Ediker

No more food pornography!

Ya'll are making me hungry!

That sounds like a likely scenario. Boston is revitalized, and we're still not sure how far they can take their success. Both corps have weathered tough times. Cadets have more experience as a top level competitor. That could make the difference.

Absolutely true, and I'm not proposing that it change.

There are things happening today that were once deemed unrealistic. The activity has evolved to stay alive. The activity would move in that direction if there were enough pressure from influential corps who felt "boxed in" and underscored by the current system. An open ended system would provide more meaning to the scores when compared across competitions or time periods. The ranking of corps is inherent to the current system, making comparisons outside a given show less meaningful. The current system can't really convey, by number, the difference we all recognize between Blue Coats' past 72.3 and Mandarins' current 71.0.

I totally understand what you are expressing, and it's not petty. It's the reason that other scored sports/activities have adopted open ended scoring systems with no pre-defined upper limit.

BK and Phantom do seem to be sleeper threats this season. They've both upped their scores considerably in recent shows.

Boston's current scoring vector suggests that they could pass Cadets but, as others have pointed out, one or two judges can swing the whole thing. Both have great shows. Boston's is good because it has a consistently paced set of "wow" moments. Cadets' is great because it is so unexpected. It is unlike any past rendition of Mass they've done, and it's one of the more innovative and uncomfortable (in a good way) designs of the season. I've seen both live. Boston sounded better originally, but Cadets' brass and percussion have steeply upped their execution in the last two weeks. I originally thought Cadets could medal with this show... and still think it's possible. I'm expecting they'll nail down the full design and there will be enough time for them to continue to climb and fend off competitors. GH is also a force of nature and has weathered all kinds of adversity. They may have had recent slumps, but he has shown many times that he can evolve and turn it around. While I'm not certain, I suspect Boston has the edge with regard to average MM age being higher (and member retention being much higher). Their maturity plus the staff's experience can bring their execution to "box 5" across the board. Their level of enthusiasm, focus, and sheer determination are also a force. They sure climbed out of a ditch during the final weeks of last season. Despite some disadvantages (which are absent this year), they turned on the focus and snagged 12th, exceeding the late season expectations. I get the sense that they've carried that drive into this season and will not allow corps ranked 4-6 to rest easily.

Good topic... I can't pick one performance, and the list of possibilities would be long. Watching any heartfelt musical performance, particularly drum corps, is moving. I would gladly play a part in any show where the audience can feel the passion of the performers. It's a thrill to watch drum corps' hardworking athletes/musicians at any opportunity. All the best to this year's competitors!

I'm certain Boston's designers are aware that none of the accused in Salem were burned. It was a design decision. Hangings are pretty low GE events. A burning is an audio/visual spectacle.

Burning at the stake gets a higher GE score than a hanging ;)

How many (official) judges are there tonight?

Exactly

The people who used to chant "East! East! East! East!" during Cadets, and more recently, Crown's shows.

Yes, there are many who have made our activity great. The one word that sums Klesch up, for me, is clarity. The mood, the melody, the emotion, the anticipation, and the excitement of his arrangements always communicate so clearly to the listener. He has attained absolute fluency in the language of drum corps music.

(accidental repost)

Looking forward to seeing all of the performances tonight. Last year, I saw the preview in a Boston theater and was surprised at the indifference/hostility the audience displayed toward the Cadets (and no other corps). What was that about? What happened to East Coast solidarity?

These are my gut feelings for this coming season. Difficult to make predictions based on the limited info available, but here goes: 1 BLUE DEVILS: they will have an undeniably top notch show, wonderfully executed. 2 SCV: they have been building for years toward this push for gold, but will not breach the blue wall. 3 CADETS: some of their best years have followed a disappointing finish. They will see the errors of their past and put entertainment and mm passion above gratuitous difficulty. 4 BLUECOATS: they will continue to push the creative boundaries, but will not create the same magic as 2016. 5 PHANTOM: fewer obstacles this year and a solid Phantom-esque show will put them back in the hunt. 6 CROWN: great brass, great visual, percussion a nagging Achille's heel. 7 CAVIES: one of last year's surprise breakthroughs and crowd pleaser will be strong again, but will miss top 5. 8 BOSTON: solid in all captions and safely in finals. Darker themed shows tend to be an uphill battle if the execution does not dazzle. They may peak early if more difficulty is not layered in. 9 BLUE STARS: once again delivering. This well run organization and passionate group of performers maintains their spot. 10 BLUE KNIGHTS: smack in the middle of the first blue wall. 11 BLUE DEVILS B: finally breaking into finals, paving the way for a possibly all-Blue top 5. 12 CROSSMEN: still strong, still solid.