Everett, WA

[leeb]

OK it is after 12pm and I just got home from the show. I have not edited this so no comments on spelling or grammar! This is my first show review so be nice.

Went to Mariner Stadium where the show was held in Everett, WA. Small stadium so great for sound but not so good for drill. Everything looked congealed only 30 steps up. Spent the afternoon watching JS practice until about 5 when they did a run-through of their show. Around 2 Fever arrived and ate lunch and went into sectionals until dinner and then getting ready for the show. Other corps started to arrive about 6 pm. The show started at 7:30. Weather was cool and clear. Perfect for performing.

Seattle Brass Attack did a standstill to get the show started. About 30 horns and one drum set. They played Malaguena, Free(BD82?) St Louis Blues and the National Anthem. Great soloist on the Baritone.

Div 3:

Fever was up first: Nice big open drill, same uniforms from the last 2 years. Guard was in black but nice. Battery was very clean and played out nice 5 snares, 3 tenor and 5 base. One base drum broke a drum head half way through show. Cool drum feature with the snares playing on rifle butts. Small corps 60+ but they can play and very entertaining.

This was their 8th victory in div. 3 They could take all of Div. 3. As a note. This is my alum. corps. And let me say I am very proud. These kids are working hard with very little. They do not have a food truck. The staff is mostly volunteers and only about 3 in the kitchen which is a uhaul moving truck with coolers and portable camping stoves for cooking and all the corps equipment) Heck of a job all!!!!

Citations from Burlington, MA long way from home. Small corps only 50. Guard made the show. They sold everything they did and stuck the moves. 2 snare was a little two few for me but they made it work. Nice color selection on the silks.

Spokane Thunder: Nice uniforms! Building from where they left off last year.

OC Gates is the show and the bring 8? Big 14’ tall square arches onto the field. They perform the drill around and through them similar to BAC last year but did not move them. Good drum line. I noticed a couple of the instructors used to be with Seattle Cascades and also taught SC in 03. Clean battery, 6 snares and 2 of them women.

Div 2

VGcadets was first. Just as they started we had a nice big orange moon coming up in the back field with some light clouds. Cool effect for a Big Corps. Must be almost 120 on the field. Strong Strong battery. I will need to look at the recaps but I think it was close for high drums tonight. Cool intro with scraping and chain dropping. The new pit instrument is CHAIN being lowered onto thin sheetmetal. Cool effect. Nice pink female guard unis. Not so nice on the guys. I am just old school but guys should not wear tight pink pants.NO. Best silks of the night. Guard was spot on with drill and moves. SCVC has for the last few years sounded OK. Almost there but a little flat. Strong sound but a little too brown? Not dark just meh… Nice show with strong finish but I think the tempos were what left me wanting more?

Jersey Surf was next.

Let me start by saying WOW!!! What a show design. And then the kids just execute their butts off. All of them all 130+ Sounds were big and sharp. Guard was the hit of the night. Almost 25 in guard and they are good. Rifles, Sabers, Flags and Dance all good and well designed and executed. The rifle line does this sequential 45degree toss over their head which was a very cool effect. Horn line sounded good but I am not sure on the drill. From what I could gather they just flew into Portland 3 days ago and have only been on full days for part of July and only weekends in June. This would account for the drill issues that are in the second half of the show. But they could get that cleaned up from what I seen in the afternoon. They are serious about getting better. Drum line ROCKED. Div.1 caliber in my book. Serious notes and played clean. Drum break was Fun. They played on the stools that the Guard danced with. Very nice effect. Horn line is LOUD. I sat right next to the corps instructors in the stands and they were very happy with the show. It was cool listening to them comment on parts of the show that they had worked on in practice that the corps pulled off or corrected for the show. Saying stuff like “yes!! OH yea!

OK so this is my new favorite Div 2 Corps. I bought a bowling shirt they sell. Blue and yell with Jersey Surf on the back.

BDB:

About 110 on the field with nice uniforms for the horn and battery. Yellow for the guard and the percussion section marched with blue drums with white hardware. Not my fav but. They were clean. The snare line was the biggest of the night. 8 with 4? tenors and 5 base. Hard to tell how clean they were since they were almost muted most of the show. I know at one point the snares and tenors use yellow sticks that are soft but the line was not crisp even when they were marching with regular sticks. But let me say that the battery never stopped moving and they were always fast tempos. Overall placement was correct over SCVC but it seamed closer then the scores let u believe. Very nice sound from the horn line with some good drill. Guard was clean and had some very good impact points executed well. At one point ½ the guard use 2’ step ladders as a nice element.

BDB did the encore and they played it well. Very loud and clean. You could really hear and see the drum line. NICE JOB!

Ok I know I am missing a lot but it is late and I will add tomorrow after I look at the pictures I took. I might even post a few if they turned out ok.

One final thought. I have been following drum corps for 20 years and I must say that the div 2 and 3 corps performances very enjoyable and entertaining. The crowd was great and gave all the corps standing ovations as they passed the stands and you could tell on the kids faces that they had fun out on the field!!!!! If you are reading this post and you have not been to a div. 2 and 3 show. GO!

[Sky Secretary]

Lee,

Thanks for your review. I am on the east coast and my daughter is with Surf - so any and all reviews are welcome. (BTW Surf's guard has 32 members). Your review was great and I appreciate the thought you put into it, even at that late hour. I truly wish there were more Div. II and III reviews out there, as that is the only way the stay at home parents can follow!

Thanks again!

Mary Jordan

OK it is after 12pm and I just got home from the show. I have not edited this so no comments on spelling or grammar! This is my first show review so be nice.

Went to Mariner Stadium where the show was held in Everett, WA. Small stadium so great for sound but not so good for drill. Everything looked congealed only 30 steps up. Spent the afternoon watching JS practice until about 5 when they did a run-through of their show. Around 2 Fever arrived and ate lunch and went into sectionals until dinner and then getting ready for the show. Other corps started to arrive about 6 pm. The show started at 7:30. Weather was cool and clear. Perfect for performing.

Seattle Brass Attack did a standstill to get the show started. About 30 horns and one drum set. They played Malaguena, Free(BD82?) St Louis Blues and the National Anthem. Great soloist on the Baritone.

Div 3:

Fever was up first: Nice big open drill, same uniforms from the last 2 years. Guard was in black but nice. Battery was very clean and played out nice 5 snares, 3 tenor and 5 base. One base drum broke a drum head half way through show. Cool drum feature with the snares playing on rifle butts. Small corps 60+ but they can play and very entertaining.

This was their 8th victory in div. 3 They could take all of Div. 3. As a note. This is my alum. corps. And let me say I am very proud. These kids are working hard with very little. They do not have a food truck. The staff is mostly volunteers and only about 3 in the kitchen which is a uhaul moving truck with coolers and portable camping stoves for cooking and all the corps equipment) Heck of a job all!!!!

Citations from Burlington, MA long way from home. Small corps only 50. Guard made the show. They sold everything they did and stuck the moves. 2 snare was a little two few for me but they made it work. Nice color selection on the silks.

Spokane Thunder: Nice uniforms! Building from where they left off last year.

OC Gates is the show and the bring 8? Big 14' tall square arches onto the field. They perform the drill around and through them similar to BAC last year but did not move them. Good drum line. I noticed a couple of the instructors used to be with Seattle Cascades and also taught SC in 03. Clean battery, 6 snares and 2 of them women.

Div 2

VGcadets was first. Just as they started we had a nice big orange moon coming up in the back field with some light clouds. Cool effect for a Big Corps. Must be almost 120 on the field. Strong Strong battery. I will need to look at the recaps but I think it was close for high drums tonight. Cool intro with scraping and chain dropping. The new pit instrument is CHAIN being lowered onto thin sheetmetal. Cool effect. Nice pink female guard unis. Not so nice on the guys. I am just old school but guys should not wear tight pink pants.NO. Best silks of the night. Guard was spot on with drill and moves. SCVC has for the last few years sounded OK. Almost there but a little flat. Strong sound but a little too brown? Not dark just meh… Nice show with strong finish but I think the tempos were what left me wanting more?

Jersey Surf was next.

Let me start by saying WOW!!! What a show design. And then the kids just execute their butts off. All of them all 130+ Sounds were big and sharp. Guard was the hit of the night. Almost 25 in guard and they are good. Rifles, Sabers, Flags and Dance all good and well designed and executed. The rifle line does this sequential 45degree toss over their head which was a very cool effect. Horn line sounded good but I am not sure on the drill. From what I could gather they just flew into Portland 3 days ago and have only been on full days for part of July and only weekends in June. This would account for the drill issues that are in the second half of the show. But they could get that cleaned up from what I seen in the afternoon. They are serious about getting better. Drum line ROCKED. Div.1 caliber in my book. Serious notes and played clean. Drum break was Fun. They played on the stools that the Guard danced with. Very nice effect. Horn line is LOUD. I sat right next to the corps instructors in the stands and they were very happy with the show. It was cool listening to them comment on parts of the show that they had worked on in practice that the corps pulled off or corrected for the show. Saying stuff like "yes!! OH yea!

OK so this is my new favorite Div 2 Corps. I bought a bowling shirt they sell. Blue and yell with Jersey Surf on the back.

BDB:

About 110 on the field with nice uniforms for the horn and battery. Yellow for the guard and the percussion section marched with blue drums with white hardware. Not my fav but. They were clean. The snare line was the biggest of the night. 8 with 4? tenors and 5 base. Hard to tell how clean they were since they were almost muted most of the show. I know at one point the snares and tenors use yellow sticks that are soft but the line was not crisp even when they were marching with regular sticks. But let me say that the battery never stopped moving and they were always fast tempos. Overall placement was correct over SCVC but it seamed closer then the scores let u believe. Very nice sound from the horn line with some good drill. Guard was clean and had some very good impact points executed well. At one point ½ the guard use 2' step ladders as a nice element.

BDB did the encore and they played it well. Very loud and clean. You could really hear and see the drum line. NICE JOB!

Ok I know I am missing a lot but it is late and I will add tomorrow after I look at the pictures I took. I might even post a few if they turned out ok.

One final thought. I have been following drum corps for 20 years and I must say that the div 2 and 3 corps performances very enjoyable and entertaining. The crowd was great and gave all the corps standing ovations as they passed the stands and you could tell on the kids faces that they had fun out on the field!!!!! If you are reading this post and you have not been to a div. 2 and 3 show. GO!

[bubbajames]

I graduated from Mariner a couple of centuries ago prior to astro-turf. The field was excellent for the performers but the stands don't go high enough to get a real good look-see. The Div II/III corps were still quite impressive though it would have been better to include Div I corps up here with better advertising of the show. That said, the stands were pretty full with lots of seasoned fans. I'm a bit biased, but I'm also a long time drum corps fanatic and former Seattle Cascades member. Now part of the Seattle Brass Attack I can say that we sounded full and well rounded. I would have loved to have heard us from the stands but of course DCI rules, no video or audio taping but since we're exhibition I think they can lax up a bit for our group. For all you guys and gals that think you couldn't pick up a horn again I say, 20 years w/o playing a note and have been playing now for 3 years. This is the first year the rust is mostly off and I'm playing great (I think at least). Whether you're back East, or from the south, you'll find a local Senior Corp beckoning for you. If you live in Washington or Oregon (even British Columbia), feel free to drop an email of your interests. We've got probably another 60 horns to hand out.

[leadsop97]

weird. One of my exes is in Citations snareline this year, and from what I remember there were 4 snares at one point, and then one didn't show up so I assumed they had 3. Maybe someone got hurt or was sick for that show?

[SNModdison]

hmm...I thought Citations had 3 snares. at least they did in the lot.

[leeb]

hmm...I thought Citations had 3 snares. at least they did in the lot.

YOU are correct sir! That is what I meant to say

On another note,

I did not think the scores were as close with OC and Citation? OC has a stong snare line and battery don't you think?

[SNModdison]

YOU are correct sir! That is what I meant to say

On another note,

I did not think the scores were as close with OC and Citation? OC has a stong snare line and battery don't you think?

Yes, the Crusaders do have a strong snare line and their pit is very strong too.

[leeb]

Yes, the Crusaders do have a strong snare line and their pit is very strong too.

The OC percussion caption head is Jeff Bush. He marched with BD in 90 and percussion caption head Seattle Cascades in 04 it think? (the years runtoghther)

[SNModdison]

Yes, the Crusaders do have a strong snare line and their pit is very strong too.

The OC percussion caption head is Jeff Bush. He marched with BD in 90 and percussion caption head Seattle Cascades in 04 it think? (the years runtoghther)

Jeff was S'cades caption head in 2003. He also taught a handful of years at the Marauders if I do recall.