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DCA weekend review


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Writers note: This review has on the field notes, off the field notes, who I met, and my feelings about scores and things. While i try not to offend anyone, some may take offense. If you have an issue with that, know at least I am being honest in my assessment.

That being said.....

Friday 4 pm.....running out of work and the phone rings...Christine is trapped at school....til 6ish. UGHHHHHHH. Pace. Buy beer. Pace. Pace. triple check what I packed. Pace.

630 pm.....on the road...only to be delayed on I 81 near Hershey due to an accident. Someone doesnt like me.

9 pm check into hotel...aka drop stuff and run to car to go to Muggs. get there and Cabs are outside their hotel rehearsing...so I catch a run thru. The guard caught my eye....unusual but d### they are good, especially Pines of Rome.

Muggs.....I meet TOMIKE, and yes he cleared the aisle lol. Also see Poodle, and we go eat. Liz and her son showed up(what a ###### he is) and so did MikeyMike...but...WTF was the Bday boy? Hey Holton...WTF where ya?? Oh yeah Poodle, you may yet be APA material if you get over Britney. Also met NanciD....sigh, her head isnt flat, now i need a new coaster. Christine was a lil overwhelmed but she hung in as best she could. Oh and hey Ken Sherry....great talking to you. Your premonition for sunday was right.

Saturday am...9 am at the stadium....finally meet Ron Allard(heh, Larry G and Jeff Winans. and yes Ron ###### I do owe you a shot of Jack yet. Dougie Lieux is sittin next to me as is Scotty Humm....and of course Christine Richie and Alma...great to be surrounded by Shore family.

Carolina Gold........nice little show. Some visual issues, and some percussion ex issues, but for a first year corps, wow. I am biased...I love Godspell....but you pulled it off. keep building and I think you will be a force to reckon with.score was an about righ 75.85

Nighstorm.....New World w/14 horns....very gutsy move and done OK. Arnie is a scream to watch performing. Show could have benefitted from a little more uptempo moments but hey, 14 brass...you cant leave em dead. score an about right 73.65

Heatwave...fun little show. great use of the pit to add to the Latin feel. horns got tired at the end, and some drum dirt. Visually I wanted alittle more, but a great corps and a fun show. dead on score of 77.7

Skyliners....d### what improvement. I fell in love w/Sky all over again. The unis are back(but lighter) and the NYNY ending was a throwback to better days...and days yet to come. brass had what Donnie Solinger calls that "Skyliner" sound, and the pitted percussion came a long way. dead on score 79.45. Thank you for carrying the Westshore flag

Inspires...jesus where did they come from?? Oh yeah Japan....someone near me commented that they "outcabbed the Cabs". Balanced sound, tho their strengths were visual and GE......snare line was dirty but great tenors, bass and plates, as well as a first rate pit. score lower than i thought 87.8.

renegades........f### me. No really, f### me. What a fun show, and jesus H christ, yes they are f###ing loud. and musically clean...drum score lower than I expected. Great (and familiar) arrangment of America, mambo kicked ###, Borhap was awesome and Spanish Dreams. best use of a pitted bicycle(only you Ed) and soloists to die for. Some visual issues....but hey, the corps is 3 years old and doing DCA for the first time. And everyone knows dues have to paid in DCA. If you dont believe me look at the results over the years. low score of 86.75.

(also...buy their picture. you see a huge wallof black on the risers and a red 7 from the guard...classic).

CorpsVets...a flat show. drum issues on the field, and drum feet issues. Some timing issues. Guard much beter since Reading and hunter was dead on. great tag ending of Georgia. Not their best day and the score showed it 82.45.

(also following the Renegades couldnt have helped)

lunch break...met Mr kampschoer(sp?) from DCM and former Blue Stars director as he sits w/Steve Vickers. he complimented DCP. Wonderful Gentleman and yes, I did kiss his royal ###. and kept running into him all weekend.

Grenadiers....first viewing. Good drumline and the Gershwin vehicle works well for them. brass had some power, tho i expected a little more. didnt notice the guard...i kept looking for Poodle. in many years this show would be top 8...but this year is different as the deck is packed. about right score of 85.5

Hurcs....i wanted to like this show all year but I couldn't the arrangements seemed choppy and the horns had issues playing on the move. Did love the Mag 7 hit tho. good drumline...the overhyping was toned down since mid season. The Dm tried to be miss congeniality, but it didnt fit the show, and the crowd really didnt take to it. a lil too high IMo score of 87.65

Cru......fun show. hornline had a great sound and drums inproved over last year. I expected more of the drill given the names on the staff and i think it hurt. Also guard didnt catch my eye like last year. By the time they were on I had Santanna Overload, but DA picked up his horn and woke me up w/a few killer notes. Again, in most years, this show is in the hunt. This isnt most years. a little low 88.75.

Minnesota....d###!!!!!! Better than 99. Love the unis, even if i cant get over them looking like Shore's oldones a bit. Visual, long their weakness, is better. brass awesome, drums wow. Folks, this show is worth the video and cd purchase. Roger hit a not that even dogs couldnt hear and i was mesmerized. snares...love that stick visual. Thank you. I need that. score on the low side, 92.95

Bush....improved tho seemed to be a few timing issues today. guard much improved, drums better but still left me flat. Most years this show is there, even w/my dislike of the drum book. But...still on the right path. Dont count Bush out.....they are only getting better. score an about right 89.6

Cabs...WoW...better on the move than in the lot friday night. drums still hurting, but what a guard. Show closer to realizing it's potential, and if Minnesota not in the mix, closer to the top. Jimmy is always a joy to watch, and all in all, a fun show. Score an about right 90.9

Bucs....Thanks to the jack###### in the walkway/concourse tunnel behind me, I had a hard time getting a good read(where's the Moosic nazi's when ya need em?) seemed flat in the daylight but still a contender. magnificent perc book and the guards unis added a great look. Al Maree looks kinda scary in his dress uni.....maybe its the sabre. Right where the should be 94.0

Empire. I will try not to be biased but I am a year removed and this is my first viewing. great package...guard drastically improved, great drill, killer horn line and what a drumline. that they won field is a statement.crowd was very into them.......pit was a scream (hey Andy dont break your stool and love the hat). Joey pero showed why he is the best soloist in DCA...what range, expression and showboating. Honestly...way to low score of 94.9.

Brigs....loud...yes. Huge...yes. Clean...yes. Boring...very. When your first two tunes are off the 94 CD and the fans arent screaming there is a problem. I wanted to like your show. technically I was impressed. You moved well, your guard was great....but the fans didnt buy it. i wont bash like others do about the usual stuff, I will just say play something the fans like, cause this year, it wasnt your hometown for finals, and i heard more bashing than cheering.

quick I&E comments...Erie and ghost Riders killed me.....funny and clean. My god who didnt I meet.....bunny, Windham, Beefy, Kunky, Big Ken, Stu, LisaLisa...Alisha I would have met you but your cymbal lines escorts knocked you out of the way and I lost you. Lisa, Christine does deserve a medal doesnt she? met vince Lamb(what a f###ing scream) and Stuart Rice, who in person is very low key and very nice. I take back most of what I said about him. I know I forgot people. Dr Quinn...Christine loves you. Gina...call anytime hun...I am always here and Christine worships you. Hitmen...how you doin? gadget your girlfirned is a doll, and Suzanne and Chris from Cabs....thanks for the um presents.

Bob Stike.....Christine calls you her brother. Welcome to the family dude...come drink good beer!

(DCA....I&E needs beer and the Italian fest...what food. I have to weigh 400 pounds now)

Scranton.....God Bless you for reviving the Legion. However...given the attitude of the Legionaires there, I know why drum corps got away from you. Your members were rude, and as an SAL member, I was appaled at their behavior.

Finals and alumni show next!!!

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Minnesota....d###!!!!!! Better than 99. Love the unis, even if i cant get over them looking like Shore's oldones a bit. Visual, long their weakness, is better. brass awesome, drums wow. Folks, this show is worth the video and cd purchase. Roger hit a not that even dogs couldnt hear and i was mesmerized. snares...love that stick visual.  Thank you. I need that. score on the low side, 92.95

Thanks for the kind words!

The thing that sucked on both nights from my vantage point (top of the lower level for prelims, very top for finals) was that the crowd started clapping before he even went to the high note (triple high C, I believe?), so I couldn't even hear it. :lol:

We watched the prelims video, and you could hear it... WHEW! :)

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Nope, Scott, just a G above double C at prelims and finals. they were both clean.

Squeaked a CCC at the parking lot run-through. Only loud enough for mice.

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Nope, Scott, just a G above double C at prelims and finals. they were both clean.

Squeaked a CCC at the parking lot run-through. Only loud enough for mice.

You still rule Roger!

Minnesota was the most pleasant suprise to me, I don't know a few of the selections, already looking on Amazon for the originals. Best Brass, Inc. I have seen. I truly thought you guys would be 2nd!

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Nope, Scott, just a G above double C at prelims and finals. they were both clean.

Squeaked a CCC at the parking lot run-through. Only loud enough for mice.

Is that why Rachel and I had to wait for all those rodents to cross the street before leaving the parking lot?

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Nope, Scott, just a G above double C at prelims and finals. they were both clean.

Squeaked a CCC at the parking lot run-through. Only loud enough for mice.

Uh. Nothing wrong with that. In the afternoon I couldn't get anything out higher than the G above double C. I don't know if it was the air in the rain or what it was but it never usually happens. I also couldn't get my usual power either. In the beginning of our show I tried to hit my usual A above and it wasn't there. When we were finished the song, I felt like a smacked a## because the song definitely sounded incomplete and everybody was looking at me. :(

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Nope, Scott, just a G above double C at prelims and finals. they were both clean.

Squeaked a CCC at the parking lot run-through. Only loud enough for mice.

dude, you get better w/age.......i bow to you

At our home show, we went on last - after Phantom and Cavaliers. I happened to look over at the end zone where corps were lined up for finale right as this solo was starting (I know another of our techs said he did the same), and I saw a number of Cavies/PR jaws drop and fists pump by the last note.

As the season went on, I always tried to watch for reactions of people. :)

And wouldn't you know that my camcorder battery died during Tunisia in the parking lot. :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

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Hey Jeff - wish you would have said hi at mini-corps show. You still owe me a beer for the Harrisburg CD, and we needed every one we could get for the victory party!

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Hey Jeff - wish you would have said hi at mini-corps show. You still owe me a beer for the Harrisburg CD, and we needed every one we could get for the victory party!

I looked for ya, but i got distracted by someone putting something cold and wet into my coat pocket and lost sight of ya...i'll get ya!

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