Weaklefthand4ever

I'll definitely attend DCI in Atlanta because it's so close to home. Hopefully some DCP folks will be there. I'm going to try to sucker Britt into Williamsport to root on CV. I truly miss marching, but alas, this body just isn't able to take ot anymore plus I have the Great Southern Billiards Tour events to play in.

I think there's some pretty credible points here. Yes, there is certainly a downward trend and the captions certainly show a gap in GE. I still don't feel as though it's a PR going south thing as much as it is PR being stagnant. Certain shows have shown moments of brilliance (2010) but when everyone in the top 6 is also brilliant, you have to have more of those moments than anyone else. Right now, those moments are about staging. You either learn to play the game, or you lose. Corps don't generally change the dynamics of the game single handedly.

Excellent point. The best example for me of that sustained moment to this day is still '87 Cadets. It was a 12 minute sustained musical moment LOL.

I will admit that at the Mercedes Benz Stadium, if you're sitting past the 20's on either side, you really can't hear much. But if you can manage to get in the sweet spot (especially high up,) it's pretty good. I wouldn't compare it to Arrowhead acoustically, but it's pretty #### good. Parking is super easy, nice lot area and souvie area, TONS of food and drink at reasonable prices and the only time I sweated was when Brittany took my debit card to go and buy "ALL of the BK souvies because they're from Colorado and I'm from Colorado." (it was the first time she ever saw drum corps LOL.)

*cough*bringdcifinalstoAtlantasoIcanmeeteveryone*cough*

What was our old phrase at Corpsvets (CV) back in the mid 2000's? Oh yeah...."We take 9th so you don't have to." I love PR from the bottom of my heart and I truly hope they can manage to find the right formula to make them truly competitive again. I'm not much of an armchair quarterback and usually don't respond negatively to shows (at least on an open forum where parents, mm's and alumni can see them) unless it just truly something horrid.....*cough*verbaldrumbreak*cough* PR needs a show that speaks to people and is staged well and that they can actually pull off. 300 people ahead of me have already said that. I still, to this day, feel like 2010 was a back breaker. That show deserved better than what it got and I will howl about it until my dying day. But I do want to point out one thing. Since it's inception PR has averaged 6th place. From 1996 to 2008, they averaged 5th. From 2008 to 2018, they averaged 7th. The whole "PR is doomed and we will need a new designer and a goat to sacrifice to drum corps gods" just seems a bit overly dramatic to me. They've shifted an average of 2 places 22 years. That's just not a huge shift if you put it into perspective. /shrug

It was indeed a great corps. It felt odd to me from a show perspective to go from Copeland to Copeland to broadway and then back to Bernstein for some reason but I can't deny the appeal of the show or the work the corps put in. I felt like they were a little better than 5th.

Maybe so.....but what a show and what a season you guys ended up with. Work ethic and belief in what you're putting out there is a secret sauce that a LOT of performers just never quite get the hang of. Combine that with what I saw with 2K Cadets as truly wanting to work the crowd and have them connect to and enjoy what you're doing, and it can be (and was,) pretty #### amazing.

Agree 100%. And not to derail the topic of the thread, but if money is the issue, what do you do to increase the exposure to the initiated? It's a blessing that we have so many ways to expose new audiences to the activity. But its also a curse that theres so much more to do now whether it be gaming on the internet etc. How do you reach those who aren't actively seeking out something like drum corps? My exposure came from family and my band directors.

Good thought! I just know this. When I was in Jr High and High School, there were 3 to 4 big shows in my area (Chattanooga.) They were cheap and close and got a TON of draw from the local schools. They weren't the reason I ended up marching drum corps but they certainly helped solidify my desire. Now, you really only have the Atlanta show and it's pretty cost prohibitive for a band program to attend like we used to in the early 80s.

I wonder though how much the sales at the theatre really are? Granted that even long term, I dont expect it wowpould bring in a crap ton of new eyes that are willing to pay a ton see a big regional like Atlanta. But is it that big of a loss to take the risk? Again, I don't know the numbers. Just spit ballin'

Absolutely. A lot of folks, myself included, were approached about the Super Bowl even. It's a brave new world as they say. Now if DCI would do their part. Maybe do semi's free at the theatres and run groups like TYS's videos during intermission or between Corps. I know that's a far fetched idea but both sides benefit from the exposure.

I agree with Jeff. Didnt think you were being a jerk at all. /shrug

Yes, all of those things would be amazing and I think every single current and former MM, staff and director would agree. But IMHO, it still doesnt diminish that this type of thing helps our activity touch a few more eyes and ears that may have no idea of what it is that we do.

I realized that you know you're at least in your mid 40s when you know what Bush League refers to without having to look it up. I still am of the opinion that it's pretty #### cool that TYS and Bluecoats did this. Sharing a musical connection cross genre is an amazing way to move music forward and maybe plant sole positive seeds for our activity.