ThePlanets

This is my personal favorite memory... because it was the first DCI show I saw live from up high....2012 Crossmen Fragile when they hit their insignia out of nowhere and floated it across the field. I am of the opinion that the best drill in DCI has to be any one of the many moments from the cavaliers 00-06 shows. They really pushed drill to the limit and it's the gold standard to me. Maybe because 99-07 was my high school college days and those guys were on top the whole time.

99 won my SCV poll for best show last year. FWIW. I didn't see '99 live so I can't really say. Both are special shows with exemplary performances but with the exception of '99s opener and '18s front ensemble both were a little too sterile for me to get REALLY attached to. I get more pure enjoyment out of 87-89 SCV. I would say the best group to perform would be a toss up between 99 and 18 though.

Here is my updated realistic top 25... really hoping things settle down from this hectic week...not encouraged by what's going on currently. 1. BD. This is going to happen unless another corps can step up and break the mold/pattern BD has had going since 07. Finish range 1-4 2. Bluecoats- they will fix their short term percussion issues and make a run for gold. Finish range 1-7 3. Boston- I feel like they weren't quite with the top 4 in 2018 but they were darn good and are trending up...finish range 2-7 4. Carolina Crown- I loved 18 but their shows just haven't had that freshness in a few years. With long term percussion issues fixed and a very competitive hornline I think they could finish 1-7 5. SCV- This is completely based off of the 07-18 pattern and the bottom range for them. 2018 was a special show and otherwise they typically finish in the 4-5 range. But this is one Corp that could break the mold....BUT 09 PR finished 9th, 11 Cadets finished 4th, 14 Crown finished 5th, 17 Bluecoats finished 5th. Realistic finish range 1-5. 6. Cadets- slow regrowth. They rise from all the craziness. Realistic range 5-10 7. Cavaliers- they have been somewhat of a dark horse the past few years and O think they could do better this year but they can also get stale. Range 3-10 8. BK- I love BK and there is so much potential for this group but they never seem to make the top tier cut. Here is to hoping BK moves up and not down this year. Range 6-12 9. Mandarins- Are they for real or was 2018 special? Realistic finish range??? 10. Blue Stars- range 7-12 11. PR- Oh how I long for the PR of old. There were some really nice moments in 18...but... Finish range 9-14 12. SOA 13. Academy 14 Crossmen 15 MCDC 16 Madison 17 Troop 18 Colts 19 PC 20 OC champ 21 Genesis 22 OC 2nd place 23 OC 3rd place 24 Cascades 25 Surf

Nooooooo.... nothing is better pedigogically than a nice, big, full tuba line for the big bass voice. I know- the visual analysis and the fact that everyone is using amplification anyway...and BD wins all the tine with as little as 10 tubas but COME ON!

Cool! I have been thinking of doing a show that should have placed higher thread. I am just going to post a handful of years that I am more familiar with and who I thought should get it(some won brass some didn't).... keeping in mind that I was born in the 80s...so most are not live judgements 1975- Scouts 1976-BD 1980- SOA 1985- Cadets 1988- Scouts 1989- PR 1996- PR 2000- Cadets 2001- Cadets 2002- Cavaliers 2003- PR 2004- ... 2005- cadets 2006- PR 2007- PR 2008- PR (hm for Crown) 2009- BD (I fell there was a little too much to tweak with Crown in 09 but their performance was very nice). 2010- ... BD I guess...meh... 2011- PR 2012- Crown 2013- Crown 2014- Crown (hm for SCV). OOTW was one of the most mind blowing shows for brass to me. 2015- Crown (Cadets book was more difficult but their hornline didn't sell the show musically like Crown) 2016- Crown (HM for SCV) 2017- ... Crown had the best line but I didn't like the book 2018- Bluecoats 2018 was the best year for brass live for me...any of the top 4 could have won and had great books and lines.

Sorry to hear this news. OC show concepts have been among my favorites in recent years.

Congratulations to him! BK is great!

Great topic! My first live DCI show was 05 Pittsburgh and the top of the crop was really clean but I just wasn't feeling it emotionally. So let me answer your question in a few ways. -PR in general has been the gold standard for expressive/emotional shows but PR 08 at finals probably wasn't only the Pinnacle performance for them but I think it helped define today's DCI shows. - My favorite thing about the bluecoats even before they won a medal is the way they convey expression and emotion in their show designs, given I generally attend their home show in Massillon. I'd like to throw an honorable mention on for the Boxer in 08. That was just moment in a show though. - I have to put in a word for BK 2014. The design itself brought a ton of emotion. One of the most emotional moments I have witnessed live was Boston 2017 in Massillon. You could see the pride and achievement on those MMs faces and feel it. The crowd went wild! My winner for live moments is 2012 Crown at Finals. The score might not say so (percussion) but that show won. the performance was eneretic, emotional, and it was really a moment of awe for me

I will hopefully be attending Akron for the first time. We try to sit front and center in Massillon and since the show was moved I am wondering how the acoustics will be.

Merry Christmas! Want to add SCV 87 And BK 09

Remember that Phailing Phantom thread? Starting to look like that. Patternwise since Spartacus every winnwe other than BD has fallen out of medal contention the following year and has not won again since. I really think SCV had the pendulum momentum and they were able to top it off in 2018 with staffing and design that just happened to be remenescent of Spartacus. Really fantastic shows on SCVs part since 2014 though. Keep in mind SCV has spent some time in the bottom half of the top 12 before rising again too. SCV seems to be a lot stronger in pit percussion while phantom in brass up until recently when phantom fell. So many great brass moments in 2018...the show just wasn't there. Phantom is still Phantom and I agree that with a better design and pit writing team they could climb significantly... maybe even compete with Cavies.

So I broke down last year and bought the DCI essentials DVDs which is a nice well rounded best of collection from the 1970s to Spartacus. The problem is you know as you get into it more that you love a lot of shows that aren't part of this collection and don't like some that are but C'est la vie.

V for Vendetta. Some nice insturmental works by Dario Marienelli and phrases from 1812 to open. Vigilante justice with knife fights Throw in some music from Muse for an extra Anarchy feel Showcase atrocious government coverups Cry me a river by Julie London for the ballad with an etheral trumpet solo Big finish with the 1812 overture (featuring bass bones!)and blowing up government buildings. Remember remember the 5th of November. I really like this for the Cavaliers...but they might need to feature a female guard member to pull it off. No one has ever done 1812 right?

Does this include Stockholm Syndrome by Muse?

Entrance: Music City HM Cadets, troop Opener: the Crossmen HM Crown SOA Movement II: SCVC HM BD Ballad: Crown HM Bluecoats I am really in love with Saro but am using Bluecoats elsewhere. Closer: Bluecoats Drill: Boston with some SCV staging Exit: Boston Uniforms: Troopers The MMs Front Ensemble: SCV Drumline: tie Crown and Boston Color Guard: Mandarins HM Boston Drum Major: Troopers HM Bluecoats, PC Trumpets: Bluecoats Mellos: Cadets Baritones: Crown Tubas: Phantom Regiment