manlybandman

Thanks for the review. I discovered how spoiled I am after watching ALL of the shows I attended last summer from high-level (Madison - Camp Randall, Lincoln - Memorial Stadium, Hutchinson, and Bloomington). Even though I was only 2 rows from the top, it was hard to get a read on formations. Still a great show. On to Dubuque tomorrow night.

oops....just reread the post and realize you said 'after this week'......my bad. Sorry

no more DCI corps in Minnesota until next year???? Isn't there a show in Mankato tonight????

Hope that you are having a great birthday Roman.

We have a winner!!!!!! Bugler's Dream/Olympic Fanfare And 'jingle all the way' works too.

It occurred to me this morning that the musical interlude played just before the Bluecoats set up on the sideline to blast 'The Boxer', was the same as the interlude in the original Simon and Garfunkel recording. And it used the same first five notes (mi so do re mi) as a song we hear a lot these days... can you name it? Of course someone may have already covered this (it's been almost 40 years since 'the boxer').... and maybe Paul Simon didn't really have this in mind (I had a music professor show us how there is absolutely no 'new' music written these days). I'll have the answer for you later.

Two more random thoughts to add. I promised myself on Friday night that I would watch SCV's Guard to see when (and how) they changed into those sky-blue dresses.....but missed it Saturday night. And just realized a coincidence with Bluecoats show (and Paul Simon's original recording)......the instrumental interlude on the recording and something the corps played just before their 'sideline' blast uses the same first five notes (mi so do re mi) as another song we are hearing a lot of currently.......coincidence?????

What a great weekend for DCI and Indianapolis/Bloomington. These are just some of my random thoughts that occurred while visiting Indy/Bloomington and attending quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals (first time ever for all 3). Beautiful weather all weekend. If Indianapolis can promise this kind of weather every year, count on me to be there!!! Staying in downtown Indy is going to make things great for DCI fans in the future. A great downtown!! The canal district (white river state park) is going to be even more beautiful in the future when all of the trees grow up. Walking around downtown is a great experience. The outside of the Indiana State Museum has to be as interesting as the inside, with all of the sculptures, reliefs, etc. built into the walls depicting all of the Indiana counties. Especially the county famous for producing canning supplies (mason jars, etc.) that was depicted by 9 canning jars, 8 with 'pickles' and 1 with Garfield the Cat (the county is also the home of Garfield's creator, Jim Davis) Did you know that there is a national "Segway Polo Championships"? It was happening in a green space outside the museum this weekend. Kind of interesting to watch.....maybe a Segway drum and bugle corps competition in the future? (that was my wife's idea) The forum topic about 'violence' in the shows this year made me wonder how much real violence there might have been in the stands if Phantom hadn't won (judges beware). Pioneer's show next year? How about "bygosh and begorrah, I'm O'Spartacus...... Troopers.......finally saw the train on the field......loved the sunburst with Ghostriders......saw this 5 times this summer and loved it everytime. My wife's favorite show. Colts....bummer.....Greg gets big award but corps doesn't make finals......rode the shuttle bus from Indy to semis with his mom. Still loved the music, especially Unexpected Song intertwined with Music of the Night. Crossmen.....more "Planets". Too bad Holst isn't alive to collect royalties (seems like Planets finds its way into SOME DCI show every year) Scouts..... I have to say I've been impressed with their 'climb' this year. I saw their early show in Madison when they finished 'way down' the list.....never expected them to make finals. But they hung in there and blew me away at every show this weekend. Congrats!!! Glassmen......how many balloons could that girl hold before she was lifted off the field and out of the stadium? That would make great GE!!! And did she let them go so people would stop watching difficult marching sets and watch the balloons instead? I know that I kept glancing up to see where they had gone. How many corps members discovered what their voices sounded like after sucking helium this summer? Crusaders......interesting treatment of Also Sprach......daughters both liked the horn 'wave' (for lack of a more technical term). The book says 'Moondance'. Did I miss something? Liked the flash of the red plumes on the guard at the end. Blue Stars.....maybe add 2 more bike riders at the end. Have a guard member in white lab coat meet them at the fifty with cups...turn away from audience....hand cups back.....2 riders disqualified!!!!! We have a winner!!!!! Blue Knights......hhhhhmmmm.....thinking......higher order thinking skills needed.....Amazing Grace in a minor key? hhhmmmmm. Tubas playing unison pedal tones.....hhhhhhmmmmm. MUST BEND KNEE BEFORE STEP-OFF!!!! More Amazing Grace weaving in and out near the end. OK....I think I like this (I don't always get it, but I think I like it) Bluecoats......Classic American underdog story. Great musical references to Rocky.....liked Simon and Garfunkel's 'The Boxer' with horns at the sideline.....how long can you wait for applause before you start singing? Will the wait put your show over the time limit? Had to sing the lyrics myself so I knew what they were singing. I'm sure this was one of the crowds favorite shows. And why are they the only ones who get 'blued'? Why not the Blue Stars, Blue Devils, and Blue Knights as well? Santa Clara.....triangles (3 sided of course).....drill turned triangles into....triangles......more triangles......oh wait.....a visual 3.....another one.....classic Santa Clara drill patterns throughout. I LIKE. Cadets......stepped out to use facilities on Thursday night, thinking "I don't need to hear about her cancer....." but got back in time for the show and when she was done I thought "did I hear anything about cancer? Did she snap her fingers? Did she find happiness with 2 other women?" Where did that all go? ( I was at the early Madison show) Now, after seeing it 3 more times and realizing her happiness came with a grand-daughter, at what point did she get married and have her own child????? Must have missed something Friday and Saturday night. And what do those two do during rehearsals? Make-up? Do they pay the full corps fee? Carolina Crown.....can you say 'Instant Concert' (old Paul Yoder band chart)? Definitely a crowd pleaser. Noticed the guard members with conducting batons Saturday night. Expected someone to start firing the anti-aircraft guns outside the stadium during "1812"...now that would be GE!!!!! Cavaliers.....more violence.....much better performance Saturday night. I'll bet on that one guard member in a limbo contest. OK.....you can jump over your corps mates......can you jump and play at the same time? Can you do it with a snare.....tenor....bass.......tympani....xylophone? Now THAT would be impressive. Blue Devils..... guard made me believe that it's hard to balance on those white lines. Liked the absurdity developed in "I Will Wait For You" Had to feel bad for the corps when scores were announced and members realize that the huge ovation isn't for your second place finish, but rather for Phantom's win. Needs to be some better way to do that...... Phantom......great story....great music.....great development.......great crowd appeal. I was even hooked the first time I saw it. No doubt the crowd favorite. Shows that you can play difficult and sometimes 'unfamiliar' music for the average fan, but if you tell a 'recognizable' story, you can succeed with the fans (pay attention Blue Knights) And finally, my son aged out with Pioneer (5 year vet....8 years overall) this year (now he'll have to get a real job in the summer). The past five years have been great, attending shows and rehearsals in the summer, helping with instruction of the hornline during winter camps. My wife even cooked during the last two weeks on the road to Pasadena last summer (let her tell you how hot it was in Phoenix). I know that I will miss the kids, staff etc. BUT YOU CAN COUNT ON ME TO BE AT MORE SHOWS!!!!! Now it's time to get started on that 'Segway' drill for next year. Maybe I'll call the show 'Balancing Act'

Thanks for the review. Extremely entertaining this morning. But you barely hinted at the fact that we were all seated on the WRONG SIDE (east side of the stadium). I've been to a number of shows at Camp Randall and NEVER sat in the East Stands. And it was somewhat disappointing that there weren't more people there. For a show with 19 corps (almost a quarterfinal size line-up) in Madison (yes, we got out before the riot as well), you would expect more people. Again, thanks for an entertaining review.

Pioneer is still wearing last year's uniform. The new uniforms should be ready by the first show in Coon Rapids. A funny thing (not mentioned in the review)......when Pioneer DM saluted the box..........his right arm snapped up below his chest.....hitting his baton which he tucks into his sash.........causing it to go flying up over his left shoulder and down onto the track in front of the stands. He didn't realize it had happened until he turned to conduct the corps........ I also enjoyed the announcer.........especially his comment about......I betyou all wonder why I called you here today...have you heard of 'Amway"?

A quick note on the show at Dubuque on Saturday, August 5. First of all......I LOVE DIVISION II _ III shows. Ticket prices are great ($8) and general admission seating. We sat on the 50, about 5 rows in front of the press box. Can't get much better than that. And the corps didn't disappoint me either. IMPULSE took the field following the National Anthem, performed by the Dubuque Youth Chorale (an extension of the Colts family). What a fun show. Super sound and well written drill. Balance became an issue in only a couple spots (mellos pushed too hard at the end of Augustus Gloop). Super soprano soloists (2, I think) in different parts of the show. Tempo changes in the opener were a little shaky at times but all settled well through the rest of the show. Only one thing that could be done better with this group (and quite a few other Division III corps in my opinion)....do whatever you can to expand your drill and use more of the field. Everything seemed to be locked between the 30s. Still a great show though. YAMATO followed with a show based on "The Elements" (air, earth, water, fire). Great mello soloist followed with mello section soli really started things off on a great note. Good use of color in the guard to exemplify the different elements (brown for earth, blue for water, red for fire). Great Mello-bari duet in 'Water" and great mello bari soprano trio in the spanish-flavored closer (fire). The corps does a great job with multiple layers of rhythms throughout the show. RAIDERS were next with "Coast to Coast". After a brief statement of "On Broadway" the corps breaks into AwayDay that had a few balance and intonation problems throughout. Maybe the kids were just pushing too hard. A small ensemble in the closer (Strawberry Soup) really cooked. The only thing that seemed to trouble me tonight was the end of their show. The entire hornline ended up near the sideline pushing hard but all playing unison licks that just sort of 'layed' there......didn't seem to have a real strong 'punch' to end with.......... Will continue later tonight......

Thanks for a very entertaining review. I hope that you're feeling better as well. I heard rumors earlier in the summer (at Oswego to be exact) that Southwind is going back to their black and gold next summer.

Thanks for the great review. I just hope that some people who have replied will eventually get over themselves. Your comments about playing a 'harder' book caught my attention. That's what Pioneer is attempting to do this year (music and drill)......so far it's been a struggle and will probably continue through the rest of the season. Could be so much better with a full-size corps....... Where are all the kids who tried out, but did not make the Colts, Phantom, Cavaliers, Scouts, etc? They could be marching a D1 corps and gaining valuable experience for next summer....... Oh well...... Please keep posting your reviews.....they are well-written and objective....

First of all, this year’s Cedar Rapids show went smoother than last year’s. Things started promptly on time with SSB (those who were there last year will remember the audience humming the SSB before the show) and a short performance of the local All-City Drum Corps. These kids laid down some pretty good percussion lines and even featured 3 trap set players on the sideline for a short number. A great group of kids who will be a great addition to a DCI corps someday. Capital Sound kicked off the show. They’ve come a long way from Oswego (the last time I saw them). They’ve added more guard work and finished the closer. There are still some phasing problems in the opener (Beetlejuice) that seem to stem from the keyboards rushing some of their licks. Balance is an issue in the ballad but their soloists in all numbers are doing great jobs, especially the soprano in the jazz number. The closer is a real kicking tune and just when you think they’re finished, they quietly play themselves off the field. I wasn’t expecting that and I thought it was a neat way to finish things up. Colt Cadets were next. MY OH MY...........this is the best I’ve ever seen the Cadets this early in the season. The hornline has a really full sound and pretty well balanced throughout the show. They feature a brass octet on Carmen San Diego that really cooked. Their show is based around theme songs of spy and detective movies and TV and really entertains the audience. The drill seems to be all learned.........now the kids need to work on marching it. Like I said, this is the BEST I’ve seen these kids perform this early in the year EVER!!! Congrats!!!! Pioneer was next. Again, things have come a long way since Oswego. The hornline is growing better every day and is starting to put out a much fuller sound........there are just a few spots that we need to hear MORE............ They’ve added a couple of horn flashes that haven’t been perfected yet and I caught a couple players moving a little too soon. The ballad will be a strong part of the show once the pit achieves the balance needed between the keyboards and the ‘african’ rhythm section. We had to miss Blue Stars performance in order to visit our son (Pioneer baritone) before they took off for Missouri. I hope to catch up with them soon. Following intermission, the Colts took the field. Once again, I was impressed with how well their drill writer incorporates the color guard into the show........it seems like there is just a sea of color on the field at just the right times. Music and drill are all at a high level for this early in the season. Baritone section was featured on the ballad (As Time Goes By) and, like someone once said, it sounded like a choir of Buicks playing for us.......Super blend!!!!!!!!! The drill incorporates a couple of moves that reminded me of the Cavaliers ‘Spin Cycle’ show. Bluecoats followed. I haven’t always believed the hype about Bluecoats in the past and often haven’t really watched and listened closely when they’ve performed......but tonight I did.......and.......whoa...........what a super performance. It seems like every member of this corps understands and performs as one person. Every chord, every ‘punch’, every entrance was perfectly balanced and in tune..........there was never any one person playing above the rest (other than soloists). When it comes to playing dynamics, I think that you could take any group of players from this corps and ask them each to play any note, at any dynamic level, with any kind of attack.........and you couldn’t tell the difference between any of them...........they are THAT GOOD. With that said.........the only thing I can see is that they can work on expanding the range of dynamics. It’s good to have ‘control’ before you expand, and they certainly have that right now. I expect this can be a top five show this year!!!! Madison Scouts closed the show. I’ve generally been a Scouts fan, but not this year with this show. First, I was disappointed when I saw the uniform change (Green pants and white jackets). This just seemed to say to me “we’re not that good at marching, so we’re going to try to hide our inefficiencies”. Maybe that’s a smart move on their part.......the white pants and shoes make it hard to cover mistakes. Then the color guard is way over-costumed in colors that reminded me of the Conquistador show (which I didn’t like either). So, I guess that I had a bad feeling about this before they even played a note........... I did like the music, mostly. But, where the Bluecoats were controlled and balanced, it seemed that the Scouts were just pushing too hard, and notes and chords were just a bit out of control. Oh well..........maybe it’s just me but I don’t see the Scouts making the top ten with this show.........maybe not even finals. But that’s just my opinion.

After getting done with work early on Friday, we decided to make the 5 hour drive to Oswego to catch our son's first show of the year. Got there in time to eat with the corps (even sat on the curb) and surprised our son who was not expecting us. Got to the stadium in plenty of time. Bought tickets in the 'low' section....row 15...but all the way on the south end. We sat about 6 rows higher 2 years ago when we came to Oswego the first time and thought it would still be pretty good seats. Unfortunately, with the new ticket, concession, restroom building right below us.....souvy stands right across from them....and the wind blowing from the south......we had a lot of extra noise to contend with during the show. We'll remember that the nxt time. Capitol Sound. A very nice, controlled sound for the most part. Ragged releases at times and some phasing problems. Nice soprano and bari solos in the show. The show just sort of ended and left me hanging. I'll assume that there will be more coming in the future. Pioneer. The corps is taking on some challenges this year, musically and drill-wise. (and they are amplifying the pit....). The music will get stronger as the year goes on and they become more comfortable with the drill. The music gives you just brief hints of the 'Irish-ness' of the corps (there's even a short hint of their trade-mark marching tune 'Garry Owen' in the closer). The ballad, with its tune "Slane" (Be Thou My Vision) riding over the pit's latin-cuban-african rhythms will be a high point as kids become comfortable with the drill. tonight the music just seemed to 'lay' there.......it didn't grab me. Maybe it was where we were sitting (see above), or the fact that I had heard the music in concert before (it will be super if they work on it).......I know it can be a super show. The drill is greatly expanded over the past couple years, using much more of the field. Southwind. Yes....opposite uniforms. Sopranos and Mellos in white with black accents (even white 'sharkos') and baris and contras in black with white accents (black 'sharkos'). This created some very striking visual moments in the show. I remember one particular 'pass-through' that I just went 'wow'. Music is coming along nicely...but like all shows tonight, there were a few ragged releases, balance problems etc. But the most striking part of the show was when the colorguard slipped out of their gray and blue uniforms to expose brilliant orange lycra underneath....whoa....that just woke your eyes right up. Enough said.....hard to take your eyes off of orange lycra. Glassmen. This is going to be show that people will love this season. Music of Beethoven and what else to start with than the 5th. Movement one uses themes from several of his symphonies and has you wondering "where have I heard that before". The second movement is vaguely reminiscent of Moonlight Sonata. The third movement has the ladies of the colorguard dressed in pink dresses (my wife commented after Southwind how there are some colors you just don't see on the field.....pink being one of them....and then Glassmen show up with pink), which they 'strip' out of as the music becomes more bousterous and baudy. This part of the show is definitely PG-13 as they portray the rowdiness of tavern life in Vienna (probably a tribute to Beethoven's father, a notorious drunk). The final movements is based on Ode to Joy which is immediately recognized and then starts drifting in dissonances and finally silence as the music portays his descent into deafness...... Cavaliers. Machine. I love their use of original music. I know that some thought it was a tragedy when they left their 'roots' of performing quality wind-band literature.......I thought it was a tragedy when they left original music to do James Bond!!!!!!. Right now the music is the highlight of this show for me. The drill incorporates a lot of 'Cavalier-esque' moves and even some set-points that I remember seeing in the past. There are a lot of 'machine'-'robot' kind of moves in colorguard and horns MAY get a little annoying as the season progresses (think of Micheal Jackson break-dancing). One short theme in the third movement had me thinking of something from Jesus Christ Superstar....... I'm not sure that I saw the whole show though.......it just seemed to 'end'....and my immediate thought was 'that can't be the end'. Maybe I'm wrong and that's the effect they want. I hope that it changes. Anyway......that's all for now. A word to anyone traveling south on I-90 into Illinois....avoid the first toll booth in Northern Illinois if at all possible....major construction and we were backed up about 2 miles when we went through Friday afternoon. Northbound traffic was backed up a good 10 miles........take it at your own risk.....and allow yourself plenty of extra time.