to see how willingly the members tackled that challenge. Absolutely terrific! Please keep pushing them forward, design team...these members are clearly ready to tackle bigger shows each year! I am officially on the Gold train and can't wait to see their continued growth. I assume World Class is the ultimate goal as the tour keeps expanding each season, and they would be a welcomed, strong addition. Can't wait to see what the future holds!

BDB may be a bit sterile of a show for my tastes - but enough there to keep my interest that I will happily watch it again tomorrow. I much prefer Spartans' intense & modern design, but I think BDB still holds the edge over them in terms of polish. Similar to their older sibling corps, consistency is the name of their game, and the high quality instruction that the entire organization is known for shines through in droves. What a terrific group, with zero execution weaknesses in sight. Other than the somewhat tepid & safe design, I am impressed - they sound and look great. Wonderful balance and blend, excellent commitment to movement from member to member. Very interested to see if The Academy & Music City have polished enough to keep BDB at bay.

I'll admit I have never really cared for Spartans! Non-memorable shows that barely squeaked into Semis most years, and a brass sound that I always thought was spread and unfocused. More of a visual corps than a musical corps, to my eyes and ears. Of course, my opinion changed with their fabulous 2019 program, and I am thrilled to see more in that vein from them this year. I revisited their 2019 show frequently during the last few years, and this was an excellent follow up. I am also thrilled to see they didn't miss a beat in terms of quality since 2019. I do think they can and will post numbers around or above Music City & Academy, hopefully landing in the high teens again in Semis this year. Well done, Spartans!! So happy to see 2019's progress kept up.

Too much fun, Guardians!!!!!!!! Absolutely love it. Can't wait to see this corps keep skyrocketing upwards. Also, I think there's a decent chance they hang with or even move ahead of Genesis today or tomorrow in score.

And are all but guaranteed their first Semis appearance tomorrow : ) what a banner year for them!!!!

Excellent job to the Open Class corps outside of the "Big 4". This was my first reading on almost all of them. I did have to get over the initial shock of Covid decimation - but what else can one expect? Especially when all these Open Class groups are entirely grassroots- & self-funded. Drives me nuts that they're not more structurally supported. BUT! Switching to that perspective, many performances were indeed impressive. Battalion was quite the surprise - I hadn't seen a single show of theirs' since Drums Along the Rockies maybe 2017? It was a "red" theme, I think. Wow they've grown by leaps and bounds. Absolutely cannot wait to see where they go from here. I would guess it won't be more than a few years' time before we end up with a third healthy World Class corps hailing from the Rocky Mountain Region. Southwind was lovely as well - they seemed to maintain nicely from 2019, and that is a massive feat. I look forward to seeing where Southwind goes from here as well. The future looks incredibly bright. I'd imagine Jersey Surf is a fair bit cleaner, but we shall see soon - it will be Surf, Southwind, or maybe even Battalion grabbing that 25th Semis spot. I'm sure it's been discussed ad nauseam, but Legends truly took a startling Covid hit. I appreciate that they are here and fielding a corps this year. I imagine it will be a good few years before we see them build back entirely to where they left off in the late 2010s - that is a long way from where they are now. But, again, happy they are fielding and plowing through this season. Of the OC corps under 20 horns, Louisiana Stars really impressed me. Balanced, blended sound, and solid in every caption. Yes, they took a huge Covid hit too, but I am really heartened seeing the consistency in execution across all captions for them. Wouldn't mind seeing them pull ahead of Legends this afternoon. River City Rhythm was also nice! Again, a big hit from the 2 seasons off, but I am thrilled they are healthy and fielding this year. Same with 7th Regiment. If both corps can successfully build on this season, I can see each recapturing their respective pre-Covid momentums soon enough.

Looks like it - Crossmen always look like a full corps, but a quick trip back through the last few seasons' recordings shows they consistently field around 145. I didn't realize that was the case! I didn't check anyone else from recent years. Looks like Colts & Troop are both fielding at or right around 135 this year.

On another note, and I'm sure it's been addressed already somewhere this year - neither Colts nor Troopers are marching a full corps this season. Anyone have any idea when the last time a corps not marching max membership made Finals was?

I don't know about that. Yes, Xmen put up quite the score at Allentown, but Colts have (barely) bested them in a number of head-to-heads this season, including two big shows with full panels, Winston-Salem & San Antonio. Allentown scores aside, Colts have demonstrated themselves to be the most consistent of the four this season, especially with that fantastic drumline. It's not the flashiest of shows, but there's a ton of complexity and nuance there - I've found myself revisiting it frequently throughout the season. It's a deeply-layered brass & percussion book, and while none of it is jaw-dropping energy, there is a lot to discover - ample amounts of interesting depth in the music book. They're clean, and while they might not top the unbridled voraciousness of Troopers, they look like a corps who is hungry and focused on their end goal. I'm really interested to see how they rally after less-than-standout Allentown numbers. Otherwise, they've risen quietly and steadily throughout the season. I rewatched Crossmen from Allentown and they are a GOOD unit. If anything keeps them in Finals, it will be their performance captions. What a wholly uninspiring show, though. I understand the concept, and I do think it was an interesting idea in theory, but now they've discarded the basis of the movement rearrangement idea and have found themselves trying to explore mid-(or late-)season some alternative ways to get the mobius theme across - all of which work to a degree. It's fine. It exists. It's a show. I'd like to see both Troopers & Colts' design efforts rewarded over this show, but if Crossmen stay ahead, I will understand - again, they are indeed a very good corps. BK is particularly disappointing this year, and I'm trying to separate my previous love for their designs from the current one and remove any bias. At the end of the day, though, I've come to the conclusion that it isn't a design that would interest me from any other seeded 13th place corps (let's say, The Academy, or a surging Pacific Crest in 2019, or a late 2010s Colts). All of whom had better offerings than "Vibe", so I don't think I'm being too biased because of my previous adoration of their subtle designs. It's just not a great show. The music book lays there for the opener with no real growth or interest. The show does finally pick up some intensity in the closer, but it's too little too late, and doesn't end up delivering the way some of the builds promise it will. Most importantly, it seems as though the kids know that they're steering a subpar vehicle over the finish line, and are trying their hardest to eke out meaning and purpose from the show. That doesn't often lead to a rising finish of the season (how many times have we seen this arc of a corps trying hard to push a lackluster show till August?), but occasionally the performers can fight against what they've been given (Phantom 2019). The 2022 group knows what's on the line, and they can't be counted out of Finals yet, especially after the tight Allentown scores. And then there's Troopers!! I think most of drum corps world is behind them - and if Covid hadn't knocked them out for a week, we would be rooting for a top 12 finish, and still may be doing so. I do sense a Phantom-2008-esque push from the drum corps world that could still land them in Finals. I also have to say, their rush to clean over the last week has been bracing and fruitful. They look and sound fantastic. Ah, I wish they had two more weeks in the season! They do indeed seem intently voracious on their end goal, and I am not counting them out of a top 12 finish. And while it's a design rehash and typical Michael Lentz vibe, it is vastly more interesting musically, visually, and thematically than any point in BK or Crossmen's shows. Most importantly, the kids clearly are nuts about what they've been given and intend to push until the end, and that's an element that can't be pushed aside. I'd love to see both Troop & Colts perform in Finals on Saturday night - some fresh voices this season that I'd like to see rewarded. We will see what happens!

For two corps who have been generally neck & neck the last five seasons or so, the difference between BK & Blue Stars back to back was startling tonight, and that is a commentary on both groups - on BK sliding back heavily in terms of design, but also in performance captions as well, and of Blue Stars really surging forward in both design and execution. Everything about that Blue Stars show is screaming "surge forward", and everything about BK's show is shrugging "eh". Maybe it's because they haven't really grabbed my attention in a few years (whereas BK almost always does), but Blue Stars are startlingly good this season, and that show is a real winner from every aspect. Color me impressed!

ISSMA made the decision to pull the plug yesterday. Arguably the longest-running and highest caliber state marching band circuit in the country, so that decision isn't negligible for the rest of the high school marching band community across the country, not to mention coming from such a red state. UIL, the other top state circuit (Texas), is still in play as of now. BOA is also still in play as of now but I can't imagine it will be more than a few days before that hammer drops.

Just wanted to share my little summer routine of the last few years, and God do I miss it. I work a summer restaurant job (teaching pays like #### in Colorado), and our getting-older Great Dane can't handle the intense mountain sun (day walks mostly amount to laying lazily in the grass). So, every summer night, for the past few years, I strictly avoid checking DrumScorps notifications on my phone at work; then I get home at 11:00ish or midnight, make myself a cocktail or pour myself a beer (and grab a few extra), take the pup on a much-cooler late night walk, and finally check the scores for the evening. After digesting said scores, I'd then look at the recaps and digest the caption placements, and would wrap up the walk by searching YouTube for bootlegged videos from the night, or rewatching those I had found from the night before. Maybe would post some booze-soaked thoughts on DCP upon returning home, or wait until I got up the following afternoon to do so. All of that routine is still in place --- except for the checking of scores. Now I'll listen to a podcast or some music or just think, but god do I miss the ritual of diving deep into the drum corps world while unwinding every night. It is a noticeable absence from the nighty walk. Just seems like a part of summer is gone. Life is good, and everyone I love is healthy, but I thought I'd lament the noticeable absence of an activity I love dearly : )

I believe your problem is more with current writing trends than the number of mallet instruments in the front ensemble. For better or for worse, the mallets in the front ensemble currently shoulder a majority of the weight of beginning and ending musical phrases, something I assume your long-listened ears were once used to hearing the brass do. Cutting the number of mallets won't change modern drum corps writing style, it'll only make it sound thinner. It is what it is, and I'm not saying it's good or bad, merely pointing out that gathering from your posts, your problems might be more with a current writing trend itself rather than with the number of mallet instruments present.

Oh no that's not what I meant at all! Of course all groups do; having marched drum corps in any capacity is to have laid the groundwork for competent adulthood. I just mean that those four corps I mentioned specifically place a higher emphasis on that throughout the season than competition results; listening to any interview with an Academy staff member for example reveals that their operation and ground game is different than those striving to achieve a consistent Finalist or Top X status. Neither approach to a season is superior to the other, I'm just reiterating that these more experience-driven corps exist and are just as vital to the activity as the highly competitive corps.

A friendly reminder as well to those donating a few bucks over the next year that lower-ranking & recently-founded corps will be just as in need of our support. By all accounts, groups like The Academy, Troopers, Seattle Cascades, & Colts work in a bit of a different arena each season in that they emphasize turning out excellent members of society over the placements of the season. These organizations are just as integral to our activity's health as the headliners that draw the giant crowds. Not to mention the help terrific younger groups Genesis, Music City, Guardians, & Legends will need who don't necessarily have the deep alumni support, simply because they haven't existed long enough to have churned a generation or two of alum through their program. 2019 saw groups like Pacific Crest and Jersey Surf on top of their games like never before and having thriving seasons, and that's what will keep our activity alive and well in addition to the big names returning to success in 2021.