2008: Worst Drum Corps Year Ever?

[WOOHOO]

Just to clarify here, I love how we are judging the worth of this year in comparison to other years based on JUNE performances and JUNE designs. Just as feet and drill clarity is cleaned throughout the season, so is design and book. Geez.

[crfrey71]

A great year or for that matter, a good year is when the number of corps goes up. I don't think the talent level has gone up or down. What has happened is that there are fewer places for the talent to go to. Therefore, the elite corps get more of the talent. Sort of like the concept of a monopoly or versions of it. Therefore, it appears that the talent has gone up, when in actuality, it probably is the same high standard it was back 20-30 years ago.

As far a performances go, 2004 IMO is easily the best year this decade. before that 1995 was a banner year, then 1989, and then those mid-80 years, etc...

Edited July 1, 2008 by crfrey71

[OLDSCHOOLER]

Hey original poster...go see Crown and Blue Stars...

Thats his point...only 2 good shows out of how many, 20?

[TealEuph7]

Is it just me or has the quality of DCI declined significantly in the past two years? To me it doesn't seem to be the level of talent among the members of the corps that is lacking, but in the the designs of the shows themselves. It is especially apparent this year in the top 6 or 7 corps (Cavaliers, Blue Devils, Cadets, etc...). The narration in the Cadets' show is an unmitigated disaster, the level of sophistication in the BD and Cavalier shows is that of a high school marching band. The only two shows I saw with any sort of potential were SCV and Bluecoats, but even their shows have significant design flaws.

Here are a few specific things that I think need to be done in order to reverse this trend of vapidity and save DCI from destroying itself:

- NO MORE AMPS. period. Yes, there have been corps that have used them tastefully, but this narration crap has to end NOW.

- NO MORE MEDLEYS. This is something that only the music arrangers can fix. For once I would like to hear a complete song. Nothing sucks the life out of me more than listening to medleys. A perfect example is the Bluecoats' show this year. There was absolutely no reason in the world to mix in clips of "On The Waterfront" between the Rocky music. Very difficult to listen to and it makes no sense thematically.

- MORE MEMORABLE MUSIC. No more of this arcane and abstract crap that seems to go on forever. Maybe it will impress a bunch of highs choolers, but it's growing old on me. Also, no more shot notes every 5 bars, and no more drum breaks that last forever while the horn line is off in the back corner doing choreography just for the sake of doing choreography. If you pick music that people are familiar with, the will be able to relate to it more. You can still do a lot of crowd pleasing stuff without sacrificing difficulty.

- NO MORE PROPS. They're distracting to look at and they take up too much space on the field that could be used for drill. I have never seen a show where I thought the props enhanced the show in ANY way. If you need props (and narration for that matter) to help the audience understand the theme of your show, it's probably going to be a bad show anyway.

I hope there is someone out there who understands what I'm talking about here. With the exception of one or two shows, I felt 2007 was a bad year for DCI and I didn't think it could get any worse until I saw this year's shows. I know this whole post sounds very negative and pessimistic, and I know there's a whole brigade of pollyannas out there who will disagree with me, but I feel DCI is slowly metastasizing in to some sort of nightmare out of a BOA contest.

What does everyone else think?

So you're saying that a show like Triple Crown was not good? That show had people's arses exploding from their seats to applaud that show. I'm sorry but I strongly and respectfully disagree.

[kusankusho]

Who cares?

Since when were organizations expected to fulfill the task of not only pleasing all of their current followers, but also of trying to please everyone who had at some point been a fan ever, and -- on top of that, because this is DCP after all -- trying to please all of their detractors?

I mean really.

Because, to tone down the drama of your post, the former fans that have left have access to considerable disposable income, which currently is NOT being disposed into DCI coffers. Believe me, I'd be back if the narration and electonics things were abandoned, and I'm sure I'm not alone.

[OLDSCHOOLER]

So what you really want is no more narration.

Excuse me- have you listened to Carolina Crown this year? If that program isn't memorable, then I don't know what is!

Tell ya what- while you're gazing into your crystal ball, why don't you tell me (and ONLY me) who's going to win this year so I can call my bookie and place a few bets! I'll make it worth your while

So you were only able to name one good show out of 20 someodd drum corps? I remember in the 1970's when I liked almost every drum corps show...& so did the crowd. Now I'm lucky if I like a couple of shows. Most of todays shows are written to satisfy the show designers ego & are depressing, boring, & lack those "wow" moments..the goose bump moments...like Danny Boy, Rainbow, Auld Lang Syne, Send in the Clowns, etc...If DCI doesn't change the judging system to be more heavily weighted towards the brass, percussion, music & GE, the negative growth in both drum corps & attendance will continue until there is no drum corp activity left.

[crfrey71]

I would be willing to compromise. Give me G bugles and you can keep the amps. The G bugles will win that war vs. the amps. :troll food:

[Matt_S]

Most of todays shows are written to satisfy the show designers ego & are depressing, boring, & lack those "wow" moments..the goose bump moments...like Danny Boy, Rainbow, Auld Lang Syne, Send in the Clowns, etc...If DCI doesn't change the judging system to be more heavily weighted towards the brass, percussion, music & GE, the negative growth in both drum corps & attendance will continue until there is no drum corp activity left.

But I don't get goosebumps from the moments you mentioned. The moments that give me goosebumps are the closing minutes of Frameworks and of Machine, when there's so much energy the show is likely to burst. I get goosebumps from the anticipation of Bluecoats' field intro in 2006, playing "Roots of Coincidence". I get goosebumps from the pure majesty of Phantom's climax in the ballad of Faust. I get goosebumps from the pure evil power of the first half of Blue Devils 2007. I get goosebumps, and chills, from the pit feature in Blue Knights 2007, as the corps marches a twirling vortex on the field. I could go on and on, just picking moments from the last two years. Let me go back to the start of this new century, and I'll never be able to stop naming moments.

[OLDSCHOOLER]

But I don't get goosebumps from the moments you mentioned. The moments that give me goosebumps are the closing minutes of Frameworks and of Machine, when there's so much energy the show is likely to burst. I get goosebumps from the anticipation of Bluecoats' field intro in 2006, playing "Roots of Coincidence". I get goosebumps from the pure majesty of Phantom's climax in the ballad of Faust. I get goosebumps from the pure evil power of the first half of Blue Devils 2007. I get goosebumps, and chills, from the pit feature in Blue Knights 2007, as the corps marches a twirling vortex on the field. I could go on and on, just picking moments from the last two years. Let me go back to the start of this new century, and I'll never be able to stop naming moments.

How old are you?

[Dale Bari]

But I don't get goosebumps from the moments you mentioned. The moments that give me goosebumps are the closing minutes of Frameworks and of Machine, when there's so much energy the show is likely to burst. I get goosebumps from the anticipation of Bluecoats' field intro in 2006, playing "Roots of Coincidence". I get goosebumps from the pure majesty of Phantom's climax in the ballad of Faust. I get goosebumps from the pure evil power of the first half of Blue Devils 2007. I get goosebumps, and chills, from the pit feature in Blue Knights 2007, as the corps marches a twirling vortex on the field. I could go on and on, just picking moments from the last two years. Let me go back to the start of this new century, and I'll never be able to stop naming moments.

So, for you DCI only begins at the year 2000? Do you truly think that nothing before that magical date matters? That, say, 27th Lancers' "Danny Boy" isn't worthy of your respect? That someone who does get a rise out of 2-7 doesn't have something important to say?

Since you probably never saw "Danny Boy" live, I suppose that isn't your fault. Speaking as someone who did see 27th's "Danny Boy" (when 2-7 was not at its peak) and as a major PR Phan who did see PR's "Faust" show - and the majestic climax which you mention, I prefer the former, from a goosebump POV.

Like you, I could go on picking out moments - prior to 2000 in my case. Between you and me, guess who'll run out of moments first. What does it matter?

Some people like to prove their open-mindedness by claiming to enjoy any and all things DCI, implicitly belittling anyone who feels compelled to like some things and not others. Then, there are others who claim that what is newest is best, and woe to those who can't be open to that experience. All I can say is, "What goes around, comes around."