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I lost a good friend Saturday:(


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Little did I know that a 3 hour drive to Indianapolis would be for a funeral. Zooming across I-70, I anticipated an evening of drum corps pleasure. My reactions to most were blase. This isn't "my year" for corps. Crown had me at "On the Field..." but that danged microphone marred an otherwise tremendous effort--my favorite this year (congrats, kids!).

It's no secret that I'm a rabid Cadets fan. I've already told the tale of when they absolutely stunned me in semi-finals 1985 (my first live view of them). Ever since, when I see them enter the field, my heartrate (literally) increases. I salivate! Funny aside: every year, I note the exact time of my "first sighting" (always the waiting pit musicians).

I still hold that 1985 Finals performance as the Greatest Show Ever Done. Sure, Star, Cavies and BD have since outperformed them, but the design and total production have never been surpassed. That's fine. They've had some incredible outings since. There were the lackluster years: '88, '91, '99, and recently, '01 THROUGH '03. But they always rallied back, reinvented the wheel and took me to musical/visual places others cannot.

Well, after their performance on Saturday, they died to me. No more. This is the 4th consecutive year of a truly subpar, unimaginative program. It's crap. I don't care how hard the audience claps; they've become vintage Madison. I actually stared at the stadium clock for the last three minutes wondering if it would ever end. It's boring and has no substance in drill or music or color guard. Of course, I am in the minority here, but I'm hoping the tech staff will come to my hometown and vault Capital Regiment into the upper echelon. J. Sacktig's drill for Cap is FAR more interesting than his Cadet one...hey, it's not his fault. With CAP, he had a VERY good score in which to interpret.

Mr. Hopkins told a sappy tale following their performance about crowd reactions (likening their clinic to a rock concert). Well, I don't care for rock concerts.

Am I throwing away the bushel due to one rotten apple? Yup. I'll spend my money elsewhere.

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Am I throwing away the bushel due to one rotten apple? Yup. I'll spend my money elsewhere.

:whistle:

Hmmmm....ok....

See ya.

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I know how you feel but there are other corps out there worth staying for....

I feel that way about Madison's show this year. But I'm not leaving...I'm just not supporting them.

However, I have a new love and it is Bluecoats. Have you tried them this year? :whistle:

I also think Cavies and SCV are worth staying around for...as well as some others....

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crybaby.jpg

"Why can't my favorite corps do exactly what I want them to? Who cares how much the crowds are applauding? I don't like it. That's it! I'm leaving drum corps forever!!! Waaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

:whistle:

:whistle::huh: :blah: :huh:

Someone needs a timeout! A lot of corps seem to be moving in a strange direction, it costs money to go to a show...a lot in fact, and seeing groups like the Scouts, BD, Cavies, and yes, even the Cadets keep the fans coming a paying the $$. Many of the corps have become rather boring and way to orchestral...nothing against that type of music, but this is drum and bugle corps! It's supposed to be loud, fast, hard, exciting....otherwise I will go see the symphony. Out

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I love this place. It's never boring. When I think I have read it all, more silly DRAMA appears.

Ya know I feel the same way about the Dolphins, Sheesh what's with them? I remember when the Dolphins were unbeatable, Shula had an offensive that could do no wrong. Then, they recruited the best quarterback out of Pitt and never won another championship. I didn't know the pain it would cause me, them losing year after year. I just gave up. It wasn't worth it anymore. My Sundays in the fall have never been the same. What shall I do, what shall I do.

:::Clutches heart and faints:::Pops head back up briefly....And let me tell you about the Mets...

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I love this place. It's never boring. When I think I have read it all, more silly DRAMA appears.

Ya know I feel the same way about the Dolphins, Sheesh what's with them? I remember when the Dolphins were unbeatable, Shula had an offensive that could do no wrong. Then, they recruited the best quarterback out of Pitt and never won another championship. I didn't know the pain it would cause me, them losing year after year. I just gave up. It wasn't worth it anymore. My Sundays in the fall have never been the same. What shall I do, what shall I do.

:::Clutches heart and faints:::Pops head back up briefly....And let me tell you about the Mets...

Alas..as a long-time Dolfan, I feel your pain. And after this off season, the saga continues and only gets worse! :(

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As a relative newcomer to drum corps, having only watched on on TV in previous years, attending my first show last summer and having my son involved in a corps this year, one word that I see thrown about in describing the shows that I simply do not understand is "boring." From my perspective and having seen approximately 10 shows this summer I have to admit that there have been parts of any number of individual corps performances that have not been to my taste but I've yet to find one that I consider boring. I suppose those that have been in the corps channels for many years have a differnet perspective on this than I do since they have seen many more performances and know individual corps better than I do. The one thing that I look back on when I watch each corps perfom is what it takes to put THAT show on the field. Whether we, as spectators and self-proclaimed critics care for a given show or not or whether we feel it is up to a given corps standards is really pretty irrelavent.

I think, regardless of which corps you consider, that simple consideration of what it takes to blow the first note, march the first step or play the first paradiddle is absolutely amazing. And we won't even go into keeping things rolling through a season as each corps travels to it's shows and deals with the variety of challenges that each faces daily.

On top of that I won't even go into what each of these young people (and staff) learns through the course of time a given years corps comes together and performs. Personally, I look at where my son is today musically compared to December of last year and find that it makes NO difference if I cared for the show his corps performed or not. He grew and learned and is an immensely better musician for it. THAT is what it is all about.

Now all that said, and it, along with $.25 will not buy a cup of coffee. My perspective is this - sit back enjoy the shows and try not to take this stuff or our opinions TOO seriously. See you in Denver!

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