DC-Collector

So I had the pleasure of watching ensemble in Evansville the first 5 nights they were here. The visual is going to be something to see -- it is going to take a bit for it all to get on the field and clean - but when it is finished - I think we'll all be quite pleased. It is modern but still Phantom -- they are adding modern elements like funneling into a set prop or spot, but doing so in-time and still marching (vs. the run-spin stuff BD does). The props are moving a ton -- way more than last year -- and are versatile in their use given their design. It is a modern show - but it is still very Phantom. By the end of the year -- I'd place a bet that we get a 360 when they twist into the small circle (you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it on Wednesday) and we get a leg kick or kick out at the final note. The brass is up front A TON - and I mean in the normal pit area -- front row - bring earplugs. And the low-brass lines are extra talented. The music is much better in the context of the visuals on the field. It is a great book to just listen to - but the visuals do add a ton to what is actually happening. The is especially true in the build ups -- much better on the field then in a concert setting. I think that they'll struggle some in the visual captions early on as it is evident that is still a work in progress with a new staff and approach - BUT - what I did see was improvement every time I sat down. They did a good amount of ensemble nights where they didn't play a note and worked on visual stuff in sections and cross sections for 4-5 hours -- and you certainly saw that pay off in normal full ensembles the next night. With that approach - I think they'll really move up the score chart when it starts to all come together. My plea is to be patient score wise. I'm not saying that we are going to be below a bunch of corps we shouldn't be -- but I don't think we'll be nudging up to the Top 6 in the first two weeks of July. The bones of a great show are all there and the corps and staff seem to be on the same page - it is just going to take a minute for all of that to shine through. By the time they get to Texas, I think we'll really start to see something special.

Hey there, Most Corps have seating that is set aside for this specific reason. If you reach out to your son's corps, they should be able to provide you an "unlock code" which you can enter at Ticketmaster.com for each night. You enter the code on the page where you can view available seats. The unlock code will allow you to choose seats in the corps section and many corps still have seats available. For Phantom Regiment, the unlock code is "PHAN". Phantom still has several seats left for all three nights that are much better than what is available for the general public. They sent out the code to their fans in February, so feel free to use Phantom's code if you would like. Congrats to your son and your family. I'm sure you are very proud and regardless of whatever corps he's marching for -- everyone here wishes him nothing but the best of luck. I hope this helps! Mike H.

Hi all -- I am in search of a 1996 DVD and 2009 Blu-ray. 1996 is the only DVD I have not been able to acquire since having the means to be able to search out a collection. I have the 2009 DVD but lordy, how bad does it look on modern HD/4k sets.... The real purpose of my collecting is to digitize all the shows onto my home server to watch via Apple TV & Infuse. I (somewhat embarrassingly) spent a good chunk of quarantine creating and/or adapting DVD/Blu-ray cover art for everyone Top-12 show from 1984 - present (I have about 70 or so left to finish but have completed over 300 total to date). I would consider trading some of my other DVDs that are in short supply (e.g. '94, '89, '87, '90, '03, '00, etc...). I would also pay a nice fee to borrow the DVD/Blu-ray for a day as well as pay shipping both ways. Happy to discuss how any of the above would work -- collateral etc... I honestly just want to complete my digital collection - the physical media is only of casual interest to me. Thanks for the read -- how great is it to have Drum Corps back!

DCI Essentials Collection - Champions Vol. 1 Blu-Ray - NO LONGER AVAILABLE ON THE DCI STORE - OUT OF PRINT. This Blu-ray is sealed and has never been opened. I accidentally bought two copies at finals back in 2016 and never got around to doing anything with it. It's time to find it a good home 🙂. Starting price is the retail price at the DCI store for Vol. 2 and for the "Classics" Blu-ray. http://ebay.us/SZeNnP?cmpnId=5338273189