Phansouth Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Hey Greg! Is that the FINAL edition of the corps uni? Or is it transitional? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wickerbill Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Just got home a little while ago from a great weekend in Rockford. I hadn't been back in nine years and it was great seeing a lot of people I marched with 10 years ago. I really enjoyed the 50th anniversary party on Saturday night, too. The alumni association did a great job. I liked Blue Devils. I really loved their opener. Great way to start off the show. The rest of the show didn't seem to live up to the standard set by their opener, but I did enjoy it. The crowd seemed to as well and gave them a good ovation. Then came the Cadets. I used to like the cadets, but I don't know what the #### they're trying to do out there this year. The whole show seemed like a big mess of crap competing for my attention. The vocals were distracting and did nothing for me. I've gotten goosebumps from many ballads from great horn lines in the past, including last night from other corps. Mediocre singing overamplified over a hornline playing backup doesn't have the same effect. They need to turn down the vocals a bit during the ballad. Way too loud and harsh last night, and I was in the second row from the top on the 50. I can't imagine how loud it was down on the field. I could do without the vocals at all as I feel they don't belong in a drum corps show, but I know Hoppy and his crusade to destroy drum corps as we know it won't do that. Drumline was smoking in their feature, but apparently that wasn't enough so they added the ridiculous narration during it. I wish I could understand what they're trying to do in this show and why they're doing it. It was obvious last night in the stands that most people don't get it and don't like it. Very weak response from the crowd last night and I don't think it had anything to do with people only cheering for the home team. Blue Devils got a great response as did many other corps. There's a distinct difference in my opinion from pushing the envelope of the activity and just doing crap because you can. I don't see how the weird show cadets did last night is going to pull in thousands of new drum corps fans. Call me negative and closed minded if you want. I don't think I am, I just hate the direction that Hoppy is trying to take this activity. I won't be going to shows if this is what drum corps turns into in ten years. I don't see how this even compares to assymmetrical drill or Star '93 (which I loved) as far as fundamentally changing the activity we love. Enough of that. I do wish the marching members of the cadets well and I did feel bad for them last night with the weak response, but you have to earn a big ovation and show design is a big part of it. It was refreshing to have Regiment on right after Cadets. I love their show this year. It's great hearing them play Ave Maria as that was a concert piece we played a lot the year I marched. I have to commend the sopranos for their baritone playing. They sounded great. I don't envy having their having to polish two horns though! :) I'm not a percussion guy, but I could tell that the drumline is smoking this year. They sounded great. My fiancee' was disappointed that they didn't get to play more during the encore. Speaking of the encore, that was the highlight of my night. They totally blew my face off with the opening notes of spartacus and it just got better after that. I know I am far from unbiased with it comes to Phantom, but I really like what they've been doing the last 5 years or so. They definitely have a lot of cleaning and areas to improve in, but I'm proud of them and was really happy they were able to finally beat Cadets in front of so many friends and alumni last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 I find it absurd that this post (and others here) immediately want to twist what I said earlier as an "attack" on the Cadets organization. Its far from it. If any aggression is intended at all, then I would say it's retailiation for the arrogant words and actions of George Hopkins, not the Cadets. If anyone has "attacked" anything, it is George Hopkins who is openly and deliberately the drum corps movement with blantant comments about NOT wanting his shows to be "drum corps shows". Over the last few years, he's went from being the greatest "champion" (i.e., promoter) of the drum and bugle corps medium to being it's greatest detractor - and I for one am as puzzled as I am angered by it. I still think this is off base, and I stand by what I said. You just sound angry to me. This is fine, you don't have to like it, but to infer that the judges should scold the Cadets for what Hopkins is doing is just wrong. The Cadets are not breaking the rules. Your problem is with DCI, for which George Hopkins is a member and did propose for much of this new technology, but you should take this up with all of the activity (DCI). As it stands now, the Cadets are not breaking any rules, but you are choosing to punish them as though they were. You even say that you want the judges to punish them for their forward movement, and you even mentioned that you wanted the judges to tell Hopkins to his face just how bad this is. And again, my point is why would they do this? They are there to judge. Cadets are not breaking any rules. The judges are paid to judge what is there and score it appropriately, which I think they are doing, and quite well. You don't have to like it, and you can complain about it, but your remarks about the judges showing courage by punishing the Cadets is way off base and flat out wrong. Jonathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Tan Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 I don't know the exact figures yet, but it was between 3,500 and 4,000.G It looked like a pretty full house to me this year. I'd say that sounds about right. For the 2007 home show, how cool would it be to get as many people as possible to wear white in support of Phantom? Just a whole big sea of white in the stands. I know the Winnipeg Jets and Miami Heat have done this before (even though Miami's colors are red/orange/black), and it's just a really cool effect and fun way to show support for the home team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS0527 Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 they Booed Beethoven when he opened his Symphony in C Major with a Dominant 7th Chord And in the "wrong key" b**bs V7/IV to IV, more secondary progressions etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I actually think the S&M masks fits with the Faust theme. Anyone here actually read Faust? (Sorry, not really fair from some getting a graduate degree in English.) of course the guard staging fits - that was my point - it fits the same way the flowered backdrops, pink benches and white rabbit fit Cadets "through the looking glass" but if Cadets had guys in S&M masks - well, the discussion on DCP would be all about that "outrage" IMHO Double-standards runs rampant these days on this forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillygwm Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Wow...21 pages in less than 24 hours! This will probably get lost in the shuffle but I have to compliment the PR volunteers and staff. This was my first Midwest show (other than regionals and championships) and it was so cool. Not only did the show go off without a visible hitch, but the Rockford community really gets behind their corps. A First Class show! Congratulations to Greg and the rest of the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xbones7480 Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 What's happening to the Crossmen... they're now in 14th place according to the latest rankings. Will they climb out of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 George's comment about Midwestern crowds is a load of crap. They are different from eastern crowds, certainly. And they don't feel beholden to clap on reputation alone. I stand by my statement - because its true. Closed minded and biased as a GROUP - however there are (of course) great fans as well in the midwest group - but the loud, vocal, rude group creates a very bad image for the rest of the middle-America folks... IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Tan Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I stand by my statement - because its true. Closed minded and biased as a GROUP - however there are (of course) great fans as well in the midwest group - but the loud, vocal, rude group creates a very bad image for the rest of the middle-America folks... IMHO Okay, you know what, forget it. There's no point in arguing this. You run the place. Midwestern fans are the worst. East coast drum corps fans are angels sent from heaven to love everybody. But out here, we're just monsters. Yep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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