Five great DCI color guard moments

[Michael Boo]

Five great DCI color guard moments

Please note the opening paragraph about these five being the first five that popped into my mind. I've received more e-mails about this column than anything else I've ever written, and most were similar to, "Are you kidding? Those are the five greatest guard moments ever? Are you on crack? How could you forget (fill in name of corps here)?

Also, for the multitudes of you who asked me why 27th Lancers weren't on my list...they were...as the sixth "bonus" top five. I was instructed to pick from different eras and I already had the Rockford File from that era. My editor did what editors do...he edited the "bonus" out. So, no, I don't hate 27th Lancers; they were one of my favorite corps. I have insisted to my editor (a generally good guy who gives me great ideas for columns...plus he's friendly to puppies) that in the future, on some date that makes sense, I take that paragraph and video link and expand upon it for a feature on 27th Lancers' guard.

Also, I had two people send me e-mails asking how I could forget two specific shows...and each was run as a "Download of the Week" in the past two months. So, I'm on to some of you folk...You don't have your computers set up to automatically feed you every article I write. I'm so disillusioned.

I've been keeping track of the e-mails I've received on this article and so far, I've been given eleven guard performances that MUST be on anyone's top-five list.

Again, these just popped into my head as moments I wished to remember and share. And next year, if my brain is still working, I'll have five more.

And next week, I'm going to do the same with percussion in honor of the WGI Indoor Marching Percussion World Championships. If I don't pick your favorite percussion moment, it can mean the following: I hate your favorite percussion line, I hate your favorite corps, or possibly, I hate you. Okay, that's my April Fools statement a few days late. (I was on vacation for two weeks and wasn't online the entire time.) The real reasons your list is probably different than mine is as follows: I'm an idiot, my opinions are stupid, I've been ingesting hallucinagenic catsup, and finally, we happen to have different opinions about which five moments I picked for this year.

So enjoy and don't take the column too seriously. Remember, it's just the Internet. No one's going to get hurt.

And stay away from the hallucinagenic catsup.

Edited April 8, 2011 by Michael Boo

[MAV]

So my first thought was, "Where's 27th?!!!!" "Where's Blue Devils?!!" "And where's Les Etoiles?!!"

Just helping you get started on your next column called "Too Much Ketchup Made Me Do It: The REAL Best Colorguard". (Hey you say tomatoes, I say ketchup.)

27th Lancers had a near perfect score back then. And back then it was near impossible to do that with all those tick-happy judges. I'd pick 1980's "New Country" which features a stepped-up version of the Rockford File. Those striped flags and triple line tosses made me cross-eyed. First time I saw that, my mind exploded a little. I am reminded too of rifles spinning on their back. Something that was recreated decades later in 1994 by the Alumni ladies of a certain age.

For Blue Devils, who have won more colorguard awards than anyone out there (someone got the stats?) - I'd chose the iconic "When A Man Loves A Woman" from 1992. It's worthy of note, especially during this WGI Championship week, that many of the guard members were coming off a spectacular win with San Jose Raiders World Guard. Those sensual moments were made more so when you realize it was the debut of BD's co-ed line.

Les Etoiles? Yes!! The drum feature alone was worth the price of admission. Spinning snares, rifles tossed over the entire battery - more genuinely new "tricks" in one minute than I'd ever seen. I am grateful for the foresight in buying that single video - it's received much wear and tear over the years.

Oh - and thanks, Mike, for that selection. Your commentary on the performances make me want to break out the Legacy Collection. Your puppy-loving editor did good too.

[Piper]

That's a dangerous thing to do Mike. One time on DCP I picked three corps that I thought had the most influence on Drum Corps over the years and almost got my butt flamed off.

[Cop]

I had no faith with what I was about to read.. HOWEVER, I stand with three of your five..

Dutch boy was and is a Reach..

Star, was only great 93 because they marched 85 to 92 with the just about the weakest guards ever to grace the field..

1993 Star guard had cream guard uniforms/costumes and ended up wearing their practice black unitards on the field.. (I should let it slide since the staff are part of 2011 Scouts, but..)

My last two:

Spirit of Atlanta 86 Sweat George Brown (Scott and Tam right?)

96 Scouts Killing of the Pirate king to the end of the show.. (also worked for Phantom in 2008's show)

HM: BD wings in 84 was an awesome sight live.. Pink, Blue and Purple...

1988 Blue Devils Giant feather head piece and the introduction of the blue Balloons with Silver Mylar

Tommy Keenum's Sky Ryders whole OZ guard show

Mike Turner's 85 Madison Ballet and Brass.

my picks..

Edited April 8, 2011 by Cop

[BOBSMYTH]

Michael,

Biggest problem - you tried to pick only 5. Why not a top 12? There is some precedent for using the number 12 in drum corps.

I would concur with 27. Many high points in many years including the spinning rifles while laying down and the work done with the double flags.

A personnal favorite moment - the Guardsmen from about 1979 when the Contras formed a line down the 50 and raised their horns as high as they could over their heads. Then, the rifles do equipment exchanges over the top of that.

[cowtown]

I had no faith with what I was about to read.. HOWEVER, I stand with three of your five..

Dutch boy was and is a Reach..

Star, was only great 93 because they marched 85 to 92 with the just about the weakest guards ever to grace the field..

1993 Star guard had cream guard uniforms/costumes and ended up wearing their practice black unitards on the field.. (I should let it

I agree with that and would pull those 2 also

but if I were to throw in a Blue Devils pick – I’d use 1982 (I think that was the year) when they did the new style guard uniform, not a modified corps uniform on the guard but a sleek guard uniform….yeah 27 rifles had their own uniform but it wasn’t the same. They also used more dance as dance (not a guard pretending to dance) and broke out the bat wings for the first time

Then for my other pick, Sky Ryders mixed guard, from I think 79, when they were still in red and the rifles jumped over each others head in a human head chopper. It was one of the first wow moments

If I could add another it’s be 27th just for being so darn good

[glory]

Loved the column because it revealed aspects of these guards (and guard in general) that I hadn't before realized or had forgotten. I'd forgotten, for instance, the brilliant color changes in Cadets '98.

One other thing worth commenting on isn't about the guards. I wasn't at the '82 finals though I've often heard the story of SCV pulling out the bottle dance so theatrically. What I'd never heard in all the many times that story has been told was how the hornline blew it. I'm going to start another thread to discuss that.

HH

[hostrauser]

Glad to see the '98 Cadets "Rainbow Ripple" on the list. While the music never grew on me, that show remains the best visual performance I've ever seen in DCI. The guard was outstanding and the drill practically flawless. There are just no phasing or spacing errors anywhere in the show, it's amazing.

[byline]

I agree with all the guards mentioned here.

Sorry, Mike, but even though I get what your editor did, I just don't see how, in anybody's world, 27th Lancers could be left off a "best guard moments" list. 27th Lancers was the guard that just about every guard person dreamed of joining. They combined incredible individual demand (on both rifle and flag, whereas many of the other great guards back then had superb rifle lines, but relatively simplistic flagwork) with near-flawless cleanliness and execution. Back in the day, there were many great guards, but as far as I'm concerned nobody nailed the total package as well as they did. Their 1980 program still reigns at the top of my personal list of all-time great color guard shows.

[HockeyDad]

The FIRST color guard that popped into my mind was 27th Lancers. I gotta agree, any list that doesn't include them is wacky, indeed.