Sportster

Pardon me, Genie, for somewhat 'hijacking' this thread. It is also intended to try to keep it alive as long as possible to get more folks to chime in for their favs. Personally, the most professional sounding Corps ever is 1980 Blue Devils. The music, each song, fits so well as a whole, it's as if one is listening to a professional group and not a bunch of 'kids' under 22. From the incredible soloist(s) to the bass drums adding so much texture to the music to the blending of the hornline and the 'accent' drums on the snares, it is all done extremely well. As a whole, it is without peer. So well done and well written and performed.

93 Star, although I really did enjoy Cadets show as well. (honorable mention: 88' Devils)

I knew they had grey pants but I didn't know they were all black in 89'. I didn't get to see them that year but I've heard their show many times, including that poor soloists performance, wow. I've heard from others that the kid was a very talented player, just chunked it at the worst possible time.

Memories of that 88' Devils show...saw them at Whitewater and their standstill. First time having seen them that year. Was with my girlfriend and remember thinking HOLY cow, these guys are rocking! Sent chills all through me! Only year they marched in black uni's (that I know of anyway..). Remember their hornline at the end of the show just screaming. You can still hear it in the mp3. The specially made 'Meehaphones' screaming through the entire ensemble, just cutting through so powerfully. Still get chills hearing that in their show....good stuff. Here's the link to Wayne Downey talking about the 'Meehaphones' and other good stuff. Wayne Downey on the Devils The 'Meehaphone' section in a photo from the 1988 DCI Finals in Kansas City.

I have been involved with DCI as a corps member and then a fan for decades and oh how I wish I would have/could have saved some of the best memories from shows I've seen. MANY standstill performances I've been afraid to film due to these restrictions and all that's left is a failing memory of them. This is not something DCI markets so how could they restrict it? IF only for a photographic memory....

I already posted that a few back. Will the Genie allow ANOTHER set of 3??! BD 80', Star the year they won (age related brain degeneration...90'? 91??), AND....84' Garfield....(shhhhh! Don't let the genie know I snuck it in!!)

Some excellent choices here by all. Loved 96' Phantom. Remember Finals night only, their soprano line was the best I've ever heard, just that night too. They were so clean and tight it was magical. I've never heard a sop line so sweet sounding before or since. 02' Cavies..think it was Cavies with the highest score ever tied with CBC, their sop line was sweet as well. I'm a snare drummer and if I'm noticing how sweet a horn line sounds, it's saying something heh heh. Just like what was it, 93' Cadets in Mississippi, they had a magnificent guy in the guard. Now I DEFINATLEY do not focus on the guard much but he kept getting my attention with his incredible talent. Don't know who it was but I had heard he went on to teach. He was something else as was that show. Star of 90',91' and 93', didn't care much for their 92' show even though I definately appreciated the Patriotic theme. But wow...that hornline and how sweet it blended together. You just don't hear hornlines like that anymore. Hated their snares, sounded like banging on trash cans UNTIL 93' when they finally changed em. And 93', wow.....tight and incredible. The year they won though is the most unbelievable for me with that moving cross to cross formation and the unbelievable hornline. Sorry I'm rambling here but all this talk is bringing some sweet sweet memories to the forefront. SO many incredible shows gone by. 27th and the Olympics, BD of 80, another show I love to listen to. Bridgemens drumlines, wow. SCV and SO many shows I love from them. Miss Freelancers, Northstar's chrome snareline, the great shows at Whitewater that hold so many great memories for me. Cavies of 91'92' when their drumline was just so hot.

I remember a few shows the Cavies did that I didn't care for, and then they started doing some really neat theme shows and that all changed. But they went through a period where folks sat on their hands, but I don't remember it ever being like what BD is doing and experiencing.

MartinO, you hit the nail on the head and exactly how I feel. I would agree with most of what you posted. Just gotta go to a show with them in it and see that the vast majority of the crowd agrees or they wouldn't be sitting on their hands. Wait and see if they win finals, which I bet they probably will, and hear the disapproval of the crowd. But they don't care. Cadets can put on a enjoyable show AND win. Cavies, the same. Phantom, the same. WTH is with Devils?????

North, yes I did.

I've always thought Crown was much more comparable to Star also. This year especially with the 'stereo' tymps at each endzone. Heard that, mind immediately went STAR! I remember that!

Our High School band program has a former Scout as the director, which is great and he tries to get the kids 'up to snuff' but they just aren't even nearly as dedicated as a kid in Drum Corps is. They're much better than they used to be but that's thanks to the infusion of a former DC member. I'll never get the chills I get (used to get I guess now....) from standing and listening to a clarinet or saxophone 'hornline' that I got from listening to a full DC HORNline. The power,the presence. Just not there. Flutes? C'mon now! Not even comparable in power or intensity! And the percussion section...well, have yet to see one stand up to the best DC has to offer. I swear, if DC EVER adds clarinets, woodwinds, flutes, etc, forget it I'm done-gone. Might as well call it Band.

80' Spirit- loud, powerful hornline. Wow they were loud! 88' Devils- still love that music to this day! 95' Scouts- INTENSITY! Standing O's! Just listened to em again last night, brought me right back there in front of them, massive goose bumps everywhere. A onslaught of awesomeness!

The best sounding electronics in Drum Corps?? Ok.....{ } . There.....none! Especially leave out all the jabber. Let the MUSIC speak for itself!

Yea, my oldest plays in school band, but it's nothing compared to Drum Corps. DC teaches more intensely, more disciplined, the kids really desire to be there for the most part, not just because they need to take a class. I learned alot more in DC than I ever did in band. You can probably tell I'm quite a bit 'biased' against band as a comparable to DC. Growing up the band director hated DC, probably out of jealousy. The kids in DC could run rings around those in band and we won every goofy parade against them we ever marched in, by a wide margin. Admittedly, band has come a long way from where it used to be. But I still have that mindset-forget band, join a DC and become a man! lol....bands....pfft...Drum Corps, baby!!!

93' was a stellar year for DC,unless you were a fan of Star. I think they got bilked but that's just me. That year they were unreal, tight clean and wow, good. Phantom was experimenting with African percussion and I loved their show and so did most audiences I saw. BD had a great MUSICAL show. Cadets were great. It was a fantastic year for DC. But the negativity surrounding Star finally got to them and they left the activity, sadly. Definately miss them and their unreal hornline sound.....

I'd love to get my kids involved in Drum Corps like I was but there's just no starter corps even close to me. Growing up, I was in a local Corps that's long gone, Maple City Cadets. If not them we had the Saginaires, the Midshipmen, Guardsmen, a crapload of Corps out of Wisc. There were alot of them back then. Now heck.....sad, very sad. Activity definately isn't growing...that needs to change!

Wouldn't surprise me if Phantom comes up and takes it like they did in 96', this time without splitting with BD. But I'd love to see Crown win also. Either of those two, or even Cadets.....

I would agree with the person who said you need to market this correctly. There are MANY former DC fans sitting out there that will not go to any shows anymore due to what it's become. I know quite a few myself and they were die hard fans. I've been sticking with it for quite some time now but I'm seeing what they're seeing. And I'm not liking it either. Look, you don't have to all use rifles in the guard or all do the same spins or some slow drill design or unplug ALL your electronics to draw folks that used to love the activity back. There are definately certain things that just annoy the H-ll out of us and that's constant talking through a show and electronics that go on and on and aren't used sparingly and tastefully. Also I think that more equipment use in the guard would help and less dancing around. Anyone can fling their arms around but it takes talent to twirl a present, like Cadets are doing this year. One of my biggest pet peeves is no creativity in the percussion section. This has plagued DCI for sometime now really. Once a Corps has success doing something,expect 5 corps the NEXT season to be doing the exact same friggin thing. Monkey sticking, bam EVERYONE is doing monkey sticking. Dancing while drumming, BAM EVERYONE has got some dance moves in the line now. That doesn't keep me away, it just a personal beef of mine 8} . Anyway, do some traditional DC stuff to draw the older folks in. The kids get exposed to the classic stuff and the fans drool over it. I'd LOVE to see some of the old Madison snareline rotations with the cymbals or playing off some pit drums, etc like they used to. That stuff is way cool and the kids would love it. More than one corps playing some recognizable stuff would help immensely as well. Malaguena, anyone? I'd love to see a show with a few songs instead of one with 6 songs all chopped up and jammed into the show sideways.

Thank you folks for the help. I did finally acquire tix for Quarters and Semis, but am now debating on what to do for Finals, if we go. The prices are just so high for Finals night that we're still debating on whether we'll go or not. If we do, it'll be more than likely the second pricing tier seats, not the super (expensive) Premium ones. Thanks again for the help!

Bump!

Yea but they'd have to play a entire song....oh the horror!

I really enjoyed Star and came close to joining them at one point but wasn't enthralled with playing Disney's 'zippidy do dah' lol. They were incredible in 91' and 93' and different, yet engaging. Yet many hated them out of jealousy for their millionaire owner and his deep pockets and everything new and shiny. I understand that to a point but I really believe they were booed right out of the activity. I was there at 93' finals and it was ugly for them. I was pretty ticked the way people were acting. I don't like BD's show but I would NEVER boo them or act like some do. Those kids are playing their hearts out regardless of whether it's a enjoyable show or a head scratching mess.

You're quite wrong. Got involved with DC back in 76'. That's 36 years of experience talking. Even when there were some 'cerebral' moments in DC, it was still done with something the crowd could get into. Something they could grab on to and love. I'm not saying everything about the BD show is undesireable. I'm tired of them doing these shows though, that I will say. And if you're as 'old school' as you imply, then you aren't a traditionalist in the sense that you accept everything new about the activity. I've talked with a lot of older DC fans and I'd say the majority of them don't care for the direction the activity is taking. Maybe you enjoy all the talking over the show nonsense. I don't. Some SOME of the electronics are done tastefully. Too many aren't. The BD I see now has zero connection to the old school BD I loved and that drew me to this activity and that's a darned shame. Personally, I'd like to see the show designer hit the road and take his crowd displeasing esoteric 'artsy' crap with. Play jazz, that's what you do best! Just as was mentioned what Madison did, they're still doing....what PHANTOM did, they're still doing. Who knows WTH BD is doing, it sure as hell ain't what they USED to do!!!

The 'average Joe' doesn't come to a DC show to watch basically what that Youtube video shows. They come for excitement, intensity, showmanship and to be entertained. Who the flip cares about Dada or even knows what the heck it is?? And shut the flip up with the narration! Good grief does it go on and on and on and is so distracting!! I don't speak French, don't care to learn to either to understand a nonsense show. I'm gonna be blunt here....I'm old school DC and this sucks, period! Gimme a Madison front blowing my face off while the drumline is rocking in the rear riding with cymbals and the place is going absolutely nuts. THAT, my young friends, is what DRUM CORPS is all about!! Forget all this other nonsense. Just shut up and blow my fricking face off already! Tired of all this cerebral BS!!!! That isn't what DC is about..you want that, go watch a Opera....gimme my DRUM CORPS back!