ShutUpAndPlayYerGuitar

So ... disagreeing with your hyperbole makes me a "rabid fangirl." Got it. I'll just say my experience with Yamaha has been different. Two groups I help with have survived 10 years of "shoddy workmanship." The horns are sturdier than people give credit for and they have good resale value. With decent instruction, you can get a championship sound out of them (at any level). I've weighed the costs and benefits, and Yamaha has worked out great. If you want something with better response and sonority, that's fine. Pay up. (and before you take anything I've said personally again ... I'm not saying any one product is superior to another. Just saying my experience has been positive.)

You did ... when you labelled something that a lot of people have experienced with great success as "complete rubbish" and left it at that. If you choose to take it personally, that's your thing.

I still need to get my hands on the latest models of King/SB, Kanstul, Adams, and Jupiter to really form a well-developed opinion. Was (and still am) a Yamaha fan-boy, but your criticism of the lead-pipe is legit. Had no idea King/SB had the underhand lead-pipe until recently. Marched a year on the King 1141, and just recently taught a group that was still using them (poor basterds). Terrible, terrible, terrible design. Nice sound ... but a cumbersome piece of garbage that creates tension in the performer. Just looking at it creates tension. EDIT: ok, my language is pretty harsh ... again, it sounds good. I just don't miss that design. Going from that to Yamaha was serenity.

Yamaha? Rubbish? You better let the brass folk from Crown, Bluecoats, Cadets, SCV, Scouts, Crossmen, Troopers, and Colts know.

It's sad that the number of reviews are getting thinner. I've received nasty-grams as well ... both for specific comments and for omitting somebody's favorite snowflake of a corps. As for the general discussion at hand: I miss the Renegades. Didn't care for most of their shows, but the people involved really jazzed DCP up.

Holy carp, that is gigantic. I need to see this show. I hope that was awkward for them.

For border blasting, Phantom 96. IDK ... seems appropriate. Those people need some sort of joy in their lives. Loosely related below: a fantastic article on the smuggling of illegal media across the border. Maybe we should get a bunch of drum corps shows on thumb drives and give it to these folks? http://www.wired.com/2015/03/north-korea/

The short capsule summary of what I've heard/read (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong): they moved to Florida from Kitchner-Waterloo, ONT. Then in 2007, almost all of their equipment was stolen. From Wikipedia: "According to a reward poster on the corps's main page, twenty trumpets, seven mellophones, fourteen baritones, ten tubas, seven snares, five tenor drums and three bass drums were stolen." Haven't heard anything about the organization since then. Huge bummer. I really liked their Beatles show from 2003.

One of the featured soloists was also a rookie.

The numbers can change based on the amount of returning vets. I tried out almost 15 years ago for a top 3 hornline that had 80 baritone players vying for essentially 2 open spots. This is an extreme example though. I'd say there's more turnover today than there used to be. Either way, it doesn't matter. Here's a mantra that I always tell auditionees to adopt: don't give the staff a single reason to doubt your skills or work-ethic. Work with a teacher/instructor/professor whatever on what your strengths and weaknesses are. Get an honest assessment of your skills before auditions, then work on your areas of improvement -- along with the stuff in the audition packet. Show up prepared and confident, and act like you belong there (without being a dick about it).

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Woah ... didn't realize he was program coordinator that long. So many great shows under his belt.

Bummer about Naffier. I love his meaty arrangements. I thought they could have passed Troopers and X-men with a simpler, more strategically designed show. The story that framed the show was awful. Regardless, Colts are a great organization. I'm optimistic they'll find good replacements.

Edit: this thread is dumb. Close it.

Completely agree with you, especially the bolded part. If the criteria of staff retention, good programming, solid administration and reliable operations (transportation) are met ... then I'm all for convincing rookies or young two-year vets to give it another try with their first corps.* I just get really angry when the matter is framed with all-or-nothing language and this nonsense idea that your first corps is automatically your "family." If you're pressured into staying with a group that you know has noticeable flaws that aren't being corrected, you'll probably set yourself up for disappointment. It comes down to one question: Why do you do this activity? If it's to selflessly use your developed talents to help the corps you identify with get better ... that is awesome, and I know several people who started as non-finalists and aged-out in the top 5 with the same corps. But also know that there's forces outside of your talent that ultimately determine how well your corps does. Keep it simple. Do this activity to have fun and to grow as a musician/performer. *especially when you consider the vast improvement of current 25th-13th place groups vs those from 10+ years ago.

Thank you. The overuse of the word "family" -- either when advertising to potential recruits or when pleading to members to return -- is so nauseating to me.

From around this time last year ... I think they accomplished that. I'd like to see how they follow up next year. It'll be tough to stave off groups like Blue Stars and Cavaliers (barring another "off" year for them), as well as get past the likes of Phantom and BK.

Sometimes "families" are dysfunctional. I stayed with my corps every year, nieve enough to think that the ONLY thing holding us back was member retention. I saw what was going on behind the scenes later and realized that there were plenty of other things holding us back. If the only reason you are given to stay with a corps is "family" (as if none of the top corps offer that same spirit of comraderie), then caveat emptor. I always tell kids "go for the experience you want." If you truly want to build something with an up-and-coming group (that has its #### together), go for it. If you want to aim higher, that's also cool. I'm sorry, OP, but leaving your first corps isn't abandoning your family.

May also be used for American Gladiators reboot.

Some observations from last night's screening. Sound was just right and theater attendance was solid. I'm including a little commentary from my wife, who's a brilliant color guard/design mind. This was my second/third viewing for most groups, whereas this was my wife's first for all. Apologies to Academy and Troopers. Got out of work late. I look forward to seeing those shows and the rest of Wold Class/Open Class. Just a warning, I have some strong feelings about Colts show. A lot of the review is geared towards it. Colts (second viewing): I love Colts and want them back in finals, and I totally love the overall direction this staff is taking them in, but I have some opinions that I want to let out ... I originally watched this from the side in June and enjoyed it, but seeing the finished product is a different story. The show has plenty of corps-gasmic moments with an easier storyline to follow (compared to last year's), but the story that it's built on is ... just bad. What was the mystery? Why should I care about any of the characters? Why would anyone think " ... one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest" is a clever line? WHY IS ONE OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS SHOW -- THAT'S SUPPOSEDLY INSPIRED BY 1940s-ERA RADIO DRAMAS -- SUDDENLY SINGING A SAM SMITH BALLAD?!? There's serious, finals-worthy talent in this corps. Visual performance continues to be a strength for them, and they are well-ahead of last year's corps musically (hornline is especially underrated). They have a great design staff, but this "Dick Tracy Lite" story isn't well thought-out. The audience only has 12 minutes to get to know these characters, no where near enough time to make any real emotional connection*. The actors and corresponding guard performers are fantastic in their roles, but there's only so much they can do. I commend Colts' staff for doing something different, but if they want to keep doing narrative-based shows, find something that works in a 12-minute window that TRULY engages the audience. *BD 97 works because it evokes specific emotions from Casablanca ... even if you've never seen it, you know how it ends ... you recognize the emotions behind the story. Their show doesn't try to retell the whole #### thing in 12 minutes. ... moving on ... Crossmen (1st viewing): Fun show driven by fun music (glad to hear "Jubal Step" again). Takes the "Above and Beyond" concept to its logical extreme with paper airplanes and parachutes. Good use of props and tarps. Field music ensemble is well-staged for big music GE moments, especially in the ballad. It's smartly programmed and -- barring some epic collapse in semis -- will be another vehicle that takes them back into finals. Blue Stars (1st viewing): My wife and I were divided on this one. She enjoyed it quite a bit, despite the opening flag work being dirty. I didn't care for it. IMO, it's a show that's confused about itself. Is it supposed to be mysterious and creepy? Fun and cheesy yet self-aware? It's too emotionally fragmented, and the show suffers for it. Lots of neat moments, and a fantastic ballad that features "Send in the Clowns," but no real development. Last year's show worked because the concept was unique and allowed so much room for growth. It also had some real emotion to draw from. Carnival freaks and rigged games ... not so much. Boston Crusaders (1st viewing): Wow. I had no idea what to expect from this show. All I knew was it had the "Game of Thrones" theme and "Conquest." I didn't expect it to be this epic, nor did I expect a vocal soloist to dominate this show. Great use of color and the wooden centerpiece stage. Amazing performance by the guard. Right now, I still prefer last year's bleak and uncompromisingly difficult show, but another viewing or two of "Conquest" might change my mind. Cavaliers (2nd viewing): As much as I like seeing Madison in the top 8 again, I think Cavaliers are still outperforming them. Lots of effective changes since I last saw them at DCI Minnesota (see previous review). This show has really grown on me, but I still disagree with the designers' insistence on making the "game" in this show vague. It's like watching a really long Nike commercial. I love the dark, rich hornline sound. The opener displays this perfectly. The talent throughout the rest of the corps is readily apparent as well. They just need a different vehicle to work with. Madison Scouts (3rd viewing): I had faith in the slightly new design team and predicted their ceiling to be 8th place, but I didn't actually think they'd place this high. Smart visual design. Bold music arrangements. Classic Madison. There were some weird visual ticks from the horns and guard midway through the show, but otherwise a really solid run. I can't wait to see what this staff does next year. Phantom Regiment (1st viewing): Not the best show in the post-Shaw/Rennick era, but it sure as hell isn't the worst. Regardless of what some people think about the program staff, the instructional staff gets it done every year and inspires some amazing performances from the members. Does the show design truly embody the full majesty and grandeur of Paris? No, but there's enough of an emotional arc to make it work. Shout-out to the helmet-less snare player: you rocked it dude. Great job. Blue Knights (1st viewing): Barring some come-from-behind upset from Phantom (which could still happen), it will be a weird journey back to 6th place for BK. It's been 16 years since they last finished in that spot. After surviving "Blue Toons" and coming close with "Dark Knights," they seem to be securely locked-in with "Because." I'm really digging this new identity they're forming. It's hard to describe, but I can definitely say that it's working. It's no longer a so-so music ensemble riding on the coat-tails of a decent visual program ... this is a complete corps that's doing something new for the activity. Colors are diminished throughout the show until the very end, when some bright painted silks make another appearance. Great "quiet" ending. Hard to fully digest this show. I definitely need to give it another viewing. Santa Clara Vanguard (2nd viewing): Such a fun show that's pure Vanguard. Didn't notice much change from DCI Minnesota. I would rank this among Rennick's/Shaw's best. Sort of a shame that it's firmly planted in at 5 position. It was a powerful performance of a spectacularly-designed show. Has many great moments and no bad moments ... but the competitive field is ridiculous this year. Hoping they find a way to break through next year. Blue Devils (2nd viewing): Scott Chandler's vision makes total sense. Even though there's weird moments (ok ... 1 weird moment ... but I've already talked about the K-Pop break in another review. I think it works), the show understands story structure (YOU HEAR THAT COLTS DESIGNERS?!?). The guard does characterization well and traverses the strange story-book landscape. There's still the same elite performance quality we come to expect. So why isn't this show as popular as last year's? I think my wife touched on a large part of it: BD isn't good at being sentimental. BD can be cool, professional, cold-blooded, clean, uncompromising, or even straight up difficult to like ... but not sentimental. The little girl at the end of the show ("C" corps member?) is a sweet touch though. If BD wins, would she get a ring? Bluecoats (2nd viewing): I heard about some technical difficulties and shakey runs at previous shows. That was not the case at all last night. Strong across all captions, especially guard and visual, which is great to see. No matter how they place, the members of Bluecoats should be proud that they were a part of something that truly pushed the activity. Cadets (2nd viewing): My wife couldn't get past the neon guard uniforms enough to enjoy the show. Something about them struck a chord with her. On the ride home, she vented ... saying that they were "so fundamentally ugly" and that the guard uniforms look like "1991 Magic of Orlando" (not sure if she's right ... but I laughed). This is still one of my favorite shows, but it's driven mainly by the insanely hard-working performers. The late season uniform change does nothing. Carolina Crown (2nd viewing): Insane improvement over their DCI Minnesota run. GE and visual is leaps-and-bounds better. We all know about the strengths of the hornline, and the weaknesses (yet improvement) of the drums ... but the guard completely stole the show. So much demand and musicality. Final Thoughts: There were no "meh" shows. The shows that succeeded didn't follow some previous blueprint ... they did something new. The shows that didn't succeed took huge risks that didn't pay off.

Wow, that's as nuts as it is infuriating. I get livid when people ruin theater experiences for others, whether it's movies, live events, stage shows, etc. You exercised more restraint then I would have in that situation (both of us would have left in a police car). I'm glad they put a stop to that.

RCR's percussion supervisor and arranger is Paul Weber, who was Blue Knights' caption head a few years ago. Great instructor who's going to take this program places.

Showplace ICON Theater in St. Louis Park MN (super fancy place ... with a bar).

Sort of OT, but all three Open Class Champions (since the Div II/III merger) have been from the west coast (BDB, SCVC, and OC). How far are we from seeing a group like Genesis, Spartans, Legends take it all? Or is the gap between those groups and BDB/SCVC still too big?

I can't fault DCI for this, but it would be nice to somehow see more late season west coast shows. Maybe a west coast "super regional" every four years (I know ... that completely screws up traditional show schedules and adds travel costs to corps that probably can't handle it)?