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ShutUpAndPlayYerGuitar

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Everything posted by ShutUpAndPlayYerGuitar

  1. Been waiting for Zappa to be put on the field ever since I discovered both "drum corps" and "Zappa." That moment in BD 86 was cool, but can't wait to see horns tackle this.
  2. Say what you will about Rochester: that stadium is great for DCA Finals (soccer stadiums are great for drum corps, period). Allowing beer to be sold is a definite plus. Regarding larger NFL/college stadiums: I think the cost of staffing -- usually third-party vendors like Aramark -- plus the potential risks of liability-related issues makes liquor sales at these events pretty rare. If a stadium authority is dealing with an event that isn't even able to fill up the stadium, I doubt they would want beer sales to take place. That said, I don't know if this is a stadium authority decision or a DCI decision.
  3. Ohio State just started as well (really weird that Minnesota, Maryland, and tOSU are the only Big Ten schools to allow in-stadium sales).
  4. I agree with making the general show experience better for everyone involved. That said: - Your second sentence seems to say more about the local area than it does for allowing beer at concessions. Also, finals are never coming back to the Rose Bowl. - Your third paragraph lists annoyances that occur at nearly every show, including the dry ones. Many of those annoying behaviors come from over-enthusiastic (and very sober) teenagers. - Not every adult who enjoys a beverage at a large-scale event is an "alkie." If a DCI Show is at a pro stadium (or decent college stadium that allows beer sales), and if said stadium has the necessary capacity/staffing to accommodate beer sales (and if DCI knows they're not going to somehow lose money), then I don't see an issue. Sidenote - At DCI Minnesota, there was one year when beer sales were allowed but only at a designated area by the west end zone, away from the general seating (this was the first year of on campus beer sales, and UMN was very strict about it). It was awkward and not very popular -- people don't like watching drum corps from the side for some strange reason. I'm not sure if beer sales are still done at DCI MN ... they definitely are for Gopher football games.
  5. I've been out of the all-things-marching loop for a while: what's wrong with flomarching.com? Are the issues fixable?
  6. Depends on the crowd ... Unpopular with many DCPers: - DCI should have implemented electronics and amplification earlier. - BD doesn't have enough hardware. - "Clash of the Corps" was barely watchable (at best). The only TV channel that ever/will ever work for covering anything related to this activity is PBS. - I have extremely strong opinions about the DCA organization and some of its corps. Rather than receive a flood of angry private messages, I'll just leave my comment at maximum opacity. Unpopular with younger folks (i.e. /r/drumcorps) - The cumulative majority of visual/guard instructors who teach body movement have absolutely no idea what they're doing. - Too many instructors have zero performance experience outside of drum corps, marching band, and academic settings. Some of the best instructors/designers have come from outside the activity. - DCI shows from the early/mid-00s were generally boring/terrible.
  7. Beat me to it. This question gets asked a lot, hence many of the curt responses. I don't know where the James Mason, the Cook Group or the alumni association are at these days ... someone more qualified can go into that if they want. There's no big push by the alums to start something up* (besides Star United). The Cook Group is doing the medical device thing and making some spare change. The alums/former instructors have left an impact on just about every corps ... especially Crown. Several groups (Scouts, Blue Stars, etc) utilize resource-rich Indiana for facilities and members. *It's one thing when previously defunct groups like Southwind return due to alumni initiative and cooperation with previous admins ... they are re-establishing ties to a specific geographic area and running the corps very sensibly. Star was always a different corps that was set up to be among the top groups from the get-go. That goal is much loftier today, and doesn't seem like it's worth the effort/$$$. TL;DR - bright stars sometimes burn out. There are plenty of new corps to look forward to.
  8. Respectfully disagree. If a corps has the financial/organizational structure to take on World Class (and if they've demonstrated enough consistency in Open Class), let 'em. For the past four seasons, Genesis finished 3rd/4th in Open Class Finals. They've also made the top 25 cut for semis each time. Moving to WC will help them in recruiting, and DCI gains another potential powerhouse based in TX. There will be some new faces coming to Open Class Finals this year, so the division will be fine.
  9. This isn't about party affiliation, voting record, safe spaces, or trigger warnings. I'm sorry you're feeling triggered and oppressed. Rub some dirt on it. EDIT - just to be clear I said "likely" and not "definitely." Furthermore, we're talking about a hypothetical band that I'm not actually in charge of, so you can rest easy. To paraphrase Capt. Renault ... I'm shocked, shocked to find political discussion going on in here.
  10. In my opinion, this goes beyond the usual "political" differences. See C.Holland's post. My HS band played at a GOP rally back in 2002 (post 9/11 ... pre second Iraq Invasion). President Bush made an appearance and spoke for a bit. Nothing memorable said, outside of what I already saw on the news. I didn't agree with his platform then -- and still don't now -- but it was still cool to play for a President ... especially one who, despite many disagreements with his administrations actions/policies, kept the rhetoric relatively civil and made sure not to marginalize a group of people with his words. At the end of the day, Bush never really said anything that truly countered the mission of our band/instructors/boosters. Also, the band got some $$$ for travel/etc, so that was a plus. Today, however, if I was a director who was offered a gig (an unpaid one) to perform for a person who represents the inverse of what I'm about as a teacher ... I would likely say "no" to the performance as well. Has little to do with actual politics.
  11. This is a great resource (there are similar ones like Guidestar, but you need to sign up for a membership). Here's YEA's 990 from 2014.
  12. I have a feeling that a lot of answers you'll get will hinge on people's loyalty towards one particular brand, but anyway ... - As someone who did DCI/DCA for many years as a euph/contra player, I usually stuck with Adidas, specifically anything that uses their "Bounce" style of outsoles, which are pretty much solid rubber and non-segmented. I've used Mana Bounce shoes for a while and they've been fantastic: very breathable, with comfortable yet solid outsole support. They recently came out with "Alpha Bounce" shoes, which seem like fancier versions of the previous types. - I've had tremendous luck as far as never having to deal with ankle issues, or any leg issues for that matter. Based on talking to members/instructors, the one -- albeit recent -- common thing is an apparent correlation between ankle injuries and minalmist running shoes. If you're carrying tenors, I'd say minimalist shoes are a definite non-starter. This article attempts to explain what qualifies as a "minimalist" running shoe, but doesn't really list any examples. Basically: I would avoid anything super-lightweight with segmented outsoles ... or those stupid Vibram Five Fingers. - If you can find a way to pack a cheap pair of "back up" shoes, do it. It helps to have an extra dry pair for those rainy days or for "swamp tour" in Mississippi or Louisiana. - On that note: keep your shoes and feet dry. My second year in DCI, we had a very rainy stretch of days during spring training. I made the mistake of not having a back up pair of shoes and not paying attention to my feet. After a long day 3 of rehearsing out in the rain, I took my shoes off and immediately noticed that the bottoms of my bare feet were entirely white (called "Immersion foot" ... don't google image search it). I went on a Wal-Mart run and got an ultra-cheap $15 pair, letting my other ones dry out for a day. I made sure to get out of my shoes more frequently during meals, and eventually my skin returned to normal. - When it comes to drum corps, flexibility > strength. As a bonus: before the season starts, don't be afraid to take classes that work on that (i.e. Yoga).
  13. Recently started checking out more Open Class performances and finally got a chance to see Genesis last year. It wasn't my favorite show, but there were some cool ideas and very lovely moments. Competitively speaking: I have no reason to believe they can't successfully make the jump, considering they've consistently made semis for several years now. Even then, that stuff takes a back seat to the administrative aspects, which all seem solid. Haven't seen any red flags indicating they can't support a World Class tour. As for Open Class as a whole, there will be some new/returning groups like Louisiana Stars, RCR, and Southwind who seem well-managed and poised to move up a step or two. If Genesis truly advances, congratulations ... may your related DCP threads be positive and free from flame-wars, bitter alumni rants, and constant G7 mewling.
  14. After going to the MN marching band finals (aka Youth in Music) at the new Vikings stadium this year, I was really hoping for a DCI presence there ... but TCF Bank Stadium is still a fantastic venue in a fantastic neighborhood. It's also close to the Surly Brewery, so there's that. Regarding US Bank Stadium: the acoustics weren't perfect, but much better compared most older domed stadiums (i.e. Alamodome). I've still never been to Lucas Oil, so I can't compare the new Vikes stadium to Indy. Because US Bank is so large, there isn't as much of an echo. However: if you're not facing directly toward the ensemble (if you're outside the 10s/endzone), the cavernous setting will drink up sound. The upper deck was closed off during the YIM show, so I'm not sure what the acoustics are like there. Otherwise: it's a great, wide-open venue. I would love to see a show there someday. Just to see warmups happening in a downtown metro area like that would be incredibly cool. The east side of downtown is steadily improving, too.
  15. I've had Hulu for a while, but finally got around to watching the first episode last week. It really makes me appreciate the narration set-up of "Hard Knocks" even more ... the testimonial style of most reality TV grates on me. I'll eventually get around to watching all episodes, but I'm currently in the middle of a "Peaky Blinders" binge on Netflix right now. Sorry drum corps: British mobsters make for better television.
  16. Go read Glassdoor reviews for Youth Education in the Arts. The dirty laundry has been public for a while.
  17. Thank you. So much pearl clutching on this thread. Let the authorities sort it out.
  18. Fair enough. I can handle drum corps smack talk. Golden Girl smack talk, however, should be a ban-able offense.
  19. That tired complaint is about to reach voting age. You have this strange obsession with watching things that make you bored (drum corps, Golden Girls). Have you tried watching things that make you not bored?
  20. I would post a review, but some people get incredibly butthurt if you don't include every corps. I'll say this: the crowd seemed way more massive than prior years. Also: experiencing Crown at Blakeslee Stadium (on the side one 40) was a top 5 spectator moment for me. I can't understate how intimate it is as a venue. I would love to see more corps at this show. Beautiful natural field. Tons of warmup spots. Decent campus. Unique stadium. I hope they expand the stadium capacity someday.
  21. I've seen people mention that the panel from last night also judges DCA shows (I'm certain that at least one of them does not). Can anyone confirm?
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