Matt_S

I e-mailed DCI, and their reply indicated that there is a street team effort in place. Apparently they just recently met to distribute the following flyer: http://www.dci.org/indy/festival.pdf I downloaded the file, and e-mailed it out to my immediate co-workers. I already saw some immediate interest from one lady, someone who had never knew about drum corps before, but loves to watch field shows. She wanted to know when Finals was, so she could go. Sometimes it really is as easy as just getting the word out.

2009 was my favorite of the choices, but I think I would have probably voted for 2006 if it were available.

If we did that, how would you be able to tell any of the threads apart?

And yet it's being embraced by many traditionalists on here. SCV last year was also well-loved - ostensibly in spite of the presence of synthesizer. I've seen it claimed in many a thread that Phantom 2008 worked because it was "old school". Synths weren't legal yet, but amplification was. Tell me, what do you see in this picture?

It's ironic that you would ever type the first paragraph, if you truly experienced what you wrote in the second paragraph. You're so close to the truth of it, though you haven't quite found the mark. The truth is that we fans of the current state activity love something, and can't understand why older fans don't. This much is true. If we sound irked, though, it's not just because you don't like what we like. It's also because we are told constantly that we are wrong to like what we like. We can't even visit a message board dedicated to the activity we love without being told by fuddies like you that we're only happy because we don't know any better. Sorry, that's just not true. I have more audio and video at my disposal than the average fan has ever had before. I've seen the shows from the 70's and 80's. I appreciate what they did to get us to this point, but I don't really care for them. Those shows don't connect with me the way the shows of the past 15 years have. Oh I know, recordings will never do justice to the experience of a live show. I know that. It's why I don't make my girlfriend listen or watch drum corps recordings, but she'll be going with me to Finals in two weeks. But - and this is leaving aside the point that our OP felt video was sufficient for him to draw his own conclusions - let's compare apples with apples. This week I bought the APD of the Bluecoats' performance at Houston. That first day I played it nine times at work. That's nearly two hours of an eight hour work day, spent listening to one show. I love it. I'm fascinated by it. I pound it out on my desk at work, pissing off my co-workers, I'm sure. If this is where drum corps is headed, I can't wait to meet it there. This isn't a live show, this is just an audio recording. I want to get on DCP to talk with others who feel the same way about this show, who are as ga ga ga ga ga over it as I am. Instead, I have to put up with malcontents who - incomprehensibly to me - allege that what is happening on the field today doesn't entertain. I'm at a loss. I just don't get it. You can claim that I am only entertained because I don't know any better. You'd be wrong. You can claim that shows today don't connect. Unless I'm completely alone in my experiences, you'd again be wrong. You can claim that shows today don't measure up with the past. I can't say you're wrong there, because it's an opinion, after all. So long as you speak for yourself, your opinion can never be wrong. But here's the thing about the past: since it only exists anymore in your head, the past can be whatever you want it to be. Some will hold on to the past as perfect ideal, remembering the best parts and wishing that we could get back there again. Me, I prefer to think of the past as a series of steps that brought to where we are today. For that, I am thankful, but it also means that I always believe the best is yet to come. Maybe that's a choice I've made, but it seems to me a better way to live than choosing to be resentful. I am not irked that I didn't get to experience the shows you did. I am irked because those same experiences are still possible with today's shows, yet too many on DCP will try to deny that my experience could ever measure up to theirs. How selfish.

Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin

Without having seen BD yet this year, I'll go ahead and agree with this, too. An "F YOU" type show is something I've been wanting a corps to dare for a while now.

I've been thinking this very thought for a while now. I haven't seen BD at all yet this year - knowing that I'll be seeing them at Finals, I prefer to go in cold. But reading these forums, I'm amazed at the anger that BD seems to generate with every contest. The emotional reaction is far and above anything I'd expect from a boring show that failed to connect. I think the level of response on these boards is proof positive that Blue Devils are connecting with the audience, perhaps as much or more so than anyone else this year. They're taking people places, it just doesn't appear that they are places people want to go. That's not necessarily a bad thing. One thing's for sure, I can't wait to see this one for myself.

Conquest is in? Sweet! Their show this year is perfect for it.

closed at author's request

Apparently the scrims Star used in 1992 just didn't give them enough extra points to bring home the title. Maybe if they made them bigger....

I haven't seen or heard Crown yet, but it's going to have to be my favorite show of theirs ever to match what I've seen and heard from the Bluecoats. I've been listening to the Houston APD almost continuously since I bought it yesterday.

What expensive props are SCV using this year? Phantom Regiment? Bluecoats? Holy Name Cadets? Carolina Crown? This thread is epic fail.

You're only two hours from Indy. Buy some tickets, take the day off, and come see the show in person!

I'm with you there. It really shows the distortive effect of DCP, doesn't it? Unfortunately it's too often the case that he who shouts loudest and the most often ends up setting the terms of the conversation.

ich auch

That might be what I remember hearing. Online efforts are nice, but there's so much noise already on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Besides, a lot of my friends who are going to check my profile page already know about drum corps. It'd be nice to have something a little more direct than that, or something that takes a more brick-and-mortar approach to target people in my area, people with a great opportunity to see DCI's premier event.

Has anyone on DCP every heard of or been a part of a DCI street team? I thought for sure I'd seen something like this in the past, but can't find anything about it on the DCI website. I brought up the DCI event in Carmel to my co-workers at a team meeting a few weeks back, and ever since I've been wondering if there isn't a better way to advertise for DCI in my community. I'd love to have a one-page ad/brochure that I could e-mail to my co-workers, let them know that DCI exists and to check it out if they're interested. After all, Championships are right in their backyard! It'd also be great to have some quality stickers or posters that I could put up around the community. A lot of places like Starbucks, Panera, Jimmy John's etc. have postboards. Why not put a DCI poster up? This is pretty minimum effort stuff that I'd be happy to do without pay, I just need the resources. I've contacted DCI about it just now, before posting. What does DCP think? Is this a good idea?

I judge each year by how entertaining the shows are, not by the races for placement. Depth is important, though - quality shows up and down the placements make for a good year. I haven't seen many corps yet, but I was impressed with Spirit, a corps that certainly won't be in Finals this year. As for a show that makes me go ga ga ga ga ga, an incomplete and still-cleaning Bluecoats show is about as fun as anything I heard in 2009.

Yep, 48 hours it is. Thanks!

Kind of an easy question: when you purchase an APD from DCI, how long is the file available for download? I want to purchase the Bluecoats' show here at work, but still be able to download it when I get home. Thanks!

Ironically, Miller and Coors are now MillerCoors, so the company that ran those Man Law commercials is the same company that brews Blue Moon. And yes, it's perfectly acceptable to add fruit to any wheat beers.

Oh, about as many as the Blue Devils lost in 2007. So there's that.

Love me some Rogue. How about some Dead Guy Ale for Crossmen, what with Bones and all?

Mine's bigger than yours. I do find it interesting - perhaps even telling - that the one guy to come in here recently with new ideas and speak against the groupthink gets labeled by you, Bob Smyth and others as a troll.