OrlandoContraAlum
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Posts posted by OrlandoContraAlum
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I saw the DCI Finals broadcast in 1988. I attended my first show in person in the summer of 1989.
Drums Across America at Sprayberry High School.
Southwind
Crossmen
Florida Wave
Suncoast Sound
Cadets of Bergen County
Spirit of Atlanta
Heh, you saw me there!
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As a freshman in HS, my band director (who was on staff with Suncoast) played us Madison's 83 version of Strawberry Soup (which we were playing that year) and ALL of Cadets 83 (on records, remember those?). I was instantly hooked. Watched 84 finals highlights on PBS the day after my first HS band competition and was blown away.
My first live show was 1985 DCI South at Bobby Dodd field in Atlanta. Suncoast (Florida Suite, which I had seen many times in rehearsal throughout the spring), this cute new corps playing Disney music (Star), Madison (Rhapsody in Blue) and Garfield (Jeremiah). (There were others, I just don't remember who). Madison blew me away, and I remember the crowd booing (just a little) when Garfield beat Madison (I may have been ticked as well) although now that Cadets show is one of my favorites.
Been to countless shows since, including all 4 years that Finals was in Orlando and 2005 in Foxboro. Still love the activity, changes and all (although some changes, not so much, but I'm coming around to others).
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Wow. The Cadets got nearly as much love as Crown in Massillon a few days earlier.
They got a pretty solid response in Indy too. Not sure where the OP was sitting, unless he is talking about purely the ovation at the end of the show, which by nature the down ending would reduce a bit.
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Actually, there's a pretty significant difference between saying "Within this group of 12, I would have switched around Corps A and Corps B" and saying "Corps C didn't even deserve to be here in the first place."
Furthermore, my rankings were based purely on my opinion of the shows' entertainment value, whereas some of the posts in this thread have indicated that the Blue Stars were not deserving based on execution and content.
Again, I loved the Troopers' show. And in fact if we were ranking Semifinals performances I would have put the Troopers in my Top 12 for entertainment value. But this thread asks people to rank within the Top 12, and the Blue Stars were in the Top 12. It just seems to me that the people who choose to ignore that and say they didn't deserve it are doing those members in the Blue Stars who worked to earn their spot a disservice. I don't want to make a big deal out of it - it was mostly a tongue-in-cheek commentary. I just think implying they weren't a Finalist calibre group in the first place belittles what they accomplished, is all.
That's a fair argument, I see your point. (Said as someone guilty of "slapping" Blue Stars' face)
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Yeah, I know, George. I never thought I'd have a list w/o BD on it, but as much as I hate to say it, I don't ever see myself watching their 2013 show ever again.
I've already watched Crown, SCV and Troopers a few times since last weekend. Including Crown and Vanguard today.
Heh, different strokes and all that. Watched BD 3x today. Only watched Crown twice. (What, I had to go home, work was over!)
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The mix is very quiet and pit heavy. But still nice to have!
Sigh. In years past, drumcat specifically placed the mics BEHIND the speakers, so that the QF APDs would be very lite on the amps. For example, you can barely hear the narration in BD last year. You can still hear it of course, so the essence of the show is there, but the meat is brass and drums.
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1. Carolina Crown
2. Blue Devils
3. The Cadets
4. Santa Clara Vanguard
5. Bluecoats
6. Phantom Regiment
7. Madison Scouts
8. Cavaliers
9. Boston Crusaders
10. Blue Knights
11. Spirit of Atlanta
12. Troopers
(So I had to judge two nights, so what)
Mine is very close to this one:
1. Crown
2. BD
3. SCV (Purely emotional, I readily admit Cadets were better Saturday)
4. Cadets
5. Bloo
6. Phantom
7. Madison
8. Boston
9. Cavies
10. BK
11. Spirit
12. Troop
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No excuse not to have a parade. Another we don't care about you community but please support us.
Wait, you mean the community that rarely, if ever, shows up to this parade?
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Is there a recording (audio or video) of Suncoast Sound's 1989 semifinals performance? Or have I perhaps heard it? I know that the CDs issued in 1989 --which I'm grateful to have-- featured BD from semis, since the frack isn't there; is it possible they took the best recording of Suncoast as well? I guess I should closely compare the sound to the DVD.
Not sure... there was a pretty low quality video out there at one point (obviously taken from a VHS copy). I will see what I can find. I do know that the CDs, DVDs and APD are certainly Finals.
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Don't forget the silly picture!
Thanks, couldn't find that one quickly.
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While I can understand that folks think that preconceived notions are bad, there HAVE been times where the performance on the field warrants a score. In 1989, my corps (Suncoast) was scoring in the 50s in July. At semifinals we had the show of our lives, and, even though we were in 10th place after prelims, we pulled 3rd in Brass GE and Brass Performance, beating John's Blue Devils! Of course, at Finals we reverted back to our normal selves and dropped, but for that night (which was my most fond memory of corps, ever) we were behind only Phantom and SCV.
If that's not enough, back up 3 years to 1986. Everyone in the Drum Corps World figured that BD would bullrush the title, but Suncoast, who went on in the 7th place spot due to a tie for 6th, won field brass (with 6 corps yet to perform). This was one of 4 subcaps that BD lost that night. So, it can happen.
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AND this:
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And this:
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I think there are some good pictures out there which evidence the camaraderie. Would be great if people could post some here.
Let's see if this works:
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Exactly. There are also great photos of Crown and BD's drum majors smiling together with their respective medals. And the pic of BD and Crown massing together as the other corps leave the field. Perhaps some folks here (myself included, from time to time) could learn a little from these kids.
(Disclaimer: I know that most of them are not "kids", but they are half my age at best, so kids I shall call them)
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Cadets and Phantom were the worst offenders this year. The bummer was Cadet's tuba line was really good and the low end wasn't needed. With Phantom, it was (sadly).
I hadn't noticed it with Cadets the three times I saw them live this year, but MAN did it hurt the ears in the theater on Thursday, then again Friday and Saturday. I wholeheartedly agree, they really didn't need it.
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Lol, this says it all. You didn't even see the performance you are ranting about?
You are surprised by this?
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No, no, no - read the description in the ad - that's why it's there. (Seriously - took me months to get it.)
Mike
Exactly. And it was a real ad, which is why it's my sig.
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@ OrlandoContraAlum - Hey man, can you take that advertisement out of your signature file? That's a bit odd. Sorry for the thread hijack.
Sorry, I can't. It's been there for 5 years. If you don't get it, ask yourself where you would want YOUR Mediterranean Chicken to be plucked from.
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Absolutely fantastic group, and I recommend anyone that has the opportunity to hear them do so without hesitation.
Mike
Also a great group of people. We shared the same hotel in 2011 (Rochester) and they were some seriously nice folks. Tipped more than one beverage with several of them. They just love doing what they do, and they do it sooooo well.
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They have won the Mini Corps competition at DCA Championships (this year to be held in Annapolis, Aug. 30-Sep. 1) for seven years in a row.
And they are phenomenal. When I saw them in 2011, they won with a score of 100. People in the second place corps (who got a 98, I believe) were heard to say that Star United should have gotten a 105, if the spreads were to be accurate.
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If Brass judges weren't afraid to put the spreads up that drum judges are, or maybe it is that the drum judge was trying to control the whole situation, then Crown would've still won. Sorry but their brass section is FAR superior to everyone else more than their drumline is behind.
SO at the end of the day the Champion was the correct one.
Also how does BD get visual score credit when there are very few forms and it is just pods and props?? Hmmmm oh wait nobody on the BD side is talking about visual because then they aren't doint anything.....
I felt Crown and SCV were the closest to drum and bugle corps and "Marching" music than the other top 4 participants.
All the kids did a great job with what they were given.
Ok, one more, then I am done:
BDs show is FAR more than "pods and props". Period. Plus, those props ADD to the visual challenge. A person who is smarter than I when it comes to these things said repeatedly during the season that the Cadets would have been right there with Crown and BD were it not for the boxes, because the boxes were never really clean when moving. Cadets had 16 boxes. BD had 100 poles. 100 poles that had to be lined up perfectly, every time, by different members. BDs "blobs" often marched through those 100 poles at strict intervals. In fact, IMO, the poles may have cost them the title, because I saw (on the FN Feed) at least twice where members hit the poles on moves, something that I had not seen all year. Also, a lot of those "pods" were VERY tickable, as they had very exposed diagonals.
Madison's ultimate GE move for the last few years has been their spinning company front. It's an awesome move, and the crowd generally eats it up. At one point in their show, BD has three spinning fronts. It's almost a throw-away section, and no one seems to care. Yet they execute it flawlessly. BD also has several forms that span the entire field, including an arc from the 10 to the 10, off center, which they push forward through the poles.
Finally, I don't know that there are many sets throughout the show where Crown's brassline is behind the front hash, much less the back hash. BD has a ridiculously hard trumpet feature with the horns outside the 40 at the back hash, and it, too, is pretty flawless. Now, this isn't a knock on Crown, because their show was simply incredible.
Look, the best corps won on Saturday. What I don't understand is the folks who can't be happy that their team won, but STILL have to bag on BD. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. Peace.
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Yes. Yes. Yes. All the shows that have been edited due to licensing stuff, I got before they were edited by getting them in the days after they came out.
Exactly. I have purchased the QF APD bundle on release day the past two years for precisely this reason.
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Yeah, they might be out this week. I would imagine it's been just a little busy in Indy the last couple days.
That said, if you are at all hesitant about picking up the Prelims APDs, I highly recommend it. This may be the only way to get unedited recordings of all of the corps.
Rank and Rate...managing numbers...Kind of?
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
Posted
Yep.