ech2os

Ray........a few honest comments.........My memories of going to the Fanfare are watching Garfield, Bridgemen, 27th, Santa Clara, Madison, etc..........I don't think DCI is giving you guys the line up they did in past years to be honest. My Dad went to the Pittsburgh show but didn't go to the Erie show because of the lineup. As for putting on the show, I hate to say stuff like this but it needs said........Erie just doesn't seem to get it. You have a private group such as yourself putting on a World Class Show and the City does nothing (seemingly) to help put it on. These are the kinds of events the City should be promoting and supporting. These are the kinds of events that when sprinkled throughout the calendar year and not just once a summer keep people (and jobs) in Erie. The loss of LEF would be just one more big reason for kids coming out of college and those that get laid off due to Plant Closings to leave. There are so many places in this country where somehow the local government works with the community to ensure putting all sorts of cost contained entertainment for its people.........there is balance everywhere. But if you are in Erie.........you'll get a blip on on the news about the Fanfare and an equally extensive blip on some guy who had his front yard TP'd by some local youngsters. Or something like that :) Do you guys approache the Arts Council or any other similar group for support of the event ?

One more thing.......don't get me wrong......I enjoyed the show in Atlanta.......just not as much as I enjoy listening to Alumni Corps.

As my signature implies, I believe you should say what you think. Lot's of people would not make your criticisms of the Cabs Alumni even though at times they are probably warranted. Having said that, I can honestly say that I would rather listen to 50 guys play the music Hawthorne's Alumni plays......and play it dirty (if you think they are typically dirty).......than listen to 98% of what I heard at the Atlanta DCI Show the other night. Maybe its just because I grew up on them.......maybe its because I just like their style........but I can assure you that 30 years from now when The Cavaliers or Cadets "Alumni" Corps play what they are playing now.......and they are playing it a little dirty.......the crowd won't get goosebump one. I get goosebumps almost nonstop listening to Hawthorne's Alumni........whether they are clean or not. For the record, I agree with you, I think their hornline last year and this year are the best sounding they have put out since their inception.

I also always find it interesting that so many people who do reviews and presumable know something more than I do about music and show design and blah blah blah can have so many different opinions and views of the same performances. I guess its like an eye witness account......just because you saw it doesn't mean you know what you saw. Very interesting. And this was an oh by the way comment.......not directed toward any of the comments of this review. Good review even thought I didn't agree with some of what was written, but that is to be exepected. My wife sees dark blue and I see black, so I guess everyone at the show has their own view as well.

I just don't get Garfield. What a hornline. The Narration is terrible. My wife (2nd show of her life) loved them last year and looked at me and said........."That was absolutely horrible. If they win, I am not going to come to another show". I told her I agreed and that I didnt understand why anyone would want to listen to that babbling when there was such amazing music to be heard. For the record, maybe somebody can explain this to me............I sat on the 50 on in the first row last night. Downlow, almost every corps sounded amazing. With 30 mics in the pitt, how much, if any, of that sound was because I was sitting in front of the amps ? I just can't imagine that the mics aren't pumping the hornline through as well and if the sound is mixed.....well.......who knows. I know as much about amplification as I do about Rocket Science, so maybe somebody can tell me what if any impact to the sound down low is made via the A&E.

Its using Band to denote a group........."Band of Brothers". Band –noun 1. a company of persons or, sometimes, animals or things, joined, acting, or functioning together; aggregation; party; troop: a band of protesters. Still says Drummers and Buglers and last time I checked a Saxophonist isn't a bugler.

I'm with Alan......I have always thought it kind of silly (not that Alan was saying it was silly) to try and tell a story in 10 or 12 minutes on the field. I mean......if I am a movie critic I tick movies for rushing character relationships etc etc....when I watch a drum corps show I go for the music. Play 5 pieces, songs, tunes, whatever you want that don't have anything to do with one another and I'll be just as happy. I enjoyed Chas Stewart's response "as far as I know my show doesn't tell a story". Once again........good review.

Great review. But never ever have anything negative to say about Syracuse or you will hear about it from somebody. To be honest, Syracuse doing a show about their past is like A-Ha doing a greatest hits album. I mean....2002 was what.....a whole 5 years ago.

Central Limit Theorem. Classic. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to explain that to somebody and they looked at me like I was out of my mind. Instantly transported me back 15 years to my Econ Statistical Analysis Class. Thanks for the memories! lol.

Joe.....you know I always pull for the CorpsVets after Hawthorne :) As for Liz and jth1206kp......Maybe screwed was a bit venomous. However, I still say MBI, Renegades, CorpsVets, etc aren't scored like everyone else. Of course, there is no way to prove this, but I don't need to watch somebody get mauled by a Tiger to know to stay away from it either. I have no skin in the game by the way. I have no ties/allegiance to any of those corps and I am orginally from Pennsylvania. My intuition usually serves me well. One more thing........Go Cabs. :)

Wow. Without looking at the recaps.........Cabs must be great visually. Too bad they couldn' have been that way last year with 64 horns and a great drum line. CV will continue to make the trip up North.......will do it with grace and dignity and will continue to get screwed. Its embarassing. But maybe I am wrong. Maybe CV will keep cleaning as they do every year.......and they will do well......but you know what I love about them......no matter how the year turns out.......you never EVER EVER EVER hear one of their members on here complaining about how they got robbed........and to be quite honest they probably should have somebody on here saying something :) Hawthorne had 60 some horns last year and finished 4th. Looking at the recaps......looks like there is a LOT of room for improvement for Cabs percussion wise and Music Effect. Field Brass and Ensemble Brass almost dead even......GO HAWTHORNE and GO Dennis Argul.

Good info Gary......and to my point.......thusly, no event must have been held there in the month of June. So instead of getting something and having thousands downtown, the city got zilch. By the sounds of it anyways.

I heard that the move from Veterans Stadium to McDowell, had something to do with an entertainment tax of some sort by the city of Erie. Which........if true, is typical. You have a long standing staple of an event that draws thousands into town. Nevermind its an event featuring an activity whose popularity has grown to the point that ESPN covers its Championships. And what happens........The City pushes it out of town with some tax........."sarcasm on" because......you know.....The Stones wanted to play the same night at The Vet and well.....we had to come up with some tax to try and see who really wanted the venue that evening. "sarcasm off". I hope I am wrong about this. If I am not, here is a little advice from somebody that admittedly doesn't have an MBA.....taxing events usually deters promoters from having events in your city......if there is a line out the door at city hall of peope trying to hold events in your town, then implement a tax, but until then......I would make it as easy as possible for such great events to take place cause lets face it.......Erie isn't the entertainment capital of the world and they are lucky to have the people at LER putting on such a great event. Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga. via Erie, Pa.

I just went to Cadets practice on the day of the show. Let me say that I for one enjoy the variety The Cadets have displayed over the past 5 years. I applaude them for that. I applaude them for pushing the envelope each off season as I understand that change is what sustains us. Having said that, I was telling my Dad the other day there is too much talking in the show. The hornline and drumline are dynamite. I love the pushes. Excuse my ignorance if I am not overly familiar with their chart selection, but I am presuming the songs themselves wouldn't tell the story they are trying to tell with the narration and I think that is an interesting use of narration. Having said that, I don't walk away thinking.....I would have enjoyed that show half as much as I did were it not for the narration. I thought I was the only one that thought the one guy sounded like Napoleon Dynamite. What we have is top shelf musicians doing high school theater with the narration. You can't expect a few words here and there to provide something really meaningful and inventive in 12 minutes. I am of the opinion.....and I am fully ready to eat my words.........that narration will go by the wayside much like allowing the corps to come into the sidelines off the traditional playing field did. And to that end......I ask the question.......is it really worth ruffling so many feathers to get a rule change that really doesn't take "the activity" to new heights ? Cause for me.......the best use of amplification and/or narration has been the Cavies snapping their fingers and whistling, which they probably could have done with without the amplification. Everything else has been uninspiring to me. Having said that, I like The Cadets show. I just don't think the narration makes the splash that necessitated all the hub bub that went on to get amplification passed.

Yeah.......I meant number 7. Sorry about that.

I knew this was going to be an interesting thread when I read comment number 6 the other day. If you followed the recaps from last year, it was obvious, for example, that Hawthorne was primarily beaten visually. Sounds like this year they have the visual going strong and just need a few more horns. So the point is........that obviously it isn't all about closing your eyes and listening and then deciding from that who wins. If that were the case, we would just have shows that consisted of 90 horn and 45 percussion park and blows. I believe in 2003 when Hawthorne dethroned Syracuse, the main difference was the guards, but I could be wrong.

Please tell me the medley has a taste of "Give it One" :)

Its refreshing to hear people expressing their opinions positive and negative alike. This is the most honest thread I have read in ages on this website. If people can't express their angst, their "theories", their ideas......if you can't have open discourse with people who don't see things your way......we stand NO chance of coming to an understanding or aggreement on any topic. Good stuff. PS..........to SaraNYC.......you couldn't find a decent job in one of the largest Metropolitan Areas in the World ? I have seen your blog so I know you aren't a sheep herder. :) Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.

Where are the Butch Anderson shirts ? I saw a guy with one of them on at DCA's in Scranton. Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.

I find it interesting that you are a Big Bucs fan, but aren't a fan of the Cabs because of the same old same old. I think you could make the argument that Reading, in general, has been recycling music over the last 5 years.........Shostakovich, Holst, Bernstein, Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Adagio, Bolero, and now......New Era and Rhapsody In Blue. Maybe its the Spanish/Latin Music you don't care for much. No offense, just pointing out that similarity. Back on topic.....anyone who saw Hawthorne in Harrisburg knows they are smaller this year. However, I would say this.....there have been plenty of years when the 60 man horn line didn't win it all. Your score is obviously only based so much on what is heard. Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.

Wedge-er-roo..........thats good Gene. Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.

That would be great. My Dad wants me to say he would like to see The Rochester Phoenix in the Alumni Spectacular by 2009. If any Phoenix Alums have material they can put on youtube, please do :) Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.

Whoops........didn't see the Sop part in the title. Scratch Notaro :) Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.

Funny how little pub Gibbens gets. He is awesome. I say 77 and 78 Matadors and the quartet of soloists Hawthorne had in 77. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_quer...Island+Matadors http://www.cabs.org/60th.asp And who I believe is Pepe Notaro with The Hurricanes in what I think was Sing, Sing, Sing in 81. Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.

Hmmm.........that is interesting given that in my opinion this is the strongest (Harrisburg Show) I have seen you guys. Gene........how's it going........I don't know if this is what you meant, but I would love to see The Matadors again. That was awesome in Allentown several years back when Centorino, Price and if I recall, about 50 horns did the Alumni Show. Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.