StunnedMonkey Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 When I was in High School in the summer of 1978 our town hosted an early season DCI show. I had seen old black and white reel to reel tapes of the 1976 finals from the PBS broadcast, but never a live show. I was excited that the Blue Stars and the Kilts were at the Fort Wayne competition as I'd seen them on the recordings. So that night in Northrop's Spuller Stadium I sat near the 50 yard like anxiously awaiting the Kilts and Blue Stars, but the first group off was one I'd never heard of. Whatever. They started off playing softly, and there was a simple soprano soloist, and I'm thinking...when do the Blue Stars come on? Then this corp I'd never heard of....the 1978 SPIRIT OF ATLANTA...unleashed a horn impact so massive that to this day I don't think I've heard anything to compare. It was a defining moment for me. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Blue Devils 1996 was a pretty great way to open the show. I remember when I first saw them at some small show in mid-July. I was teaching a Div. 3 corps at the time, and hanging out on the track with my future wife and her good friend who was on staff with a WC corps. Blue Devils were setting up, and our friend looked up and asked us if we'd seen BD yet. We answered know and she just smirked, encouraging us to sit front/center as close as we could get on the track without being disruptive. When that opening phrase hit, not only did it make my wife jump a bit, but it made the hair on my arms & neck stand up! I should've known something (glorious) was going to be up when our friend put her hands up to her ears right before the show started. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibexpercussion Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Crossmen 1996- Start out throwing down with a drum feature!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Crossmen 1996- Start out throwing down with a drum feature!!! Oh yeah; that was a great opening moment! Drums throwing down, brass spinning flags: very cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Holland Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Madison 2001. At NightBeat Rondinano couldn't finish his into before the Ballet In Brass fanfare cut him off with "You May take the field and... (can no longer hear due to FFFFFFFFF hornline) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skevinp Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Blue Devils 1996 was a pretty great way to open the show. I remember when I first saw them at some small show in mid-July. I was teaching a Div. 3 corps at the time, and hanging out on the track with my future wife and her good friend who was on staff with a WC corps. Blue Devils were setting up, and our friend looked up and asked us if we'd seen BD yet. We answered know and she just smirked, encouraging us to sit front/center as close as we could get on the track without being disruptive. When that opening phrase hit, not only did it make my wife jump a bit, but it made the hair on my arms & neck stand up! I should've known something (glorious) was going to be up when our friend put her hands up to her ears right before the show started. I told my wife to lean in and listen close so she could hear the soft beginning. She has never entirely forgiven me... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 (edited) When I was in High School in the summer of 1978 our town hosted an early season DCI show. I had seen old black and white reel to reel tapes of the 1976 finals from the PBS broadcast, but never a live show. I was excited that the Blue Stars and the Kilts were at the Fort Wayne competition as I'd seen them on the recordings. So that night in Northrop's Spuller Stadium I sat near the 50 yard like anxiously awaiting the Kilts and Blue Stars, but the first group off was one I'd never heard of. Whatever. They started off playing softly, and there was a simple soprano soloist, and I'm thinking...when do the Blue Stars come on? Then this corp I'd never heard of....the 1978 SPIRIT OF ATLANTA...unleashed a horn impact so massive that to this day I don't think I've heard anything to compare. It was a defining moment for me. You make a good point too about the difference between hearing a Corps live, and hearing it on tape. We all agree that seeing and hearing a Corps on tape is nothing like seeing and hearing a DCI Corps perform live. No matter the year, THAT reality never changes. Live is so much better than hearing from a tape. Crown's brass line opener heard live in 2010 is SO much better than if we only heard it on a tape. Spirit of 78 ( and '79 ) on those crappy sound reproducing systems is nothing... nothing... like hearing that wall of sound live either. The experience can not be remotely replicated by any tape of it. I might consider lying down in the middle of a busy interstate hwy, if I could be promised before I do so, to hear either A) Crown's 80 Brass line play a complete musical show in the G's or B) Spirit of Atlanta in '78, '79, play what they did these 2 years with an 80 member brass line. Not gonna happen... but a guy can dream, no ? Edited May 2, 2016 by BRASSO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarOrg Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 (edited) For me it's probably one of the first I heard. 1982 Garfield Cadets.. the opening 50 seconds of Concerto in F before going into Rocky Point. I am not sure what note that soprano hits. Here you go .. I found a clip of it.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-_-msVNFps Edited May 2, 2016 by StarOrg 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanjrusMcRynky Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 (edited) Santa Clara Vanguard 1997, Fog City Sketches 1:40 to 2:46 still stands up as one of my favorite moments in DCI. Edited May 2, 2016 by DanjrusMcRynky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 no contest: makes me so sad that they weren't able to sustain that quality of design past the pre-show : sad: but dear lord creep was ethereal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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