perc2100 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 I'll never forget sitting in the theater during one of those DCI Fan Showcase movie events where the fans select the shows they want to see. The audience at the theater I went to, by and large, was made up of high school band kids who were really eager to watch drum corps on the big screen. It was a very large crowd overall, and I'd say those band kids really enjoyed themselves, as audience reaction to pretty much every single show was very strong. But when they showed a guy on the screen in the 27th Lancers marching around with what looked to be a set of large concert chimes strapped to a harness on his chest, you would have thought the theater was in the middle of showing a raucous comedy. The laughter was pretty loud and continued even after the camera switched to something else. And I laughed, too. I mean, what the eff WAS that thing?? The activity, then and now, can easily be perceived as very nerdy. It comes with the territory. People need to stop taking themselves so seriously about it. If someone doesn't know any better, or understand context, their reactions to something like that will most likely be different, and not always favorable. Don't be so quick to get offended. And if you stop to actually think about it, you may even say to yourself, MAN, what were we thinking back then?? (And to be fair, the audience at the movie theater I went to for the 2013 DCI semi-finals contest roared with the same kind of laughter when the "evil queen" made her appearance during Phantom Regiment's show. Nerdiness is not confined to one generation in this activity.) That's a great point: that was pretty universally silly, regardless of era! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 (Doug - I promise, I'm not following you around on here. Not on purpose, anyways...) I love Top Secret. Even if it's <mostly> the same tricks each year, they're tricks done very well, and it's rare to find a crowd that doesn't respond to them. Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCorps Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I think the person you are replying to might be posting with an unbiased, non-drum corps experienced eyes/brain: not that he is not experienced, but posting from the perception of an outsider. From that standpoint, I don't think he's far off. I've been a DCI fans since 1990 and am VERY well-versed in SCV's history, greatness, innovation, etc. The average outsider does not, and instead perceives that particular video totally different than someone with a personal historical knowledge of the activity. And there's nothing wrong with that perception: it's a part of the history/evolution of the activity, in the same way that the gaudy, silly-looking costumes from 1987 SCV's show were off-the-hook in 1987 (note - that's one of my favorite shows). In context of history, that stuff is amazing; when taken as-it-is right now, not so much, and I can understand the argument that stuff can be viewed as just as bando and goofy as trombones, sousaphones, and synths. This. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flammaster Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Enchinda's Arf (of you) Period! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Yeah that rig that looks like someone who is being treated for massive spinal injury with chimes dangling = REALLY dorky looking taken at face value. Or some of the stuff from before grounded pit, where there's like someone on the field playing tambourine acting like he's the featured soloist (BD 76 "Legend of the One Eyed Sailor" comes to mind) = laughably goofy. When I show those videos to youngin's it ALWAYS gets laughs, especially because their only frame of reference is modern BD/drum corps. It really is ALL just marching band & you can't take it too seriously. Imagine what modern costuming might look like in a few decades, or what 2013 drum corps uniforms might look like to 2033 pageantry fans We already look like dorks to the outside world, I don't see that changing in the future. Yeah, the old percussion set-ups were pretty funny looking before grounded pits came around. The big xylophone set-ups and chimes look like something out of a hospital ward. And the tympani kids look like they're a stiff breeze from falling over like a turtle. But it's what they had at the time, and we've evolved since then. But I don't think anyone can disagree with the fact that the hairstyles and glasses look incredibly dorky looking at them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalieguy Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Maybe I'm showing my age... and maybe my 3 word answer doesn't qualify.. BLACK MARKET JUGGLER ... nuff said. Honorable Mention: 1978 - "STAR WARS" from MADISON This IS about Best drum breaks, right? Pat 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Here are some notable percussion breaks from back in the day... Really SCV 87, Bluecoats 87, BD '86, and VK 1987 stand out to me as being very flashy... Blue Knights' 1993 "Little Green Men" was novel too as the entire show was percussion-centric that year. I always enjoyed had Star of Indiana would integrate their "percussion features" into the show and sometimes blend with the brass, but still be the focus. I remember 1992's Patriotic show being one of those cases, where the tenors and mellophones were features together, the snares and the sopranos were featured together, and the bass drums and low brass were featured together. What I'm talking about begins around 9:05 - 10:15. Looking back, I also think 1989's British show had elements of that too: Corps don't really do "drum breaks" or "percussion features" much anymore, which is sad. Bluecoats '87 Drum to Drum and tons of snares in Autumn Leaves.... Starts at around 1:40: SCV 1987 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaVJX22WRxo Bluecoats '88 Velvet Knights 1987 = More Drum to Drum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzMnZ7tBT70 Blue Knights 1993 Little Green Men Star of Indiana 1987 Circus fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvbvkuHk2Bw Cavaliers 1987 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNmm70nyyqw Cavaliers 1990 Cavaliers 1991 Blue Devils 1985 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul0jQDLHpjA Blue Devils 1986 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq6wCY5A1fo Blue Devils 1990 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffe77 Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I agree with quite a few mentioned, I'll name others I like. Cadets 2003, 2005, 1993 BD 95 (Caribe Tenor Break), 1989, 1994 Last Break in the Closer, 2004 Scouts 94 First Drum Feature SCV 1991-93, 97-99, 04 Crossmen 1991-92 Cavaliers 95,04 Bluecoats 08,12-13 Phantom 06-10 VK 92-94 Star 1993 Blue Knights - 1998 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 From a technical standpoint, this one is still pretty awesome. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqL8UWiTsII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllianaLancerContra Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Here are some notable percussion breaks from back in the day... Velvet Knights 1987 = More Drum to Drum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzMnZ7tBT70 The heck with drum to drum - this was the line w/ the Sex Cymbals! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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