perc2100

And the ladies in rehearsal ;) -- doug

I agree. I've stopped going to see movies at Mira Mesa because they set the projecter bulb WAY too low. I don't know if they think they're saving energy or extending the life span of the bulb (they're not). I've complained before, but they look at me like either they think I don't know what I'm talking about (I do), or they don't know what I'm talking about. By other big beef is that DCI didn't do a great job at formatting the program to fit the wide screen ratio of a movie screen. It ended up 'crushing' the picture, and all of the members looked short and dumpy. I'd rather see a TV type box of a picture than that crappy faux wide screen look. Worst thing: watching Crown at Mira Mesaw. On the high cam view, it looked like oozing lemon meringue or something! -- doug

I played a younger kid a recording of Blue Devils' show (I was listening to the APD's on my lap top while he was over), and he asked me, "who's that boy talking? What is he talking during that show, isn't that bad? [side note: my wife and I are band directors, and he knows it's bad to talk during a concert while the band's playing] Why won't he stop?" It was funny. I told him that that's just what some band's like to do, and he wanted to hear the 'other' bands who don't. As a funny guy used to say, 'kids say the darndest things...' -- doug

I'm not 100% sure corps are a "fizzle" if they are still fielding. I'd say a "fizzle" would be Les Etoiles or Academie, or other corps who moved up fro Div. II to Open Class and folded after a few years. No, Kiwanis Kavaliers, Pioneer, and Southwind aren't going to be making Top 12 this year, but they are still competing. -- doug

I'm sorry I will be in San Diego this weekend (well, I'm not sorry I'll be there, but sorry DCI won't be there) and I won't be able to take part in the fun. I hope to see it in theaters tomorrow, and I hope this works out for ya. If so, I would think that would be worth a little bit of GE points! Good luck! -- doug

In '93 a good friend of mine was marching his rookie year in Cadets' snare line. I remember seeing an early season show in OH with Cadets, and immediately thout that Cadets had a winner. That year I went to a TON of shows, and almost immediately fell in love with Cadets. I was biased at the time, and I had a thing against Star (since they were so neck and neck with Cadets). I didn't like their atonal music. I didn't like all of the body movement. I didn't like that their drumline didn't throw down (and liked even less that they ended the show with a buzz roll). And I sure as heck didn't like when Star seemed to beat Cadets at regionals (Preview was one I remember vividly). At the time, it seemed like many other audience members agreed. But now, looking back, I feel like the Star show was ahead of it's time. I still love the Cadets' show, and I still think they should've won, but Star was way ahead of the design game. I see the Star '93 show as the last show to truly be innovative in the activity. What they did would easily be competitive for the ring now, and over ten years later I don't think another show design has been as revolutionary as that show (IMO, SCV '98 was close). And not only did Star have the 'new' show design, but they had the talented performers to match. That brass line was amazing (HAD to be to tie brass with BD that year, who's brass ruled the field), and their drumline is considered by many to be one of the best ever. Looking at that show now, you can see how much it influenced everything after it (heck, even in '94 how many corps used some kind of body movement in their show, usually in a not-so-good way, IMO). But Cadets had the show design. They took three or four different pieces, and weaved them together PERFECTLY! That Cadets show, design wise, flows better than almost any other show. That drumline could throw down, the hornline was strong, and the guard was great! I still consider that Cadets of Bergen County '93 show as my favorite for the way it blended music and visual. I agree about '93 being a strong year. I kind of remember, at the time, people thinking it was weak from an audience enjoyment stand point (especially compared to '92), but I liked that Top 6 from '93. Add in Crossmen's second part to the songs for planet earth trilogy (and a sweet drumline from them), Blue Knights cool/fun Star Trek show, and, IMO, an underappreciated SCV show and you have a strong year in the Top 12! Dang; after all of this discussion you're _forcing_ me to buy that darn DVD ;) -- doug

You're only partially right. Corps staff members should be held to HIGHER standards of etiquette than would be expected on a fan. Afterall, that's what they instill onto their students, right? -- doug

You know, I heard that they were thinking of changing the ending.... ;) -- doug

Hmmm.... Anything could be considered 'legends,' and I would think that most alumni worth their weight in gold wouldn't betray their specific corps' legends, myths, etc. That being said, a few of my favorites... * Blue Devil's drumline (instruments) getting burned in a fire or being stolent some year in the 80's. * more than a few instances of corps marching holes in finals due to over-age members * that year a few years back when a BD bass drummer got busted the night of Semi's for smoking weed, was isolated by corps staff the day of finals, but somehow 'stole' his uniform and drum and ran out onto the field after the onfield warm-up and marched the show * my favorite old school Garfield Cadets Story (from '83): In marching rehearsal George Z got really ticked at someone's marching tick, and yelled something like "Hey; give me 1,000 push-up" (I'd bet money that's paraphrasing ;). At first the member thought George was 'joking' but George made it clear he was serious. The member ended up doing push-up all day, evening, before and after the show before George let him off the hook. * One year in Oakland, the year they won drums but didn't make finals, a judge kind of casually watched the drumline play their onfield warm-up. Of course, this wasn't allowed, and the judges can't add or subtract points during this time. Anyway, thd drumwriter (I believe it was Float), crammed as many notes as possible, and I'm told the warm-up was 10 times harder than anything they had in their book. Well, story goes that the drum judge was so impressed that after the warm-up he dropped his clipboard, commented that he wouldn't be needing it, and didn't say more than 5 or 10 words on the tape. The drumline won that night. * How 'bout that year in the mid-90's (either 94 or 95) at Cadets when two of the four tenors got hernias during tour? *one last one, that's too interesting not to tell. In 1994, the last time Finals was in Boston, a divsion 2 finalst corps was housed in a not-so-good section of town. One of their snare drummers was practcing for I&E during lunch, when some of the local residents (supposed gang members) started yelling at him to stop. Being a snar drummer, the member continued to practice even louder. The gang dudes started throwing stuff at him, I assume words were exchanged, and a chase ensued. The gang of four-six (or more, depending on who's telling the story) kids caught up to the snare drummer as he made it to the school cafeteria where everyone was eating. One of the gang kids grabbed the snare drummer and 'threw' up down on a table in the caf. in front of the corps/staff/support staff. What happens next, as I'm told, is something out of a movie. The entire room got silent as the rest of the gang ran in, and the corps, staff, and male support staff memebers went to town on the gang. I guess it couldn't have really been called a 'rumble,' as that would imply a two sided fight. What happened was the corps beating the living snot out of the gang. A lot of the support staff and staff were good old, blue collar working guys who had no problems throwing punches at the young punks. Cops and ambulances were called as the gang members who didn't need immediate medical attention ran off. Not one corps member, staff member, or support staff was injured, and the rest of the week the corps got Boston police escorts everywhere they went, and a 'guard' on the facility while they slept and practiced. The corps ended up making Division 2 finals. Of course, the story is funnier in person, as you can see the motions of the fight. This story was told to me first by some staff members of the corps who where there, and then by members from that year. I love those old time drum corps stories... :) -- doug

Shoot...I just realized... Dutchboy Cadets dropped the "Cadets" and are now just Dutchboy, right? Does that count?

You also left off Dutchboy. Can't forget our neighbors to the North, eh?! -- doug

I've always loved this show. But here's my thinking: What show should've placed lower than SCV? 1992 SCV had the misfortune of happening during a strong year. IMO the Top 7 shows are just great, with Phantom coming in right behind them. 1992 was a great year, and there just happened to be six other shows 'better' than SCV. There were other issues I've heard about from members of that corps, but it's not my place to discuss. But I've always loved that show, and I think it's one of the more under rated shows. -- doug

####, it sounds like I missed a great encore! That's cool of SCV to play Bottle Dance. I remember other shows I've seen them win, when they've played stuff from Phantom of the Opera. I agree about Esperanza; it would suck to go on after Vangaurd, even if it's your home show. I would've really like to have seen them go on closer to Mandarins and Pacific Crest, to see how they really stacked up against their 'rivals' (though I suspect it wouldn't have made a big difference score wise). -- doug

I just got home from the San Diego show, and I thought I'd share some of my thoughts. I didn't stay for retreat/scores, so I can beat the traffic out, so sorry about that. To give you a little back ground: I aged-out in '98 (snare line Kiwanis Kavaliers 97, 98), but I've been a drum corps geek since '91. I'm currently a band teacher (both middle school and high school). This is the first drum corps show I've been to since 2001 (my son was born Jan. of '02, so out went the free time for awhile ;) Now that that junk's out of the way... I got there nice and early, so I can catch some corps warming up. The site the show was at is a fairly new high school in my school district, so it was a great venue for drum corps (HUGE area; they could've housed three corps and they never would've run into each other). It was pretty cool as the sun went down, so it was a great night. I made sure I got to my seat early, so I wouldn't miss anyone (I understand people like to watch corps warm-up, talk to old friends, etc. but I didn't want to leave out anyone). First up was an ensemble from San Diego St. University: a pep band. They were recruiting for their marching band (I assume; the sound system was absolutely horrible, and I couldn't hear it from inside the 30), and sounded pretty good. They didn't project very well, though, IMO, and their time was a little loose (their percussionists and low voices were in the front, while the rest of the band arced it up behind them). The first drum corps up was a corps I'd not heard of before, Mystikal. They're from Southern California; this might be their first year, but I'm not sure. They were a decent sized group, and they played music from Pirates of the Caribbean. Their horns had some stamina issues, and need to project a little bit better (but then again, a lot of the music was staccato), as the drumline seemed to out play them. The drumline was pretty good with a REAL notey book. Perhaps a little over writing, but it looked like a fun show to march. I liked this corps, and wish them luck in the upcoming years. The next corps was The Academy, from Phoenix, AZ: another corps I hadn't seen before. The first thing that hits you right off the bat, is this corps is HUGE! I liked their uniform: black pants with a dark red top. Their guard uni's clashed, though (the only downside to having red tops). This corps was good, and really got the crowd into the show. Their music was not as accessible as Mystikal's, and by the end of the show it kind of fell flat. But again, they were fairly clean, though with that many horns I would've like to hear a little more volume. Also, their drill was VERY safe, almost boring. I'd love to see more exciting drill. They marched well enough with good technique, but they're capable of doing a lot more than they are. Impulse was next. I know a lot of people love this corps, and especially their philosophies and 'character.' They are definitely unique, but they don't "talk the talk" so to speak. Their show was one of the most boring of the night, and maybe the dirtiest. It's one of the shows that maybe sounded like a good idea on paper, but it didn't do much for me on the field. It didn't help that everything about the corps needs lots of work. Their percussion had some nice parts, but had problems playing eighth notes clean. Their horn line sounded fairly week as well, and their marching technique needs work. The crowd didn't seem to mind, and I think their hats and shirts were the most worn (outside of home corps Esperanza). They have a long way to go, but like I said: I like the different style. After the insanely long intermission (why do you need an intermission with only seven corps?!), Pacific Crest came on. First, I like their uniforms: white pants (an endangered species in the uniform world) with a dark green top. Their guard was the first guard of the night who REALLY went well with the corps visually (uniforms and flags flowed with the show great). They did a Bernard Herrman show, but they did different music than Blue Devils and Phantom Regiment from awhile back. They had really good drill, and played well. Their drumline had some spotty moments, but was pretty solid for the most part. Also, a well written drum book: not too boring, and not too much. There was a great feature when the snares and basses picked up hand drums and talking drums. Another cool moment is when the sops (er...trumpets) play with mutes. I like this show the more I think about it, and it was the first corps of the night who seemed to have the total package as far as drill, music, and guard. The biggest issue I had with 'em was their closer: 'Death Hunt.' It was pretty good arrangement and some nice drill moments), but their horn line ran out of steam tonight. It's a challenging part for the horns, and I assume/hope that as the season goes on they'll be able to pull it off. I'll be very interested to see them added to the mix, as I think they'll make a good run at improving on last season's placement. Next we had Mandarins. I've always liked and respected this corps, and they're what I call the "Yoda" corps of DCI: size matter's not! I LOVED the design of this show. Their look is perfect, and this corps was MADE to play a show like this. I always like their Teiko drum features, and they are a huge part of this show. At times tonight they seemed to phase a little, but when they were going with a groove, it was great. Their guard, as usual, blew me away. Their uniforms were a nice contrast the the corps proper, and they had some 'traditional' looking Asian flags for part of the show (I assume they're traditional, but I don't really know anything about the culture). One part that sticks out in my mind: the guard is on the far outside ends of the corps (possibly in the end zones, I'm not sure), half on each side. The Teiko drums start up, and the guard 'answers' them with what I first thought were a dozen or so slap sticks. As the march into the drill, still playing, you realize that they're really 'playing' two rifles (that have a kind of wood/tan look that matches their unis). They then proceed to put on a rifle spinning clinic that made my jaw drop: simply amazing! I have no clue who their guard instructors/writers are, but kudos!!! Their horns were strong for their size, and if you hear a recording you'd never guess how 'small' their horn line is. Their drums are also very solid, with small drums mounted on their bass drum rims. Great show, and good luck in Denver, Mandarins. Next up was the corps I was dying to see. I have the ADP recording of SCV, and I LOVE the music of Scheherazade. I've always thought this was perfect music for SCV, and they proved me correct x10. I always love to watch SCV perform, as they are the textbook definition of 'Intense.' I took my son and wife to watch them perform this morning, so I got acquainted with some of their drill. All I can say is HOLY COW!! They have some work to clean this show all around, but when they do they will be in the hunt. Every aspect of this corps is good, and this was easily the best corps of the night by a lot. Their drill is typical Vanguard, which means lots of velocity and horn manuals. Their drumlin plays a ton of notes (take notes, percussion arranger. SCV's book is how you write lots of music while still playing totally musical). Their tenor line especially caught my attention. I wish I could see this show a hundred times, and I can't gush about this show enough. Their drum finish is also very cool: look for some pictures on corps reps or something. The soloists were the best sounding of the night, and were, IMHO (for the most part) the only confident sounding soloists. I don't know what else to say, except this show exceeded my expectations. Oh, and about the amping... SCV was the 'cleanest' sounding pit (not in the playing, flawless sense, though that's true too, but more like you can hear exactly what they're doing at all times very clear). If you didn't know they were using a mixer and amps, you'd never guess. The last corps of the night was Esperanza. Boy, did they have it tough following SCV. Their show seemed very flat to me, and didn't really do anything for me. They performed well enough, and the show seems like it's a decent design, but they didn't 'step up' for the home crowd. Their brass has a lot of playing technique issues as well. They need to get a lot more volume from their low voices (it didn't help they only have six contras), and their sound seems really 'choked:' open up those throats, boys and girls! Their drumline was on/off, as in sometimes really clean, sometimes really dirty. The snare feature was nice, and there's some nice writing there. They're doing a lot of Philip Glass Music, so it's hard to make that entertaining (IMO). I'd like to hear some re-writes in the hornbook before they compete against the mid-west and eastern corps. They too have a lot of work ahead of them, but they seem capable of pulling it off. Well, that's about it. I'll probably go to the 'Tour of Champions' at the Q, but until then this is my last corps show. I think $16 is a little pricey, but if that's the going rate so be it. For what it's worth, I think SCV, Mandarins, and Pacific Crest are the only shows that have the 'total package' from a design stand point, and only need minor changes and cleaning before Denver. I hope to see The Academy and Mystikal a lot in the future. I hope this wasn't too long; I'll be anxious to see the scores and see how the corps stacked up against each other! -- doug 'We are ONE'

Actually. Kiwans Kavaliers' Drum Major is wearing the corps proper from the late 80's - 96 (the last time the corps played WWS). I always liked the red top myself, as it seems so 'unique' and aggresive. The black uni's made their first showing in '97, after the corps placed 14th in 96. The staff wanted something that would look nice under the stadium lights (which I thought they did). Oddly enough, the original poster mentioned they'd like to see the corps in the red jackets and the DM in a black jacket: that's exactly what the corps looked like for almost ten years! I wouldn't mind seeing the corps go back to the red jackets, or at least some sort of variation of red jacket; it would add a lot of color to the corps. -- doug 'We are ONE'