TOC - San Jose Flint Center

[bd5times]

After much anticipation, the TOC has finally wound its way to the northern part of California.

I had tickets for Saturday, but did not have tickets for the friday night stage show. Since I work pretty close to the Flint Center, I figured I would pop on over after work and check out the show. I got my ticket, dead center. I could not believe my luck! The place was packed! Perhaps 10 seats not filled.

After getting my ticket, I watched Cavaliers during their recording session. I must say, I was highly impressed with their horn line. The music was neat to listen too. Can't wait to see all of this stuff in motion.

I saw many, many, many alumni for both Santa Clara and the Blue Devils. Obviously, we've all been waiting for a moment like this where half of the top twelve are performing in our backyard. The theatre itself is incredible. Big wide mezzanine level with two balcony's lining the side and back walls.

As soon as the lights dimmed, the crowd broke out into immediate applause. The announcer did a GREAT job announcing tonight. He got the crowd pumped up with the fact the corps performing tonight represented 31 of DCI's 33 Championship drum corps. The next tidbit of information was that he had been assured the theatre recently went through a structural engineering inspection to make sure it could handle the sonic assault that was going to be unleashed.

Good thing, too.

The first corps on was the Phantom Regiment.

The corps looked fantastic in their white uniforms, no shakos. They started off with Elsa's Procession which sounded absolutely gorgeous in the theatre. What a sound. Following Elsa's was a portion of Phantom's show. Not the complete show, just a portion (opener, I think, same tune BD did a few years ago). The crowd wasn't sure when Phantom was done, but suddenly it got dark and the curtains closed. The crowd gave a thunderous roar of approval to the first corps of the night. I think if we had known they were done, Phantom would have received a standing-O.

Next up...Madison Scouts.

These guys were there to perform.....BIG TIME!

When the curtain rose, the horn line was grouped into blocks with heads facing down, providing a pretty cool silohouete with their Aussies on (they were the only corps to wear shakos/hats). They had fog on the floor (dry ice) and the spot light quickly went to one of their members.

He started off singing.......You'll Never Walk Alone.

The rest of the corps soon joined him with members of the color guard performing a dance routine....all backed up by the singing. And it sounded great indoors. I was sitting next to a senior citizen (didn't know him) who broke down crying. The way the corps sang was rather powerful.

After the song was over, Madison cranked up Malaga.....which has always been one of my favorite drum corps tunes. I was in heaven.

I've got Madison in front of me, I'm indoors, its August, and they were on fire!

The stage looked a bit crowded with the drums and horns cranking away on

Malage.....suddenly, the sopranos drop to their knees and the volume level went through the roof. People in the audience were jumping up, whistling, pandemonium almost broke out. When the song ended, Madison received the first of many standing ovations of the night. Up to that point in time, that was the price of admission. Little did I know that I was going to get well beyond my money's worth for the admission price.

After Malaga, the corps played the theme to "Ice Castles". It was gorgeous. The ending again brought the crowd to its feet.

Vanguard

Following Madison.....before the announcer could get out "San...".....the place erupted. The home town crowd was well represented. Vanguard started off with their opener and, man, Vanguard indoors was amazing. They had the cymbals center stage providing more visuals that I ever knew possible. The crowd was applauding through several passages through their opener.

After the opener quieted down, the sopranos and baris left the stage. Suddenly, baritones and contras started "Send In The Clowns". I love this tune. It's just beautilfully written and certainly means a lot to Vanguard alumni and members. While the baritones and contras are playing, the sopranos and mellophones walked out into the audience and lined up in front of the front row. Their entrance was perfect. The sound after the drum majors cutoff at the end of the push just sat there, ringing off the walls. Incredible. The end of the tune brought thunderous applause.

Up next for Santa Clara......BOTTLE DANCE! This should be outlawed in California. The applause started immediately once you knew what the tune was. Suddenly, 5 guard members came onto the stage in the vintage guard unis of the 70's. Santa Clara alumns rocketed up out of their seats screaming and hollering as the guard did the Bottle Dance. The place went nuts! Vanguard left the theatre in complete disarray.

Blue Devils

Intermission followed the Vanguard....and following intermission was the other California corps. And....the home town crowd was well represented.

Blue Devils started off with a tune I don't think I've ever hear before. Pretty soon, it broke down into the lower brass sneaking in the strains to Mars...Space Chords!

Blue Devils, in doors, California, August. How cool is that!

The corps worked through several chord progressions and while the space chords were going, the horn line just started randomly walking off until a lone baritone player cut off the last note. As the horn line left the stage, the color guard joined and took over the place with a well coreographed dance routine.

It was pretty killer!

Following the color guard was a lone snare dummer.....getting kisses fom the guard as they left the stage. Looked like one happy drummer.

He started working on his snare solo and after a couple of minutes of dazzling the crowd, the rest of the Blue Devils drum line joined him on the stage. Pretty soon, the whole ensemble is rocking out to finish off the Blue Devils portion of the stage show.

Next up....the DCI Champion Cavaliers.

They were well received in the land of Champions. They kicked off their program with portions from their James Bond show and it was apparent they've got a killer horn line with screaming sops.

Following this was an incredible performance by the pit. I don't think this was from their show.....but it was incredible. Generated quite a lengthy applause from the crowd. Following the pit work was an operatic tune. I can whistle it, I've got it on CD, but for the life of me, I can't recall the opera (think it's by Pucini). It was gorgeous! Very well done. Cavies closed out their segment with "Over The Rainbow" to a thunderous applause.

Cadets were the last corps on......and that was a good thing.

They owned the stage from the start.

Cadets started off with the William Tell small ensemble that immediately had the audience eating out of their hands. It was funny, but more importantly, these 6 kids did a fantastic job! Soon, the rest of the corps is on the stage and the whole ensembe ends up just wailing on "Moon Dance" from their 2001 show. The audience was again jumping to it's feet in spontaneous ovations.

Following this segment, Cadets (I keep wanting to say Garfield) had a bit of a show off section with parts of their show. First up was the mellophone line, then the baris and sopranos. After that....the color guard came out with piped in music and did their coreographed piece. Complete with rifles, sabres, Blast like colorful flags, and streamers flying all over the place. The audience went nuts.

Now that Cadets have the crowd worked up to a frenzy, how are they going to leave?

The ending alone was the price of admission. I told you, somebody got cheated. I got more than my ticket was worth.

Cadets started off with one of their Tull tunes.......the place is rocking. Suddenly, trumpets are running out to the sides of the theatre.....then into the audience. Suddenly, the theater lights come on so you can see the corps in the isle. I mean, these guys are about 10-20 seats in from the isle, standing right in the middle of the audience! They're jamming, the corps on the stage is playing at what is probably the loudest volume of the night. The audience is screaming and on their feet and when the last note ends, the kids from Cadets that are in the audience are getting high fives from everybody around them.

WOW!

That ending may very well go down as one of the best drum corps things I've witnessed. It was GREAT to be able to witness this evenings performances. The excitement level kept get higher and higher as the evening progressed and the Cadets were definitely the climax of the evening.

Great job to all that put this together! BIG TIME!

Edited August 14, 2004 by bd5times

[abercrombiedevon]

holy #### that sounds awesome.....i sooo so so so hope they got this on video. id pay 30 bucks for it maybe even more!!!!

[Guardmamita]

Ohmygod! Thanks SO much for the most powerful show review of the year! I'm an East Coast SCV guard parent and my kid, an age-out, was on last night's bottle dance line. I've been dying to hear how it went and you described the performance so vividly it brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for putting my head where my heart was all along. :)

[jvsmom]

Thank you so much for the review! It's so descriptive I could almost feel it myself! I really wish I could have been there, too.

[Shawn777]

I'll say it again --- if DCI doesn't get video/audio (preferably both) of the TOC events -- they're making the biggest mistake they could ever fathom. Each night seems to improve more and more -- pushing, or rather busting though, the envelope with each performance.

[drums4u]

Cadets were the last corps on......and that was a good thing.[/b]

They owned the stage from the start.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very true. The Cadets had the most polished, "choreographed" stage show of the night. I would like to see more of these stage shows during the season at different venues across the country, especially when the corps do something a little bit different then simply playing a standstill version of their field show. It can be a lot of fun. Especially when you can take advantage of special lighting effects and different acoustics, you might as well have some fun with it and mix it up a bit, like the Cadets did.

Hopefully we'll see more shows like this.

Speaking of indoor shows, what ever happened to the Concord Pavillion Show in Concord, CA?? This was always done before the regular field show season started, and was a great way to showcase the corps music, the different sections of the corps, and give fans a taste of the season to come. I miss that show!!!

Anyways, congrats to all the corps who participated in TOC. Job well done!!!

[bd5times]

Speaking of indoor shows, what ever happened to the Concord Pavillion Show in Concord, CA??

I might be wrong on this. From my understanding, the Pavillion was free to perform at for the local groups...hence...those performances were at no charge.

When the city sold the Pavillion, the group that owns it no longer wanted free concerts there. That right there killed it.

I saw every one of those performances.

[bishtom]

It was an incredible night for DCI. I got to watch Michael Cesario work with the corps during the day...setting up staging and lighting. A huge undertaking for just one day of rehearsal!Too bad sing sing sing had to be scraped (time issues)

[MsBusDriver]

Did anyone get a picture of SCV's guard doing the "Bottle Dance"?. Two Alumni gals (They're the Souvie Ladies now.) and myself taught the girls the dance when the Corps was in Anaheim. Unfortunatly, I had to get home to Spokane and didn't get to see the Flint Center performance. Man, Wish I could have been there. Would love to see a picture.

[Wildabeast]

Did anyone get a picture of SCV's guard doing the "Bottle Dance"?.  Two Alumni gals (They're the Souvie Ladies now.) and myself  taught  the girls the dance when the Corps was in Anaheim.  Unfortunatly, I had to get home to Spokane and didn't get to see the Flint Center performance. Man, Wish I could have been there. Would love to see a picture.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Your wish has been granted. Picture #9.