Crowd Reactions

[sburstall]

Not me...Gaara is. :P

[kusankusho]

There are lots of times when I just wanted to stand up and go nuts. But no one else around me did. And I could tell that they were into it. The "awkward" factor of everyone glaring at when you even clap is a real deterent...And yes, I did get dirty looks for clapping when no one else was...At a very impacting moment.

I'm with you. I key in on bass lines and there have been plenty of moments where the bass play something crazy and I go nuts. Apparently the rest of the crowd was looking someplace else at the time. You feel a little self concious, but maybe the kids in the bass line heard the appreciation??? My feeling is if you feel like cheering something, go ahead. I never really thought of drum corps fans as being the shy, reserved types.....

[Tekneek]

Sorta old fogey here, but just going back to the early-to-mid nineties... The corps of today just don't seem to bring me out of my seat. I loved the way the brass would get so loud back then, and it seems too restrained now. Maybe it is more musical, but it is also less exciting. I think I would be willing to trade a little of the technical excellence for raw energy/excitement. At the end of shows, a lot of corps would hit you with so much that you'd be drawn right out of your seat. This season, I had moments where I was waiting for the corps to pull me to my feet and then the show would end without it ever coming. I haven't been to many shows since 1995, but that is definitely something that seems to have changed since those days.

This is less of a performance issue and more of a design issue. The shows today appear designed to be more intellectual and less emotional. I think the Wall Of Sound from the 70s, 80s, and even 90s, generated an emotional response from the crowd that doesn't seem to be there today. I feel like even Star of Indiana in 1993 unloaded more on the field than today's corps do.

Edited August 24, 2006 by Tekneek

[MadScout80]

First, I am a huge fan of the current activity, and would never want to go back. This is not about was it better then or now, anyway.

I've been watching DC since 1976. I've often wondered the same about crowd response - was it real or simply imagined due to being young and impressionable and at my earliest exposure. But I recently watched (over the course of several evenings) my Madison "Thru The Years" videos (74-94). Crowd response has definitely changed, and it is apparent in the videos. I would even argue that it can be proven.

* 1976 = "American Idol", 2006 = "Van Clyburn International Piano Competition".

** Totally different etiquette was acceptable and expected. The fan base was, I think, very different. I really think that this explains it all - the culture has just changed.

*** Maybe we thought back then that we could affect the judges marks!

**** There wasn't so much visually going on that you could cheer for 20 seconds (looking away/standing/high fiving your neighbor) and not miss 6 drill moves or really too much intricate music. Face it there weren't that many soft sections, period.

***** Seems to me that there were more intense rivalries between corps, and more partisan fans.

[tubamann]

As far as the MSACP, I would venture the crowd reactions was different for a few reasons:

1-We were in MADISON for god's sake..hometown!

2-The sheer size and scope of the corps was amazing..how often are you going to see a 200+ member DCI corps??

3-Built in GE..a bunch of Madison guys playing Malaguena is going to get the nostalgia going in all of us..

4-Hype..this was built up for over a year..it lived up to it.

[MadScout80]

I played Ice Castles in 1980. I played Ice Castles in 2006. The crowd response was very much the same. It was cool!

[vferrera]

my impression is that most shows are not designed with obvious "clap here" moments.

Also, shows are so fast moving that if you stop to clap you might miss something.

Shows are also more complex. You need to see them more than once to fully appreciate. The first viewing is often hard to digest.

[triplefunk]

Also, shows are so fast moving that if you stop to clap you might miss something.

I agree. I believe since 02 Cavaliers, where they didn't stop at all. Most drum corps have been making a fluid motion of shows, less time to clap. I assume, IMO, that it is going in this trend to keep the audience involved in what just happened.

[Orpheus]

my impression is that most shows are not designed with obvious "clap here" moments.

That's a big part of it. Shows definitely used to be written with a lot more climactic moments scattered throughout. Now it's much more about fluidity.

OTOH, is it possible that it's more about the fans than the corps? Maybe the crowds are just less raucous than they used to be? I dunno if there's any merit to that idea, though; it's just a thought.

Edited August 24, 2006 by Orpheus

[hughesmr]

I agree. I believe since 02 Cavaliers, where they didn't stop at all. Most drum corps have been making a fluid motion of shows, less time to clap. I assume, IMO, that it is going in this trend to keep the audience involved in what just happened.

This, along with today's ADD style of arranging and show construction, doesn't give an idea time to develop enough to even HAVE a payoff worthy of a standing O. It's "20 seconds of this, hope you liked it, 'cause we're moving on...."

Think of a comedian with nothing but punchlines, but no jokes to go with them.

Remember Star 93 .... 8 minutes of nothing but build .... created such anxiety and anticipation in the audience ... so that when that release came, it was SOOOOOOO good.....