Shows that changed drum corps?

[parkbench]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7loxbB_IaRI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The first theme show ending VFW era and launching the new Combine DCI. And the one tee-shirts proclaimed "When drum corps died!"

(I was ctr snare. Brother was French horn)

[OrlandoContraAlum]

Surprised it hasn't been mentioned, but 1976 Bridgemen sure did change things up a bit! Bayonne was the first corps to pretty much thumb their collective noses at the establishment, paving the way for corps such as the Velvet Knights, Impulse and Jersey Surf. Many, MANY folks decried the Bananas ("That's NOT Drum Corps") but they certainly made a statement.

And I would have posted somethin' somethin' about Suncoast, but Randy took care of that already (as I knew he would!)

[skywhopper]

Cadets 83 is clearly a turning point. All heck broke loose in terms of drill at that point. I think other changes took a little longer to sink in, but you can tie them back to specific corps, as well. Star certainly pushed a broader and darker repertoire into the activity. 90, 91, and 93 all made big impacts, and you can see Cadets and Blue Devils darken things up quite a bit in the early-to-mid 90s. Cavaliers definitely pushed high-concept ultra-clean drill into more prominence from the late 90s through early 00s.

As to your other suggestions, I think it's too soon to say if BD 2010 changed drum corps. I certainly haven't seen the effect in terms of emulation. But maybe it did in that it pushed the other corps back towards thinking more about "entertainment" (there was certainly a huge push from DCI starting last year with that aim in mind). I credit Chris Komnick and Jim Mason who submitted a rule proposal after the 2010 season for an "Entertainment Effect" caption, and Michael Caesario who both talked up entertainment last year and led the effort to rework the sheets to at least attempt to address the "concerns" that while it was never explicitly stated as such, my interpretation has always been that the direct cause of those "concerns" was BD's win with Through a Glass, Darkly.

[Schickmeister]

Cadets 2006/7. Fact.

[skywhopper]

But, you know, Crown already did a show about this topic in 2008. Take the rep from Finis and find which top corps played those songs in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. And then watch Crown's closer drill which is full of references to famous/awesome closer drill from the past.

Edited July 26, 2012 by skywhopper

[OrlandoContraAlum]

Cadets 2006/7. Fact.

LOL!

I will give you 2006, but 2007 was a bag.

[Michael Boo]

For me three shows really shaped the activity over the years.

1976 Blue Devils

1983 Cadets

1993 Star of Indiana

I LOVED the Star of Indiana show, but I didn't see any other corps pick up on it. The body sculpturing was already being done, though not with that level of excellence.

I would suggest that 1984 Cadets influenced drill writing more because it took other corps more than a year to figure out what George Zingali was doing with flex-drill.

Criteria I'd suggest for establish the real game changers would involve a corps coming out with something no one else had that everyone else wanted.

To that end, the late 1950s Cavaliers, who were the ONLY corps that had plastic drum heads, due to corps instructor Frank Arsenault working for Ludwig Drum Company, who was developing the first plastic heads. The company needed someone to try out the prototypes. When extreme mugginess hit the VFW Nationals, they were the only drum line that had any definition going for them. The next year, all corps had the new plastic heads.

The 2000 Blue Devils and Cadets, for being the first to try out the B-flat horns and showing the rest of the activity that B-flats could be loud and effective.

The 1975 27th Lancers for guard innovations (like double flags) that became so standard in the years to come that no one even thinks about it when such a guard effect is delivered.

The 1990 Blue Devils, for upping the arms race in number of pit instruments. Today, over a dozen keyboard instruments doesn't cause anyone to bat an eye.

Early 1990s editions of Glassmen, for incorporating body sculpturing that did get picked up by other corps.

The 1970s Santa Clara Vanguard, for Miss Amana, their food truck that was the envy of the activity and set in motion the standard for semis becoming standard for food service. (Although Miss Amana wasn't a show, the vehicle put on quite a show. One of my favorite memories was getting a tour of the truck, led personally by Gail Royer in 1978.)

[mingusmonk]

Wow, a reference to "Jade" that I'm not responsible for instigating. Whatever became of the composer?

However, prior to 1983, the following original works were composed for drum corps. Larry Kershner and Dennis DeLucia composed "Picturas de España" for Muchachos back in 1974. Dan Spalding composed "Time Odyssey 7534" for Cavaliers in 1975. Ray Baumgardt wrote an original concert (untitled) standstill for Madison Scouts' first show in 1976...the disco show that got entirely thrown out halfway through the season. The famous Vaclav Nelybel composed "Argonne Fanfare" for Argonne Rebels in 1977. Wayne Downey wrote "New York Fantasy" for Blue Devils in 1980. (This was originally a full-length composition instead of just a fanfare and ended up only being heard in its entirety in Wayne's arrangement of the piece for Jenson Publishing's "State of the Art" marching band series.)

Lest we not forget Canto Del Viento - 1982 Crossmen.

[danguernsey]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7loxbB_IaRI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The first theme show ending VFW era and launching the new Combine DCI. And the one tee-shirts proclaimed "When drum corps died!"

(I was ctr snare. Brother was French horn)

Actually, there were two other theme shows in 1971: Scouts "Alice" show (w/ costumes) and Garfield Cadets Revolutionary War theme. Interestingly, the use of costumes and gags on the field by the '71 Scouts and Cavaliers anticipated the costumed shows of the Bridgemen a few years later.

[kaseyW]

I can't believe you'd cheapen the waffles with another "INT" joke!

Yeah, but even INT likes waffles.