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Sunday July 25

San Antonio, TX (DCI) Well, just survived the 3 day Texas tour marathon. All I can say is Wow. What a good year. And the crowds were amazing. Huge crowds in Dallas, Houston and a gigantic crowd in San Antonio. I loved every corps, but I'll try to give an honest critique below -- all just my opinions, so don't forget everyone is entitled to their own. (Please note, I know very little about drum lines, so I won't focus on them) Tar Heel Sun -- This corps just gets better & better. Design wise, they are still a step or two behind most others, but hey! -- this is their first year in open class. The horn line sound is big & balanced. Very nice. The opening and closing pieces of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down" are excellent. The corps sometimes struggles to march and play, but nothing you wouldn't expect from a young, new corps. Great things seem to be in their future & they are solidly on track for a repeat of DCI memebership. Their best show of the week was in SA, and I would have had them even closer to Spirit of Atlanta. Spirit of Atlanta -- Huh. I want to LOVE this corps. I've been pulling for them for the past few years & I still cherish the last time I saw them in Finals -- 1990. That being said, I was very disappointed with their show this year. Apart from impressive (and fun) opening and closing statements, the show is filthy (I'm talking early June level quality) and really not that enjoyable. The music is so dirty that it's not even that accessible to me. Was the show just written too far above their heads? (Perhaps). Jump Jive & Wail is certainly to fast for their feet to keep up with. On a positive note, the worst guard uniform I've ever seen (Even worse than Glassmen's in 1993) is dead, as of San Antonio. Pioneer -- Yeah. Small can be good. This is the first time I've really liked Pioneer, ever. The brass line is small, but powerful. Visually, they are excellent. The design is written at the level of the corps, and they march very well. Percussion seemed very on the ball, too. And the guard is by far Pioneer's finest to date. They certainly deserve to be ahead of Spirit at this point in the season. The could also finally be headed for the promised land of Semifinals. Time will tell how much others like Spirit & Kiwanis can clean up their acts. Magic of Orlando -- This corps is miles ahead of last year's edition. The brass line is again the strength of the corps, and it really cooks for Echano & the ballad. The whole corps falls very flat in Land of Make Believe, however. Visually, they are also quite a ways behind other finals-contending corps. While the guard is better than the past couple of years, they still have a ways to go. The uniforms for the guard add nothing to the visual package, either. Ironically, in a year where the corps is much better than last year, they are probably headed for 14th this year. On the other hand, who cares? They are enjoyable & they are are giving it their all. It's a miracle they have survived all their fiascos this summer (with little to no help from YEA) & that they are hanging in their. That is what corps is all about & I know the kids will be better kids for having gone through this. BlueCoats -- Yeah! This is NOT your Daddy's BlueCoats. They are dark. They are visually dynamic. The guard rocks. I like this show more than any Canton shows ever, with the exceptions of 1991 and 1995. Unlike others, I recognize the music as vintage Chick Corea, albeit a little on the dark side. It totally works for them, however. The show grows on you each time you hear it. Don't count them out of finals just yet. They may even place higher than 12th. They are obviously smaller & younger this year, but they are fighting back in classic Canton style. And thank god, someone still has the balls to march white pants (with a stripe, no less) and shoes. It sure helps make the visual program stand out. Maybe they have just improved lately, but I sure don't understand the earlier criticisms of this corps, unless people just don't want to let them out of their box. Bust on out, Canton! Crossmen -- Hmm. I'm not sure what to say. I think I got a little less impressed every time I saw them (they were at all 3 shows). I can't figure out why. The best I can think of is that the corps lacks an identity in this show. As you can see above, I'm not one to hold a corps in their box from the past, usually. At the same time, this show is hard to put a finger on. No one apparent style seems to come through. On many levels, it seems they have taken a huge step up this year in show design, technical difficulty & even execution to some extent. At the same time, the show is hard to embrace. It's like it can't decide what it wants to be when it grows up. Their Blue Shades opener makes you go "oh Cool" the first time you see it. By the third time, it is growing weary. It has a few really great "AHH" moments and a lot of down, less than compelling sections. The ballad is gorgeous, and the backfield brass playing is truly special. The closer is growing on me. I didn't like it in Dallas at all, but was probably comparing it too much to my all time favorite Crossmen show (1992). By SA, however, it seemed to be a hightlight. (The incredible percussion feature is certainly a highlight). The identity crisis continues in Applachian, however. It is a piece that begs for that Crossmen drumline "groove" and they just don't deliver. I don't like the new sound of the x-men drum line. It is heavier & very Cadet like. Don't get me wrong, I love the Cadet's drum line. It just doesn't fit here in this Crossmen show. On that note, that is really my other gripe with Crossmen. The Cadet influence is beginning to be overpowering at times (starting with the opening drill set). I do love the new uniforms however & hope that at the least the YEA affiliation has given this corps a strong basis for the future. Unless Blue Knights peak early, however, I don't see Crossmen placing above 9th at finals. Blue Knights -- What a difference a year makes. The corps is leaps and bounds ahead of last year in terms of maturity, showmanship & cleanliness. The horn line sound is now full & dark. The guard is technically solid & by far the best this corps has produced. I was concerned with seeing Trittico again -- as it was my least favorite past BK show. This rendition is more enjoyable. At the same time, I was hoping after last year that BK had unlocked a secret or 2 in choosing better music books & getting to the crowd. They are selling this show better than several other past years, but it is not nearly as pleasing to the ear. Still, a very good year for BK. Now that that Phantom has passed them, however, I don't see them passing anyone else that I saw this weekend (except maybe Madison). Phantom Regiment -- Regiment is back. And on a tear. More than a 7 point jump in a week. Similar scores & placement in Houston and SA also show that it isn't a fluke. I didn't see them early, but I get the impression that they are finding the right gears now & flying towards catching the pack. The show is by far the most difficult show I have seen from them in several years. Tony Hall has given Phantom a drill again, for the first time since 1993, really. This show has a ton of potential, pariticularly if the very end of the show can be re-written for more emotional impact. At the same time, they are still very, very dirty. I certainly wouldn't count them out of top 6, or even top 4 at this point. They have so much room to grow. They are also getting the crowd this year. People sitting around me (not a scientific pole) seemed to think by & large that they should have placed higher in SA. The brass line is vintage Phantom, and the uniform is back to the classic black. The low brass sound can almost just give you chills. The Contras have a flowing base line towards the end of the show in a slow section that is incredible. They placed where they should for now, but IF they keep cleaning at the pace they are now, look out Glassmen, Scouts and Cavaliers. Madison Scouts -- In a now familiar theme, Scouts, too, are vastly improved over last year. JSC is a great vehicle for them. They are also marching some drill this year. The color guard is more masculine & much more enjoyable to watch this year. The flag silks are also a big step forward for Madison. The horn line has power I haven't heard from them since 1995. Percussion seems to lag. Overall, visual design is not up to top 3 or top 4 standards, either, but I love the show. And, isn't that the whole point of the scouts anyway? I would certainly place them closer to Cavaliers than what they are scoring. God Bless the Scouts -- I hope they never change. While this show is a great progression for them & doesn't seem like a the re-tread formula they sometimes slip into, is still vintage Scouts, and that means you will be on your feet more than once. Cavaliers -- A very nice show. Nice. Is that always the best compliment? It sure fits them this year, though. Nothing too aggressive or in your face, but very nice. Wonderful visual program. Musically enjoyable too. No real musical highs, however, and that may haunt them come August. How much can this vehicle let them deliver? Horns are more powerful than last year, but don't pack the punch of BD, Scouts, Phantom, or even Blue Knights. The guard is excellent, and the silks they use are fantastic. At a time many corps seem to use far too little flag, the Cavies give us a ton of great flag work. Blue Devils. Wow. Wow. Wow. That seems to be all my friend & I could keep saying. The horn line is really turning it on. Power enough to light up Texas. They have no peers at the moment in the group they competed with in Texas. The show design is also great. Probably my favorite BD show since Tommy. If they can get the closer up to the level of the rest, look out. The Estancia section absolutely rocks. It's great. It's not true to the original (for that no one could ever match Regiment in 1993 anyway), but it is a classic BD arrangement. The color guard is incredible too. Great dance work, great flag work, great weapon work. Give them high guard now. The closing sections are a bit of a let down at the moment, but only because the first half of the show is absolutely electric. If they remedy that, well, I haven't seen SCV yet, but BD seems to be getting better every day. All in all, this is a great year. Very entertaining. Musically very pleasing. Visually innovative. Classic trademarks are re-appearing in the shows of BD, Cavies, Scouts and Phantom. New top caliber corps are here to stay with Crossmen and Blue Knights. The top six in San Antonio could be a complete finals top six in most years. It makes me so eager to see everyone in Tennessee next week and in Madison. If you miss this year, you will be very, very sorry. Drum Corps is not dead yet. It is in fact better than ever. It just doesn't get that way until shows start to come together in late July anymore. Now if only we could reverse that brass in any key thing... One last note on DCI in a dome. It wasn't that bad! Sitting high the sound was a little muddy, but usually only when you knew the corps itself was muddy. Visually, the stadium gives great vantage points. DCI is sure turning heads in the Texas Bandmaster community, too. I was almost surrounded by directors, and they all left with a different attitude than they came with. ENJOY THE LAST TOUR OF THE 90s! IT MAY BE THE BEST ONE YET. Drealthing (The following is a report I sent in to DCI for publication in DCI Today. Of course DCI can edit this any way they choose! This is all in my own words and opinions.) The biggest question of the night was what the acoustics in the AlmoDOME would be like. The last and only time there was a DCI show in a dome was at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1981. Drum corps staff members have been notoriously opposed to indoor performances in the past. Bands of America has held a few regional competitions and I've heard that they were very impressed with the good acoustics in the AlamoDOME. Earlier in the day I, along with about 2,000 other durm corps fas and band students attended the clinic which featured Phantom Regiment. Dennis Delucia spoke to the audience and interviewed Phantoms drum major and some staff members. The corps did a full run-thru of their show. After the clinic I went down to the field to ask mebers from each section what the acoustics felt like for them on the field. The color guard was almost totally un-affected. Hornline members felt like they were playing alone but were not distracted by any reverb off the walls. For snares, tenors of bass drums the sound bounces right back to where it came from. Otherwise they said it was not a problem. The only section that had any significant problem was the pit. Most of the time the pit listens back to the drumline on the field for tempo but it was more difficult to do that in the dome especially when the battery was in far backfield. With that in mind I listened carefully to each corps and didn't notice any severe phazing problems that could have been affected by the acoustics. Several corps members and staffers said they've been in outdoor stadiums that have worse acoustics than the AlamoDOME. A staff member of Phantom Regiment told me it took the corps very little time to get used to the acoustics. I asked Phantoms brass caption head (i dont' know his name) how difficult he felt it would be for any corps to go into the AlamoDOME "cold" and play without knowing what to expect and he said they should have no problem at all. Dennis Delucia was on the field throughout Phantom's clinic / run-thru and he said he was impressed with how good it sounded. I spoke with several fans who had sat in various areas of the AlamoDOME and only one of them said they didn't like the acoustics. (BCB assistant drum major Mike). Most people were very pleasantly surprised with the good acoustics. I never heard an official count for tonights attendance but it looked like at least 10,000. All the corps seemed to be really hyped for such a large crowd in such an impressive venue as the AlamoDOME. Each corps (in my opinion) seems to be better than last year in terms of show design and in quality. I think the designers are giving more thaught to entertaining the fans. Before the announcement of scores the announcer, Dan Potter, asked the audience to join the "drum corps family" in a moment of silence for the Delta Brigade instructors, Sam Grosso and Travis Nail, who were killed in an accedent last week. That was the only moment of the night where the dome was completely and totally silent. Last years first DCI Southwestern at Alamo Stadium was wonderful. I think this year at the AlamoDOME it was even better. The corps were hot, the atmosphere was cool (sometimes almost too cold for me!) and the acoustics were just fine. I asked Dennis Delucia what he thaught about having DCI Finals at the AlamoDOME someday. He just looked at me with a wrinkle in his brow and said, "Hmmmmmm". Brent Unger I had heard that Bands of America considered the AlamoDOME to have the best acoustics of any indoor stadium in America and after tonights show I'd say they are right. I was able to view the nights performances from a few different vantage points and there was no obnoxious reverb at all. Whenever a hornline plays an extended triple forte chord then releases there's a nice echo that's not too overbearing. I was very pleased with the sound. I asked several spectators what they thaught about the acoustics and only one of them said they didnt' like it. Phantom Regiment did the clinic today along with a full run-thru. I spoke with members from each section of the corps including staff about the acoustics. The pit had the most problem with it. When the battery is far backfield it is difficult for the pit to hear them. To a snare, tenor or especially bass drummer the sound just bounces right back to where it came from. Otherwise they said it was tolerable. (the drumline is always in it's own little world anyway!) A Phantom euphonium player told me he could mostly hear only himslef play and not the rest of the ensemble around him...but he said it wasn't difficult at all as long as he watched the drum major. The color guard seemed to be unphazed by the sound as it caused no difficulties. I liked ALL the corps performances better tonight than from last year with the exception of the Cavaliers. Blue Devils - like this show much better than last years sleeper. BD guard is the best in DCI. The hornline continues to be astounding...so good all I can do is just shake my head in amazement. Cavaliers - very clean, very good, but I can't remember any particular highlights. Doe's that tell you anything about the entertainment value? And wait and see what the judges give them for a GE score. If it's higher than Madison then there's something very wrong with our GE judging criteria! I did like the show but not as much as some others. Madison Scouts - exciting, fun, entertaining. Had the most enthusiastic crowd response of the night. The hornline plays with balls-to-the-wall the way drum corps should...but they also know how to play with beautiful finesse when it is called for. They got screwed again ladies & gentlemen...as always. The crowd booed their 3rd place ranking. The boos may not have been as strong if they were 2nd behind Devils...that would be a little more understandable in light of the Devils impeccable execution. Phantom Regiment - This show screams Phantom from the start and I like it. They're having an awful time with the drill. There's a big block slide/rotation that is killing them. From time to time it seems a guard member forgets what she's supposed to do next. The 14 member contra line can't seem to play in tune. Blue Knights - I love this new arrangement of Trittico. I liked it a lot in '94 and I really love it in '99. I really think this is their best designed show and their best corps ever. The hornline gave me chills much more than Cavies or Phantom. Crossmen - Best drill I've ever seen them do. Great program. It's a little more abstract than usual for them but they sell it well. Very impressive marching. Also liked them better than Cavies or Phantom. Bluecoats - another great show concept and design. (these drill writers and brass arrangers are out-doing themselves this year!) Magic - marvelous hornline...can't remember much from the show. Spirit - kick a** hornline, very fun show...the drill is too hard for them. If it wasn't for that they'd have a good chance at making top 12. Their best corps since the old days. Pioneer - impressed with the quality and quantity of sound from their small hornline. Tarheel Sun - my first time ever to see this corps...very impressive for such a young organization. I'm a fan! bayou_city_bari I sat on the 8 yard line in the nosebleed section, so I'm not going to give an audio review. With the show being in the dome, the sound quality where I was sitting was bad. I did like BD's show, it was clean. I wish they would play the old style all jazz show again, but in this day and age the original BD wouldn't cut it. The victory show was great. I had good seats for that. Having spent all day at the Cavies practice, it was sure nice seeing old faces and meeting new ones. Watching them practice opens up a floodgate of memories (Note: This is the 2nd time I've seen my corps since 95). Hearing the same jokes and phrases, and hearing the same voices barking out instructions really hit home and makes me wish for more carefree days. I thought the show was great. When you put the Cavies after Madison and before BD, the crowd is still thinking of JCSS. Nothing against Cavies of course. The drill is fast paced and awesome as usual, the horns have a tough book and it's coming along quite well. This has got to be my favorite Scouts show. The drill, I thought was awesome, though the guards outfits would be better suited for West Side Story. PR had a good show, and might cause some problems come finals (that is, for Madison and BK). Maybe next year, PR should play an all jazz show, since BD likes Danza so much. Just a thought. It was a very good day for me. It's now Monday, back to the real world. John

Saturday July 24

Toledo, OH (DCI) Let me preface this by exposing my biases: 1. Thirty years and 75 pounds ago I marched with the Glassmen. 2. I always did bugle (played, taught, wrote some, etc.) 3. My total exposure to drum corps thus far this season and ALL of last season was RAMD (And yes, I know how pathetic that is.) In view of the above (and other personality quirks that others consider faults) I classify myself as a "casual fan", but one who still has a pretty good ear. I intend to talk about the various things I liked about tonight's show. You could infer that if I don't mention someone or some section, that I didn't like it. You COULD infer that, but you'd be wrong! The complexity of today's book (bugles, drum, guard, and drill) is at such a high level that even with PERFECT seating, no distractions from rude crowd, no bad weather, and NO mosquitoes, I still didn't see or hear HALF of what the kids attempted out there, and I'm pretty ignorant about drumming and guard work. (I DO reserve the right, however to mention when some particular bit caught even MY attention. I got to the Glass Bowl at 12:00 Noon to buy a ticket for the contest, and the Glassmen were there having a rehearsal. It was BEASTLY hot in the shaded seats, so it HAD to be 100 plus degrees on the Astroturf, and there was no breeze whatsoever. I watched the rehearsal for awhile, and satisfied myself that my old corps sure recruits a WAAAY more experienced and accomplished musician than we were able to do 30 years ago. Also, the staff numbered as many as any section we marched back then (and seemed to ALL be thoroughly occupied with an endless list of details.) The portion of the rehearsal I watched was devoted to cleaning drill and wouldn't normally hold my attention for too long. I was struck, however, by the tremendous level of concentration and attention that the instructor demanded...and GOT. This display of work ethic was repeated at 4 other rehearsals of other corps I saw today. C;early at this level, these kids do not snooze through rehearsals...ANY OF THEM. Finally, I'll address some things I really liked about the show: Troopers - - I was expecting little due to the comments I'd read on RAMD...but the books (all of them) seemed fairly well written for the personnel, and the quality of their performance was high. Interestingly, crowd response was highest for an old fashioned "starting line" company front from goal line to fifty before the drum major saluted, that set the old timers in the crowd up to like them. The history and tradition alone of this corps is enough to bring a lump to your throat at the thought of how close we came to losing them (reportedly). I suspect you will see a great resurgence in Casper in years to come. Les Etoiles - - My first time seeing this corps. I was apprehensive at first by their small numbers, but the horn line played with fairly good balance and intonation a show of original music. I always admire the guts it takes (in my opinion) for a programmer to choose original music. They sounded pretty good to me, even though I was fighting back my fears that the elaborate scaffolding that was erected on the field for the pit players and their instruments was going to collapse and drop the marimbas. Again, a gutty thing to do. Here's hoping they can rebuild their numbers and have the necessary bodies to do justice to a very nice book well taught. Kiwanis Kavaliers - - Again, a new corps to me. RAMD had prepared me that their numbers of players were down from last year, but I didn't think know that all the losses seemingly were all sopranos and mellophones...In looking at them on the "starting line" I feared that the contras and baritones would thoroughly dominate the sound and render the upper register mute, but they did an excellent job of controlling themselves, and balance was pretty good. Southwind (I checked the spelling on the souvie wagon) was next, and I'd never seen them either. When they entered the stadium, they reminded me of Blue Rock in the yellow tops. Opening the show with American Salute was gutty... but they pulled it off nicely...saw the Baby Boomers (they're the fat guys with gray hair or no hair) in the crowd smiling in recognition of the old War Horse. Is Lexington, KY the next center of the Drum Corps world? Stay tuned, you'll be hearing a bunch more from Southwind. Boston Area Crusaders - - WOW, the horn book sounded really hard. Extremely ambitious. I'm going to love seeing them again and again in years to come to see if they can continue to improve at this rate. Even though the hornline has so much articulation exposure (mostly due to their drill book), they ROCK those symphonic dances. Aside - - at intermission, I chatted briefly with a man and his daughter from Toledo who were seeing Drum Corps for the first time. Apparently the man's Father-in-law is a volunteer travelling with SCV and invited them to the show. A ten corps show can be a little too much of a good thing for a first timer, and it showed on their faces. I assured them that the rest of the corps (Colts, Crown, Cadets, GMen and SCV) would be well worth "sitting through". I looked for them as I left, mostly to see if they agreed with me, but couldn't find them in the crowd. Colts - - What a nice SOUND they produce. Not one cracked note or bad attack or release in the Brass. Apparently, Colt Brass staff ignore how tolerant we Drum Corps fans can be of bad intonation. 'cause those cats play IN TUNE, way more than anyone else. Crown - - First time seeing this corps too, and people all around me had Crown souvie shirts saying it's their TENTH year(groan, I GOTTA get out a little more). I liked their guard. That I even notice a guard is a miracle, let alone remember one as contributing in the GE captions, (Don't waste your breath flaming me, I know it's my loss that I'm pretty much oblivious to guards.) Also, need to give show designers kudo's for having the nerve to select "Jeckyl and Hyde". I was totally unfamiliar with the show, but the line sold the book really well. Cadets - - All captions of this corps work as a unit, which is another way of saying, "Great show design". CBC sort of acts like this music works really well for them as is. Having dabbled myself in arranging (we arrangers prefer the term to "lifting" or "stealing"), I know there ain't no such thing as a piece written for another venue (Broadway, the Symphony Hall, the movies, ballet, whatever) that works this well "AS IS". One has to "fold, spindle, and mutilate" pretty thoroughly to get something out the other end of the process which works at all, let alone the way they do it. GREAT GUARD (great book, great execution) I didn't have to remind myself to keep scanning the field to keep from missing something that I should see. The SHOW DESIGN drags your eyes where the designer wants them to be. Glassmen - - Didn't think I would like the Kodaly. Many on RAMD have opined that it takes more than one viewing of GMen to really get into the music. My time at the rehearsal field today was apparently enough exposure to the Kodaly, because I loved it. I also think the GMen battery is superb. Vanguard - - See Cadets above - - then double it. This corps plays me like a cheap fiddle! I get visions of the design staff focusing in on me (and my ilk) when they invent this stuff. OH I feel so used and manipulated!!!! (scold me, spank me, make me write bad checks...) THAT's Entertainment. I particularly noticed that the book for the pit especially in the Barber stuff) really strengthens the horn book. Great writing!!!! Well, I apologize for the length of this - - it was a great show!!!! A I T This is my first posting - although I've read RAMD for awhile, and been an AVID fan for the last ten years. May I please say that these are only my opinions, of which I have many. So if you dare to read further because you were unable to be at Toledo, than keep your flames to yourself. Ha - just kidding, I enjoy reading some of the responses a few of you make, at times a little over the top with seriousness. (In reverse order od placement) Troopers - 1st of all, I have never really liked these guys. As I said before, I've been a fan for tn years, and they hav NEVER been good, and I can't remeber back to the good old days when they were powerhouses - sorry, but I knew when we got through the first solo (how the show begins), without a frack - tht it was not going to be the Troopers I have come to know an wanted to miss. I thought they did a nice job tonight. I applaud the staff for writing a book, both visually and musically that these kids can handle, and make entertaing. I just wished the guard was not so cheesy! They were relatively clean, but oftn just did plain stupid things. I tried not to watch thm, but often the corps was not doing a lot visually, and I was forcedto watch them. And for the old timers, they of course added the traditional sunburst thing that I guess is STILL supposed to be exciting. Anyway - it was a nice show from the Troopers. Personally I would of had them beating Les Etoiles. Les Etoiles - 9th - Where have all the marchers went? They are so small this year. I thought the guard was nice, and I liked the music - there were just so many intonation problems. At one point I saw the DM put her finger to her ear to cue the kids to listen, they did not take her advise. I've heard a lot about these scaffolds. I personally liked them, reminded of WGI, I thought they helped distract you of the size of the corps, but if you are going to have the guard stand on them and do equip. work - they need to feel secure doing it. I felt like the girls felt like they were going to fall off at any moment - not a good thing for the audiences nerves. Overall, I thought a very well designed show, whish they had more kids to pull it off. Kiwanis Kavaliers - I don't remember a lot about this show (not a good sigh I guess). Hated the guards unis, but I thought it was a decent show. just what I would expect from Kiwanis. Southwind - 73.8 - 7th. Wow!!!! I did not expect this!! Although I do not care or the yellow unis - what an entertaining show. I can not believe they are a new group, and doing so well (why can't every group begin like this?) I know they aren't entirely new - but still - KUDOS TO THE LEADERSHIP HERE!!!! A model for others to follow. A very exciting show - they got a small standing-o after their first piece. Just nice music and a lot of fun. I would think if they cleaned up the brass, they would be semi-finalist material (probably already are). I did think their spacing was very tight, hich leads to some marching problems, but that was really the only major negative! Great to see you for the first of many - will see again on Tues. (gosh do I just love the summer time) Boston Crusaders - 76.9 - 6th - Another corps that I usually do not appreciate. But boy did they blo me out of the water!!!! Everything I had read did not prepare me!! All I could think - and still do - is boy can these guys play!!!!! Of all the little guys (non-top 3), they had in my opinion, the finest brass sound. very meelow and full, and very well articulated. I think what hurt them at this show, is the fact that the rest of their presentation lack something. It just has no where near the visual depth of the Colts, and doesn't really compare with Crown either. But great sound Brass. After seeing these three here - (Crown, Colts, Boston), and analyzing scores on the other two bubble corps - Bluecoats & Magic - I would love to say that these guys are in. I know that this is all a game right now - as anything can happen, as I think Bluecoats are tying to prove right now to all the naysayers - including myself - but it would just be a shame -but I want no one to get mercy or sentimntality points - hopefully it will be fair and square. I think Colts and Crown are locks, and it's looking as if Magic is falling behind - so I would say it's between the Coats and Boston - Go Boston!!!! BTW - I think they have the best on field singing I have ever heard from any corps or band - great job - I thought I almost heard them singing again over the horns - but it was just the awesome tone of the mellos - loved it! Crown - 79.6 - 5th - Nice show. I love the music, was a little let down with all the posts, but I have always liked these guys, and today was no different. The guard really shines in the ballad "In His Eyes". Good choice not to use "This Is the Moment", as many of us are sick of this. I was suprised but glad to see the Colts finish ahead of them. The weakness I thought were the transitions between the melodic sections. I know this show (J&H) quite well, and I think at times the music makes some real sudden jups which I don;t think the corps always handles real well. They also seemed to be a little over the top emotionally tonight - maybe they always are - I have never seen this show before tonight - and it just seemed to lack control. Good show though - very entertaining. Colts - 80.3 - 4th. I love this program! I saw it back in the beginning of th year, and it has not lost its edge as many shows from this kind of corps does when it gets cleaned. I think the music is well performed - this is one hard book! And the visual program is very exciting. I love the ferocity you get out of the guard! The new closer is kickin' I was suprised to see them beat Crown - but there package is by far the tightest and most complex of all the 4th and under groups. I thought it was just an extremely even show, with no one section out shining the rest. Great job Colts!!!! Glassmen - 86.8 - 3rd - I said a few years back that this was the corps to watch - and they are not letting me down. This is one great group - that improves every time I see them. This was the third viewing, and the brass really sounds great! I thought at the beggining of the season that the big prob. was that the guard was not integrated enough, and kind of got lost. All though this has not totally been corrected, it is getting better, and I really think it helps the GE. I was at the clinic before hand - thanks for the great job - and standing in the heat!!!! One part I wish they would change is at the end with the triangle an they all park and blow, can't the guard do something? It really loses momentum. Cesario was proud of the one visual item - the one guard girl - but it is not working!!! Add more flags - keep it orvking to the end. My question is - will they beat Cavies or not? Fourth ot Fifth? Time will tell. Way to go Glassmen!!!! Cadets - 88.0 - 2nd - First - I am a huge Cadets fan!!!! I just love what they do. I hate to see them lose (at least I will admit it). I think this is their best show since '95! (what a show that was!). I love the guard uniforms - very elegent and striking! While I'm at it - I love the guard period!! They won the best Guard caption - and none came close tonight - I'm sure BD is good - only major group I haven't seen - but they smoke the rest as always. Can anyone tell me why they have girls just walking aound in their second number? I suspect they are supposed to be pedestrians - but it destracts, as they don't seem confident in their role - I think th only time I have ever been able to say that about their guard - put something in their hans - no doubt it will only add! It is just very fast, very intense signature Cadets the whole show. Brass rips! Marching is awesome! What show are they reprising before th ballad? Last year - or the '96 Wild West show? My friend were arguing about that. Their weekness - the last minute and a half kind of dies. The first part has so many notes, that when they actually play a normal book, it seems boring. Great show - the crowd favorite for sure. Very exciting! Santa Clara - 90.2 - 1st - They broke ninety. Great show, very intense. Horn like is great - and the percussion, well I am not a percussionist, but it took no Einstien to see that they blew the Cadets (I hate to say it) away! They were smoking! And in the victory concert (I hate to say that word with non-Cadets) - the cymblas were aweome - great job. I did think that at times, the show just seemed a little too busy. Their was just so much to watch. I look forward to seeing them again on Tuesday. I think I will enjoy this show more each time I see it. Overall -great show, the rain held off until SCV cut off the last chord of Send In the Clowns, then a lite sprinkle. Why doesn't DCI release a CD of corps songs like that and Amazing Grace, and Never Walk Alone, wouldn't that be awesome? Anyway - I cannot wait for Madison - the 2.2 spread I thought was a little much - but neither of these two corps are peaking too soon. They both have plenty to clean, and with the addition of BD - it should be a dog fight again. If you made it to the end of this rambling post, hope I didn't offend too much - and you got something out of this. I look forward to reading your reviews, as I can only see the Tuesday Cinci show before I see Semi's in Madison - keep me filled in. Thanks, Mike fan - 1990 -present [Disclaimer: I tend to expesss strong opinions both positive and negative. If you can't handle this, quit reading now.] Troopers - I don't know if this was just an off night for them or if they always play this flat and listless, but it was a damn shame because the music is written well with some very nice musical moments. Another thing that bugged me was how amazingly easy the guard routine was. I have virtually no guard experience or talent and I bet I could learn this show in half a day. That said, though, I still had them a point over Les Etoiles. Les Etoiles - I've never really cared much for this corps designwise. To me they have always been kind of a one trick pony and this year (with the scaffoldings) is no different. They do have some nice moments visually playing with the scaffoldings and there is less white noise in the hornline than with Troopers, but I still thought they were scored a bit too high. Kiwanis Kavaliers - Since their amazing 1996 program (the West Side Story show) this corps has been one of my "pet corps", but I think it's time to let them go. Their show isn't bad, it's just not good either. They do have some decent moments both in the guard and the hornline, but overall it is quite forgetable. Southwind - Wow! Wow wow wow! This corps is simply amazing! They grab your throat with the first strains of "American Salute" and just don't let go. The biggest impression they made on me was visually...the drill design was only surpassed by 2 other corps at the show (the top spots, natch). The drill is just incredible...excellent use of layering, multiple points of focus, contrary motion...heck, I haven't seen anything like it from a non-top 3 drum corps since Carolina Crown in 1995! Does anyone know who writes this drill? Of course, the writing is nothing without performance and these kids just march their feet off...they play damn well, too. They deserved every point of the 73.8 they recieved and I fully expect not only to see them in Semifinals this year, but in Finals in the next year or two. They used to fight tooth and nail with Carolina Crown, and by gum it's gonna happen again! Boston Crusaders - They are very good. They do have a shot at Top 12. They were the cleanest corps at the show...that's their problem. BAC does have a very nice show that they perform the hell out of, but it's also one of the least demanding shows I have seen from a corps of this calibre. Besides that, they now seem to subscribe to the Glassmen philosophy of color guard design...impact at all costs, spare no flourescents! Ick. I know legions of die hard BAC fans disagree with me, but I don't think this will be the program to bring them to their first DCI Finals. Carolina Crown - After reading about their show on RAMD and seeing their recent scores, I just expected more. They do have a good color guard and do some really neat tricks at times with their half black/half white jumpsuits, but the rest of the corps doesn't really excite me. While they do have moments of brilliance, both musically and visually, they just seem to be lacking something. Maybe I would like the show better if they borrowed the old Sky Ryders schtick and put some characters out on the field to tell the story. Is that too cheesy for the 90s? Colts - I had them a point above Crown but was completely flabberghasted when the judges revealed they shared my opinion. The Colts show this year is just marvelous. I have been taken aback the past several years by the full, clean sound of their horns and this year is no exception. Also, this year the corps seems to be exploring drill that actually improves the crisp, bright look of their uniforms (one of my favorites in current DCI...why is White so out of vogue now?) and they handle it very well. Against Crown, they had At the June Toledo show I was aggravated they did not defeat Phantom Regiment, but if they continue improving at this rate they may have their shot yet. Glassmen - I'm not a Glassmen fan. Very rarely have been. While I do realize and appreciate the high performance level these kids have achieved both musically and visually, I do not appreciate the show design at all. First off, the music, while effective and well-performed, is quite forgettable. The biggest problem I have with them though is their visual design. I don't mean marching...they march very well and the drill is effective, though not at a top 4 level. You all know what I mean...all that damn gold lame and flourescent. I have never seen such an armful of ugly than those girls carrying those flags off the field. Scorewise, I'd knock em back a good 2-3 points. Having seen Madison's show (who currently seems to be the 6th-10th frontrunner), I don't think they need to watch their backs too much, but for those of you waiting for them to pass the Cavaliers...don't hold your breath. Cadets - Excellent show...exhilirating. They have some very good writing and perform it much better than I was led to believe. The color guard, of course, was head and shoulders above everyone else here, but marching was also very good. ANd the brass line...what's the problem? Achilles' heel? I don't think so. There were a couple parts of the show I still don't understand (the routine-less guard members in the opener?), but overall it is a very solid package. They did seem to slide a bit though tonight during the closer. The show was very energetic right through the ballad, then it all of a sudden got real pensive...then they get to this really frantic segment at the end and it's fine again. New drill? That's my guess at least. While I had them above Glassmen and below SCV, the margins seemed pretty off. I'd say they're 1-1.5 behind SCV, but a good 2-5 above Gmen. SCV - Best corps of the night bar none. SCV just continues to put out the most breathtaking corps on the field and blowing me away. I don't think I blinked once from their off-the-line (very nice and subtle, by the way...a nice departure from avaryone else just trying to blow your ears off in their first 10 seconds) until the first appearance of the "folding block" (my vote for coolest drill move of the year). The only problem I really saw was a bit of a hiccup with momentum while cue-ing in Blue Shades, but it was much better in the standstill. The color guard, while definately not at the level of Cadets, are not the liability some here would have you believe. Some odd routine in the ballad aside (what's with all the goose-stepping?), they are very capable. Besides, while Cadets guard takes your attention off their marching, SCV's marching takes your attention off their guard. John Weldy

Houston, TX (DCI) Well it's about 2PM Central time on Sunday and am now sitting down to write a review of last night's show, "The ExSightment of Sound" in Houston, Texas. Overall I think it was a good show with several excellent performances. My two friends and I had pretty good seats on the Lower Level of the Rice University staduim and parking situation was also excellent -- plenty of free parking for all. This is my 5th consecutive year coming to the Houston show and I'm never disappointed at the level of performances. Rice is a truly excellent stadium for drum corps, IMHO. Yesterday was a typical hot and humid South Texas summer day, though it did appear to be cooling off around 7PM or so as very large bank of overhead clouds seemed to shut out the blazing hot sun. Actually I thought this year was the 'coolest' of all the shows I've seen here in Texas in the past 5 years or so. The audience seemed to be somewhat smaller from past years but perhaps that's just because of my own perception. Not sure of the exact attendance figures. Didn't see alot of the usual bandos from the area high schools. So here goes my 'review' of the corps performances in order of appearance: National Anthem: Bayou City Blues, Houston, Texas: --- more to come later about them. TARHEEL SUN - Cary, NC. I'd never really seen Sun before and wasn't really sure of how long the corps had been in existence. The program said the corps was founded in 1995 and moved into Division I after 3 years of competion. Overall, I really like the performance as they played the opener of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" by Elton John. This was an appropriate piece of music to fit in with the bright yellow sun theme the corps uses in both their name and uniforms, which are bright, bright yellow tops with a golden, shiny (applique?) sun figure on the center of the uniform. Black pants for the horns and drums. (Cannot remember the guard uniforms.) The battery and pit I thought were the strongest parts of the corps as was the marching. I counted 5 snares and 15 (!) pit. Of course this is just my opinion but I think some of those pit spots could have been used in the main battery. Why does a corps need 15 pit? Horns seems to be out of phasing just a bit a spots. They also performed 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen. I can't seem to help from comparing any performance to Madison's rendition in the late 70's, and so I felt Sun's version was okay, but it wasn't really exciting. I think the arrangements weren't really effective. Nice overall though. PIONEER - Milwaukee, WI. I've seen Pioneer a few times over the years and they seem to be up and coming, if not really really soon.Coming onto the field I noticed their new uniforms. Reminded me of 27th Lancers and Madison. I guess it was the Aussie style hats and spats. I really liked the drum solo which featured great pit work (the xylophonist was excellent). And too great tympani work. As I try to review all parts of the corps, I just felt the guard work was confusing. It just didn't make sense to me, especially the rifle work. Guard seems off at times. Though they were smaller in numbers to Spirit and I think Tarheel Sun, I think they did a great job with the band music repetoire featuring 'Greensleves'. MAGIC OF ORLANDO - Orlando, FL. Magic looks different this year. They aren't wearing the heavy-looking dark jackets they've worn in the past. Now the horn and drums have this jacket-less tuxedo look to them which is nice looking. Featuring brightly designed vests with a bow tie, it really compliments their Mardi Gras style of performance. Tonight's music was 'The Music of Chuck Mangione', which they performed quite well, especially the horns. I thought their horn line was in the top 5 tonight. Drum line was small tonight as I counted 5 snares and 2 tenors. Not sure if they're adding more tenors or if there are temporary holes but I think this year's could be the smallest battery of a top twelve corps. The entire drum line was pretty good, but the size is somewhat of a concern. Where's the rest of the drum line? Okay, here comes the part about the guard. I've read some other reviews of Magic this year and find their guard uniforms to be unattractive, not at all like their uni's in the past. This year's co-ed guard is wearing tight-fitting grey spandex body outfits with these splashes of color in odd places, like one arms or one leg. You could see *every* panty and bra line! Each member has a different styled outfit (such as one with a 'ripped' shirt look, one with a ripped dress look, etc) and overall it just doesn't look good. Even though the guard is very good, the guard uniforms just don't seem to fit it. Just my opinion. SPIRIT OF ATLANTA - Atlanta, GA. What has happened to Spirit? I just can't put my finger on it but this year's program isn't as strong as in years past as indicative by tonight's performance. They corps is (I think) a full 128 but bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. This corps has some work to do in the next few weeks if they want to make finals. I really really liked "Jump Jive an' Wail" by Louis Prima (redone by Brian Setzer Orchestra). The horns were very loud, perhaps loudest of the night, but not very clean or strong. There was some obvious phasing problems involved and it showed. And the guard: What is up with that spare, Gap-clothing look? Each guard member had a different 'uniform' on which consisted of a khaki-colored bottom (shorts, long-skirt, or short skirt) and a burgandy-colored top (long sleeve blouse, t-shirt, or halter-top). Then also a few of the girls had these dark colored,velvet-looking dresses. Overall look was inconsistent, confusing and unprepared. (Are new guard uni's in order in the next few weeks???) I've been watching Spirit for the last twenty years or so and this year's guard doesn't seem to be as good looking as in the mid '80s when they were on fire. (I know this might sound kind of shallow but again this is just an observation.) The guard work needs alot of work too. I wish Spirit luck on the way to Madison. After seeing Pioneer,I put them (Pioneer) ahead of Spirit. (Pioneer ended up ahead of Sprit as it turns out.) BLUECOATS - Canton, OH. Didn't remember a whole lot about the Bluecoats. Nice marching and horn line. (I apoligize to anyone who may feel offended by my short comments about Blue.) INTERMISSION -- a short 15 minitues and on time!!! CROSSMEN - Wilmington, DE. What a change from years past! New uniforms have replaced the white pants and shoes of the past. Now everyone's going to the darker colored pants and shoes including Crossmen. Both the tops and bottoms are very dark colored - the tops are black and a dark turquiose blue color. Anyone can correct me on that. They look very different from years past, but oh who. What a very entertaining show with a wonderful drum solo. Very clean drums I thought. Guard was very good with HIGH rifle tosses. Good horn line. An interesting arrangement of the music repertoire which was entitled "Changing Perspectives: A Silver Celebration". PHANTOM REGIMENT- Rockford/Loves Park, IL. I'd been noticing Phantom was scoring not as high this year as in previous years and that Blue Knights, Crossmen and Glassmen had been scoring higher. Really neat was the drum major (who commands with great presence I thought) who, as he begins to start conducting the show, slowly places his had behined his neck and dramatically pulls out his conducting baton from the top half of his uniform, kind of like a magic trick. Horns were pretty clean as was the drum line. Very nice music consiting of the Tchaikovsky (sp). Huge big sound with clean marching I thought. Funny, the announcer kept mentioning that you should 'Be Afraid of the Dark', I suppose alluding to the dark ominous sound and presence Phantom usually presents. Not this year. The music is less heavy as in years past and it's nice to hear it. Great looking guard and nice guard work. BLUE KNIGHTS - Denver, CO. This year they remind me somewhat of the Troopers. Gone are the white pants and shoes of the past, replaced with dark blue/grey and black shoes. The music they presented seemed familar from the years past. I thought they weren't as strong as in years past but again that's just my opinion. Very strong drums and good marching work. CAVALIERS - Rosemont, IL. The final competing corps of the evening, the Cavaliers, were the strongest in all categories. Horns line sounded very clean, especially the lower brass as they played various excerpts from classical compositions in their 1999 Repetoire, "Classical Innovations". I didn't know what to expect from this title as far as certain classical melodies or compositions but I surely wasn't disappointed. Cavies come onto the field quite focused and very polished-looking. The off-the-line segment has the corps spread out in three distinct blocks from the 15 yard line to the oppposite goal zone as they eventually begin to play strains of 'Ode to Joy' by Beethoven. The marching and entire corps ensemble is very strong this year and it showed in their first place showing tonight. The corps is constantly moving and running at over 150 bpm it seems. During the 'Ode to Joy' segment during some long sustained notes, the entire horn line is *running*backwards, sideways and forwards to form a German cross, which the crowd loudly applaused. The drill is, as in years past, quite interesting. Again they play and march extremely well this year as they always have done. There were a few open holes in the horn line, but the contra section seemed quite full and powerfull (I counted 11 contras.) The guard is of course extremely talented and very much an athletic and cohesive unit in their flat, light yellowish sleveless tops and black pants. Simply speaking Cavies guard clearly outperformed all others tonight. Very clean flag work (love those rainbow-colored flags) and lots of running and spinning in all directions. Rifes of course were clean albeit with one or two drops. Drums are very good also. There's this one part of the show where the battery is marching quickly up on the 50 yard line and then some quiet 'dut dut dut dut's' could be heard. This is annoying to many to hear this, but then the tenors (and the entire drum line I think) loudly and intentionally mimic this by loudly and verbally 'DUT DUTing" to/for the horn line. Funny! This show is definately Top 5 this year. I'm definately looking forward to seeing Cavies again at Madison in a few weeks. BAYOU CITY BLUES - Houston, TX. As Texas' only senior corps, they have improved greatly over the past few years. WOW! They are twice as big as last year it seems and actually performed with a coed colorguard. And they marched a full show with real drill. The show consisted of two Spanish-themed pieces and another piece, a drum solo and then ended with "Happy Trails to You". What was really interesting to hear was the soprano athletics presented during the second Spanish song in which 4 or 5 sopranos each solo these impossible high notes in the far upper registers. One guy was hitting these incredible notes; the others tried and though they hit some and missed others, the crowd absolutely just loved them. Looking forward to hearing and seeing more of BCB in the future. Olympic-Style Retreat: Crossmen played a really cool funky cadence to march the other corps onto the field. Roger French Houston, Texas Sacramento Freelancers '81,'82,'84 mallets, pit I've marched in this stadium a couple of times before but this was my first experience watching an entire competition here. Aside from the really bad sound system, Rice's Stadium is a wonderful venue for marching shows. It got to be a drag after a while or not being able to hear what was being announced though. Once again, this crowd was excited to see drumcorps on the field. I happened to be sitting next to a few groups of people who thought that their friends would appreciate being distracted before the show began by hearing their name called out numerous times. 68.6 Tarheel Sun As I suspected at yesterday's competition, it was announced that their program was different from what was printed in the program. However, as a result of a combination of the poor acoustics and the people talking all around me, I was unable to hear what the opener was. Time Check was second followed by Bohemian Rhapsody. One thing I will add is that the show impacted me more tonight than it did in Dallas. My only complaints are that the drill is very slow in the first half of the show and doesn't match up too well with the music. Also, What I Did For Love is an absolutely beautiful ballad. It just doesn't seem to end the show with quite as much impact as would be ideal. These problems are nothing that the kids change and they do a great job performing out there. I'm afraid that the show doesn't quite have what it takes to go much further. 71.7 Pioneer I have a feeling that I won't say too many good things about Pioneer until they change their style. I also have a feeling that they won't change their style. I don't necessarily dislike the show but I don't necessarily like it either. I didn't think the corps was better than Spirit but, at the same time, I'm sure they were much cleaner. 75.2 Magic of Orlando I sure didn't see a 4.5 difference between this show and Spirit's. I like Chuck Mangione music and the solos were all performed quite well. I'm sure it's simply a personal bias that I don't like corps running around and screaming in the middle of a show. Bluecoats did the same thing. Not so much a scatter drill but more of a mad dash to your spot and socialize with other corps members in the process. It's almost insulting in a way. Of course, I know there are people who totally don't like the Blue Knights' hornline dancing and stuff. It's a good show, it's simply not my kind of show. 70.9 Spirit of Atlanta Considering that the Blue Devils and Madison Scouts weren't at this show, I would say that the hornline from Spirit of Atlanta was within the top 2 in the upper end of dynamics tonight. I haven't heard Spirit in the last two years without thinking about the limited dynamics range they have in regards to soft. I didn't see a drumcorps live until 1994 so I never actually saw the Blue Devils in 1993 but I have a feeling this corps may be suffering the same kind of thing to a lesser extent. The hornline can really wail and the show is a very fun show. I hope they can really clean this show up by August 13th so that they can make finals. 78.2 Bluecoats They outscored Spirit of Atlanta by more than 7 points but it was almost a letdown. Once again, I forgot to bring my pen and paper inside the stadium. I was going to take notes on the shows that didn't stick out to me and this was one of those. I had everything in the car with me, I just failed to take it with me. One thing I do remember is that they did some running around and screaming like Magic did. It looks to be a really close race between Colts, Carolina Crown, Boston Crusaders, and the Bluecoats for the bottom 3 places at finals. Magic of Orlando and Spirit of Atlanta have a good deal of work to do yet before they can make it but it is never out of the realm of possibility. The Bluecoats just need to keep working hard in order to clench their position. INTERMISSION 82.3 Crossmen The show actually seemed a little cleaner to me tonight than it did last night. I don't know why the score dropped more than a point and a half. Perhaps it had something to do with comparison to the other corps who were there tonight. Whatever the case, it's a shame that their score went down. From what I have been told, they were just a couple of bad shows so perhaps they can get some stuff cleaned up and start chasing the Blue Knights, Phantom Regiment, and Madison Scouts again. I'm biased because I have friends marching here. However, I have friends in all four of the corps I mentioned so bias probably doesn't play too much of a role in that regard. I like this show; it's one that grows on me. I don't think that it has reached its potential and I have a feeling it probably will in about 3 weeks. 84.9 Phantom Regiment This show is amazing. The program described it as Tchaikovsky's 4th, 5th, and 6th Symphonies. To me it came across as Tchaikovsky 4 with a special guest appearance by Tchaikovsky 5 and themes from Tchaikovsky 6. Nevertheless, it was a really cool show. I would have liked to hear the horn solo from #5/ii played on a mellophone with a soprano counter line rather than the other way around though. The drill was amazing. A mellophone player took a tumble in one of the sets and, from what I've subsequently read on rec.arts.marching.drumcorps, she ended up breaking her wrist in the fall or the traffic jam that ensued. The drill was really nice and it's going to be very cool when it's cleaned up a few weeks down the road. 83.8 Blue Knights This is the first time I've seen the complete show and it's nice. Although I am not a huge fan of concert band music on the marching field, it works for the Blue Knights. I really do enjoy Madison's show very much but I wouldn't be surprised if the Scouts end up placing 8th or 9th this year behind Phantom, BK, and the Crossmen. The hornline is very strong as is the drumline. The Blue Knights have maintained or increased their ranking since 1995 and this year could very well continue that trend. The show featured Trittico for Brass Band by James Curnow and Partita by Edward Gregson. The Trittico theme comes back in at the end. There is some perennially beautiful guard work as well as amazing drill. 87.6 The Cavaliers After viewing this show without being preceded by the Blue Devils or Madison Scouts, I was a little more open to it. The guard work is outstanding. This is a corps that really excels at doing what they do. The drill is great and it really works well with the music. The music grew on me since last night's show in Dallas. I think it had a lot to do with positioning of the other corps. The style of the Blue Devils' and Madison Scouts' shows was vastly different than the style of Phantom Regiment and Blue Knights. I really have to say that I do indeed like this Cavaliers show. I wouldn't have put them nearly three points above Phantom but it was clearly a cleaner show. The guard also provides a little bit of comic relief throughout the show. Obnoxious "dutting" in mockery to the tenors and someone getting "trapped" as the lines converged were some such examples but others existed as well. This is a very entertaining show and, there are a lot of little things hidden in it that aren't necessarily visible on a first viewing. Bayou City Blues (Exhibition) I still don't like this style of show. The corps seemed better than last year but that could be because they did more moving. they had four or five soprano players that just parked up by the one-man pit and played high. It's nice to see a Texas corps flourishing, even if I don't like the way they march. Joel Wagner

Reading, PA (DCA) Ah, a DCA show not 3/4 hours away......good corps, cool friends, cold beer and Al's...............what could be better???? To the review, scores were already posted. Chieftains............very young corps...and it showed. Much better show selections with Fiddler than last year's choice. Drumline was ok, some ex problems, but i feel some of them may be that due to design. Guard was simple but effective, and they did a good job on the Bottle Dance. Brass was weak, but I know they rehearsed hard in the heat, so they may have left some on the practice dirt(no rain in PA so we have no grass). Some very dumb individual marching errors, but it's Still July, so who knows. Sky..........Ah, welcome back my friends to the corps that refused to end. What a drumline...quality of sound, tight...a few rims in the tenor line, but that line was worth it alone. Brass sounded like there was more than there really was....altho one of the screamers tried to be superman a few times and cracked. The guard was small, but nice...i didn't catch any drops. Marching was ok, a few errors or forms that were crunched, but ya know what...I didnt care. They are back and god Bless em....I would have given a standing O even if they chowed. Dr Quinn try to have just a little more fun ok? Bush......A pleasant surprise...excellent brass section....very rich, full sounding. Got a little tired at the end, but still, a line that could hang w/the big boys. Great Guard.......being a drummer I couldnt tell a drop spin from a Peggy spin, but I saw them! A definite highlight. The drumline was ok, but could use some work,....again another situation where errors could be due to design. Hurcs............YeeHaw!!! A fun show, and go bassline go!!!! Expected more out of Hang em High, but there may be a tag in the works...ended awfully quick. Brass tired late which also didn't help. Nice drumline, and the gaurd added nicely to the package. Cabs...........OLE! the Mask Of Russo is alive and well. I had heard that their drumline was really bad, but they threwdown tonite. Dougie you make a cute captain.......now bob your head! Hornline was nice altho there was a little overplayibg by a few individuals....Sop line seemed like they were tired, and the opener soloist seemed to lose a bit(freeball was that you...where's PV?). Alittle side to side phasing also hurt. Winona rocked as always, and the DCA drum major of all time, Mr Russo looked back in form....and glad we had him. Guard was well staged, young, but very nice......and Kay you have to wait to Allentown Miss chaperone. Bucs.............the winners and rightly so. This drumline, when they are on, is among DCA's all time best...musical book, pit who flies all over the boards, just so so scary....if all cylinders click, look out. brass was rich esp in the low voices.....sops were a bit weak but I hear rumors that spots are being filled which will help. Corps marches well, and covers a lot of ground. Guard is still holding them back a bit, but wasn't as bad as I was told. If they fix the few weaknesses they have, PA's first DCA champ could be the last one of the millenium. Gut, be a little more cocky before the gun OK? ian, get your right hand up, and Dent, more head bob in " Russian Rocks". Drum major Chris Garrett learned to conduct and stay up for the whole show...that boy is costing me money. To the Bucs organization, a well run show, even if the start was delyaed...but hey, It's DCA, the shows never run on time. Jeff

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