Guizeppe

I was there (see STOCKTON, CA review). I love all Cali corps. I haven't marched either BD or SCV. I have marched with members of both in college. I like SCV, I like BD. The point of all this: to prove my non-biasness when I say that, yes, Vanguard's seemed the hotter show based solely on crowd reaction. They got a standing ovation after their first big hit. BD got a standing ovation when their show ended, as did SCV. So, based on the seldom used "butts-leaving-their-seats" score, I would say Vanguard won. They also looked and sounded cleaner. Just my opinion.

Nice job Mr. Lee. Funny how last year I gave a pro/con review and got reamed by someone for being too negative, but that's water under the burning bridge. I agree with almost all your points. I wish you would've seen the Academy so we could hear your thoughts on the surprise of the summer. I didn't go to Hayward, so did the program directors move the Academy to perform at the end of Div.2? Just curious.

Place: STOCKTON, CA Show: MOONLIGHT CLASSIC Stadium: STAGG MEMORIAL STADIUM @ University of the Pacific (UOP) Date/Time: June 19, 6:30 - 10:30 Weather: Low 80s to mid 60s View: From the 45 about half way up (row 30ish) Ah. The first corps show of the year. You can almost taste the excitement. 12 corps - 5 A, 4 B, 1 C & 2 Senior - should make for one heck of a show. So, with no more adoo, I present my review of the Moonlight Classic: Venue: A short bit about one of the best stadiums the corps play at this season. Stagg is a bowl with seating at a perfect angle. Seats are 60 to 70 rows high in a U shape around the South side of the stadium. Corps enter via a ramp from the left/North end (a note to those who remember the old ramp that used to send pit carts and marimbas flying into the field, kinda fun to watch even though the slope has been lessened). Parking is easy and close. Really one of the most unknown but perfect places for a show. Crowd was probably 2/3 full by the end of the evening. And perfect weather might I add. Alright, moving on. IMPORTANT NOTE: Being that this was all of these corps first competition of the year, I will not be harping on drill forms/spacing/marching. I hope no one's disappointed. In Order of Appearance:: RENEGADES: 65.10 First I need to point out the "unique" pit instruments: A giant raffle drum, a bike with its back wheel scraping a cymbal, chains on a piece of sheet metal, a curtain of duplo-blocks, & a rake scraping a giant washboard. I guess they used them all, I wasn't much paying attention. I like the "evil" warm-up in minor. The opening hit was very powerful. They seem to have 5 drum majors on three sides of the field. The megaphones are back, as well as the screamers, hitting heights once thought unreachable. The contras have a very long bass run that perhaps left them a little fatigued by the end of the show as there was a small tear between them and the pit. Something else that was frequent this night was the lack of guard uniforms. Seems everyone is either saving money or has orders on back-order. The drum line is much cleaner than previous years, although not as big. The solo was very good. Near the end of their show they try, note: try, to use these blue-man group inspired tube instruments carried by some sops. They're too soft, don't use em. Honestly, they don't really even look that cool, so I say ditch'em. Overall they are looking pretty good for the beginning of the season. Far less tagging, which is a very good thing. The music has already come together, so now it's just down to cleaning that drill. Good job. RIVER CITY REGIMENT: 46.20 Here's the good news, they have uniforms, screamers, and a much larger guard. Unfortunately, they have taken kind of a step back this year. They are about the size they were two years ago with no pit. The uniforms are white shirts/ black pants with a shiny blue sash. The music they chose was very effective, but I think they were too spread out for their size. When you only have 40 or so members there is no need to stretch out the field. More blocks, more lines, more condensing. The two screamers are always a welcome sight, and the drum line was clean though only about 10 large. Not too bad for what you've got, I just hope you get bigger. BLUE DEVILS "C": Novice What can I say? More than just cute kids, very talented cute kids. They have new uni's with blue/black jackets separated by a shiny silver sash. Very fancy. I thought it was funny that their drum line, to this point, had the most tenors in it (5). The trio of soloists at the beginning were perfectly in tune and perfectly played. And who doesn't love hearing Copa Cabana on a drum corps field!? The guard was very good, especially around the soloists, and the guard vocal groove leading into the drum line groove was fantastic. The drum line even did the eighth-note off beats. They end with Caravan where it begins with three soloists, all little ladies, who let their hair down before bustin' out those notes. Very cool show. Nothing bad I could say about all the great kids out there. Great job once again. THE ACADEMY: 64.30 UN..............BE.............LIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am seriously getting chills sitting here just thinking about how I'm going to put this into words. First, let me apologize to the corps because I'm about to ruin the surprise for everyone else who has the privilege to see you this year. So, for those of you who are going to Hayward tonight, or are going to see these guys somewhere this year and want them to be a surprise, please scroll past this review. This was there first show EVER in their brief history as a performing ensemble from Arizona. They take the field at I'm guessing at least 100 large (yes, they are Div. 2). The first thing that struck me was the lack of warm-up. You would think for your first corps performance ever that you might want to warm-up a little. No need. They just came out a blew the house down. They were probably the third cleanest corps of the night, behind BD & SCV, both musically and drill wise. They are extremely well balanced. Imagine if there was a corps out there that did nothing for a few years but study the best - the brass quality of Phantom, the moves of Cadets, the style of Vanguard, the imagination of Cavies, the drums of BD & the crowd appeal of Scouts, then roll it all into one division 2 powerhouse. This is what you would get. My mouth seriously dropped when they hit their first notes. The announcer even said, after the standing O of course, "Can I just say that was amazing!?" They wear all black with their logo on the back of the shirt, and the guard is brightly colored with wonderful flags that do nothing but compliment the corps' performance. Drums clean, brass clean, guard clean. Absolutely unimaginably amazing. Shame on anyone who gets up to go to the bathroom during their slot. And a note to the Hayward program officials, let them go at the end of div. 2's performance line. Must see, must see, must see. The surprise of the year. I felt privileged to be at their first performance in what could the beginning of something timeless. Stunning performance. FEVER: 56.60 I felt bad for them after what had just occurred, but they showed they are not ones to back down. They are definitely larger than last year. This gives them a much larger and well balanced sound overall. The opener was a little shaky as far as attacks go, but by the end everything was falling into place. They are playing songs in very difficult meters, Tool for example. Tough to do. The guard's uni's are plain black, perhaps not ordered yet, but they were very good flag wise and barefoot (must have felt nice on the grass). The drums are clean and the pit has a very nice solo. Really good performance for this second year corps. The only beef I have is they ended on a soft note, which kind of took the audience by surprise. I halfway thought the show wasn't finished. Is it? Anyway, if they're going to finals they should do well. My prediction of them beating BDB was correct. Very good effort and very intriguing show design. Nice job. SCV CADETS: 61.85 Well they were the favorite before that Arizona thing happened. I think their thunder was stolen a bit from the crowd. They have broken form from the classic SCV uni's with green pants, a white and green jacket with red sash and one red sleeve. The corps does seem a little smaller, which I think ended up leaving them with less power than usual. The drum line was very clean, as well as the guard. The drum solos were near perfect. The brass is a little off balance, on the high side, and the intonation seemed a little off. The show's music doesn't really grasp me, but overall the performance was pretty tight, only a few missed attacks and forms. They should be a strong contender for the Div.2 crown again this year (as long as the Academy isn't going). Not bad at all. BLUE DEVILS “B”: 56.35 Hey look, more new uni’s. They look like Blue Knights “B” now, with black pants, white and blue jacket with a shiny blue sash. The first thing that struck us (by us I mean my wife, brother and me) was the guard was wearing complimentary outfits. Who would’ve thought blue corps uni’s would match with different shades of blue guard uni’s. Anyway, they seem bigger which like Fever helped their balance. It’s easy to see where BD “A” gets their great drummers. Very strong drum line with killer basses. The drum feature with the pods was good but needs cleaning. Overall I thought the show was ok, but the brass seemed to play only about 4-5 minutes of the show. The rest is drums, which were good nonetheless. I also thought the closing block should have been condensed for power sake. Not bad, placed where they should’ve. ESPERANZA: 57.85 Good to see them retain they’re size for the jump to division 1. The opener begins backfield with a big turn and hit that announces their presence in the division. They have a very strong sop section and are pretty solid in every section. I liked their show because it kept moving and had a good beat to it. What I didn’t like was the amount of backfield playing that took place. You could sit on the opposite side of the field and see/hear half the show as if they’re playing to you. Too much for my taste. The guard didn’t seem to have uniforms, just black leotards, but good flags. A nice show that should get them in the top 18 this year. I had them scored above PC. PACIFIC CREST: 60.60 Very intriguing show design. They start with a “dead” guard member on the 35 with the entire corps 20 yards behind her in a straight line. Then they blast out their first notes and disconnect to form an unsorted mass around her for the big welcome chord. This theme is repeated about half way through the show as well. I would have to say this is a very visual show. Lots of guard work, all good by the way, and lots of movement, but not much music. Seemed to be a lot of staccato blasts and bangs, very BD-esque. The harmon mutes for the sops during the ballad were a nice touch. The brass is well balanced when they’re all playing. A very cool effect was the snares picking up various forms of hand-drums during the drum feature. The music didn’t strike me as great; the marching was good (I’ve always liked their uni’s with the white pants and shiny blue triangled vest thingy.), the drum line at times was dirty. I think the show just needs more in your face moments. Not bad, but tough to say I really liked it. MANDARINS: 60.80 The only bad news with this corps, and it seems to be a trend, is their size never seems to increase. They still are only marching maybe 80 members. That having been said, they have a great sound for what they are. You’ll be happy to know that they brought back, in major form, the taiko drums. The first minute of their show is all taiko and drum line, very very nice. I’m not a big fan of the singing portion of the show mainly because it goes on a little too long. Perhaps the final chord of the chorus could be blasted at the audience. Better effect I think. The sops are by far the strong section. A little tentative at the start, but got better near the end. As is typical for these guys they like to end with frantic drill with great music, and they don’t disappoint. The music is great, very entertaining. Everyone loves the uniforms. I hope they can get about 30% bigger so they can really contest with the “big” guns. Great show. SANTA CLARA VANGUARD: 75.90 Whoa! Now that’s how you start a show. Absolutely huge first hit. Got a standing O right off the bat. Word of warning to all those who get to sit in the middle section at their shows, don’t stand up for long or they’ll blow you over. By far the best performance captions of the night. The guard looked good for their first show, the cleanliness was second to none, and the brass as on fire. I haven’t heard brass of that quality this early since Phantom last year. The entire show was very high energy (I know, kind of un-SCV like). The only show problem I had was that the drum line, except for the feature, was really overpowered by the brass. Maybe play louder or bring them to the front of the field. Otherwise a fantastic opening program. Definitely deserves a look for champs. Oh, by the way, the pit WAS amped, but because the brass was so good (Loud), you didn’t even notice. I guess it may not be that bad. Fantastic show! I had them first. BLUE DEVILS: 76.60 First let me say, way to big of point differential. Should have been low 76s if that. They open and close with the underlying theme, which is Summertime with the effect of a train. Really very well done. Very “new-BD” choppiness. Blurts and blasts with staccato chords. That’s really the first third of their show. I thought it was a bit too much, but that’s just me. After that it really takes off. The Renegades megaphones have infected BD who uses them for a moving train effect. There are soloists everywhere who were spot on. When the whole corps does play the tone is, as always, perfect. At one point the drum line uses finger/hanging cymbals to create an eerie effect, very nice. The finish is interesting as the train stops, as does the show. A good BD show; jazzy, brassy, lots of drums. Don’t think it’s near as polished as Vanguard, but definitely has the GE category locked. Good concept show, but no champion. That's it. Hope you all had as much fun reading it as I did watching it. See you in Modesto.

I have recieved requests from a few supporters who would like me to repost this review as it fell victim to the June 30th forum fiasco. Thanks to all who read it the first time, and if you didn't, here's a second chance. REPOST: Place: CSU, Hayward Time: 6:30 - 10:45 Stadium: Bowl w/ one side of very steep bleachers. Seat: 10 rows up from the bottom at the 45 Reviews in order of appearance Venue: Great! Superb! Perfect! No, really one of the best places to hold a corps show. The rows of seats are very steep, thus allowing no hampered vision. We sat pretty close, so a few forms were lost on us, but musically we heard everything. The horns were litarally pointed in our face. I think Blue Devils should also hold their show here, because frankly, DVC's stadium sucks. Also, great to have the official voice of drum corps announcing (sorry, don't know his name). Way better then the two cronies from last year. Anyways, on to the reviews. RENEGADES: 64.40 Well? I think they have gotten the hint that they can't always win if they just blow their brains out. However, the first thing that struck me was how bad the marching and forms were. Seriously, the drill didn't look that difficult! Were the contras marching a hole (or holes)?! On the positive side, the pit has both grown and improved. I liked the use of the megaphone type mutes, very different. As for the drumline, rushing a lot, but a very nice bass groove. The good/evil concept was pretty cool, but perhaps half the corps should be good and half evil, because other than the drum majors, there is little visual evidence of the theme. I'm glad the sop-tagging was kept under control. And did I actually see these guys march 2 vs. 3? And with one drum major doing both?! Pretty amazing. Great music for the theme, but overall the show was mared by bad marching and a lacking, unrehearsed-looking guard. Maybe less time on music and more on marching. Not bad, but certaintly not typical Renegades. Take that however you like. FEVER: 54.25 First let me congratulate you on your size. They are a first year div.2 corps with a pretty good membership. Plus challenging musical selections. Very impresive. Well, as many first year corps, confidence is an issue. Not a lot of sound from the sops and mellos, but the low brass is very solid. The solos were perfect. The drill looks very well written for a first year group, not overly complicated but not entirely too easy. Needs some cleaning but the marching was pretty good. The drums seem to be hidden within the corps, not much of a solo, and you could hear the guard at one point counting. But hey, first year, great start. The closing hits were right on the money! See you in Modesto. BD"C": Exh. Nothing bad here. The corps has gotten bigger both in members and in height! Someone said they could try to compete? Anyhoo, the opening fanfare with the flags was fantastic, very mature. The solos were a new addition to a BDC show and were very well played. I really like the bari duet. The guard uni's are flashy silver dresses that really bring a lot of presence to the feild. And could one of the drum techs please raise bass #2's drum?! It was practically dragging on his knees. Great show! BD"B": 61.15 First can I ask why there is no classic BD silver in the uniforms? Kinda bland. Great pit opening with Catch Me if you Can. They first hit was a little off, but the drumline's opening drill was fantastic and was very well marched. The brass seemed timid but had pretty nice balance with only one contra, and could really blast when at standstill. The colorguard was very clean with nice understated dress, as BD corps typically are. Great drum feature. A real nice show, but the music was not intriguing for me. SCV CADETS: 67.60 It seems like I say this every year, but seriously, huge size for a div.2 "starter" corps. The first thing that strikes you about this show is the guard theme, which is a disign that looks like a G or a 6, integrated very well in the show with both objects and flags. Very cool. The secend thing you notice, maybe, is how short bass#3 and one of the sops are. It's amazing how they don't get lost amongst the "giants". Marched clean though. As for the performance, nothing bad too say. The marching was super, the brass didn't miss a thing, and the drumline was on fire! The snare run got several oohs and aahs, and how about that bassline? Run-tastic! Someone at the top of the SCV programs should think about renaming this corps and bringing it in as a div.1 corps. Solid, solid progam and performance. PACIFIC CREST: 67.00 Okay, show us your "power" (title of the program). First hit after solos - (done!). The first big goosebump moment with the spinning boxes. Very GE! I had read about their questionable marching. Well, I didn't see it. If anything the drill starts out very difficult and gets almost too easy, but the marching looked pretty good to me. The drumline was tight and together. The music for me started kind of choppy, but the two (ph)fatty grooves at the end really rocked. I really liked the show overall. Guard used the boxes almost all the time, but so did the corps. As for the "wall" of cubes, I think the idea is that they have so much "power" that their sound blats through a wall as if it wasn't there. How's that for deep? Anyways, really good show. Hopefully they'll place in the top 15. TROOPERS: 59.30 I'll be honest, I was disappointed in the fact that they didn't play recognizable music. Other than that they actually exceded my expectations. They were the quickest to get applause, thanks to the drumline "train" effect. Their first hit came at the exact time as the sun went behind the hills, which made for extra appreciation. There were a few bad forms but the marching was good overall. Their sound seems to be better than I had previously heard in years past. Are they marching holes? One criticism would be that there was too much silence and not enough movement, especially by the drumline during the brass feature. There has got to be better drill than to have the drumline stay in a condensed block for three minutes. Atleast the brass moeved during the drum feature. Stamine appeared to be an issue as the late hits were off and the drumline got a little dirty. But I was impressed by the sound they put out. And hey, props to the sop who at the end fell backwards and kept his horn to the box. Would that be considered a purple heart for drum corps? Nice show. MANDARINS: 69.35 Allow me to echo everyone else who has them this season: HOLY FRIGGIN' COW! Now that's out of my system. Okay, so I know a few of them and they are my home corps, but they were prabably the third favaorite of the night. The uniforms set them apart from everyone else in corps land. The guard was also well dressed and compliments the corps nicely, which cannot be said for some (see BK). They are larger, I'd say by about 33%, and have doubled their low brass. With that said, however, I think the drumline, especially the snares, and sops need to double as well for this corps to be top 7. What? did he say top 7? Yes I did. The performance they put on was amazing. The drill starts out fast and doesn't stop. Well placed solos and great flag work should equal big GE numbers. I would say that the achilles heel is the drumline. Sorry fellas, but you need to learn how to march in step. Tenors specifically. Other than that it was near flawless, with a little sloppiness at the end, but a huge drill move a brass hit to finish. The highlight is the taiko drum groove with the bells on the poles. Fantastic, entertaining show. A must see! Top 15 for sure (maybe top 12). CASCADES: 70.50 (or .05, not sure) Absolutely huge first hit. The first big, loud, high brass moment of the night. Using all of the feild really kept your attention and the guard had great flag choices for good visuals. The duet was lovely, as was the brass who didn't miss a beat musically. Now, as for the marching a forms, sub par. I really was hoping this was your first show and it was just nerves, but I soon learned it was not. Like the Renegades, the music seems to be absolutely perfect, so maybe a little time on drill is needed. Honestly, I think the Mandarins should have beaten them only because of the marching. Otherwise this is another top 12 show for one of the best up-and-coming corps this side of the rockies. Super sound! BLUE KNIGHTS: 72.95 Hmmm. Perhaps it was antici-pointment, but the show just didn't grab me. As everyone I'm sure knows, the guard uni's are not only horrid but don't fit with the rest of the group. Once you get over that, the show is very well marched with a great opener and some very meaty drumline beats. The drill, as always, is constantly moving and changing without sacrificing any balance among the brass. The spacing near the end was questionable, but it's early, as it is for all these corps. The guard did do a very nice job. It almost seemed like they were performing with some extra flare in trying to prove that only their leotards were rediculous. A very strong finish. Did I miss the drum feature, or was there one? Oh well, the bottom bass was loud and proud, that's all you can ask for. Not bad, but not incredibly entertaining. PHANTOM REGIMENT: 78.10 The exact opposite to the above. The anticipation could not have been higher. The crowd asked and they delivered. Huge huge huge first hit with chills that ran through the crowd like the "wave". Almost nothing wrong with this show. The visuals were perfect, the forms looked perfect with a little early season spacing. A smokin' drumline with the "driving wedge" drill manuever was amazing. I seriously could not stop smiling the whole #### show. For those critics who say BD and PR's drill is too easy and will hold them back in the scores, just look at who finished 1,2. The guard was spot on and the brass had to be on something because they were phenomenal. A few of the in your face moments almost brought tears of joy to my eyes. Critically, I would say the only problem is the marching, but that takes time. And hey, any corps that leaves to a groove gets mucho kudos in my book. Please don't make us here on the West wait another 20-some odd years for more Phantom. I hope you know how much you were enjoyed. BLUE DEVILS: 81.85 After Phantom's show, I was expecting this show to be a little bit of a let down. Wrong-o. The snare spars to open were new and refreshing, not the same old turn and hit blast. The first form was superb. Color guards around the world should watch BD, because they were perfect, at least what I saw. The brass seemed a little smaller than usuall, with more high than low. The drumline was great, and quite simply some of the best rack playing I have ever seen. Who needs cymbals (see SCV)? They also performed what I think is my new favorite musical moment: You know on your stereo how you can adjust the balance between right and left, well it was like the drum major had a little knob and was flicking it back and forth for about 15 seconds of arched stand still. Mind-numbing! Simply an entertaining show that is performed to near perfection. Some forms were a little off near the end, but it's early. Certaintly a first or second at finals. Great job and one of the most entertaining shows I have seen in a while. Cool!!! SCVANGUARD: 77.00 The score is too low for the difficulty of the show, let me say that first. Then let me say that perhaps the difficulty is unnecessary. There was some huge phasing in the first move, but that is too be expected when half the corps starts 80 yards from the other and has to march backwards. I wasn't real big on the guard uni's, but their performance was near flawless for the home towners. I like the attitude ot the drum major with the hat toss. Something needs to be said that the brass is performing the music perfectly and really has only the drill to clean, so for everyone who thinks it can't be done, forget about it. I hate to blame the moves, but a few attakcs seemed early because of them. The drumline was probably the best of the night. The grove was also the best of the night, with the Mandarins' coming a close second. And a very nice duet with flugelhorns(sp?) made for a sweet tone for the senses. Might I say that there should be a catagory for cymbal line scoring, as I don't think anyone other than them and BD"c" had cymbals on the field (no the rack does not count). Visual heaven. Anyways, a very difficult show with a lot going for with great potential. I for one like the music and the flow it has. I think the score reflected the phasing more than anything. Top 4, or 1st if perfect.

Good news and bad news. Good: this was my third show of the year and was my first opportunity to see So Cal Dream and River City Regiment, so I was stoked. Bad: this is the last show I can go to, so those of you who take offense to my reviewing style will just have to hold your tears back till you finish reading this one. WEST COAST SHOWDOWN Venue: Del Oro High Stadium: Bowl (apprx. 1000 attending) Time: 7:00-10:30 Temp: HOT! (100 @ Showtime) Seats: 5 rows down on the 45 PRE-SHOW: I was glad to see RCR represent with Hodgkins (sp?) playing the national anthem. Very nice "kicked up" rendition. Lots of mics and cameras, end of the year records perhaps. Anyway, review time. (for those of you only interested in the senior showdown, scroll a bit) *in order of appearance* FEVER: (73.45) I'm still amazed that this is a first year corps for the size they were able to produce. I've seen their show three times and they have improved every time. It was tough for them to go first as the shadow from the stands had not fully engulfed the field. The solos and early duet were perfect. Hopefully they can keep their low brass as that is the strongest section. The higher brass just needs more confidence. The guard was also much improved, very few drops or flag miscues. The show that they are marching appears to be very difficult, both musically and drill wise for a "first year". Really a fantastic inuagural season. I can see them going traveling along the same path as Esperanza has in the last three years. BLUE DEVILS "C": (exh.) What more can you say about them, their great! They seem to get larger every year. This year's opening fanfare was fantastic. Somewhere in the middle of the show they all come forward into a "little box of power". They even had a signature BD sop tag at the end. And major props to the snare who dropped his stick just before the tom tom section and played the second half with one stick AND without missing a beat. The guards for all the BD corps seem to be a step above the rest, and I like the flashy silver unis. Can't wait to see you guys and gals next year! Always entertaining. BLUE DEVILS "B": (78.75) So, the first thing that strikes me about them is that there is no "flash". i.e.: no silver anything (well, other than horns). I would like to see some sort of silver integrated into next years unis. Anyways, the drum round-a-bout in the intro is classic. Very well done. The drum line and colorguard are by far the strongest sections of the corps. The brass just doesn't play and march with a lot of courage or enthusiasm or whatever, so at times the drums really play over them. But at standstill they can really let loose and make some noise. The guard was perfect. A good show, not too intriguing, but also not overly complex. See you next year. VANGUARD CADETS: (81.40) Let's see. The whole "G" guard object is the first thing that you really notice. Not a bad thing, just very visual. I liked how it was integrated into the entire show. Not the actual "G" cut out but the design in the flags and such. Very "GE". The corps is well balanced as always. Hard show design but marched to perfection. The groove section was great. Very talented drumline. As far as the pit feature, I think it lasted a little long. It was a very cool effect with the multiple triangles and the bowes on the bells, I felt it lasted just a little too long with the corps in the background doing nothing but visuals. Guard was very good. All in all a good program. Not a big fan of the music, but that's no biggie. Once again, I encourage the SCV Board of Directors to think about the possibility of marching this corps in Div. 1 under a different name. I think they could do very well. They've definitly already got the size. Good job! PACIFIC CREST: (77.40) I like the cubes! There, I said it. Moving on. In Hayward I thought they were very good. Last night, they were...very good. Not much had changed. Forms were still off a bit, the marching was a little iffy, especially change of directions, but overall it wasn't bad. The music didn't really grab me till the swing section, then it really took off. Lots of park 'n barks, but very well placed. Reminded me a lot of a Madison type show - high energy, very entertaining. To point out one big form flaw would be the Contra feature where the two ends of the triangle were five yards away from the rest of the triangle. But for all the little step flaws, the ending crossthrough was absolutely perfect with a huge hit at the end. Great finish. I hope you can clean those feet for a serious run at the top 12. Good luck! **SENIOR SHOWDOWN** SO CAL DREAM: (60.25) First let me say welcome to the CA senior corps "circuit". It's always great to see fresh and exciting corps in their first years of existance. Next allow me to preface this by saying all the problems they have is typical with a corps fielding its first show, be it senior or otherwise. Alright, enough excuses. The first thing I noticed was no pit, but that's ok, neither Renegades or RCR had pits to start. Kind of the same as BD"B" in that at standstill they're dynamite, but while marching is another story. I would imagine Mambo Caliente is tough to march and play. I thought the solos were pretty good, and the guard looked the most rehearsed. A little phasing during Malaga, again while marching. The drumline had a ton of beats, possibly too many as they came off a little garbled at times. The use of like colors (ie: purple does actually compliment purple) betwen the flags and corps unis was nice, made for a good effect. They have one sop who can hit the high ones, which has almost become customary with CA senior corps. I liked the musical selections, very exciting and kept us all entertained. I think the only other suggestion I would have is to use less of the field. For a corps their size I don't think they need to use the whole field. The marching was good and I seem to remember at least one rotating form, good call on that one. Hey, welcome and don't fade away. Get stronger and come back next year to give Renegades a run for their money, you can do it. See you next season. RIVER CITY REGIMENT: (62.20) My boys!!! First time to see the "homeys" this season, and at their last show they did not disappoint the home towners. I read someone's review that said their intro, the Mannheim Steamroller piece, should become their signature. I agree. It sounds absolutely fabulous on the field with the opening solo and the corps lightly easing in to a nice big finish. Really, the only problem this corps has is the drill, which I will touch on later. The brass, wich is made up of home-brought instrumentation (except for the Contras) is very clean and sharp. I was very impressed by the sound they put out. I also read they are playing with a mix of G and Bb horns, which to me sounds pretty hard to arrange. There were a few moments near the end where the brass was a little off, I'm going to guess over exurtion or fatigue, but nevertheless they sounded good overall. The drumline is the most rehearsed and thus the cleanest section. I was so happy to see my big 32"er out there. Go bottom bass! The riffs were perfect. Didn't hear a single beat dropped. As for the guard, well, at times they seemed "drill less". By that I mean at times there seemed to be flags being randomly tossed about. If there was structure, then it was ok as there weren't any notable drops. But the un-involvement showed in the score. Now, the drill (please skip if you could care less). Because senior corps only get together every now and then, I don't expect to see a lot of difficult drill. Here in lies the glaring difference between RCR and Renegades. Renegades have a lot of drill, maybe even too much (I believe you all read my thoughts on their drill early in the season), which is ok as long as it is marched cleanly. To their credit, they are marching it very very well. As for RCR, they don't have a lot of drill, which is also ok with me because I know there isn't a lot of time for drill. And it is marched very well. Unfortunately, in judging, the difficulty of drill seems to play a big part. So, to end this diatribe, I enourage RCR to next year add more drill when they have bigger numbers so they can have more of a presence on the field. RCR, you guys kick arse! I sincerly hope you guys double in size again and put another entertaining show on the field next year. GO RCR! RENEGADES: (72.30) In two words - near perfection. Brass - flawless, drums - little rough but very good, guard - much much better! Now don't think just because the show was awe inspiring I'm going to go easy on them. This show screamed Renegades. When I saw them in Hayward, it was their first show, it was not marched clean at all, the guard looked lost, and the music seemed a bit tentative. Last night, everything came together. I was sincerely hoping this would be the case as I didn't want to write down everything negative. The opening hit is huge! The cone mutes are genious. The whole corps just sounds awesome. Now for the bad. Spacing looks to still be an issue, especially in the contras, but in general it looks much better then Hayward, as it should. In all honesty, I know Renegades drums had more beats, but I think RCR's was crisp and cleaner. Yes I know they're smaller, but that's no excuse as any drum instructor should tell you the size of the line does not determine the cleanliness of the line. Anyways, much more Renegad-esque. By that I mean almost every cutoff had a tag, some well placed, some not. Hey, great show. I still would have liked to see the good vs. evil theme taken beyond the music - perhaps white unis for the drumline or guard, or perhaps a throwback to the old SCV change-of-the-uniform tunnel where they go in black and come out white. Just an idea. I really liked the show. I also wished they had given us a preview of the "evil" ending waiting in the wings. Oh well. Can't wait to see what they come up with next year. Maybe a "drum corps fans dream, part 3"?! POST SHOW: The three senior corps arched up and blew us all away with America. And now, I rave out a little: To the Renegade sops who decided to take it up two octives in the middle of America, (note: this comes from me and my dad) It did not sound good!!! I know at the end it gets taken up, but not in the middle. I know you love to get close to an aneurism playing as high as possible, but not in the middle! I'm hoping that Hodgkins from RCR was not part of it, because he did a masterful job with the Star Spangled Banner without taking it up. Please, give the high stuff a rest. It doesn't always sound good. There, end rant. After the giant arch each corps reprised their show in their own arch. I admit it, I stayed for one, no, two reasons - RCR (for support) and Renegades (because I love drum corps, and they truly have what I like about drum corps: face shattering sound). There you go. My review. Man it's hard to write these at work. Oh well. Hope you all liked it. If not, at least you read it. Hey Impulse, how bout comin' up here next year? You too, soon-to-be-div.2-champs Esperanza. Go Phantom, I want a new champ. Go SCV, prove that show to be great. Go Mandarins, make top 15 this year, top 12 next year, top 6 '05, champs in '06!!!! (My not so silly prediction).