St Louis, MO - July 15, 2018

[George Dixon]

Just now, karuna said:

I was going to apologize for using "old fart" but after reading this maybe I won't.   

Those screamers aren't being rude -- they just don't know any better.  You can teach them or you can "give them the stank eye and walk out".  

Personally I love it that kids who've never seen drum corps are going to shows!  

I'm glad they are there too. AND they are being rude. Do you realize we are talking about squeelling and screaming (way over the top) for EVERY catch. In no way are we referring to normal "cheering" or getting excited once or twice and calling out. 

[kdaddy]

1 minute ago, George Dixon said:

that's not what we are talking about - we are talking about screaming at the top of your lungs for EVERY catch the entire 9 hour show

I hear you, man. I guess my point is: of all the things to get ruffled feathers about, this should be way down the list. 

[George Dixon]

1 minute ago, kdaddy said:

I hear you, man. I guess my point is: of all the things to get ruffled feathers about, this should be way down the list. 

of course - there is worse. Like 1. no audience or 2. people not paying attention and talking, taking cell phone calls etc

Anyway - I'm glad you get my point.

[eg0n]

8 minutes ago, George Dixon said:

that's awesome! Sounds like a good chance it will be back there next year  - went well from everyone's reports - always comes down to the  $$ of the stadium obviously

That's the truth. I'm hoping that with an older facility (and no more NFL team), the event costs should be manageable, but I don't know any of the specific numbers. It's nice to be able to take public transit to a major show instead of driving for hours!

[brassboy]

8 minutes ago, kdaddy said:

I hear you, man. I guess my point is: of all the things to get ruffled feathers about, this should be way down the list. 

I think standing ovations for every corps, which someone bemoaned earlier in this thread, should be WAY down at the very bottom of that list. 

Edited July 16, 2018 by brassboy

[karuna]

2 minutes ago, George Dixon said:

I'm glad they are there too. AND they are being rude. Do you realize we are talking about squeelling and screaming (way over the top) for EVERY catch. In no way are we referring to normal "cheering" or getting excited once or twice and calling out. 

Being rude assumes they KNOW they’re violating good audience behavior.  They probably don’t.  Teach those young fans don’t castigate them. 

[Terri Schehr]

8 minutes ago, George Dixon said:

that's not what we are talking about - we are talking about screaming at the top of your lungs for EVERY catch the entire 9 hour show

I was there.  I believe the people getting on my ### about it weren’t. 

[mfrontz]

It would be annoying. 

But so was 'CRYYYSSTTAALLL!'  'CROSSMEN DRUMLINE!'  'SPANK ME!'

Not to mention 'THEY'RE ALWAYYYSSS READY!'

I remember protracted debates about DUT DUT DUT.

How about staffs going nuts for their corps on the track or even worse, in the middle of the stadium?

I hated the thing two years ago with Carolina Crown, some parent getting up before the show and yelling it's someone's birthday and that everyone should yell 'Happy Birthday!'

Maybe the symphony would be better - on the other hand, ever been to a symphony concert when someone is opening a breath mint wrapper while the orchestra is at pianissimo? I suppose a murder in the balcony would be more disruptive, which is part of the reason I don't do it.

All I'm trying to say is that I think there have always been annoying moments at a show. If some people who have been attending shows for decades see that it is more of an issue nowadays and are annoyed, I think it's understandable. But it's not new in at least one sense.

Is it different at finals? I would think there would be fewer shrieking guard girls front and center there.

Maybe it is more of a problem in the lower rows. I think a lot of fans prefer being up higher and I wonder if those seats, which tend to be filled up ahead of time, unlike lower seats, have less of the fangirls. But I could very well be wrong. I don't attend enough shows to know.

[Bluzes]

16 minutes ago, eg0n said:

We brought four friends who hadn't seen drum corps before and had no idea of what they were in for,

Us too, our great room and TV room is loaded with original drum corps paintings from the 80's so we discussed the rich history of the activity. Having watched the Denver broadcast I made the fatal error of thinking that there is any consistency in dci. Having gone from a bright enthusiast announcer describing the rich history to the crowd to the man of constant sorrows who just sat there and mansplained  the corps with very few good things to say, sad. Don't the fans in St Louis deserve the rich history of our beloved corps. Was not feeling the love last night from dci.

[Cappybara]

43 minutes ago, karuna said:

It's not narcissistic at all -- it's a genuine form of encouragment to the guard.  I get that it annoys people (especially if the screamers are directly behind you) but don't project your feelings on to the kids who are just honestly cheering them on.  If you've been to Dayton for guard championships,  you'd get it. (And it is nothing new.  It's been happening in gyms for a very long time.  it's just new to guard outdoors!  ).  Teach them that drum corps is not winterguard.  They're smart -- they'll get it (and probably still squeal at big catches once in a while!) 

Nah all millennials are narcissistic don’t you get it?