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Wednesday June 28

Duncan, SC (DCI Atlantic) Hello all......just a few thoughts about the show. (disclaimer: these are my thoughts and I am in no way forcing them upon you....) First off, the sky was nappy but it held off. Lightening threatened the beginning of the show (they attempted to clear the stands--operative term being "attempted") and it also kept Kiwanis from stepping off on time. The stadium was quite nice. We had great seats and a nice size crowd. Anyway.... Tampa Bay Thunder (51.30) was up first. WOW! What a way to make a first impression! I was thoroughly impressed with the drums and they had some great soloists! Horns could open up a little more and that would cause for a better sound, but I really enjoyed them! Way to go guys!! Scenic City (35.70) was second up. They tried, and that's all that matters. Rough, rough show. Needs lots of work....(and a drum major uni that fits). Kiwanis Kavaliers (49.90) was the next to grace the field. Ok job for just starting out on tour. Really enjoyed the weapon work. The "helicopters" were a bit cheesy for my taste, but maybe they'll paint them or something..... Spirit of Atlanta (57.30) was fourth. Lots of holes (at least I hope they were holes--at times there was twenty or so yards between one player and the next). Show did not scream Spirit at all. Enjoyed the percussion and cymbals! =) Crossmen (67.95) was next....the only word I could say after this show was "DAMN!!!" What an absolutely AWESOME show!!! By far, the BEST Crossmen show I have EVER seen. (I'm a young'un, btw.) The red on the uni is astounding and the overall look of the corps in opening set is Spectacular!!! Guard colors are awesome and the guard itself was a sight to see too!! Awesome soloists as well!!! Keep it up guys, can't wait to see how this show has grown by DC!!!!! Carolina Crown (68.45) was next to last. As we have come to expect, the guard is great! Much passion is shown through those guys, great weapon work!!! The show _is_ harder than any Crown show I've seen/heard and these guys mean business!! I do think the .50 gap between Crown and Crossmen was a fair call. Cadets (78.80) finished up the evening and what better way!!! Loved the show! Loved everything about the show, actually!!! The change to Bb was definitely for the better, imho. Their sound is rich and well blended.....and I loved it!!! The evening ended with a "Mass Brass" of the three YEA! corps playing two pieces. No clue what they were, but in the words of Notabando "YEA! fuuuuuuukkkkkkkkkinnnnnnnnn loooooouuuuuuuuddddddddddd" (or something to that effect, lol) Great night for drum corps, nice breeze blowing after the threat of the storm. Well, that's it. Can't wait to see more in Winston-Salem!! Brandon =) Brief Review - good crowd for a show in a very small town in a "marginal" drum corps area. Weather was "iffy" all night (thunder storms all around the area, but not in the immediate stadium area), up until about the end of Kiwanis Kavaliers performance. The Kavaliers were delayed for approx 30 minutes by an intermittant rain that began towards the end of the Scenic City performance. Tampa Bay Thunder opened the show. A good Div II/III performance. Still shows early season effects...drill needs much cleaning. Crowd enjoyed it. The stormy music of "The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald" fit right in with the views of far-away thunder storms developing in the background. They will do well this year. Next was Scenic City. They tried very hard, and had several very interesting moments in their show, but it needs work in every aspect. Major intonation problems and drill problems. Spirit of Atlanta was third on the program. I dunno...maybe it's just me, but their music is sorta strange, and doesn't fit the "mold" of Spirits of the past. The sound was good, drill needs cleaning. The Spirit drumline brought down the house, with more audience appreciation evidenced by the applause, whistling and cheering at the end of the percussion feature than any other corps of the evening. Will see them again a couple more times in the next couple of weeks. Hope that I will "grow into" their music. When they clean it up, it will be an EXCELLENT show. Fourth came The Crossmen. Good show, much cleaner than when I saw it last week. THE MUSIC ROCKS!!! Audience really got into the show, specially in the couple of "park&bark" spots, where the brassline comes to the sideline & lets it fly! Percussion ok, but not at all like what you normally expect from Crossmen. The multicolored guard uniforms are SPECTACULAR, and the guard does a good job. Over all, needs much cleaning in several parts of the drill. Carolina Crown came on "next to closing". Music book is very difficult this year. They are MUCH better and drill MUCH cleaner than last week. If they continue to improve as fast as they have in the last 5-6 days, they will be a force to be reckoned with at finals. The "ballad" in the show - "Diego's Farewell" - is beautiful. Guard work is superb! I would have scored them a little bit higher over Crossmen than they were scored, but, then, I am no judge. Liked their show much better than last year's. Finally, The Cadets. Well, what more can you say?? Cleary the outstanding show of the evening. May suffer, like Atlanta, from the "unfamiliar" music. It was very well performed, in all aspects, with real highlights in ALL sections, specially in the auxillary work. Far and away the cleanest show of the night. Intonation and volume right there where it ought to be. Drill good (hell, drill was outstanding for an early season show), and the guard, well, WOW! Those are just my opinions, and are probably wrong. All in all, an enjoyable show. Looking forward to Lynchburg tomorrow night. C. D. For a while it seemed is if naming the show Thunder in the Valley was going to be a little too appropriate, but the weather cleared up and we had a beautiful cool night of drum corps. First up was the Tampa Bay Thunder (18B, 23P, 12G). When you are a first year corps it takes some daring to open your show with a song about a shipwreck (Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald). The Thunder, however, did a pretty good job for being small and inexperienced. The staff must have cut their drum corps teeth in the 70s. The Thunder played an arrangement of Legend of a One-Eyed Sailor complete with a female mellophone soloist ala Blue Devils. The drumline is the strength of this corps. Scenic City (22B, 12P, 6G) was not ready and I am sure it was not a fun night for the kids or the staff. I had a flash back to an early spring camp in 1979 when the corps I was in, the Blue Stars, marched and played through Strike Up The Band for the first time. One by one horn players became lost and dropped out until there was just one veteran third baritone left honking the music. It didn't get quite that bad for Scenic City, but it was close. Kiwanis Kavaliers (28B, 25P, 20G) were a big step up from the first two units. Their show featured music from Miss Saigon. The music is arranged well and they should turn out to be an enjoyable drum corps to watch. They played the last minute or so at a standstill. I especially admired a Contra who because of holes in the hornline was standing up front, playing well, without another horn within 10 yards. Instant, unplanned Contra solo! Spirit of Atlanta (46B, 31P, 20G) was another big step up over the Kavaliers. With that being said, and not to offend anyone on this board, in my opinion, Spirit has absolutely no chance at being a finalist this year (and I would love to see them back in the Saturday night show). The show is pleasant (the closer especially has great potential), but I cannot see how they can clean the show, develop confidence in the kids, and compete for a top 12 spot in just a month and a half. Spirit did receive the first standing O of the night. I enjoyed Crossmen and Crown last night more than any year I can remember for either corps. They are unquestionably solid Top 12 units and will be crowd pleasers everywhere they go. Both played music that was accessible and recognizable. I'd like to thank both corps for that. First up was the Crossmen (59B, 29P, 30G). I really enjoyed their musical show. In The Mood will be great come August when the hornline has a little more strength and endurance. I am assuming they have not finished the visual design for Nobody Does Me Like He Does. There is very little movement during this piece. I am really looking forward to watching this show progress during the summer. Carolina Crown (50B, 30P, 36G) was a bit of surprise for me tonight. They perform a sophisticated, entertaining, and well-designed drum corps show. Their drumline is a strength. I am sure the horns will get stronger during the summer and when they do, Carolina Crown should be able to make a run at a Top 8 finish. Hopefully they will soon fill the horn holes and get on to cleaning a great show. If I had to pick between the long-term potential of Crown and Crossmen I would choose the Carolina Crown based on the quality of the show design and the drumline. However, I am sure we will see these two corps neck and neck up until finals week. Now on to the Cadets (60B, 29P, 30G?). I took my family to Disney World in March, so they too played recognizable music for me! Beautiful Cadet show with mixed tempos, good horn volume, great soloists, and entertaining theatrics. Obviously a corps whose only goal is to win a championship. I especially enjoyed the first minute of the show with the opening clock sounds, the backfield playing, and the full frontside impact. I also thought the fingering each others horns bit was pretty cool (which followed a very good drum feature). But is it all good enough to win a championship? I don't think so, but then again I haven't seen a June drum corps show since 1984, so I don't have a reference point for how much a corps improves during the season. I will view the Cadets again July 14 in Columbia. Maybe then I'll think differently. Finally, a personal note. While walking out of the stadium I ran into Moe Latour, tour director for the Cadets. Moe told me he is in his 51st year of drum corps. Moe was summer director of the Blue Stars back in the 70s and early 80s. I believe he spent some time with Phantom in the 80s and he was director of the Bleu Raeders in 1972 when they made finals. Is there anyone else left out there that was in a staff position for a finalist in 1972 that is still doing it for a finalist today? I would think there would be a place in the DCI hall-of-fame for someone like Moe Latour who has spent so many years getting drum corps down the road safely and on time (and that was a heck of a job with the Blue Stars in 1979!). One last bit for you traditionalists out there - I watched the Cadets for about an hour yesterday afternoon. Whoever was running the practice spent a lot of time pointing out first "trumpet" mistakes. The "tubas" also received a little criticism! Mark Jordan

Mankato, MN (DCM) Once again, I love Blakeslee Field in Mankato. What a wonderful place for drumcorps. The weather turned out to be great, too, except for a few drops of rain late in the show. It rained like crazy earlier in the day, so I was a bit worried. Now, for the show... Decorah Kilties: How could I criticize anything these kids do? I'm always impressed to see kids that young performing on a drumcorps field. Of course, execution is really rough. I think the music could be arranged to make it easier for the kids. Perhaps more unison horn parts. Chops Inc: Rough. They'd be funnier if they could play and march well, which I believe is the foundation of drumcorps. The drumline was a lot better when they just did parades. For all intents and purposes, the hornline consisted of Greg Hiniker on soprano, and then some horn holders. The sole colorguard member at the end was entertaining, though. Overall, it just seemed like this show was thrown together a couple days ago. Govenaires: Yesterday someone posted that Chops was better than the Govies. I couldn't possibly disagree more. The Govies had a well-thought out show, played well, and marched pretty well. The hornline was balanced, rather than having one screaming soprano carrying the whole corps. The colorguard was as strong as when I saw them last year. The drums were only okay, though. I think the Govies biggest strength is that they know what they're capable of and program accordingly. Capital Regiment: Nice uniforms. I don't think I've seen these guys before. The Prince of Egypt is good music...hmm, I'd like to hear Vanguard play it. Not likely, I suppose. The drumline was the strongest section. The horns didn't really play well until the close, "Make His Praise Glorious." Blue Stars: Two years in a row, now, I've been impressed with the Blue Stars' marching. They do some tough stuff, and do it quite well. The drumline was also strong, but I seem to remember last year being better. The hornline was rather weak, I expected more sound from them. This will be a good show in August. Colts: I kinda dig the new uniforms. They make me think of the Glassmen, but atleast they don't look like a high school band anymore. The opening soprano statement was very similar to the theme from The Jetsons. Overall, the opener was pretty strong, nice drill for that part, too. Everything else, until the last 30 seconds, was dull. Their hornline sounds like a bunch of individuals playing loud separately, rather than an ensemble with unified power. However, they have potential to do well. Madison: The opening set was immaculate. Awesome diaganols! They have the pit off to stage left, so the hornline can come right up to the stands. At Blakeslee the front sideline is about 10 yards from the stands, so a corps like Madison can do some serious damage. They have a "toilet bowl" drill similar to the Cadets, but I like this version better. The horns played sloppily, but not as sloppy as the colorguard, which has been documented at length. Lots of drops. The drums left no impression on me, which is probably bad. I liked the drill, and am 75% sold on the music, but not quite. From a programming standpoint, it doesn't hold a candle to 1999. Regiment: They didn't march very well tonight, but played quite a bit better than Madison. I sure don't know why Madison won brass performance. Especially from a member to member standpoint, Regiment was a lot better. The colorguard nearly made up the difference in the two corps' visual scores. I'm really starting to like "Petrouchka," which has some badass low brass parts. I believe this was the last performance of the current drill to "Rite of Spring," and contrary to what someone else wrote, drill changes do not imply watering down. In fact, nearly every time we changed drill when I marched, the drill got better. That doesn't necessarily mean more difficult, but certainly more exciting. That's what counts anyway. I'll see them on Monday at Show of Shows, then in DeKalb, so they've got some time to clean the new stuff up. In general, I rated Madison and Regiment very close to each other, which is how the scores played out. Scouts get the edge in marching execution, Regiment gets the edge in brass and percussion execution. Naturally, I liked Regiment's show better, but the Shostakovich Polka in Madison's show was pretty sweet, too. Michael Oldemeyer

Tuesday June 27

Rosemount, MN (DCM) First of all, don't believe the scores. They were all too high based on the execution tonight. I never really pay attention when they announce the judging panel, and perhaps there was a judge missing, but the scores were inflated. The scores from the St. Cloud and Alexandria shows were much more in line with the performances tonight. Chops, Inc. - I was surprised they were beat by the Governaires - REALLY surprised. I thought they were much better than the Govies. They have a kind of early to mid 80's VK air to them, and the crowd enjoyed their performance. They had a soprano soloist that absolutely screamed the entire opener - absoltuely amazing player. Not a bad performance for a relatively new senior corps that reherses very little. Governaires - I was very disappointed by their performance, and thought their score was drastically inflated. They were just so sloppy. It looked like they just learned the show that afternoon. The drill was so god awful dirty. The playing lacked confidence, and hte soloists were cracking up a storm. The show did not have has much entertainment or pazaz as they did last year. Cincinnati Glory - This is the first year I have ever caught Glory at a show, and I have been impressed on the MN leg of the tour thus far. They are small, but they seem to focus more on quality than on trying to make their very small hornline have the impact of a line with 60+ members. Good TQ&I for June, and a very well written book. They do suffer from what all small corps suffer from - lack of impact. Due to the sheer lack of numbers, they don't have much of an impact musically or visually. There is only so much you can do with 4 low brass in a drill. The guard is very good for their numbers. The music selections (Copland) were good, but did not get much of an audience response, because there was simply not that much volume. Overall, they have a good show, and they perform very well. Americanos - The Bizet music is very reminiscent of 97 Glassmen and 90 SCV, but they do it quite well. They place the pit on the field with large black backdrops behind them, which are very distracting. They block out a good portion of the field. Overall, they have a good show, and are performing it well for a corps their size. They should do well in August at Championships this year. Pioneer - They were the only corps that I felt the scores were in line with where they deserved to be. They have a great show, and are performing well. The have a couple of soprano soloists that can wail, and hte horn line overall is much stronger than last year. The drum line is strong, just as it has been for the past several years. Comparing this edition of Pioneer with last year at this time in the season, they are performing much much better. They seem to be well on their way to improving on last year's performance. I really liked their show. Minnesota Brass, Inc. - They have a great show again this year. It's entertaining, and well performed. The soprano solists are good, but had a few minor problems tonight. The drum line is strong, and they play some notes. Stylistically, their percussion book is more like the junior line sof the 80's, which was actually nice to hear. The drill holds them back a bit. The corps is doing a good job at this stage of the season, but the overall design is just a bit lack luster. If they could get better drill design, it could really help their show. Phantom Regiment - I am probably in the minority, but I like the new uniforms. I think they fit the show quite well, and they make the corps much more readable than the all black. I'm not sure yet if I like this show. They have some nice moments, but it just seems to me that the music is a bit chopped up. They take great works - primarily Petrouchka and Rite of Spring, and rather than playing the work, they chop it up. I guess it's too condensed for my tastes. I love the Rite of Spring. It's my all time favorite piece, so that's probably the problem. I really wanted to love this show, but I just don't. I guess the way I see it is that there is so much material that could be explored, and they took snippets and crammed it all together. It just seems too bastardized. One positive comment on the musical book - the balad. It's quite beautiful. The show has a lot of difficulty, and the corps struggles at several points. There was a lot of phasing tonight, tone quality often suffers from the difficulty, and the drill needs a lot of work. If they are planning on a lot of changes and rewrites (which I am sure they are), it will hold them back, since they will be spending time learning the re-writes and changes, rather than cleaning. The last thing that really bothered me, and several other people I spoke to, is that the visual program simply does not fit the musical program. When the music is screaming huge violent looking flags, they are using rifles, and when the music screams rifle work, they are using long flourscent poles. The drill does not quite fit either. Who knows - maybe a few more viewings and seeing some changes on the field will win me over. Right now, I am disappointed with the design of the show. I think they are stronger than the past few years, but their show could hold them back. Tim Kviz Sky Ryders 85-88 Various Others 78-84

Monday June 26

Tampa, FL (DCI Atlantic) I went to both the Orlando and Tampa shows. I was quite impressed with several corps. This is just my two cents..... Div. III Tampa Bay Thunder: Good effort. There are balance issues, partially to the fact that they only have two baritones. There were instances when the sopranos were coming out a little "crass". However, they have a soprano player who can take it upstairs pretty well. At times when they arrived at the louder dynamic levels, there was potential for good ensemble sound and blend, but again if a balance issue didnt come into play, there were induviduals sticking out. There is a lot of room for improvement, which is good in some ways. The show has potential. The guard seemed decent for a Div. III corps, but I must say that the drumline was a treat to listen to. There was a noticeable difference in quality from Orlando to Tampa. However, I dont think it was enough of an improvement to tag Teal Sound, speaking of which...................... Div. II Teal Sound: Well, I think it is pretty easy to say that this corps was a delight to watch, because of the HILLARIOUS conga player. This kid was SO into the music, he really caught the attention of the crowds in both Orlando and Tampa. Teal Sound has a deeper, darker hornline by far than Thunder. When they would have a "park and blow" session, they kept a good amount of ensemble blend and consistency. I enjoyed thier show. I like the uniforms as well. I totally "dig" what they are trying to do with the program, but I think they totally got ripped in Tampa. Teal Sound should be placing at least 3 points above Thunder. Teal Sound's hornline takes Thunder's hornline to school and back. Div. I Spirit of Atlanta: In Orlando, I was really dissapointed with them, in so many ways. Many missed notes, bad intonation, minimal amounts of blend, thin overall hornline sound. Blah, blah, blah, ........however, in Tampa, it was a totally different ballgame. The difference between Orlando, and Tampa was like night and day. Many things that were not there in Orlando were definitely there in Tampa. I like the change in repertiore. I think as long as they stick to southern themes they will be ok. They dont always have to play jazz. It is a tasteful change to play what I would call southern "legit" music. I liked the highsticking at the end of the show done by the snares. Spirit still has the potential to make into top 12, but it will be tough. They would have to bridge an 8 to 10 point gap at this juncture, but already they have jumped four points in two days. It is still a long season, so anything is possible. Carolina Crown: To be quite honest, I always considered Crown to be a corps that usually always had a good, solid drumline/pit and guard, with a hornline that never had the "horses" to backup the show. I never felt they had the intensity or volume to max out the show. In 1995, they had good in intensity at times, but often they lacked volume. All I have to say is, "WOW!!!!" Thier hornline is kicking total A$$. They have the "horses" this year, and they are using them. I never thought that kind of volume and intensity could come from them, but sure enough, they did it. In Orlando, they tagged Crossmen fair and square. In Tampa, I still think they should have beat Crossmen but only by about 0.3 or so. Crown still has some issues with the small details of the hornline sound. There is this one point in the show where the some of the hornline kneels and the rest stand, in three lines close on the front sideline, and they just crank out the sound like never before. When you think it is going to stop, it just keep going and going. However, there is some lack of cleanliness on the softer dynamic levels. The show has oodles of potential, and in the end I think they'll beat Crossmen in DC because of it. On a side note, I was extremely impressed with thier alto section. Crossmen: Like Crown, Crossmen has made a MAJOR improvement from last season. This time last summer, they had about 3 contras, and several other holes. They have a full hornline, and what appears to be some baritone holes, but I may be mistaken. They sound great. They possess great amounts of volume, but I think sometimes they might be pushing the limit on the sound quality, not that they cant do it, but it could be better if there was just a little better ensemble consistency, balance/support and blend. I must say though, great hornline. A very loud hornline as well. Great baritone section, especially the leads. Cadets: Great show, all around. In Orlando, Gino Ciparani, brass caption head, gave a mini-clinic with the Cadets hornline. I dont think I have heard anything louder in my life! IT WAS LOUD!!!!!! At least not when coming from a DCI hornline. At the end of the clinic, he asked if anyone wanted to come down on the field and hear the hornline. That was funny as hell. It seemed like everyone rushed down there, including myself. The B-flat horns sound just fine. My girlfriend, (another drum corps enthusiast), didnt even know the difference, she thought they were playing G bugles. I dont believe it is a huge difference. I think however, that there are some minute differences. I think the blend is better, which allows for better balance. It really is a great sound. The only slight dissapointment I had was that they didnt play as loud in the show as they did in the clinic. Great all around show. Definitely a contender for a DCI Championship in August. Soloists: The only honorable mentions I can give are the following. Crown had a decent alto soloist if I remember correctly. Crossmen had a pretty good baritone soloist, and Cadets had a good baritone soloist but he/she didnt project that well at either show. Other than that there were several soloists that needed work. This summer should definitely prove to be an interesting one, with many suprises. Sorry, that my two cents developed into ten dollars. Thanks, Louie

Sunday June 25

Costa Mesa, CA (DCI Pacific) Unlike Friday, I didn't have to work all day and spend 2 hours in 20mph traffic, and that certainly makes for a much more pleasurable evening. Our seats ( I took a neighbor who had never heard of drumcorps before and was absolutely blown away!!!) were 23 rows up (out of about 26 I think ) and smack dab on the 50 - well worth the $25 price for the premium seats. The "program" consisted of a one page calendar and a photocopied sheet of paper - for $3!! Funny how Pacific Crest was able to provide a professionally printed one for the same price. Today was hot and very muggy, but it turned into a beautiful, balmy evening. Due to previous plans, we arrived at Orange Coast College while the Blue Devil B corps was on the field, so we browsed the souvie stands (I have a new Troopers Tshirt!) and got some drinks...... Troopers - 5th 58.? Sorry I didn't write the scores down. Much better than on Friday. There are a lot of holes in the drill, which makes clarity (of the star and the sunburst, for example) a problem. I was unsure about their choice of Amazing Grace, but they won me over - this really is quite a nice hornline. Nice solos and a nice, full, wel-balanced sound. "America" from WSS (it reminds of Dave Grusin's arrangement) was also really nice. There's still lots of cleaning to do, but I think it can be done because the demand is within this corps' grasp. While I felt the crowd reaction at Glendora was mostly polite applause, the Standing O they recieved tonight was genuine, heartfelt, and well-deserved. Oh and I got a cool baseball cap with the crossed sabres on it, too! Blue Nights - 4th 72.? Great show from BK tonight. Fast, exciting, loud, and demanding. I think with a complete show they could also be beating SCV if it were cleaner, but they still have some challenges in this area. The horns put out more sound than the Gmen, but also have some control problems. On the big chord of the night, a few bad releases were heard. The Drumline was very exciting, as was the color guard. But that guy's gotta get a shirt on, and the waistband of his jockey shorts shouldn't be visible. One of the soprano players fell down, but in 2 seconds it was as if nothing happened. The show has a fast roller coaster ending - it kind of reminds of the cadets last year. BK is going to have a great season! Glassmen - 2nd 75.05, 75.15, something like that. The guard was stretching and warming up on the lawn across from the ticket booth, so I got a close-up look. I like the wigs! More important, I like the Glassmen! I think the hornline plays with a better sound than the Blue Knights, and tonight maybe even better than SCV. This really is a very entertaining show, if somewhat less demanding (for now) than BK. Any corps that can put a group of guys in purply velvet body suits and have them running across a football field holding hands and get a standing O for it has got to be doing something right. The horns sound very clean, with none of the articulation problems I heard from BK and SCV tonight. There's some very thrilling percussion playing going on, and I really wish I could learn more about percussion so I could appreciate it more (any suggestions?). This is a corps that I hope is as glad they came out West as its audience is. Santa Clara Vanguard - 3rd 74.2? - Still not finished. What they do have is very demanding and still needs a lot of work, but what a thrill!!!!!! I don't think the hornline played quite as well tonight as in Glendora. While the loud parts of Adagio ( and I had great seats for it!!) were fantastic, the softer parts had some phasing and articulation and intonation problems. The color guard is the best SCV guard I've seen in years. I'm fortunate that I'll be going to Washington for finals, so I'm looking forward to the finished product. I was speaking to an SCV staffer during the announcement of BD's score, and was told it'll be worked on all this week. I'm looking forward to the finished product, as I think this is going to be another great year for SCV. Blue Devils - 1st - didn't hear the score as mentioned above, but it might as well be 90. This corps is just amazing - everything about this show just has me awestruck! Hornline, whatever the key or volume, is simply as good as it gets. Drumline is incredible - the pit feature, the snare feature, the tiniest girl moving the Earth with her Tympani! The color guard is already displaying its super-human abilities. Drill is fast-paced, non-stop, and complete. I don't mean to sound like a gushy sycophant (look it up), and in years past I haven't been the biggest BD fan, but this show is truly remarkable. If there is a corps out there who can beat them, I can't wait to see that show! Good night from Long Beach. Don Davis Here is a partial review for tonight's Costa Mesa show (My wife and I got there late). I did not write the scores down, so please bear with me. Remember this is only opinion, and I welcome everyone's thoughts. With that said, here we go: Mandarins (2nd Place): The corps looked a little bigger than last years with the same uni's. This years show is not as exciting as last years, although the design is pretty good. The music meshes well. This is a straight drum corps show and the music runs along the same line as last years. It is not as fast paced, but still good. This could be the year they get beat at nationals, but I hope not. Pacific Crest (1st place): WOW! What a great sound from this group. It's hard to believe they only practice a couple of nights a week. A very big sound and a very strong sound for this part of the season. The "Joan of Arch" music is just straight forward drum corps. No gimmicks, no props, just good music and drill. They had a couple of good GE hits in the show, including the crosses at the end. Look out Texas, this corps will make some waves. Very clean for being their first week of the season. If this corps went to nationals, they would be a shoe in for the top 6. Open Class Division: Troopers (5th place): Remember the days when the troopers were a top 12 corps? Well, they're not that good, but could be in a couple of years. A very young group of kids, but when this show is cleaned up, it could be one of the best they have had in a while. The "America" from West Side Story has a lot of cleaning to do, but it is a great arraingment. Amazing grace was wonderful, and they closed the show with "Stars and Stripes" and their trademark sunburst drill. This corps can only continue to get better, and they will. Blue Knights (4th place): Uniform update: in case you have not heard, the corps is sporting new uni's. Gone are the "Sony trademark" purple and white dot uni's. The corps is dressed in mostly black, with a white and blue stripe on the side of the cadet. They look a little too much like the Blue Devils unis, very simple and black. None the less they look great. As for the show, someone in the stands mentioned that this show reminded them of Suncaost Sound in 1986 (Stan Kenton show). Although some parts do remind me of that, this show is a little more classical. A wonderful horn and drum book, and a fast paced drill, BK will be a top 6 corps this year. The drill is so fast, that I counted three horn line members that ate turf tonight. Good recoveries by all, and luckily no one was hurt. The drum line is playing some very clean beats, and the horns are playing with more volume than last year. The end of the show is identical to last years, a little louder and a little faster. I became a BK fan tonight and will be surprised if they don't shock a few people in College Park this August. Santa Clara Vanguard (3rd): Before all of you Vanguard fans start to freak out, the corps is doing fine and are on pace for another top 3 year. The show is pretty much what we have been used to seeing the past three years, constantly moving, difficult drill, and great music. The show starts slow and builds, but once they get moving, look out! A wild and fast ride that has a couple of great GE moments. Adagio for String is AWESOME!!! The horn line builds and builds and builds... and just when you think they are playing at RFL, THEY GET LOUDER!!! And they hold it for what seems like forever. Standing ovation here. The last three minutes was a standstill. I was told that they have the drill ready, it's just not clean enough to put on the field, but will be there next weekend. The closer was wonderful, with some rich chords, and ends with the show winding down the way it started, soft and beautiful. Glassmen (2nd Place): I was really excited to see this show and really let down after seeing it. A couple of exciting moments, but nothing to write home about. None the less, they are on pace to have a wonderful season. Drill is OK, but not great, and the horn book could be better. This is such a wonderful piece of music, but it seems like they were more bent on being "artistic" and not playing to the fans. There were several spots in the show that could have been used for impact, but were not. Drums and horns were both solid as well as the guard. Are they better than Santa Clara? No, SCV should take care of them next weekend when they put the closer on the field. None the less, hats off to the Glassmen for coming to California. They got a wonderful reception from the fans, and are welcome to come back anytime!!! Blue Devils (1st Place): First off, for those of us who were worried about the whole Bb thing... forget it. If you wouldn't have told me, I would have never known. The Dev's are very loud and very clean. But that is about it. The show has no GE in it at all. There are a couple of cool drill moves at the beginning and the end, but that is it. Nothing (with the exception of the strength of the horns and drums) that makes you want to get up out of your seat. The guard is exceptional as always, but if anyone else has a show that works the crowd, that will do the Dev's in this year. The real disappointment for me was the music didn't pass the "hum along" test. In other words, it is not something I will be humming after listening to the CD next fall. Last years show was a little more exciting. Don't let this fool you, the Devils are very good this year. Do I think they will win another Championship? It will be close, but I will say probably not. That's it. Don't let the gap between Santa Clara and the Devils scare you. Yes the Devils are that much better, but the Dev's are also very clean right now. If there is one thing Devils fans should worry about is peaking too early. Other than that, it was a great show. Again, please don't flame, these are just thoughts and opinions. If yours are different, please share them. Have a great night! socaliDCIfan Well, just got back from S. Cal. Spent a few days down in the sun and Mickey's place (Disneyland). I'm just going to give a few lines here and there. The stadium was pretty good but the crowd sat in the sun most of the div. 2 performances. I missed the first few corps. Here's what i saw. Pacific Crest: Great show. Alot like last years. HUGE colorguard. Maybe to big. I sat up high and they have a nice drill. Mand: Bigger than last years. Another typical manderians show. Difficult music, demanding drill and great drumline. They should do well this year. Troopers: Great to see them in CA. Very nice show. But i do think they should compete in div. 2. Good luck to them. BK: Total suprise here. I was never a BK fan. They put out nice show here and there. Maybe it was the old unis. But this year is a new BK. They have a more sophisticated look and feel to them. Very demanding show, drill, colorguard, and musically. Drumline is smoking. I was totally impressed with this corp. Crowd loved them too. It needs to be cleaned up but when it is, watch out. They were my 2nd favorite of the night. Glassmen: Beautiful show! They have a really classy look to them. The music really fits them well. They don't really have impact moments but you just have to watch the whole entire package to get the feel of this show. It reminds me of Star of Indiana in 88, Porgy and Bess. They deserved 2nd. SCV: Ok, one of the reasons i love drum corp is SCV. I've seen them since the 70's. I calls them like i sees them. They are struggling right now. The hornline at times sounds like the old SCV and other times, awful. The high point right now is the balled. It's beautiful and loud. This show needs something. I don't know what. Colorguard is very good this year. I'm going this sat to see them in San Jose, so i'm really looking to see if they march a closer but right now, they don't look anywhere near last years corp. I'm just being honest folks. BD: Well well, so 10 DCI titles is not good enough for you guys. You may have put together a classic BD show that people will talk about. Absolutely awesome. I read another review of this show and they said they have no GE. This show is GE. Period. They have no weakness. It's scary. They are so together in every faze. They're sound is rich, dark and very demanding. It's a winner. Doug Avila Looking throught the numerous reviews of the different shows, I noticed that not many worte about the smaller corps. I know that they might not offer as much as the "BIG DAWGS" but these corps try just as hard and deserve a little more attention....just food for thought... Div II/III 9th(45.80): Alliance - This brand new corps from San Diego improved much since Friday's Glendora show but you can tell they are just starting out. Hornline did a nice job although the drumline needs a little more cleaning. And unlike the people around me, I like the purple unis! 8th(49.25): Legend Of Texas - The corps added more elements to their show since I last saw it on Friday, but it still seemed a little timid. It was cleaner than the Alliance but the crowd didn't seem to get into the show until a point when the entire corps vocalized and danced a hoedown type of rythym. 7th(57.45): Esperanza - This is another new corps from San Diego that was built around its award winning winter guard. I LOVED the show! This corps has the ability to do many things in the next couple of years. The color guard was exceptional as well as the brass line which didn't sound like a first year corps to me. Looking forward to what they can accomplish next year! 6th(59.90): Impulse - Although the corps seems like they are trying hard to become the next Bridgemen(or as people in the stands would say, VELVET KNIGHTS 2000), it didn't do anything for me. I felt that they were better on Friday as a whole. The drumline was the one exception as they were VERY clean from start to finish. 5th(61.45): West Coast Sound - A lot of the people around my section didn't like them(but they were a bunch of rude local high school students that talked through everyone's performance). I personally liked it. The selections of music they played worked well with this corps(I still remember when they tried to pull off Adventures In Time a couple of years ago). Will do very well in Washington DC this August. 4th(66.15): Blue Devils B - I'm not really a fan of the Blue Devil's B program but I enjoyed this show. The Chicago music the play on the field this year features the Blue Devil classic "Free". I didn't really care for the new unis but when is it always about the uniforms? The drumline really impressed me as they were clean but not as clean as Impulse. Overall, a nice solid performance. 3rd(68.85): Vanguard Cadets - My initial response to this show on Friday was that the music they were playing was too hard for them. My mind didn't change much on Sunday. Since they are going to finals this year, I know that they will spend lots of time on the show and I feel this will definitely contend for the DCI Division II championship. A very effective drill that compliments the music well, but as of now, there is a lot of cleaning to do. 2nd(72.20): Mandarins - GO MANDARINS! Well, maybe I'm a little biased since my cousin dated someone from this program a few years back. This show also has the makings of a Division II champion(they moved up a division this year) and their slections from the Phantom Menace left the crowd floored. I recognized some musical interludes put in from last year's show but it works well here. The show was a lot better today than it was on Friday and it actually was the second that recieved a standing ovation(Pacific Crest performed right before them and had numerous ovations). 1st(74.75): Pacific Crest - All I can say is WOW!!! I mean, the corps only practices twice a week for 5 hours or so and they are like this?!?!? Thats gotta be some scary news for those corps competing in San Antonio when PC will be up agains the BIG DAWGS(Division I corps). Word has it that they will finally recieve Division I status if they beat at least one Division I corps in Texas. Personally, I feel that they would win DCI Division II in Washington DC and possibly contend for a Top 12 position at Finals(they could have done this last year also).....however, they are NOT going to DC!!! For those of you on the east coast that have a chance to go to San Antoino to see them, you will NOT be disappointed!!! AND NOW ON TO THE BIG DAWGS...... 5th(58.25): Troopers - I feel sorry for this corps...they did not get much of a response at either the Glendora or Costa Mesa show....maybe it was because of the selections they played. Visually, it was OK but everything kind of left me wanting more. I know this corps has an image and style(as every corps does) but maybe exploring a different style could help this corps a little more(ala Vanugaurd when they played Copeland's Hear Ye Hear Ye)...or maybe I could be wrong(like when BD played Romeo and Juliet). 4th(72.80): Blue Knights - This corps was most definitely the crowd's favorite. I have seen this corps in Madison last year and a couple years back when they were here but this show was by far the best they have ever done! The unis look a lot like BDB(in fact I walked by them when BDB was right next to them) but its a welcome change from the gray pants. If the show were clean, they would have beaten Santa Clara tonight but there were problems with articulation and marching(they did the hardest drill all night...a few people fell down near the end and at the end of the show). This corps will surprise many people in DC and they are legitimate top 6 contenders. 3rd(74.20): Santa Clara Vanguard - I'm an SCV fan and always will be. However, I feel they might have tried a little too hard on this one. Although I liked it better here than on Friday, it feels very disjointed. Only a few parts stands out for me like when the hornline plays RFL for about 15-20 seconds or so and a few drill moves at the end of their opener. Many people in the crowd gave them standing ovations but the response from the majority was that they didn't like the show. What really didn't help SCV was the fact that they haven't finished the show and were marching many holes. I, as a loyal fan, was utterly disappointed in both performances I saw, and I hope that they can go on a hot streak to try and win it again. Don't worry SCV fans, the show will get better and they can contend. Will they beat BD this year? Only time will tell, but from what I saw this weekend, SCV might have to forget about beating BD and focus on beating the Glassmen. 2nd(75.15): Glassmen - Hey, I actually liked them this year! The production of Gershwin's "Concerto In F" was perfect for this corps who are looking to break the top 3 this year. The drill was superb and the drumline was clean, but I didn't feel much energy from the hornline. Maybe they were trying to balance a little to hard or maybe it was fatigue. From what people in the stands were saying, their performance at Riverside was better. I haven't seen the Cavies or the Cadets but both corps need to watch out for these guys because they are for real! I'm happy that they came to California this year and I hope they return sometime soon! 1st(80.80): Blue Devils - One word to describe BD...CLEAN!!!!! And I mean on all levels!!! Yes, they are going to Europe and they could lose some ground on a couple of corps but the feeling I got from them was that they want the title again! I can remember seeing both BD and SCV back in 94, 95, and 96 and thinking they weren't even in the same league. Well, I feel like that again. The hornline, though not as loud as BK or SCV(probably due to the Bb horns), were very impressive! The question about their volume changed once they played their victory concert. The sopranos and mellophones have runs that would wow any Cadet corps member or fan. The color guard is just as exceptional and the drumline reminds me a lot of SCV's. As with the Glassmen, many people in the stands said they were better at Riverside. For those people who say Europe will hurt them, it might but you have to remember that back in 88, Madison went to Europe and came out on top. I think BD will finish this year with their 11th title.... On a final note, I would just like to say that it does not matter if a certain corps is marching a difficult drill or playing difficult music. If it isn't clean, then they will lose. This isn't a slur against my fellow SCV fans, but I don't believe Vanguard will win it this year. I honestly believe that the real race will be from 2nd through 6th place this year because it will be close. I just can't see BD losing their edge all that much even though they are going to Europe. They are a class act organization and know how to practice when they need to. And even if they do get beat, I think the Cavies or the Cadets have a better chance at it than SCV. Chris Kim - DCI Fan

Orlando, FL (DCI) Got a chance to head out and see DCI Orlando tonight, and THANKFULLY it didn't get rained out like that past shows I've been hearing up in the midwest (even though we had a torrential downpour about 2 hours before it). Here's my review: Tampa Bay Thunder - Tampa Bay, FL - 39.40 Tradegy at Sea Frankly, Thunder surely went for an entertaining show, yet it had a serious look to it. The corps paid attention to detail, but along with any other corps in this stage of the tour, THINGS NEED TO BE FIXED! =]. The Percussion, in my opinion, were very strong and together. Very balanced overall from that section, including the PIT who were pretty exciting as well. Could have had a little more contribution from the Color Guard, and Individual problems can be fixed over time. If Thunder keeps working hard at it, they can pull off a wonderful inaugural season. Teal Sound - Jacksonville, FL - 40.65 Music from Santana This corps had ENERGY. Their brass line was very powerful and convincing, but too much off a good thing is bad. Balance is an issue, so early in the season. I heard sops and altos sticking out all over the place. Percussion had some nice riffs going on, and contribution from color guard. Visual aspects were very nice, and entertaining. I think the whole crowd, including myself liked it. They looked like they needed to work on some feet issues. Spirit of Atlanta - Atlanta, GA - 52.85 Atlanta - Spirit of the New South When it was time to turn over to the Division I Corps, I was expecting to hear much more, and YES I DID, from Spirit. It was a very exciting show, which certainly did something for the audience, bring them good ol' south music, yet turning it into a new form. Drill will come along in time, but looked pretty good for late June. Brass Line was FULL and 'spirited', but still need to work out some individual things. Percussion gave a good show along with Color Guard who added in very nicely. Some even opted to give them a Standing O. Carolina Crown - Ft. Mills, SC - 66.00 The Mask of Zorro I never even heard that they moved from Charlotte to Ft. Mills? When I heard them announced, I guess I was confused. I've heard past clips of their opener, and my my my, have they sure changed it. Crown has a HARD book. Their performance as a corps was very well, excellent I may say, as they came over the X-men! The Percussion and Color Guard were very focused about the show, as the Brass Line. There were times when they passed over the sideline, which I thought was pretty neat, along with the condensing factors for loudness...I won't be surprised if Crown gets in the Top 10 this year, let alone finals, but someone would have to be dropped. Time will tell. All in all, very entertaining. One of my favorites of the Night. Crossmen - Newark, DE - 65.75 Jazz First thing I noticed about the X-men, was that they marched FAST. I could literally see them marching half their show over 160. Along with that, their percussion was TIGHT. I know Crossmen are known for their Jazz, and this year is no exception for that. Their Brass Line was very full, yet controlled, along with the Color Guard which complimented them. Personally, I think they did a great job tonight, but Crown worked much harder....maybe only harder for a quarter of a point. The Cadets - Bergenfield, NJ - 77.25 Disney's Millenium Celebration - We are the future Great Feet, Great Visual, Great Guard, Great Music....THIS WAS A GREAT SHOW! I still hit myself when I said earlier this year "Ohhh..Cadets are playing 'disney' music". Man, when I first heard their show on Liquid Audio, I knew this was gonna be a contender for the Championship spot. Their book is EXTREMLEY difficult and hearing them pull it off while marching technically hard drill was just amazing. I was SO impressed with their altos...I believe that they are the best DCI has to offer. Especially now, with the corps switching over the Bb, it made them sound a whole lot better, but they still have that same Cadet sound. Their Visuals were WONDERFUL, along with that Snare Soloist guy, and the War Drums, and sideline Tenors. Sure to be a thrill over the season, yet I sit here and ponder why the Cadets have 77.25, and BD is already in the 80's? So there's my review. All in All, great night. The Disney Hot Dog was pretty good, but expensive in the wallet, the parking was horrible, and bastard children were sitting in front of me, but it was all made up with a great night of DCI! Jason Litt DISCLAIMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THESE COMMENTS ARE MY OWN OPINION. YES MY GRAMMAR MAY SUCKS, LIVE WITH IT OR STOP READING THIS RIGHT NOW.. NOW THAT WE ARE DONE WITH THAT... ON TO THE SCORES.. . 6 TH PLACE 39.40 TAMPA BAY THUNDER... For a first yr corps they are not to bad.. The bass line is AN A CLASS BASS LINE !!!!!! the only thing was the choice of music just was not that appealing..!!! the kids look like they will play the crap out of the show come mid season to finals. it is just the book is very thin .. if there score is not very high at the end of tour .. it isnt the kids fault it is the creators of the show.... i wish this first yr corps all the best.. good jod kids .. work work work... 5TH PLACE 40.65 TEAL SOUND all i can say is it take some BIG brass balls to take music from the latin/jazz/rock arena and put it on the field.. if any one goes to watcha show with this corp in it you will not know what the drill looks like on the first tune.. because the conga player in the pit is just a freakin insane player, he rocks ( kevin ) ....watched him the whole time ..like everyone there was some dirt but its there second show some nice solos threw out the show.. the only off moments i saw in the show .. not real slow section in the show.. which is;not bad just everything was up up UP.. all the time .. and they only march 3/4 of the show ( major drill changes in the closer i was told ).. they will be hot come aug... work work... 4TH PLACE 52.85 SPIRIT loved the drum major ( cute as can be ) ( in blue spandex) kind of a dry opener.. picks up inthe middle and then kinda dry out again at the end.. not a lot of demand on the drill side of the show.. first time seeing dynasty drum on the field in 6 years. snares where a little wet sounding. tenors where nicly tuned basses where good also.. the drum solo is the high light of the show.. watch the cymbals behind the snare line.. someone is going to get hurt with a cymbal back there.. ( AJ ) the sad part is i do not see them making finals with this show.. (sorry read disclaimer above) ... 3RD PLACE 65.75 CROSSMEN (YES CROSSMEN) (READ DISCLAIMER ABOVE ) THE FIRST 3/4 OF THE SHOW I DO NOT EVEN REMEMBER IT. i sat there and watch the whole thing nothing grabbed me .. untill bird land. WOW cool version i really like it . (thanks god not rick martin song) 2ND PLACE 66.00 CAROLINA CROWN ( YES CAROLINA CROWN ) WOW WOW WOW. THIS SHOW KICKS MUCH A$$ i am not a big C.C. fan at all but i liked this show.. very dark horn line in your face.. madison flavor to the latin music.. drum line is very very very clean, top 6 clean for right now...the horns come down into the pit area (stage left) and just start peeling skin off the first 3 rows.. ( OH MY GOD ) i see them some where in around 10/9 range this yr.. great show.........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GEE LIKE SOME ONE ELSE WAS GOING TO WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WITH A SCORE OF 77.25 THE HOLY GARFIELD BREGEN CADETS ( SORRY SOME OLDER GENTLEMEN SAID THAT IN THE STANDS I FOUND IT FUNNY (AGAIN READ DISCLAIMER ABOVE) ... WOW TOP 3 SHOW .. COULD WIN .. I DONT KNOW BUT IN THE RUNNING FOR IT... the opener it played almost totaly back field..in a small stadium you can get the full effect of the reverb sound you would get from a big concrete stadium.. ( that was the only thing that really bothered me... ) the rest holy crap-a-hoockie.. drum line is ungodly.. ( do i hear top drum this yr.. ?) tenor solo is great.. bass playing traditional on one side of there drums... back sticking pairadiddles ( holy sh#t ).. the one thing was the sop lick where after words is to of to the side to see after the drum line gets done... missed half of it completely ....BUT WHAT I SAW... WOW..... one thing i noticed is the drill at the end wasnt the neck breaking cadet drill we have seen in the past?? something coming down the road .. time will tell..... AND I WISH THEY WOULOD FIND A BETTER STADIUM TO HAVE THE SHOW IN IN FLORIDA!! IT IS A BASEBALL DIAMOND...!! THERE IS A GREAT STADUIM IN DAYTONA BEACH THE WOULD BE GREAT FOR A DRUM CORPS SHOW .. CONCRETE LOTS OF SEATING.. AND CRAP LOAD OF HOUSING...!!! Clay Disclaimer: THese are nothing but my opinions. If you must flame, go ahead and do so...it helps me figure out which people on RAMD are the idiots who cannot accept others' opinions, and makes it a lot easier for me when deciding how to feed my killfile. Besides, after facing some of the most notorious names in RAMD's history, there ain't nothing a one of you could say that hasn't been said before. Tampa Bay Thunder (6th, 39.4) This is a first-year corps that is in good shape. The percussion section was very good, and they played a lot of notes with a lot of enthusiasm. For some reason I was expecting them to be wearing blue instead of red, and it threw me for a loop. The drill is not particularly well-suited to this corps, as it has some very young corps kids running all over the place out to the 30s and beyond, which spreads what is already a weak sound. At this point, the brass is the weakest chain, but I really believe a lot of it is the way the drill is written. It needs to be closer together and not spread apart...this isn't a top 12 corps yet, so the drill doesn't need to be a Cadet/Cavalier special...all it has to be is Tampa drill. For now. Teal Sound (5th place, 40.65) The one thing that I can say about Teal's show is that the pit player on the congas during theopener is a seriously EXCITED guy all the time. It was like he was a show all unto himself. The music was very good, but the percussion had a lot of problems, not the least of which was the dude on the end who seemed to forget the entire middle section and just sat there trying to get back into the game without much luck. Judge was standing right in front of him too. Also a corps with a lot of potential, the drill was a little better thatn Thunder's, but also too spread out at times, and it seemed to linear for the flow of the music. Spirit of Atlanta (4th place, 52.85) Hmmm....I have to start off by mentioning that the drum major of Spirit of Atlanta is one of the most beautiful young ladies I have ever seen in the drum corps activity. She is also very good at what she does. If I were a perverted old man, I would say "SHE'S FREAKING HOT!!!" But since I'm not, I'll just comment that she really carries herself with grace and elegance, and it looks very professional. The show itself didn't really connect with me, because I always associate Atlanta with hot jazz. Donald Grantham is a modernistic jazz composer, and I'm not sure if his style of writing fits in with what Spirit is doing, although they do it well. It is so nice to see this corps out there and touring. After the show I got to meet Jason Lowe, and after I twisted his arm behind his back and got him to say "Geoff Jones is my uncle and The Rock is gay," we talked. He's a cool kid, but very skinny. Maybe I'll send him some cookies or something. ;-) Crossmen (3rd place, 65.75) This is easily their most entertaining show for me since 1991's Metheny offering. This corps cooks! It was kind of weird to see Dean Musson, Jeff Bridges, and Ron Coleman out there. You see...when I started corps back in 1989, this trio was the nucleus of Florida Wave. Then when I marched Regiment, they were a trio at Colts. Now they're with Crossmen, and I think they have done a great job. IT was crisp, exciting, and fluid. Nice job with the charts, Chuck. The percussion just isn't the same as in years past, however, and they will need to improve on that. It seemed to my friend that they were playing in a Thurston style, but not pulling it off. I thought this corps had done much better than the score indicated. Crown (2nd place, 66.0) This is the first year that I have been entertained by Crown...they have a really good show. The guard is very cool, although it is distracting at times to have the ladies in totally different outfits, albeit they are all black. The drill seems pretty cool and fast-paced, and while there are still some major spacing and phasing concerns, the package is there, and this could be Crown's strongest corps ever. Cadets (1st place, 77.25) I'll admit it: I was prepared to hate Cadets' show because of the pretentiousness of calling a show "We are the Future." Given that Hopkins has won several major victories in his quest to turn drum corps to his liking the last few years, it struck me (and a lot of folks around me) as overly pretentious. I'll also admit that I do not like George, and I am sure the feeling is mutual. The last few times I had a chance to speak with him, he came across as rude, condescending, and arrogant. He seems to evoke a lot of different emotions from a lot of different people. That being said, this is the first Cadet show that I really, really like since 1993's "In the Spring..." I was drawn into what they were doing, and I thought the music was pretty cool, although a bit lacking in the "meat and potatoes" department. The drill is typical Cadet drill, and while there are some spacing concerns and some very poor posture, this show seems destined for Top 3 status. After I see the Midwestern corps in one week, I'll have a better idea. I really enjoyed this offering by the Cadets, it seems they have rebounded strongly from last year. Other concerns: The Disney Gestapo. I hate these people. I hate anything connected with the anal-retentive people at Disney. Luckliy, this show wasn't in the Magic Kingdom, otherwise we all would have had to wear wristbands to go the bathroom, different wristbands to visit the concessions, special caps to visit the souvie stands, etc. There was a problem with our tickets, and some young skinny, pimple-ridden usher-type gave us the standard "I AM THE LAW" treatment at the gate. Luckily, there was a very nice lady from Rochester, NY (my home town! Woo hoo!) that fixed our situation, and gave us comp. tickets. Way to go, Stacy from NY. I DID NOT LIKE the YEA format which blatantly excludes the three smaller corps. I am sorry, I understand that there is a movement to expand YEA and all, but that is just not fair to the other 3 corps who also worked hard to be excluded from the finale. Totally unacceptable. Being that George is such a lightning rod for criticism and controversy, you would think he would keep a low profile. I counted no less that 17 times he was on the field or close to the sidelines or by the 50 yard line. Dude....chill. Take a backseat to some of the great stuff going on out there. You are not the show. As for the Bb horns. This may be Cadets' best hornline since 1985, but I don't think it has to do with the Bb instruments. For the first time since 1988, I can hear the Cadet contrabasses. Baris and Euphs tend to die out into the sound under a mezzo-forte, while the alto voices are very prominent. Soprano voices (see rant below) are obscured by the altos, but that may just be the players themselves. I think Larry Shane said it best: THey need to modify the soprano horn, open it up a bit. Okay...have we just given up on even trying to distinguish between a band and a corps? I mean, I KNOW that even the G bugles were technically not bugles, and that they were technically trumpets. BUt one of the cool things about the activity is the differentiation between us and marching bands. Can we please still call them sopranos? They are the soprano voice in the corps, right? So don't call them trumpets! Please! Corps still break down into soprano/alto/tenor/bass, so let's not call them tubas either! Yes, intellectually I know they are tubas. Humour us, please. This is a harmless corps tradition. There is no need to destroy it, even if certain people want to remake the world over in their image. If I ever get a corps gig, to me they will always be sopranos, altos, baritones (or tenorhorns), and contrabasses. It was a good show, rain threatened but never followed through, which was great. Nice to meet Forrest, who is the guy who makes the little drum corps miniatures. He's finally got some Phantom ones, but I'm still trying to convince him to create drum major "pulling the baton out" figurines. I didn't get to meet any RAMDers, except for Lowe, but it was a fun time. Can't wait for Sunday, as I will be at the Dixon show. Feel free to flame...it won't bother me. Nikk Pilato Just wanted to say that it was nice having another show in Florida. Although it would be nice if they could have it at a football stadium as opposed to the baseball field. Tampa Bay: Not a bad first show for them. The drumline plays with a lot of confidence already. The bass drums are very solid, but overplayed with regards to volume. They probably don't need 4 tenors, but what do I know. The hornline was suspect, but it may be do to the somewhat difficult drill. They just didn't seem to be able to solve the phasing problem. The drill has them spread so far apart, it leaves them very exposed. The guard just didn't do enough, but most of them looked young and as they progress this year, they may add some more to the show. Overall, good, cleaning the drill I know will help make everything else fit better. Teal Sound: Nice unis...Hornline was the highlight of the corps. They played with confidence in the ensemble. Soloists were very good (Soprano), the animal in the pit had the whole section next to us going crazy (There is no way to explain, just go watch Teal this year and check out the conga player). Stood still for the last bit of their show, but other than that they marched very well. I honestly don't recall to much of what the guard was doing, probably not a good sign. Spirit: Fell asleep, woke up, fell back to sleep....The only way I can characterize this show. Not the kids fault...they did a great job...I like the drill and they marched it very well. It just lacks some emotion right now, but a very solid performance. Drumline...loose those damn Dynasty drums, when will we learn..they sucked then and the sound only marginally better now. They sound very "wet" just like the snares of about 20 years ago. They did some Star, Blue Devil high sticking which was tasty, albeit unoriginal. Guard performed well and had good costumes. Drum Major was very confident and conducted the corps well. Probably top 12, just need the emotion. Crossmen: Drum corps fan will be able to recognize most of their music which is good. Very strong total package as far as performance of the show. Much like Spirit, this show just really lacks some emotion untill the last few minutes of Birdland. They marched very well, hornline smokes, drumline has a few things to work on. Crown: Not as clean as Crossmen at this juncture, but what a show. Some phasing at first because of the demand of the drill. Good musical selection. the show has heart and soul. Marching is dirty and contributed to some early phasing problems, but got better as the show went on. Some nice pass through drill towards the end, very strong hornline comes onto the sideline and just rips your face off. Guard is very, very strong, I personally liked there guard better than Cadets, but hey it's my opinion. Don't like that they all have different tops though? Drumline played well for the most part and the pit made a nice contribution. Prediction: They will be the one to compete for the sixth spot before Boston. Just a hunch. Cadets: First part of the show was weakened by too much backfield playing. Especially the way this field was set up the sound just got swallowed up in the night air. Backfield playing is nice if all venues are accoustically the same, but they are not and it didn't do anything for the show IMHO. Other than that, WOW. What a show. Fun, entertaining, loud. Just a true treat and the highlight of the entire evening. Wasn't sure after listening to the recording on Liquid audio how this would be on the field, but I was very impressed. The drumline is on fire, the drill is all Cadets, just a little dirty right now, and they sell that show 110%. A couple of the performers had a real hard time making it to there marks on time, one guy darn near fell trying to stop on a dime after getting a late start during one of the opening sets. But it is June and I am sure is will be flawless by August. Great show, wonderful music, May be another championship this year, the show certainly has the potential. Hope you find these comments useful. Please return the favor those of you who go to see shows later this year. Take 10 minutes out of life and write a review for those of use stuck at home on our computers. Jeff

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