Most INFAMOUS show ever?

[tommytimp]

I'd add 07 Cadets, 04 Boston and 04 Crown to this decade.

90's...93 Star, because for as many of us adore it, many hate it, and I'd throw in 92 too.91 cadets gets its fair shore of abuse as does Cavies 97 Firebird and the whole woosh thing

80'...88 Suncoast and Spirit for sure

Let's see some WHY, friends!

[Sam98]

Another vote for Suncoast '88. The show was really out there for its time--people I knew who marched that summer referred to it as that year's "concession corps", because the audience wasn't into the dissonance, the esoteric theme, the (mostly) unrecognizable music, the outlandish guard uniforms and movements, to name a few elements. I seem to remember there were rumors swirling that the corps was originally supposed to do an all-jazz show (the music of Sinatra, maybe?) but that the hornline was not up to par so the staff scratched that show in favor of one that embraced loud chords and dissonance instead--I'm not saying its true, just that it was a rumor. Personally it's not my favorite show, but there are moments of brilliance in the last 2 minutes.

[OrlandoContraAlum]

Another vote for Suncoast '88. The show was really out there for its time--people I knew who marched that summer referred to it as that year's "concession corps", because the audience wasn't into the dissonance, the esoteric theme, the (mostly) unrecognizable music, the outlandish guard uniforms and movements, to name a few elements. I seem to remember there were rumors swirling that the corps was originally supposed to do an all-jazz show (the music of Sinatra, maybe?) but that the hornline was not up to par so the staff scratched that show in favor of one that embraced loud chords and dissonance instead--I'm not saying its true, just that it was a rumor. Personally it's not my favorite show, but there are moments of brilliance in the last 2 minutes.

I can address the rumor... we were originally going to do an all Duke Ellington show, and at the first camp we were handed the opener, a Robert Smith arrangement of Take the A Train. However, the show change had NOTHING to do with talent. Karl Lowe had put out a crazy, esoteric WGI show in Odyssey that winter, and we had the opportunity to extend that concept to the field with Symphonic Dances. And having played in that line and marched that Sylvester drill, it was plenty hard enough of a book, especially BITD.

[tommytimp]

I can address the rumor... we were originally going to do an all Duke Ellington show, and at the first camp we were handed the opener, a Robert Smith arrangement of Take the A Train. However, the show change had NOTHING to do with talent. Karl Lowe had put out a crazy, esoteric WGI show in Odyssey that winter, and we had the opportunity to extend that concept to the field with Symphonic Dances. And having played in that line and marched that Sylvester drill, it was plenty hard enough of a book, especially BITD.

That show was the talk of our bus on tour. It was all, "What do YOU think of Suncoast?" At first I was putoff by the atonality, and what I ended up saying was, "It's certainly difficult, innit?" But the show really grew on me, and the guard work was fantastic. Plus the pit book was CRAY-ZEE.

[FrankBeMe]

Although I liked them both, at the time most people considered 71 Cavaliers and Madison as the death of drum corps. But we all know that the death came in 1992 with Bluecoat's jazzophonic Beatle's show.

[Big Bad Bari]

Infamous: “Having a reputation of the worst kind; producing a notoriously evil act”. Merriam-Webster

Over the years I have seen a few shows that have tended to insult a number of people in the audience, but does any corps or show actually stand up to this dictionary definition of Infamous?

Well DCA has the Sf Renegades and in 2007 the show was "My Immortal from dusk till dawn" it was basically a story of the night lives of vampires and zombies... We even wore goulish makeup on the field! So sure there is at least one that fits the definition!

[pearlsnaredrummer77]

I think the 2008 Cadets. They're show that year had too many vocals to be a Drum Corps show. That's why they call it Drum Corps; Not Voice Corps.

I have to agree. Watching them mid-season when the full breast cancer saga was unedited, the people sitting near me were all baffled, disgusted and appalled. I never heard the finals version and if God is willing I never will.

[Bucbari]

From 1966: I.C. Reveries 66 VFWs

I've copied this from Corpreps

"We didn't do our best job in the Prelims at VFW, but it should have been good enough to make Finals."

It wasn’t. The corps placed 14th in Prelims, two positions out of the Finals and right behind the Racine Scouts. Many tenths in penalties were keeping both corps out of the Finals.

Against the protests of people like horn instructor Jim Wedge, who cautioned that rash behavior might bring long-term consequences, the directors instructed drum major Richard "Guss" Provist and color guard captain Sandy Mcleevey to march the entire corps up to the entrance gate for Finals competition.

But in doing so, the Reveries had to get past St. Joe's of Batavia, New York, a finalist corps with a fierce reputation. When St. Joe's drum major Joe Eduardo discovered why the Reveries were pursuing this course of action, he offered his corps’ services and did not stand in their way. As the corps reached the large metal entrance gate to the stadium, a voice from inside asked who they were, and when Provist answered "St. Kevin's," a corps that had made Finals, the gate went up and the corps marched onto the field and into the drum corps history books. The entire corps sat down on the starting line and refused to leave until show officials allowed them to perform."

They performed but were not judged. But for those of you are not old farts, this had a happy ending.

Again from Corpreps. I.C. Reveries lost their sponsor after the 67 season but:

"Corps director George Bonfiglio could not accept the parish's decision to disband the corps. He approached the remaining members with the idea of starting a new independent unit with a whole new identity. And they would take their heroic name and image from Tennyson’s epic poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade.” The members liked the idea and on Columbus Day, 1967, the 27th Lancers exploded on the drum corps scene."

Just as an aside, 27 made VFW finals at Detroit in 68. VFWs in Detroit was my what have I gotten myself into show. I was there when 27 "exploded".

Edited December 18, 2010 by Bucbari