And in 1st place with a score of...

[BRASSO]

I competed against the Boston Crusaders before DCI. I have always loved BAC. One of the reasons is that they always seemed powerful and aggressive. After seeing Boston in Buffalo, they seemed to recreate that power and aggression. Love your show this year Boston and your corps is a “Marching Mutha!”

Good Luck in Indie!

And you would know a thing or two about entertaining a crowd, if you marched with The Empire Statesmen and before that St. Joseph's of Batavia.

Always liked these Corps.

[craiga]

Massillion has always been a great for venue for BAC. that was the show before finals for a couple of years when I marched and the combination of the Astroturf and the overhang always made for a real loud and exciting show.

I think the fact that Boston has consistently gone to that show every year while others havent has kinda made Boston a Hometown corps even though they are in Bluecoats country.

I agree with you......but interestingly, several reviewers here on DCP said that BAC got a "home show response" in Beverly, Atlanta, Orlando, and Allentown. Could it be, perhaps, that BAC has , in fact, programmed a show that is just plain old AUDIENCE FRIENDLY?

Yes, there were some mid-pack corps in Allentown that might have been cleaner, but other than the four corps scoring in the 95+ category, noone garnered the audience reaction that Boston got. And, I haven't seen a show in years where the crowd was on their feet the last thirty seconds of the show.......people who were there Friday night can bear this out. THIS was drum corps like I remember it! (SCV 87 comes to mind...)

Boston may well come in 8th or 11th.....either way, those kids will remember these ovations for years! The three corps clustered around Boston right now are all decent, good programs.....but for my money, BAC is head and shoulders above them in terms of what drum corps are supposed to do---entertain the audience.

In terms of audience excitement in Allentown, Boston placed 5th, and as a paying customer, that's where I got my money's worth.

[GMichael1230]

Yes, there were some mid-pack corps in Allentown that might have been cleaner, but other than the four corps scoring in the 95+ category, noone garnered the audience reaction that Boston got. And, I haven't seen a show in years where the crowd was on their feet the last thirty seconds of the show.......people who were there Friday night can bear this out. THIS was drum corps like I remember it! (SCV 87 comes to mind...)

OMG !! Exaggerate much ?? It was a regular response from the crowd and yes while we stood at the end of the program, thirty seconds it wasnt, more like last ten, and yes I was able to see the ENTIRE audience and when they stood, for two reasons.

Geoffrey

PS: BAC and Massilion are a great combination, they always look so formidable in that stadium, I saw them there twice.

[purexitement]

OMG !! Exaggerate much ?? It was a regular response from the crowd and yes while we stood at the end of the program, thirty seconds it wasnt, more like last ten, and yes I was able to see the ENTIRE audience and when they stood, for two reasons.

Geoffrey

PS: BAC and Massilion are a great combination, they always look so formidable in that stadium, I saw them there twice.

I have heard from different source that BOSTON had one of the best ovations of the night.

I heard 30 seconds too

SO,lets average it out and say 20 seconds...

[emc2]

Love the corps... I think the question of when can they challenge for top 3 or 1st is a question that could be posed for pretty much everyone from 5 or 6 down, no?

I think it's important for Boston to hold on to Jay Kennedy for as long as they can, and keep the other pieces of staff at the highest level available, especially with respect to bringing these younger members along both as musicians, and as members of a storied organization. It's a challenge when your corps is made of Giants.

I agree

[BRASSO]

I have heard from different source that BOSTON had one of the best ovations of the night.

I heard 30 seconds too

SO,lets average it out and say 20 seconds...

I wasn't at Allentown. But another nice thing about Fan Network videos is that we can have confirmation on some things. Or refutation on a claim as well.

From listening to the crowd at the end of Boston's show in Allentown on Fan Network it appears there is considerable evidence that the Boston Crusaders indeed were a huge hit that night with the crowd.

10 seconds... 30 seconds... who knows. But the audience reception certainly was one of the best ones that night from listening to the crowd at the end of Boston's show on Fan Network.

[supersop]

Huge fan .. always have been. That said, I'll refer to a post I made in another thread about potential future champions.

I know BAC has made some big changes this year and has a lot of young blood to work with as they move forward. That's all great and gives hope for the future. My big concern is still the disconnect from what made Boston so uniquely ...> BOSTON!

When they were a smaller corps, they were always great, highly respected, adorned with applause and standing O's. They were a rough bunch of young folk that were unmistakably Bostonian's. They shoved it down your throat and had an agression that was unmatched!! They always weren't afraid to show off their stellar marching technique with a nice white stripe and the old red plumes were pretty sweet.

Now please don't mistake me, I'm not saying Boston needs to go oldschool, nor that they've become "untraditional". I AM however saying that BAC has become every other corps but they wear a red jacket. The show design is according to DCI's game book rules. It has been for several years. They used to write some major MEAT regardless of talent level or size and then beat it into the members brains until they owned it ....... now they don't. Where's the beef?

The new Boston is a very good corps ... the Old Boston was ICONIC! The quote from their website about "Entertaining audiences and not about winning drum corps competitions" is a fitting one. Please grab hold of that statement and don't short change it. Write a show that wins everyone's hearts ... and not the judges points. Dig deep and quit playing it safe. The kids will NEVER forget it if you do .. regardless of placement. The fan$ will NEVER forget it ... regardless of placement.

Boston deserves to be on it's own pedestal once again. So make it happen. BE BOSTON and screw DCI and it's games.

[purexitement]

Huge fan .. always have been. That said, I'll refer to a post I made in another thread about potential future champions.

I know BAC has made some big changes this year and has a lot of young blood to work with as they move forward. That's all great and gives hope for the future. My big concern is still the disconnect from what made Boston so uniquely ...> BOSTON!

When they were a smaller corps, they were always great, highly respected, adorned with applause and standing O's. They were a rough bunch of young folk that were unmistakably Bostonian's. They shoved it down your throat and had an agression that was unmatched!! They always weren't afraid to show off their stellar marching technique with a nice white stripe and the old red plumes were pretty sweet.

Now please don't mistake me, I'm not saying Boston needs to go oldschool, nor that they've become "untraditional". I AM however saying that BAC has become every other corps but they wear a red jacket. The show design is according to DCI's game book rules. It has been for several years. They used to write some major MEAT regardless of talent level or size and then beat it into the members brains until they owned it ....... now they don't. Where's the beef?

The new Boston is a very good corps ... the Old Boston was ICONIC! The quote from their website about "Entertaining audiences and not about winning drum corps competitions" is a fitting one. Please grab hold of that statement and don't short change it. Write a show that wins everyone's hearts ... and not the judges points. Dig deep and quit playing it safe. The kids will NEVER forget it if you do .. regardless of placement. The fan$ will NEVER forget it ... regardless of placement.

Boston deserves to be on it's own pedestal once again. So make it happen. BE BOSTON and screw DCI and it's games.

I agree...However...

Last corp to follow that path is now struggling to make top 12.

[supersop]

I agree...However...

Last corp to follow that path is now struggling to make top 12.

If we're talking Madison, I would have to say that you have it in reverse. Madison strayed from that path with the release of Mr. Stewart. They played the DCI game and found themselves well out of top 12 .... then the board of directors was taken over by Alumni (If I'm not mistaken) and the corps is trying to find it's way back to where they were. If anything, it's the opposite of what I'm suggesting.

[craiga]

Supersop,

As a Boston alum and former staff member during those "small" corps years, I appreciate the passion (and fondness) of your words. I will also tell you that part of the reason why BAC is 8th-10th or so right now rather than 5-6th, is the very thing you speak of. This year, the design team could have very easily done the 11 minutes of random notes thing and the endless follow the leader thing and the narration thing and would as a result probably be cleaner at this point in time.

Instead, the corps went with a much more aggressive, viceral, high velocity visual program and a musical book which is fairly recognizable to alot of people. There is also a degree of risk involved with doing a more substantial chunk of Conquest than in the past, because SOME dci judges have actually come out and called that material "trite" and "trivial".

I was at the first move-in weekend in New Hampshire when drill designer Brian Murphy told the corps, "We don't know how this program will score, but we do know we intend to get the audience on their feet" or some words to that effect. I think the BAC staff and mgmt has achieved that this summer. And, if you ask the kids (and I have) if they would rather be in, say 5th place with a show getting very little love from the audience or be where they are, you can guess the answer. Yes, the corps is young, but they they came of age in Allentown, and regardless of the numbers this year or next, I think many folks will find them to be one of their favorites. I think the corps has found the right blend of being competitively viable while also re-emerging as the fan favorite they used to be.

Just one guy's opinion......