Rifuarian Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 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. Like Star 93 I feel that BD 2010 is brilliantly designed, legendary show that will not end up being that influential. Like Star 93, it just seems too unique and inimitable to revolutionize drum corps. And I'm not sure what new thing BD 2010 brought to the table, other than putting WGI-inspired design on a football field, which BD has been doing for quite some time and which other corps have copied freely. But, as you say it can take years for the true impact of a show to be revealed. We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancerLegend Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 73 Santa Clara took us out of straight lines into arc forms and tuned bass marching sideways. 80 Santa Clara explored assymetrical drills 83 Cadets pushed the velocity and whiplash forms 87 Cadets rewrote the visual arts entirely. 97 BD offered the complete theme show - visually and musically. As for Zingali "....wasn't fit to tie Bobby Hoffman's shoes" - Zingali was racing on skis and too far ahead to slow down for Hoffman. Now with due respect - Hoffman did some great work - 74 Kingsmen for example, and yes, with Bayonne. But please - Zingali's legacy is secure with 27th, Garfield and Star. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarimbasaurusRex Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Have to agree with the OP that Bridgemen 77 is the most influential show ever. Not because of the show design, although I really loved the music, the "human" feel to the show, and the "we do what we want" aspect of their performance style. This show is the most influential because it was the day DCI lost it's soul, on national TV broadcasting the saga live to every home in the country. I think even at the time no one understood how truly special that was. A few years later it would be gone. Although there were many great drum corps shows through that time, this one was the black eye of DCI. Rules are rules, but looking at the faces of the kids performing that show... well... it was just wrong. I know my parents and many others lost a lot of respect for drum corps as a whole and it made my own justification for doing drum corps harder to sell. I hadn't even marched DCI yet (I was in DCA) and I was embarrassed for them watching the thing. Disqualified? An audience favorite? Really? Over what seems like a technicality? The details of the event are arguable until the cows come home, but the impression of drum corps as a product really took a hit that day. Before anyone says 75 Muchachos, that was before the spotlight was really on. By 77 DCI had found a TV audience. The Bridgemen were revolutionaries and I really think 77 changed the course of the activity in huge ways, but not in their direction. They lost the battle and the war. And the knee jerk reaction of the entire activity sent things on a more conservative, dare I say uptight path which lasts to this day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 (edited) The Drum Corps activity got little to no negative repercussions in the minds of most people as the result of one Corps disqualification. We are talking a LOT of Corps here in 1977 that were competing, so this is simply an overblown statement as to it's effects in my opinion. If this was such a big deal, then we would have seen a drop off in attendance in Corps shows in the next 2, 3 years. But this did not occur at all. DCI actually INCREASED its attendance in the next few years as a matter of fact. DCI Finals in 1981, and 82, were larger than in 78,79,80. Even the effect on the Bridgemen for disqualification in 77 was not all that impactful. The Bridemen actually got better from 1978 to 1980 ( finishing 5th, 6th, but then 3rd in '80 ) So the negative impact you ascribe on the activity by this Corps disqualification is simply not borne out by the events that subsequently occured in terms of future years audience attendance figures and this Corps pretty strong competitive remergence right after the embarrasment of their disqualification in 1977. Edited August 10, 2011 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_demello Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Troopers. Period. If it wasn't for the Troopers, there wouldn't be a "West" for world class drum corps. Ex-Troopers, such as Pete Emmons, went on to make SCV great. And if it wasn't for SCV, the Blue Devils wouldn't have gotten off the ground so easily (with such SCV Alumni on the BD staff as Wayne Downey, Jim Ott, Mike Moxley, etc.) AND, if it wasn't for SCV teaching BD how to do Bingo, BD couldn't have afforded those nice new cadet jackets in 1976! And I don't know how many Troopers/SCV/BD alum have gone on into the drum corps activity to teach other drum corps, but one of them is this years DCI Open Class Director of the Year and Blue Devils Alum, Michael Quillen! Congrats Mike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 A nearly impossible question to answer because of drum corps' long, rich history. I'm sure there are a lot of old timers who speak to influential corps from the fifties and early 60s. To me, influential means that everyone imitated them. With that in mind, here's some food for thought. 1965 Royal Airs - Unbelievable horn charts. When none other than Gail Royer says this corps was a major influence on him, that's saying something. 1970 Madison Scouts - Yes the first half of the show was pretty stock. But the back half was a glimpse of what a total theme show could be, and it was imitated by scores of corps in 1971 and the years following. 1975 Blue Devils - Cool comes to drum corps. Yeah, 1976 was a championship year, but what they did in 1975 sent shock waves throughout drum corps. 1980 Santa Clara - After this show, symetric drill was a thing of the past. 1983 Garfield - Face it: most modern day drill writing can trace a direct line to George Zingali. good list. I'd also add in 93 Star and 08 Phantom, as that was the ultimate in storytelling 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusayan Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Generally one of the choices is 83 Gahfield.... If you're going to cite Garfield of that era then the 82 show was more significant because that was where they debuted that new style and Rocky Point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMichael1230 Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 If you're going to cite Garfield of that era then the 82 show was more significant because that was where they debuted that new style and Rocky Point. But they didnt "influence" anyone until after they won, in 1983. Geoffrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsBusDriver Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 (edited) 73 Santa Clara took us out of straight lines into arc forms and tuned bass marching sideways. 80 Santa Clara explored assymetrical drills Santa Clara was doing arcs as far back as '70. OTL "Procession of the Nobles" was a series of arcs continually expanding out of the corner of the field like a drop of water . Totally new I think. Not sure about other corps back then if they did arcs in their drill except maybe for Troopers with their "Sunburst" drill. Not all shows were totally symetrical in the early '70s. Check out SCV '73 if you are so inclined.I think that '73 was also different and influential because of YPG. Anyone who has fannetwork should check out "Brass Roots". There you have the original DCI guys talking about who had the most influential shows during the first 25 years of DCI. Lots of history to be learned from those guys. Edited August 10, 2011 by MsBusDriver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 The 1980 Blue Devils took a quantum leap forward in brass line quality. A lot of folks, myself included, look to that corps as the brass line that ushered in real quality playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.