The Most Influential Drum Corps Show In History

[byline]

It's the 1977 Bridgeman. Period.

I wouldn't call it the most influential show in history, but 1978 Bridgemen is one of my all-time favorites!

So in my opinion, I'll make the case that the single most influential show perfomance that altered and influenced the activity the most, was not '93 Star, not '77 Bridgemen, nor '83 Cadets, nor the others that had influential shows. It was the show performance of the I.C. Reveries at the Finals of the recognized National Championships in 1966 that had the most influence... by far... on the direction of the Drum Corps movement. That'd be my choice for " most influential show performance " anyway.

Very cool. Thanks for sharing this history!

I'm really enjoying this thread and had to jump in on this one. not sure what the "well-executed Sr DC show" means? I now have the pleasure of marching with a few of the St Andrews/Bayonne Bridgemen from the 70's as part of the Alumni Corps and from what I understand to go from the straight laced military off the line type show of St. Andrew's only a few years before.. I mean WOW what a difference in styles.. And on valve/ roter's to boot?? from Pag.. to Land to the traffic jam... and HARLEM NOCTURNE !!! i mean the solo on Noc alone is so good that DCI still uses it in their screamer promo...

Musically I agree with you. From a musical (meaning both brass and drums) standpoint, as well as GE, there was no one better than Bridgemen. The one problem I always had with Bridgemen was their visual program. They had an easier drill, overall, than most of the other upper-echelon corps, and they didn't execute it as well. For me, their inability to nail the visual side of their show as well as they did everything else was the one thing that kept them from a championship. The reason I love the '78 show so much is because they cranked up their visual program a notch, and also did everything else superbly.

I'll have to take your word on this one. I went to the FN to watch the video, but 95% of the camera angles are close-ups. I have NO idea what the show looked like to those who actually saw it. :-)

That's a real shame. The music sounds great, though.

Yes, it is a real shame that Tom Blair wasn't doing the telecast back then. Endless close-ups of the pit, while the drill is doing incredible things, is a real disservice to the legacy of that corps. However, as someone who saw '83 Garfield in-person, I will attest that it was everything people say it is . . . and more. I think we all knew that we were seeing a real sea change in what could be achieved with drill.

I wish I could double check you, but DCI hasn't included that video on their FN subscription. There's a placeholder for it, as if they're tantalizing us by suggesting a video exists, but they aren't quite willing to release it to the public. :-)

Is it included in the Legacy Video collection?

Strange, I see it included (as a "bonus" track) on my '77 Legacy DVD. I had assumed that because it was on there, it would be included in the Fan Network archive, as well.

Edited August 10, 2011 by byline

[Tito John]

Darn you...now I am on a 77-83 Bridgemen listening string...on 80 now, this is good stuff very entertaining. As Drum corps should be.

I was ready to dive into FN, until JulesBry gave me the bad news. After a little googling about their DQ that year, it struck me that that's the reason the show isn't on Fan Network.

Also, I have to say that I think in a few years people will look back at BD 2010 much more favorably than they did/do now. I think it's going to be a major source of inspiration for future productions.

We'll see. But there's an alternative take on that, IMO. It was an unbeatable show, but its technical near-perfection went off in a direction that began to worry DCI about the possible influence in the future. Is there any consensus about whether the show played into the decision to revise the judging standards?

Edited August 10, 2011 by Tito John

[byline]

TSTSNBN has the high cam video of Rocky Point Holiday if you want to see the full opener drill.

Yup, there you can see, as we did, the future of drum corps unfolding right before your yes. Easy to understand why the crowd was going so crazy. That sound, combined with that groundbreaking visual program? Incredible! Still gives me goosebumps.

Even with Garfield's '82 show, we could see it, though it was more fully realized in '83. That kind of fluid, rapid-fire movement to music was such a breath of fresh air, and you knew this was where things were headed. Was it right to make visual so dominant? At the time, I think we all thought so because in Garfield's case, the music was still so strong. But it stood to reason that there would be growing pains for many other corps trying to keep up, and of course that's what happened.

Edited August 10, 2011 by byline

[GMichael1230]

1983 Garfield Cadets opened the door to the next era, and that door was slammed shut by 1993 Star of Indiana, the birth of what we have on the field today...along the way there have been others,most notably 1988 Suncoast sound for their colorguard staging, design and presentation, and 1994 Blue Devils for their use of music arrangement.

Geoffrey

[GMichael1230]

Yup, there you can see, as we did, the future of drum corps unfolding right before your yes. Easy to understand why the crowd was going so crazy. That sound, combined with that groundbreaking visual program? Incredible! Still gives me goosebumps.

Even with Garfield's '82 show, we could see it, though it was more fully realized in '83. That kind of fluid, rapid-fire movement to music was such a breath of fresh air, and you knew this was where things were headed. Was it right to make visual so dominant? At the time, I think we all thought so because in Garfield's case, the music was still so strong. But it stood to reason that there would be growing pains for many other corps trying to keep up, and of course that's what happened.

Sue, did you join my group over on Facebook ??

G

[byline]

Sue, did you join my group over on Facebook ??

Which one? (Edit: Ah, I see. The '80s one. Looks like you added me, so we're good!)

Edited August 10, 2011 by byline

[Tupac]

'71 Cavaliers and Madison were the harbingers of more theatrical shows. And the offseason aftermath led directly to the formation of DCI.

Agreed 100% on this......what year did Garfield do the sit in show that was penalized at every contest? Was that 71 also?

[cowtown]

77 was a good year for them, I liked 78 and 80 from them better though

3 corps did pagliacci in finals that year

[jwillis35]

There are lots of influential shows over the history of the activity. Hard to pick ONE, but here is my list (in no order of importance, just a list):

The 1970s

1970 Troopers (had to include this, even though it predates DCI by a few years)

1973 Santa Clara Vanguard

1974 Anaheim Kingsmen

1976 Blue Devils

1979 27th Lancers

- you may ask, what about Phantom or Madison from the 70s? Simple, they were not all that influential nor were they copied much. They were incredible, YES, but the Madison style has almost never been copied well. I choose 5 corps from this decade because these early trend setters really set the tone for musical arrangement, the percussive language, visual construction, guard integration, and showmanship.

The 1980s

Garfield Cadets 1982/83

Santa Clara Vanguard 1987

- I choose 2 shows here. Garfield is the obvious choice. What they started in 1982 and continued in 1983 really changed everything about drum corps. And their apex show of that decade, 1987 Appalachian Spring show, was a continuation of what they started in 1982, only with much more artistry, nuance, demand, and sheer power and emotion. However, I include SCV 1987 for an important reason. Theme shows had been done before in the activity, but SCV's Russian show, with the pageantry and precision, the color, props, GE out the wazoo, and outstanding musical arrangement really set the tone for every theme show since. They continued this mastery with their 1988 Phantom of the Opera show. At the end of the decade of the 80s, SCV was truly setting a course for any corps that wished to chart the theme show, story-based show, and to this day rarely have we seen better.

The 1990s

1993 Star of Indiana

1994 Blue Devils

- these are clearly the two shows that not only changed the 90s, but in many ways these two shows, along with Cavaliers 2001, hold as the barometers for most shows today. Star's influence on body movement, guard design, and program design is clearly evident today. The Blue Devils also contributed in a big way. The musical arranging and the instrumental voicing that was employed have changed the construction of music to this day. They also revamped their percussion program and their marching vocabulary to such a degree that since that time very few corps can march and move together on a football field like the Blue Devils (thanks to Todd Ryan and company).

The 2000s

2001 Cavaliers

To this point of the 2000s, the Cavaliers remain the most influential corps, mostly for their visual presence. They were great in 1999 and 2000, employing many of the techniques they use today (a style that began in the mid 1980s), but in 2001, utilizing the Four Corners of the field, they re-energized visual design and field coverage to a degree that has rarely been equaled. To this day, their influence on visual design, and overall show design, is unrivaled, and only the Blue Devils and Star of Indiana have the same influence in the areas I spoke of.

[KAW]

I think its interesting that in a forum titled "The Most Influential Drum Corps Show In History" all the noted programs are like a decade old. Maybe it takes that long before one can recognize the influence. Additionally, at the time the 1960s DCPers might have hated them as well. What, no inspection? Kids these days have no respect for tradition! Two piston valves? Never. An interval greater than 2 steps? Why?

Ten years from now I wonder what programs of today might be quoted as "most influential". While I'm not a huge fan, I would think that the 2010 Blue Devils might be on that list.

Btw, when I marched we weren't allowed to run with our horns, ever. You might fall you know. Seriously.