kdt1972

Just a few quick thoughts on the DCI Dallas show - it was the show's 35th anniversary, but my first time at Lake Highlands since marching there in high school. I was very surprised that the center section was not full - the tickets were ridiculously expensive ($45), so maybe that was why? Overall, the crowd was good and participative. Forte - my first time seeing this corps. Overall, I think the show is over-complicated for the size and maturity level of the group. The 'bed' props on the field really add nothing to the show. I am not a big fan of the colorguard acting like children thing, as it has been done so many times by so many groups. The hornline made a good effort, but there were some noticeable tuning issues, especially during the ballad. As with most groups, the colorguard struggled with wind, but overall did a good job. Drumline and pit solid - I liked the all-black pit uniforms much better than the corps proper uniforms. Pioneer - There is not much to say that has not already been said regarding this corps. Not the best Pioneer product I have seen, but definitely not the worst. I like their classic look, the drumline was powerful, the drum major was fun to watch, and the hornline was small and powerful. Mandarins - I really enjoyed this program. I think it was written to the ability and maturity of the corps. Although smaller than previous Mandarin corps, I felt this group was more engaging and sold the performance more than in years past. The colorguard uniforms really coordinated well with the rest of the corps, which made the corps look bigger than it was. My only criticism is that all of the flags were washed-out solid colors with the appearance of practice flags. The drumline and hornline were both good - a good crowd reaction after the contra feature. Crossmen - At the end of the night, this was my 2nd favorite show. Just a great show, and the Texas crowd was really receptive. Each section contributed and was featured very well during the show. Hallelujah was one of the musical highlights of the night for me. There are so many great corps this year, and I am afraid that Crossmen (on paper) will have another down year. But anyone who has seen them live can attest to the fact that this corps is well ahead of last year's. Loved the ending with the tribute to the early 90's Crossmen. I hope this one moves up! Academy - I really like the all-black look on the field - very distinctive and gives them a 'presence' that their previous uniforms did not. Their sound was noticeably stronger and more balanced than Crossmen. Their show was enjoyable as well, with lots of 'hummable' melodies. The colorguard was the antithesis of the 'all-grey' colorguards of their competitors. I have never seen lime green vinyl overcoats - maybe a little much, but really stood out! I, personally, enjoyed Crossmen more, but think Academy will place ahead of them in Indy. Glassmen - I remember very little about this show, actually. It was the first of the 'dark/grey' corps - the colorguard's overacting started way before step-off, and got a little tiresome. Unfortunately, all I could think of was the beginning of Mad World, and the Cavies did it much better. The characters in the show spend a lot of time running around, but there is very little storyline development. All sections of the corps were good, but I think this group will have a hard time holding on to their Saturday night spot. Blue Stars - Wow, they can play! A great sound from top to bottom. The colorguard was overwritten and will have a hard time cleaning everything they are attempting - that said, they have some great performers and effects. I am not sure that the scaffolding works - it limits their field coverage quite a bit, and the impact of the different sections using the ramps was minimal. I really wanted to like this show, but it did not click for me. Santa Clara Vanguard - I think I 'got' the program tonight. They have improved so much, but I was surprised to see them top Bluecoats, especially since BC topped them in drums. The drill design is amazing, the colorguard adds so much, and the hornline is getting there. I see them placing in roughly the same place as last year come Indy - and the crowd will be pretty polarized on this show. The corps got a good reaction - my 3rd favorite of the night. Cadets - The obvious winner last night, and I could see them on top in a few weeks. The show is cleverly designed, and all sections are at the top of the activity. The drill design is masterful. My problem with the Cadets is that they over-accessorize. At a certain point, it just becomes cluttered. The 'hide the guard' screens on the sideline now have some architecture with angels, but it is super busy! See last year's Toy Souldier show for additional examples of overdoing it! That said, this is the Cadets I fell in love with 20 years ago! Bluecoats - I am not sure you have heard, but the start with Radiohead's 'Creep' I really liked the ballad last night - the pit player who contributes to the colorguard did a great job during the ballad. I really enjoyed the rifle feature during the ballad. I was not a fan of the color scheme of the guard. Horns and drums are fantastic as always, but there was something missing from the show. As others have said, it seemed like they took last year's formula and repeated it, but to less effect. Following the Cadets was tough as well. Encore: Cadets - played 'On a Hymnsong of Phillip Bliss' from their 1993 program. A bit of 'Rocky Point Holiday', 'William Tell', and 'Moondance' - all arranged in a humorous way. You could tell they put time into the repertoire and the crowd that stayed really appreciated it.

No prop thread can exist without mention of Magic of Orlando - just choose a year.

Just got back from the show in Saginaw - hot and windy, but a good night of drum corps. Here are some brief thoughts on each corps. Blue Stars - fantastic brass sound overall. Loved the writing in the mello line. Some great impacts. Percussion also was noticeable and tight. The colorguard understandably struggled with the wind, but will contribute significantly to the show. The guard was the first of three that are wearing the 'individual variations on a theme of goth/punk/slut'. I see them improving on last year's placement once scores are announced on Monday. SCV - The weakest showing by any corps tonight, unfortunately. Guard outfits seemed identical to Blue Stars, but the work was not as together or complete. The horn line showed some very weak moments and never hit me with that 'SCV sound'. Percussion seems to be the stand-out section, but I don't think that will carry them too far. I think they will fall to 8th with this show. I can think of no stand out musical moments. Phantom - My favorite Phantom showing in a very long time. The colorguard is graceful and elegant, and the show is written to showcase their talent. The horn line had so many well-written impact points - they had the crowd entranced. I know a lot has changed with the percussion, but I did not notice. The 'drum guy' who sat next to me said they were rough in the lot, but good on the field. At the end of the night, those sitting around me felt Phantom was their favorite overall show. The Juliet theme comes through well. Cadets - A really great show. The Angels and Demons theme comes across well - the characterizations start even before they enter the field. Some very subtle differences in each half of the corps that add up to some great impact. The battle scene with the gold and silver poles, once clean, will be a highlight of the summer. This is the Cadets that I fell in love with when I started following Drum Corps. I hope they stay around. My favorite of the night. INTERMISSION - like 15 minutes in front of a hair dryer. Winds really picked up (gusts up to 50 mph according to the Weather Channel). Crown - The pre-show got the crowd involved in the show and was pretty fun. The Rach/Rock theme could work, but right now it did not do it for me. I see what they were trying to do, and I think it will get there. The trusses on the field really added nothing - some predictable colorguard climbing, but that was all. I enjoyed the show overall, but am not sure how far it will take them this year. Great colorguard, look forward to seeing them in more reasonable weather. Bluecoats - I really enjoyed the Radiohead, especially the first hit. This is going to sound like I am a Puritan (I'm not)... but the voice over of 'What the hell am I doing here', which is repeated several times throughout the show, was surprising. The man next to me had a 4 year old. Hopefully he won't repeat it tomorrow at church. The Bluecoats sound and look very good, but I was not completely sold on their show or what they were trying to portray. All sections very strong, but it didn't flow. It looked like a rough run for the colorguard - many many non-wind-related rifle drops. Cavaliers - The first use of stilts and upside-down drumming I have seen. A really neat show that picks up where 'Mad World' left off. I think the theme will solidify throughout the summer, and this will once again be a fan favorite. The colorguard is phenomenal, the brass really lets loose, the drill really works. I had them in 3rd. Great showing. Blue Devils - After a wind delay (really), the Devils took the field. Musically, I really enjoyed their show - some amazing brass runs that will be great in August. I like the uniforms - they work on the field quite well. The colorguard, as always, is world class. The props were a big distraction for me. By the time the pieces came together, it was pretty anticlimactic. The wind and the props did not mix well, so staff and marchers had to intervene to prevent falls. This show will contend for the title. Overall, for the first night, I was quite pleased. Most corps had finished shows - the only noticeable stop in drill was the Cavaliers. Several guards had unfinished sections of work as well, but not as much as previous summers. Well worth the trip! My rankings: 1. BD 2. Cavaliers 3. Cadets 4. Phantom 5. Bluecoats 6. Crown 7. Blue Stars 8. SCV

OK - I wish I wrote like that when I was 19... Great review!

Had the chance to attend the inaugural 'Drums Along the Strip' in Las Vegas tonight - I didn't take detailed notes, so forgive me if I am vague. The venue - UNLV's Sam Boyd Stadium was nice and had good acoustics. You know you're in Las Vegas when Elvis escorts Miss Nevada out to sing the Star Spangled Banner. The show did not seem too well attended and was REALLY expensive - $45 for 5 corps in exhibition for the center sections, and $26 for off-center. Of course, since it was empty, by the end, most people had moved to the center anyway. Hopefully, they made enough to bring the show back - apparently the last show in Las Vegas was in 1981. A local news anchor was the emcee, and I thought it was pretty cool that he had marched (Troopers). He also did a good job of recognizing those of us in the crowd who had marched. Anyway - on to my thoughts: Impulse: (31 perc, 14 horn, 15 cg, 1 DM) This was my first time ever seeing Impulse - I really liked the yellow on the uniform. Their show is called 'A New American Classic' and contains, from my impression, no real music from America - but catchy tunes nonetheless. I was really surprised with the size of the drumline - it was larger than some of the World Class corps. The horns did a good job - I didn't hear anything sticking out or any overzealous soloists. The wind at night in the desert is like sitting in front of a hair dryer - unfortunately, this affected all of the colorguards tonight. Overall, I question why the one guy in the colorguard had a different colored shirt than the others - it made him stick out like a soloist, even though he wasn't. I think the program has lots of potential and was well written for the group. Velvet Knights: (25 perc, 23 horn, 8 cg, 2 DM) Once again, my first time seeing VK's new incarnation. As a Div III member of an attempted rebuild of a former finalist, I understand how much scrutiny these guys must be under. Luckily, you can easily see shades of the 'old' VK, and the 'new' version is doing a great job. I liked the 'Hungarian Rhapsody' ending - reminded me of the early '90's version when I first started watching VK. The only criticism I have is with the colorguard - when you only have 8 members, it do not feel it makes sense to feature different pieces of equipment at the same time. For example, during one part they were split 5 rifles/2 flags - the flags looked like an afterthought the entire time - would probably be more effective to just feature the rifles. The hornline did a good job, and the drill was really well written for the entire show. I hope to see them in competition for a long time. The Academy:[/font] (30 perc, 60 horn, 30 cg, 2 DM) Their show is titled 'The Ascent'. Although I did not recognize any of the music, I was captivated the entire time. Their colorguard is a big step up from last year's, and the show seems much better suited to the abilities of the group. The drill really made use of all parts of the field, and the colorguard help portray the 'Ascent' part of the program - imitating mountain climbers, climbing up each other, etc. Towards the end, there is some climbing action reminiscent of the '94/'95 Cavaliers. The ending statement with the all white flags is very effective. The crowd really enjoyed this presentation. Bluecoats: (I am too lazy to count) 'Imagine' is their show - and although I loved it, I didn't quite get the 'Imagine' part of the theme. One idea flag, and umbrella, and some flying pigs? I didn't get it. That said, the show was great. I loved the ballad and the staging of the colorguard pairs with the percussionists. The hornline has a great sound with some great mello licks. The drum line was exciting to watch. The 'costume change' is well done and really changes the appearance of the corps on the field. I think they should find a way for the players in the pit to change as well - they look out of place once the corps and the guard are in the same tops. This show is my favorite Bluecoats show - I know the top is stacked this year, but I hope to see Bluecoats move into the Top 6. Blue Devils: (Too lazy - big) The 1930 theme is another theme that seems superimposed over some great charts. The chairs were effective, especially at the beginning. At the end, however, I think the effect wore thin. The 'Happy Days Are Here Again' hit got great crowd response. The colorguard was fantastic and really sold their part of the show very well. I am not in love with the yellow, but it is definitely eye-catching! I love the opening hornline drill as they move from the horizontal line backfield into the block for the first hit. Although this show is good, I do not see it as a championship show. It will be interesting to see what happens when the East meets the West - can't wait. As this show was an exhibition, the audience voted for the champion via text message. Not surprisingly, the Blue Devils won the show. They promised to post the results on the website (www.drumsalongthestrip.com) tomorrow, so it will be interesting to see how close they were to 2nd place. During the tabulations, the Bluecoast and Blue Devils did a 'face off' and traded parts of the show. BD closed with 'When A Man Loves A Woman', which was cool to hear again. Anyway... that is it from Vegas!

I had read earlier in the season about a show in Las Vegas on July 6 - now I can't find any information on it anywhere. It is still showing on the Bluecoats site as a performance. Does anyone have any information?

My question regarding the closer - right now, during the final push, the color guard is featured in a tight group dance from audience right to the center - to me, this is one of the least effective parts of their program. It seems underwhelming compared to the rest of the show. I wanted to know if this is a temporary ending, or will it stay like this? Hopefully, we'll see something a little 'bigger' from this group to cap off an excellent program. Just my $0.02!

In order of year, non exhaustive: Suncoast '88 - the 'paper doll' flags during the opener - Red and Yellow Black and White... Cadets '92 - the 'sunset cloud' flags at the end of the show Phantom '93 - the blue flags during Fire of Eternal Glory Cadets '94 - entire show - the flags really capture the different moods of the music Phantom '96 - the red flags at the beginning Crossmen '97 - the Birdland flags - especially the first unison hit Crossmen '98 - the purple ones Cadets '99 - the Skyline flags Crown '99 - the 'In His Eyes flags in the ballad - you understand the show is about duality and darkness and light without being smacked in the face with it. I'll think of more for the 2000s later...

One of our Baritones from Suncoast (1992-1994), Ian Tillman. I did not see him after the 1994 season and got news of his death a few years ago. http://www.theiantilmannfoundation.org/ His family is doing great work in his memory.

Excellent review - makes me really really wish my cousin had not gotten married on Saturday so I could have attended.

Good job, Troopers! This makes me happy...

For those of you using this thread to exchange personal attacks - do it with private messages. Those who marched/loved/supported Suncoast, during both incarnations, are probably more excited about this thread than you can possibly imagine and don't want to see it hijacked! As a member of Suncoast Sound during it's Div III years, I want to echo the earlier poster - we had nothing but respect and admiration for the corps and those associated with it - both originally and the strong attempts at bringing it back. I just hope that I have the chance to help out if this gets off the ground so the next generation can feel connected as we did. Greatest Love -

I do not know too much about colorguard overall - but had a question regarding Star's guard. Normally, when people talk about Star's influence on Drum Corps, it is in the brass/drill area. At the time, was their colorguard considered innovative (besides '93, which I know was quite radical)? Thanks!

Phantom 1996

93 Star of Indiana

'03 Phantom Regiment

2003 Phantom Regiment

84 Suncoast

It's gotta be '88 Suncoast - so ahead of it's time.