DrumCorps21 Posted June 20, 2004 Share Posted June 20, 2004 Wildwood was a rough show. It was rough in many ways. But then again, it's still the beginning of the year, the first show of the 2004 season. In any case, welcome back to the greatest activity of the summer! I got to Wildwood a little less than an hour before the show started to pick up my ticket and grab a good seat. After going inside, I saw that there weren't a lot of people in there, so me and my date for the evening decided to go wander outside and try to find some hornlines warming up. Once outside, we listened hard for the sound of G bugles pounding out lots of sound. Didn't hear a single note! We checked a couple of the closest parking lots but still didn't find anything. Still don't know where the corps were warming up for the show... We went back inside to get our seats at almost 5:30(the show was set to begin at 6:00). Still not a lot of people. Over the next half hour the crowd did thicken a good bit to make a pretty decent drum corps audience. As I sat there, I got to wave "hi" to some old buds from Bucs and Cabs. I explained to my date how different a DCA crowd is from a DCI or band crowd. So many faces are there every week, every season for years. And the people are hardcore about their corps. The gentleman and his wife next to me had kids in Brigs. After a discussion of our past in drum corps, he asked if I'd help him cheer for his daughters even though I'm a Bucs fan through and through. I gladly obliged. Drum corps is great. 6:00 came and went, and we still sat patiently in the crowd. After what seemed like an eternity, Fran Haring came out and explained, again, that he is from Baltimore, MD (Nice shirt, Fran). The show got underway with the Bucs taking the floor. Reading Buccaneers - 44? horns, full percussion section. "Innovations! The Passions of Shostakovich" was the show. The Bucs came out with these white props used to hold colorguard equipment, I think. I didn't quite notice how they were used in the show other than for framing the corps in different shapes. I'm sure the details will be worked out at a later date. Loud hornline, strong drumline, and a guard that is a step up from last years. Connecticut Hurricanes - 32? horns, 13 or 14 battery. Their show is "the Magnificent Fifty"... for their fiftieth anniversary. Some old goodies in this show, and no one can forget their theme, Mag 7 which makes a full appearance in their show this year instead of just a quotation or snippet. The show is built largely around two sop screamers. New York Skyliners - (I didn't take any notes at the show so I'm doing this all from memory, so forgive me if I don't remember all the details) Can't remember their numbers, but they had a really nice sized colorguard. In fact, the colorguard that Sky is fielding this year is probably the best they've had in a long while. They're performing the music of George Gershwin. Syracuse Brigadiers - 56 horns, full battery, 40 guard! Yes, they have a slightly smaller hornline this year than in the past, but they make up for it with a massive colorguard. Their show is "Caravan". Most of the productions come directly from the 1997 Blue Devils horn book. Brigs were by far the cleanest corps on the floor, but it looks like they haven't finished their ending yet. The very end of the show the corps just stood still and wailed very very LOUD at the crowd. Hawthorne Caballeros - 64 horns, full batter, full guard. Cabs are back with another original show by Key Poulan, this one entitled "Pamplona, the running of the bulls". Like last year, this is still in the typical Cabs tradition of spanish/latin music on the field, lots of loud, and another strong showing from Gary Gil's drumline. It didn't seem that they were moving as much or as fast this year as they did last year. They weren't as clean as Brigs, but, for this point of the season, they pose a real threat to keep the Brigs from getting on track with another undefeated season. Also in performance were the Crossmen and the Cabs Alumni Corps. Seriously, in the enclosed space of the convention center, my ears were hurting sooo bad from 5 quality DCA corps blasting full out that at the end of the competitive section I wasn't paying as much attention as I would have otherwise. Crossmen look great in their new uniforms, but they need the red cross back over their chest. It's their 30th anniversary, and it's a different show for them this year... not as much jazz. Cabs alumni... well, tradition dicatates that if you've ever seen them before, you know what to expect. Go to the Clifton show, they'll be there. Closing observations... It didn't seem that a lot of the corps had their colorguard uniforms done. The corps were either wearing all black, white tops with black pants, or red and black. Only the Hurricanes had any real uniform on their guard. As for the center itself as a drum corps venue... I think I'll pass next year. This early on in the season there are going to be ensemble problems. And the conditions inside made those ensemble problems so much worse. It was difficult to hear some of the hornlines clearly, especially when the drumline was playing. Reading, due to staging, was impacted the most by playing inside. Their very, very significant drumline really made it difficult to discern what was happening in the hornline with the volume of the battery. Other than those, it was a fun time. It's gonna be a great year for DCA, especially looking at the list of all the corps coming to Scranton this year. Hope the review was helpful. Now if only my ears would stop ringing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossmenAlumni Posted June 20, 2004 Share Posted June 20, 2004 Crossmen look great in their new uniforms, but they need the red cross back over their chest. It's their 30th anniversary, and it's a different show for them this year... not as much jazz. Apparently, the crosses (which have been ordered) have not come in yet. I'm really hoping they have them on the unis for the first judged show next week. Also, not to nitpick, but 2005 is the year the Crossmen are officially celebrating their 30th Anniversary. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorps21 Posted June 21, 2004 Author Share Posted June 21, 2004 Interesting... didn't they just celebrate their 25th anniversary in 1999? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossmenAlumni Posted June 21, 2004 Share Posted June 21, 2004 Long story short, yes and no. Corps founded in late December 1974. First competitive season was 1975. We're choosing to go the route that others take (like the US Bicentennial, for example)...1776-1976. Our first season was 1975, so our 30th will be officially celebrated in 2005. If the corps had been founded a couple weeks later, this would have been far less confusing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorps21 Posted June 21, 2004 Author Share Posted June 21, 2004 Another comment about the show... I hear they made a change to the way corps are selected for performance order in DCA this year. I'm not a big fan of this at all. You have a corps like the Buccaneers on first, followed by Sky and Hurcs. Now, I'm hardly saying anything bad about Sky or Hurcs, but this puts a perennial top 5 corps like Reading in a very difficult position in terms of numbers management from the judges. Judges, for those who don't know much about judging, typically manage their scores so that they give points very conservatively in the beginning of the show so they have room to give higher scores by the end. Naturally, a quality judge will be able to award the proper score no matter what order corps go on. But the numbers management business is common in just about any circuit. Does anyone know how order of corps performance has been selected in the past as compared to this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted June 21, 2004 Share Posted June 21, 2004 Excellent review.... thanks! Fran (from Baltimore) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celtickid Posted June 21, 2004 Share Posted June 21, 2004 Another comment about the show... I hear they made a change to the way corps are selected for performance order in DCA this year. I'm not a big fan of this at all. You have a corps like the Buccaneers on first, followed by Sky and Hurcs. Now, I'm hardly saying anything bad about Sky or Hurcs, but this puts a perennial top 5 corps like Reading in a very difficult position in terms of numbers management from the judges.Judges, for those who don't know much about judging, typically manage their scores so that they give points very conservatively in the beginning of the show so they have room to give higher scores by the end. Naturally, a quality judge will be able to award the proper score no matter what order corps go on. But the numbers management business is common in just about any circuit. Does anyone know how order of corps performance has been selected in the past as compared to this year? The corps draw for positions for every show they are in !!!! So, it changes things up where you dont have the same corps goin on at the sametime. It is a fair way to do this cause it is like lottery . It is always hard to go on first whether you are top 5 or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorps21 Posted June 21, 2004 Author Share Posted June 21, 2004 So every show the order is going to be different? I know what it is like to go on first at every show. Did that my first year of corps with the Chieftains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decompressed Posted June 21, 2004 Share Posted June 21, 2004 Gary: Nobody wants you here! Nobody! :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossmenAlumni Posted June 21, 2004 Share Posted June 21, 2004 Take the pen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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