AoEnut

This is not a World Class production.

Bowling Balls - Ha! Very funny, spit out my coffee. Recap pretty much says what it's been say for the last 10 years. Corps with the highest score won -just sayin'

This is Awesome. One of my favorite shows on TV, my arteries get harder watching consecutive episodes. What a great place for food and Drum Corps. Thanks for sharing. Now I need to exercise after reading this. AoE

You could say that. It's pretty amazing to watch.

Saw C2 tonight at The George Invitational The 1st thing is you notice about C2 is they are much bigger, mostly because of the color guard being full (or close to) and little to no holes in the brass section. They seem to have a few holes in the weapon section and a few missing members in the the brass section. The rumor is they have a few blanks but have them filled, other members couldn’t be there because they could't commit to a full 4 days (this week) from work and then commit to next weeks tour of New England and 1st show. The second thing you notice is the percussion section. They have a full battery and it’s stuffed to the gills, 10 snares, 6 quads, 6 bass and 3 cymbals. They have a full front ensemble. As they did last year, they will give Bucs a run for the percussion title. The 3rd thing you notice is you don’t clap for about the 1st minute and a half of the show. Russian Christmas Music takes a a while till it creates any effect at all. The guard wasn't finished for the final production of Russian Sailors Dance, but the presence of the guard is at a much higher level then ever - kudos to them. The corps struggled the last 3rd of the show BUT the #### thing is on the field and that is good for them. The 4th thing you notice is they do a lot (for a weekend corps). Much like The Cadets, it might bite them in the rump at the end of the year. THEY ARE ON THE FIELD FOR A LONG TIME - A LONG TIME. The 5th thing you notice is the training. After seeing Cabs, Fusion and Bucs in Wildwood this corps rivals the Buccaneers in the training and skills department. The 6th thing you notice, the uniform. It’s classic and they wear it well. They are in the 72 to 74 range in DCA and will challenge the top 3 this year. Some observations, but not a review. Crown The total commitment to coordination is breathtaking. The percussion section is stronger, but kind of an after thought after the 1st minute. The Guard is wonderful. The Brass section is again the standard bearer of modern day brass sound, musicality and technical achievement. The Crown does less then The Cadets. They don’t do as much drill, they don’t spin as much and they don’t play as much. Their design team does a good job of of balance, you can breathe during their production. You don't feel as if you're going to suffer a seizure from constant stimulus. Their use of stage and body and the development of moments progress in a much more creative way then The Cadets. My gut tells me they will catch The Cadets. Cadets This is a very talented music ensemble It’s a lot. I mean a lot of drum corps. They are clearly putting their eggs into the, we re going to do more than you and better than you. More drill … More notes … More drill … More Notes. The Cadets programing is the drum corps version of a Chip Kelly offense, designed to be on the run -constantly- and dominate through shear volume. A note about percussion - The Cadet percussion program, organizationally -Winter & Summer- might be the best in the country. They have 3 crazy talented programs. The Cadets 2015 percussion section is totally integrated into the WHOLE program and WOW, it's impressive. Technical achievement & musically are in constant balance. They will be right there with SCV as the premier percussion program in the country. At times, the presence of the guard seems to be an after thought, it’s coordination, plain and simple. Have the top corps passed The Cadets in this area? Are they forcing this “10” “X” thing? I just don’t get the creative or entertainment value in it. Attention to crafting any moments that are effective other than shear onslaught of material is lacking, I'm not saying it's not there, it's just not balanced. The days of that having weight in both the judging community and for the spectator have left us. "We zig and they zag" - well they all just moved on. Color and props ... it just feels forced. They will be in the hunt all year. Will we as the audience be able to appreciate all they have to offer? Last but not least, this is the best brass section The Cadets have had in a while. I hope it doesn't get wasted by the constant pressure to perform this outrageous book. Crossmen, Boston & Troopers All seem to be in the same boat, with the Crusaders leaning towards a little more content but lacking in the excellence area at the moment. AoE

I'm more talking along the lines of the judging panel. Not sure they need the 4-man panel at the smaller venue.

Should be interesting. With the venue change not sure why DCA just stayed with the 4 judge panel. They went from a great stadium to an average high school stadium -tough I believe they have new turf at Bunnell- not sure why DCA did this. AoE

Mr W I hear ya. Not sure if you can say they were an 8th place corps. I question if that was open class design, especially visually, in relationship to those units that were in the middle of the pack in open. Musically, not much creatively done to make the original score drum corps exciting. The Battery did bring some advanced skills to the table. You can't really tell until you get like corps on the field together in the same place, so this weekend will be important for them. Especially if they are prepared and Bush is probably not finished. ... good luck to them! AoE

What sheets are these guys getting judged on? Ouch ... SORRY EVERYONE. I posted a picture, excepted with my limited technical abilities it didn't upload. Then I realized I was looking at an open class score from DCI, not a DCA corps. So I've wasted everyones time on the beautiful Friday afternoon. And I can't figure out how to delete this post ... AoE

Move on. The Stadium is actually Bridgeport Park jurisdiction. Have a great weekend. AoE

Dude, chill. IT'S A JOKE!!!!!!! Joe is a great guy. Great ambassador to the activity, awesome at his job. Great programs at Bunnell, oh where the show is this weekend ... hmmmmmm COINCIDENCE???? JOKE!!!!!! JOKE!!!!!! Chill out. Great stadium. Iconic drum corps stadium, sorry to see it not there. ... and I don't need to introduce myself to him. Thanks. AoE

I hear their police chief is a little corrupt The rats are his fault.

I see that spread opening up a little between Bucs and Cabs Fusion add guard uniforms helps concept a little. Bush finishes a little more of their show and gets rid of some of that penalty. 80.35 Bucs 76.95 Cabs 74.55 Fusion 65.25 Hurcs 62.99 Bush (1.5 penalty) 60.00 White Sabres AoE

Sounds like Cabs might have a few staff members that won't be invited to the judges pizza party this weekend in Connecticut, so I guess it all works out. Guess a certain drum corps won't be invited to play on their swing-set this summer. Oh the drama or is it karma? AoE

Wow Dude! I'm not really sure if I like them. But waste of $$$jingle$$$. Harsh? Cuddle much? It sure is a neater look. Cleaner lines. Cesario talk ... but a waste of jingle? ... Haters gonna hate and ain'ter gonna ain't Might take sometime and they will grow on us all. The memories they made in the old ones will take time to fade we will soon identify to this new look. They are a great drum corps with a ton of history with a uniform that we identify with - give it time. I've heard before that they play LATIN music (a rumor maybe?). It seems that they may have broken that tradition the last few years. Time for a updated look for the new sound and concepts? They have a mothball fleet of kick pleats, sombreros and silk tops to entertain us every Saturday night at a show near you. They are a treasure, enjoy, or better yet MARCH with them, they are a good group to cuddle with. "Waste" your money Cabs, in my opinion your trying something new, for me, it's about time AND a good thing. AoE

Latin style??? Must be that 5/4 - 6/4 latin feel they play the second production. CLASSIC LATIN!!!!! AoE

We all have a role to play ...Just kidding.

Doesn't matter ... big people are still going to look big and short people are going to look short. It's not like its junior corps kids that transform over the summer to the ultimate body type the uniform is being cut to. They will be tailored and fitted to the 2015 corps, the 2016 Cabs will be totally different. That's why I think you're reading to much into the cut of uniform for this particular part of the world. In the ever changing world of DCI were the uniform companies are treating the corps proper almost as a cast -sort of like the guard- uniforms are morphing year after year. Do you want to look like someone from Iowa or maybe a little more streamlined to the tastes of todays designs? Do your uniforms attract membership? Again, I'm glad they tried something new. Just seems a little bland and cookie cutter. I believe the Hawthorne Caballeros are a high profile brand and a #### good one at that. They are ambassadors of the activity, a link to the past and they are forging path to the future - I think they deserve the best. Maybe more is to come for the uniform. Texture, color, maybe the chain thing is an incomplete thought. Here's to something that is as dynamic as the Caballeros past and hopefully future. ... not sure how I feel about the "Cop Hat." At least the DCA corps had some resemblance of tradition. Good thing? Maybe. You might remember this day as "How to Mothball Your Cop Hat" a conversation for band nerds AoE

So it's better than what it was? Perfect! #winning AoE

Yes, a very clinical breakdown of how Michael J. Cesario looks at the world of outdoor band. But are they a good uniform? Are they pleasing to the eye? R.I.P. "Cop Hats" - just sayin' AoE

Hmmmmmm

Like I said, it's an opinion. They seem to be changing their identity? Not sure. I just ask what direction they are going with the uniform in the state it is in. They do (or did) have a very recognized identity in our little corner of the activity, it's even fair to say that they have a very recognized brand in ALL of the activity. Does the risk create a positive impression? As I said earlier, kudos for doing something different. Was it needed? Not sure, but it seems to be something that many have interest in sharing their opinions about. I applaud the chance taken, doing something new takes *alls. Time will tell if this particular change will have a lasting positive effect. Is it affecting the number? Will it affect the number - I'd have to say no. At least not now, maybe down the road. AoE

Probably not. We will see in a few weeks.

Not sure it's "complaining" - sounds like opinion. It's hard to rebrand. Coke, Chevy & the Cabs, all in the same boat public perception wise. AoE

I agree, I was pretty unimpressed. To be honest my first impression was they borrowed some random bands uniforms for the day cause theirs weren't ready. Were they in need of a makeover? Probably. Just not sure that is it. It's tough when you have identities such as the Cabs or even The Cadets. For so many reasons change is a risky proposition, the fans and Alumni are reluctant to change and they give so much vital support - life moves forward. Kudos on finally taking the chance, just not sure I get the new vision. Wait till The Cadets change their uniforms, North Jersey might blow up. AoE