Listed are the dates and the show site, the reviews will be filled in, if and when they are available or submitted.  The following reviews are solely the opinion of the reviewers.  If you disagree with any comments, feel free to email the author, all reviews are signed with an email address.  If you want to add your review to this page, send any reviews, comments or questions to: soundmachine@soundmachine.org

Friday July 17

Port Huron, MI (DCI) Just a few comments... Most fans enjoyed Tarheel, esp. the older fans. They enjoyed the Stan Kenton music. Boston... enjoyable show. "Conquest" was great. Many people didn't understand us older people cheering. But hey, not many corps play thier signiture piece on the field anymore. Colts. Looking and sounding good. Port Huron is a venue for your show. The seats right on top of you so you can blow us away. Bcoats. "WARNING: this show may blow your face off".. LOL It's great...and true. Best 'Coats show in a long time. I esp. loved "Summertime" and "Autumn Leaves". All the males in the audience loved the beginning of "Summertime". Ahh, you have to see the show to understand why. :) Cavie. WOW!!! This is is nothing like Toledo. You start the show off in traditional style. Guard in black/white corps proper with green/white/black flags on 8 ft. poles. Then you do traditional flanking (front, left, right) and spins, including one right on the 50. Then from there you do classic Cavies from the past 10-15 years. All the passes, including the dragon move. The crowd was loving you. Cavies were the crowd pleaser. The audience wanted them to win. Cadets - Two words.....MERRY CHRISTMAS! I found our hotdog corps this year. The show starts off like any Cadets show, fast, pulse pounding. Then sometime after that the show just sits there all night. I almost fell asleep. The audience sat on thier hands for the rest of the show. They even booed the score/position. But then, this is the corps that doesn't believe in a coordinate system and just says "march to around this area so it looks good"....humph. Oh...and the show was well attended. I couldn't even beging to guess at a number, but low attended it wasn't. It's still going strong. This was the 20th anniversary of Bluewater Brass. One of the few oldest shows still running. These are my opinions.....have fun. Steve Burstall OK, time for another one of my reviews from the heartland!! So far, I'm batting a thousand for good weather evenings. The heat finally broke this evening and temps were in the high 70's with nary a cloud in sight... very nice. The concert side of the stadium was PACKED to capacity... (7-9,000?) congratulations to the show promoters for getting the word out! Lots of people were sitting on the opposite stands since the concert side was so full. :) No track in the stadium, and the field was in acceptable condition. The seating was so close to the field that the drum majors conducted from the second row of the stands. :) Very cool. I took a couple of Drum Corps newbies to the show tonight, and its safe to say that they'll be coming back with me a lot in the future. They absolutely loved it! One of the girls immediately proclaimed every corps "her favorite" as they ended their show... LOL. OK, here's the corps. And, nicely, there were no duds in the lineup tonight!! Tarheel Sun (63.2, 7th Place) WHY is this corps Division II? They've got 126 members, for heaven's sake! And they SOUND like an open class corps. The yellow and black uniforms with the sunbursts are sharp, and the color guard was tastefully dressed in black with colored flares running down their legs. The "Stan Kenton" Suite fits the corps very well -- this corps has progressed nicely in all captions since their inception, and there is no signs of them slacking off at any time in the future. The drill is still a little simplistic, but the firey arrangements and crisp hornline, combined with an adequate colorguard, will give this corps an inside track to the Division II title this year, and I wouldn't be too suprised to see them make Semis this year! Boston Crusaders (65.2, 6th Place) I was a little suprised that they scored ahead of Tarheel tonight, but their show is quite entertaining with some very nice moments. The guard is dressed in a black and grey leatherish combo that fits (somewhat) with the usual red unis of Boston. The opening number, Seahawk, is quite saucy and is coming together nicely for the Crusaders, although the hornline needs some work with their horn angles and general crispness of marching. This will come with time. Conquest is quite impressive, and the corps makes some serious noise for its size! The melodies, while not too difficult, are still quite catchy and drew the crowd in for a respectable standing O as the Crusaders ended their performance for the night. Colts (73.3 5th Place) 73??? I think not. These guys are MUCH better than their score indicated tonight. I think the Colts were hurt a bit in the order of the corps performing. They performed after Tarheel and before Boston, and I don't think the judges were really prepared to give the Colts some big scores yet so early in the evening. This show has progressed so much since I saw it oh so long ago in early June... what was a tepid and sometimes dull "A Capella Celebration" has become a polished and impressive production that should not give the Colts any trouble when Finals Week rolls around. The highlight of their performance tonight was "Searching for You," their lovely ballad with a truly inspired horn soloist (a girl) that single-handedly brought the goosebump factor up a notch or two with her silky-smooth playing. The corps accompanies her long solo by serenading the back stands (much to the delight of the 1500 or so spectators back there tonight). The percussion section has some interesting moments, playing with their hands a la 1995 that invoked some "Neats!!" from my friends tonight. At the conclusion of their show, my friend nearest me turned and said "They were SO good!! I bet they win tonight!!" I had to supress a laugh... it wasn't even 8:30 yet :) Carolina Crown (76.9, 4th Place) Another score that was lower than I expected. I still think they were making room for the big guns to come later. But trust me, CC has some big guns of their own! It's amazing what a corps can do to make an old standby like "Russian Christmas Music" sound fresh and new. Their rendition of the piece is definitely similar, yet not a carbon copy of SCV's. It has a flavor all its own. Crown's guard uniforms at the outset were, to put it gently, hard to look at. Brown on Sky-Blue does NOT look appealing on one another, especially when the rest of the corps is in purple. Luckily, they shed the brown over-clothes and the sky blue spandex blends nicely with the rest of the corps. Crown's guard work and drill is just a hair more complex than the Colts, and there is still some good room for improvement. The brassline and percussion line, while not elite, can hold their own with the other corps, and the show has some very nice moments that make you go "aaah". Not quite on the level of BK&Glassmen&Bluecoats, but they're a shoo-in for finals. Bluecoats (80.8, 3rd Place) Again, this score is low. I had them penciled in at around 83. Yes! Jazz! The four seasons of Jazz works incredibly well with the Bluecoats. The show is exciting to watch, is easily accessible for the fans, and the familiar music keeps you tapping your feet as they play. Being something of a Choral armchair expert due to my involvement in the MSU Men's Glee Club, I can say that the 'Coats vocals during "Summertime" had chills running up and down my spine. It was such an unexpected and interesting change from the brass and percussion, and the voices sounded awesome too!! Come to MSU, Bluecoats, we'll save spots up on stage if you want to sing with us! :) The guard is as sultry as it gets, especially in "Summertime", and the entire corps sells "Autumn Leaves" with vigor and pizzaz. What an evening from the Bluecoats tonight! Right now, I'd place them neck and neck with BK and the Glassmen, despite their rather conservative score tonight. Well Done! The Cavaliers (88.6, 2nd Place) Without a doubt, the crowd favorite of the night. I really thought they may have pulled it out tonight, but it was very close. This 50th Anniversary show continues to get better and better. Right from the opening statement in "Path Between the Mountains", you know that this show is going to be fantastic. The guard has finally recieved the rest of their uniforms, and are wearing the traditional Cavie white sash, gloves, and hats. Half of the corps sheds these to reveal a gold-highlighted sash that looks very classy. The performance level of the Cavies continues to get cleaner and cleaner. I saw a scant few missteps and drops tonight, and the hornline is coming together quickly. This bodes well for the Cavies, because the hornline is the only real place that they are lacking in yet. Everything else is really starting to click. "Machine" was the highlight of the evening, and drove the crowd bananas with excitement. The guard with their hubcap/cymbals banging away and the rifles, sabres, and flags always in the air gives you something to always look at. I also took special note of the percussion section, notably the tenors during their closer -- they hardly stop during the entire song! It's as furious as a drum solo for these guys for almost 3 minutes at the end! Most impressive. These same percussionists were seen to be giving the Cadet drumline a rousing ovation as they trooped by the east endzone later in the night. I thought that was cool. Cadets of Bergen County (89.6, 1st Place) A point spread between them and Cavies is debatable. I'll be interested to see how the captions spread out. No falls tonight. :) This is classic CBC this year. BD has a formula that they use to win, and it seems that the Cadets are rapidly forming a formula of their own. I felt like, when I was watching the performance tonight, that I was watching the 1984, 1993, etc. Cadets as well. The resemblance is striking. The wild asymmetrical drill is there, the brass runs, and the spit-polished colorguard is present. So why didn't I find this show as thrilling as I had hoped? Is it because I felt like I'd seen it all before? I dunno. The hornline is simply stunning, and I'm amazed that they can play that well while darthing hither and yon. The percussion section is also very very good for this time of year. They don't stand out and smack you upside the head with their playing like the Cavies do, but they are integrated seamlessly into the show, almost to the point that you forget they are playing. With that said, I think the Cadets could benefit from adding a bit in the way of... attitude... in the show? It's almost flawlessly presented and the performance is second to none, but the show doesn't invoke that sheer fun that the corps exuded back in 94, 95, and 96. Much like last year, it seems like they're hell-bent on winning a title by overloading you with technical excellence. The evening was concluded with the obligatory scores and playing of "America O Canada", followed by a fun encore performance from the Cadets. We got out of there by 11:00 local time -- pretty good, I'd say. In retrospect, I'd say that Colts, Crown, and Bluecoats were shafted a tad in the score department tonight. Tack on at least another point and a half and they'd be about right, but what do I know? :) CBC and Cavies are truly going at it at the moment, but I think that the Green Machine can eventually take them down by Ypsilanti-time if they continue to clean and improve their show at the rate they're presently going. At any rate, it will be close. That's plenty from me tonight! My next two (and final) reviews will be coming from Ypsilanti at the end of the month! Ack, my drum corps season is starting to end... *sob* Jeremiah Peterson

Thursday July 16

Erie, PA (DCI) This was the first time I had ever gone to the Lake Erie Fanfare Drum & Bugle Corps show, and I was most impressed with the stadium, beautiful astro turf, and the way the show was run. Bravo to all involved for a wonderful evening of drum corps. 8. Lake Erie Regiment 47.9 I thought their performance was much stronger than at Pittsburgh, and I really enjoyed the visual presentation. If they could sell the "Riverdance" music a bit more at the end of the show, I think the crowd will get into it even more. Good Job Lake Erie! 7. Tarheel Sun 59.0 WOW! I just love this corps' show this year. Their staff has done a super job of preparing them for tour, and the musical book is so fun to listen to. Tarheel is a large Div. II corps. They have some 58 brass, maybe more, and a big percussion section, and big guard. The Stan Kenton music is really picking up steam and the total show seems to sell to the audience very well. They had the first real big standing O of the evening, and I was kind of surprised that Boston had a higher score, even though they are Div. I. My opinion is that Tarheel is much better than Boston, and certainly more enjoyable. 6. Boston 68.9 This show is a bit flat. Boston performs well in all areas. Their horns keep the balance levels in good shape and don't overblow, and intonation is decent, but the overall effect of the show is not grabbing me. The opener, "Seahawk," just does nothing for me. The corps seems to be marching a pretty difficult drill, and some of the visuals are very good. If there were a few more musical impacts that got the audience into it, I think their GE scores, at least in Music GE, would start to climb. I do like the closer, "Conquest," which has more symphonic treatment to it, and some nifty, precision military styled marching taking place during the music. 5. Carolina Crown 75.0 Carolina was a bit flat last night...not the best I've seen them. They have traded places a bit with Magic, but Magic was much stronger last evening. The thing with Carolina is that they have such a difficult show. It's one of the hardest drills on the football field this summer, and the music is incredible. But their performance levels still need some boost. If this happens, then this corps will likely pass both Colts and Magic. Right now, though, I think their placing is correct. I'm really starting to like their first two selections, but the closer is still weak from a GE standpoint. 4. Colts 75.7 Great show! This is the best Colts corps, at least in my opinion, in the last 3 or 4 years. They are marching a great visual package, and the music is excellent, and is played very well. Bravo! This was one of my favorite shows of the night. It's entertaining, musical, there's lots of color, and the percussion line is pretty awesome. The emerald green field drums look great. I definitely like their chances for top 12. The competition is so tough, though, with Magic, Crown, Spirit, and others all trying to get in. It will be tough. I must admit that I didn't buy a program last night, so I do not know what the music is that the Colts are playing, but it seemed very vocal to me. It was beautifully written and arranged, and I especially loved the music and drill towards the end of the show when it sounded like musical clips from the Olympics (John Williams). Did I hear this correct or what? But I could swear that I heard some John Williams like Olympic Fanfare excerpts, etc. It was very well done. 3. Magic 76.5 Boy did these guys and gals come to play last night. The horn line was on FIRE! They have so much power that it's not funny. But they also play with finess when they need to, and the musical book is really, really hard. Great sopranos! Some of the best in DCI this year, IMO. Definitely check these guys out. I was so much more sold on their opener last night, and the second part of the show also had my attention. This show is starting to come around, and if the closer can pack the same kind of punch the opener does, then look out! This corps will be hot come finals...REALLY HOT! Great job! 2. Phantom Regiment 79.6 I've heard all the doom 'n' gloom on RAMD about Phantom, and yes they do have a lot to clean, but this show is very entertaining! The horns were much cleaner last night than I thought they were going to be. It's the drill that needs to be cleaned. Once the drill cleans a bit more, the music will start to sound better as each kid gets into that comfort zone. They do have some serious power, as all Phantom corps have, and I thought the guard did a great job last night. I love the Roman image they portray, and the herald trumpets used at the beginning of the closer created a fabulous musical effect. The "Pines of Rome" arrangement is good, although not what I expected, but it's very different from what I've ever heard in DCI. Much darker than Star's arrangement. Phantom has a lot of talent in that horn line, maybe more than what I heard from the Cavaliers, and once they clean all phases of this show, they will no doubt be vying for 7th come finals. They have lots of competition this year, and that's a good thing for DCI, but I don't know if the Bluecoats have as much room for improvement as Phantom does...it's close. It might be hard for Phantom to pass Blue Knights and Glassmen, but they could take Crossmen and Bluecoats if totally cleaned. Time will tell. I really love the Bluecoats and Crossmen this year, too, so I think were in for a great battle heading into finals. I'm excited! 1. Cadets (all captions, including DM) 89.9 Speaking of exciting. The Cadets pulled out the stops last night and simply amazed the crowd at Erie. Their show was much more exciting and polished than in Pittsburgh, and the level of execution was amazing. I've never seen the Cadets look this good in mid-July, NEVER! And I've seen the Cadets a lot since 1978. Their show is a combination of unbelievable musicality, power, superb visuals, incredible coordination, and the best drum line this side of the Mississippi river (I know BD and SCV are loaded). The Cadets are sporting a BIG show this year. They use the entire field at many points in the show, and it's amazing how fast they're hitting the blind set-points without sacrificing sound quality. There is still a lot of room for them to grow...lots, but this is a show that could be hard to beat. The guy sitting behind me thought that Cadets had at least a 91.2 last night, no kidding. He was pretty knowledgable, and told me he had never seen a corps this good in mid-July...neither have I. For those of you who haven't seen the Cadets yet, their brass instructor for all the fall, winter and spring camps was Donnie Van Doren, who was Star of Indiana's brass caption head through much of the 80s and all of the 90s. He did a superb job of getting them ready, as they sound a lot like Star 92 and 93. This show is a must see!!! Jonathan Willis

Wednesday July 15

Ogden, UT (DCI Pacific) Howdy folks, I guess my worrying about no one posting the Ogden scores was unfounded because I live 5 minutes away from Weber State's Stewart Stadium and saw a few posts before I could get on. I guess I’ll just post my review. It was a great night for drum corps. The sky was clear, the stadium was full (maybe 8,000 on concert side). The temperature had been 100 degrees all day, but it cooled off for the show. I was on the fifty-yard line 36 rows up. It was a great perspective for a show. The only bad thing about the stadium was that the track put the stands farther away from the walls of sound that were to be presented. First up were the Edmonton Crusaders marching band from Canada. They were pretty good. The Crusaders had nice “modern” blue uniforms and not too many woodwinds. 8-) They were about the size of BDB. Sorry I didn't get any details on their show, but they did perform before the official show started. Oh yea, they played O' Canada, and the Star Spangled Banner to start the official event. I have to say that I've heard a lot better renditions of the Star Spangled Banner and seen better bands, BUT they were entertaining. Score# 81 - Marching Band Division I'll be giving brief comments that I jotted down during the performances so if you think I'm screwing up verb tenses, YEP! I probably am! Here we go.... FIRST UP in the Drum Corps arena were the Americanos. (23B 25P 10G 1DM) Night in Tunisia: My first impressions were that this corps had a nice mature looking guard, nice sounding drums, BUT those horns... YUK.... Their version of Another Night in Tunisia reminded me a bit of VK's version. It's been a while since I had seen this group, so their modern uniforms looked really cool to me. HOLD ON… The RUDE AUDIENCE was getting to me already. A woman walked up the stands DURING a quiet part of the show and yelled, "Oh, I haven't seen you in years!" SHUT UP Lady! Anyway... The percussion feature was pretty good. Sorry I can be more descriptive, but that woman ticked me off! At one point in the show (During Late in the Evening I think) the guard put on dark skirts. They looked very elegant. The horns actually sounded much better at this point. “Spain” was pretty good, and as the 80 year old woman next to me said, "it was a catchy tune." I especially liked the nice tight "power" form at the end of the show. My final impressions were good drums and good guard. Much of the drill needs work and the horn line needs work. 4th place II/III Score# 63.5 Next up: Seattle Cascades (36 H 22P 9G 1 DM) This year the Cascades are playing Music from the Chicago Transit Authority. Selections to include Does anybody Really Know What Time it is, Listen, Someday, and Beginnings. The first brass statement in "Does anybody Really Know What Time it is" was pretty darn good sounding. This was the first time that I had ever seen this group and I was impressed with the first number. The second number on the other hand was not my cup of tea. "Listen" sounded jazzy in a "Sinatra" kind of way. They marched it pretty well. The guard had some very interesting blue and yellow flags. I think the horn line went to lunch during this number. You know, I loved parts of the drill design, but I also HATED parts of it. I don't know what it was, but some of the forms just didn't fit with the music they're playing. OOPS, there go those pesky audience people talking in the stands... What happened? It didn't used to be like this. People were talking everywhere. It took away from the experience. The third tune, “Someday”, made me like the Cascades again. The horn line put out some nice sound during this part of the show. The beginning started with sinister sounds coming from the horns. The guard's contribution was very tasteful and mature. They used these really cool green flags with a bronze square in the top right corner of the flag and a gold square in the bottom right hand corner of the same flag. Nice silks! The fourth tune, Beginnings, was jazzy again. This type of jazzy was more fun than "Listen". There were quite a few nice horns impacts in this tune, and I liked the silver silks used by the guard. While I'm not positive what these guys were trying to do, I did get the feeling that the jazzy tunes represented the light and airy aspects of commuting in Chicago (which I've done, YUK). The more classical parts of the show seemed to represent the dark side of the transit authority world. I don't know... It was a pretty good show even though I was bored with “Listen”. Bravo Cascades! 2nd place II/III Score# 68.3 Next up: Allegiance Elite, Calgary Canada (29H, 22P, 19G, 1 DM) This was my first ever viewing of AE.... Their theme "Africa" was different. They started in a block form on the left side of the field and do this pretty cool percussive tribal dance. They go into Coming to Africa Incantation, which is Incantations and Dance. Let's just say, I thought their version was "different". The percussion section was a big strength for this corps. I did managed to hear a nice sounding soprano coming through also. His/her sound was very good, but it covered up the rest of the line. "...To Die For" was pretty good, but I especially liked the zebra flags in the guard. There were larger banner type flags in this tune as well as the 'regular' sized ones. I’m not a guard person, but I thought the work was cool too. At one point in this number, every guard member had a zebra, lion, giraffe, or orangutan flag. They grouped them in packs and did some really neat things with them. It was really cool. During the end of this tune or the beginning of "Tribal Drums" the music became solemn and slow. The mellows were putting out some pretty notes when I noticed the lady behind me talking... Oh I mean I noticed that the guard was on the sideline and putting on 'Mardi Gras' styled feathered headgear. Going into "Tribal Drums", most of the horn line went to the front sideline and picked up African tribal shields or sticks with bells on them. The percussion section began to groove.... It was actually a pretty cool feature, and I appreciated the effect of having the bells on a stick thing going on.... The last piece featured a really cool flag by the guard. It was basically white with a red diamond inside. There was a gold strip on the right hand side. During the end of the finale the guard used many different colored flags. The horn line put out a good amount of sound for their size. 3rd place II/III Score# 67.8 Next: Blue Devils "B" The first thing I noticed with these guys was much better marching, and much better playing. (25 H 25P ?G 1 DM) These guys looked really good, and did their big brother corps justice. I won't go into a lengthy review of them here, but I wrote: Cool percussion feature, nice brass runs, tenor runs are cool too! Great guard. Really balanced horn line. Consistent. Oh, first cheer of the night. 1st place II/III Score# 81.4 The next part of the show was the open class portion. First up were the Troopers. I really think that these guys should be Division II. I love them, but they would be on more even ground competitively if they did this. (25H 18P 16G 1 DM) The crowd here in Ogden really liked they guys. They're probably the closest corps to this location (maybe Denver is closer than Casper, I don't know) Silverado began with a cool contra intro. The corps was doing some scatter drill. They received the second cheer of the night when the melodic statement of Silverado was played. I'd have to say it was the loudest cheer yet. Hey, the mellophones had some nice pretty licks in this piece. Oh, the field percussion looked really nice. They equipment looks new, Dark Blue I believe was the color if them. Anyway... The ending of the first tune was shaky.... I really want these guys to do well, but it isn’t “there” yet. The noisy people in the stands distracted me again, so I don't remember much detail of the rest of their show, but I'll try... The guard uniforms looked nice and they were doing some pretty sophisticated movements during the second number. They danced and I thought they were expressive in a Western corps kind of way... The third portion of the show featured the percussion. They split up and were giving a stereo effect that was pretty cool. I liked the dissonance in the horn line and the circular drill at the end of the feature. During the end of the show the horn line was sounding tired, but the Low brass kicked in with their Silverado contribution and it sounded pretty good. By the end of the show the mellophones seemed to have run out of steam. After the sunburst move the sound got much worse. I wish you guys luck. 4th place score# 50.7 I quit writing a lot of notes for the big boys, because you'll get a lot of reviews of them, but here my scoop on them in a less detailed manner.... The Blue Knights opening set is spread from ten to ten. It looks like half a wagon wheel. Good description, I know... Basically there are a bunch of diagonal lines that are close together near the front side line, but farther away near the back of the field. It looks cool trust me. These guys are for real! I really didn't see BD being 6 points ahead of them. This is the best I've seen the Blue Knights. I remember when their director said something about them not making a statement of “Hey, we’re the Blue Knights, YET” (Star Trek year). Well this year the Blue Knights are making that statement. It was a very cool show. One of friend who has just been introduced to Drum corps favorite. It has lots of potential (yea maybe 6th or 5th). All I can say is that the guard was great. The flags were all wonderful. They even used picture frames at one point. I liked a lot of the drill. There was this swirl that suddenly turned into a block. It was cool. The horn line sounds wonderful, the percussion was awesome too. The drill is not perfect, but it's very close to SCV in design. I especially enjoyed the butterfly flags during Largo (New World Symphony) There was an extremely pretty sop solo too. The fanfare to Symphony #9 was powerful. The guard feature was beautiful. I loved the mellophone licks while they were in the block that marches to the front. Everything was a step up from previous years. Bravo 3rd place score# 79 (A bit low, I would have put them at 82) Next up SCV... They were my favorite corps of the evening. The drill is cool again this year. They have lots of extras. Especially hand movements, and body movements. I wish that people would leave the 3-year-olds at home next time. The “lady” behind me wouldn't take care of her little girl... The guard used sticks (ala Star, Phantom of years past) Seeing SCV groove was cool! The driving eighth note beat in the contras was cool! 2nd place score 84.8 (Thought they should have won, I'm biased) Finally BD The little girl behind me kept yelling "Not too noisy" throughout their show. It was very annoying. Please leave the toddlers at home. They are not getting into it as much as the paying customers. Get a baby sitter or at least see if they like this stuff before you subject us with their talking, crying, complaining, or whatever. If they talk and won't shut up LEAVE and take care of the little people's needs... Gee... All I can really say about the Blue Crew is that they're clean. I liked 84 Garfield's West Side Story stuff better. Phantom did Romeo and Juliet better in 88. I liked Phantom's baritone chorale better than BD's mini ensemble on the Romeo/Juliet stuff. Sorry BD. I expect much more from you. The design is not the Blue Devils best effort. The drill is not memorable, but the horns do play! I hope this show doesn't win DCI. Sorry, but the show seems too easy for them. In fact it seems a little flat. I wish they'd do something a bit more challenging. 1st place. Score# 86.3 ALL CAPTIONS. Remember, these are my view and only my views. I don't promise to make an sense either! Jeff Cavies '90

Pittsburgh, PA (DCI) Last night's show was at Baldwin High School (very nice high school in the burrows of Pittsburgh). The attendance was very high with almost a packed house. I would attribute this to the fact that in years past people around the burgh people were used to have 4 or 5 shows within a 45 min drive of the city. This year, Baldwin show was the only one. I didn't get to see Vagabonds or Lake Erie tonight, sorry guys. SPIRIT OF ATLANTA----All I have to say is welcome back Spirit! The horns and drums sounded clean for midseason. Visually I would like to see more drill in the opener and second number; I feel the lack of movement is one of the few things holding this corps back. The guard needs some work. Overall, one of the most entertaining shows of the night. BAC-- Didn't get to see enough of the show to give a review...the horns sounded nice from outside the stadium. BLUECOATS-- I saw them a few weeks ago in Cleveland. Since then the horn book has really improved. I think they were having an off night in the marching department; there were spacing and line problems all over the place..Guard and drums were very good. Good use of color in the guard (probably the best I've seen this season). Keep up the good work coats; looks like the second year at 11th place probably won't occur this year... MAGIC-- I've been told that they changed a lot of stuff the day before and I'll chalk it up to that....I found this show very dissapointing. If you're going to play House of the Rising Sun and God Bless the Child and you don't have the stadium rockin, there's something wrong with your show design....BTW, I'm not really sure how good it is to have high school girls dressed like that(guard), it wasn't very appealing.... CAVIES-- I like the show concepts, it was nice to be reminded of old school drum corps without sacrificing innovation (Gmen's problem in 96). I'm ussually not a big fan of the Cavies but overall I liked the show. It didn't seem like a show of contender level but I've been surprised in the past. CADETS-- Cadets shows was entertaining at parts. Many parts of the opener had cool drill moments that made me go WOW (that doesn't happen very often even with cadets) This was the first time I've seen them this season. Their horns sounded good (clean up the baritones). The guard in the show was a different story. Maybe we expect too much out of the cadets guard, because clearly they were the best on the field, but they just didn't seem to have the extra bit of mind blowing talent that I have come to expect from them. I was told by staff that April hasn't been spending as much time with them this year....who knows... Over all the show was almost worth the $13 I paid for a ticket. People talking about drum corps not being entertaining to a normal fan seem to be right on the money. Very few time was I entertained during this show (thanks Bluecoats and Spirit). If it weren't for the fact I want to see Glassmen this season, this would have been the last show I attended this year becasue the expense of driving, tickets, ect are not equalling the entertainment value......just my little soap box.... Boy4wvu It was a great day in Pittsburgh for a drum corps show, and special thanks to all the folks who ran the Pittsburgh Summer Music Games. It was a job well done. Good crowd for the show and great stadium. Also, thanks to the Cadets of Bergen County for the awesome clinic at 4:00 PM. 8. Lake Erie Regiment 46.6 I was really surprised that Lake Erie did not beat General Butler, but what is holding them back, I think, is bad horn performance scores. The horn line is about 30 big, and can produce some good sound, but I think that at this point in the season some of the intonation problems should've been addressed. Their program is "Voyage to a New Beginning" and includes the music of "Seahawk," selections from the "New World Symphony," and selections from "Riverdance." The corps is marching a total of 60 kids, and the overall effect of the show is not bad at all. Their visual package is perhaps their strength, as the corps has a beautiful drill design, and the guard is well integrated into the scheme of the show. The show will pack a decent punch once the brass and percussion parts are played cleanly. As far as programing, the only tune that didn't sit real well was "Riverdance," which is a tough selection to pull off when you don't have the right venue for the type of dancing that is necessary for this kind of music. 7. General Butler Vagabonds 50.6 The Vagabonds are performing selections from "Fiddler on the Roof." They have about 57 members in the corps (20 brass, 20 percussion, 16 auxiliary, and 1 DM). The horn line was a bit more in tune and balanced than Lake Erie Regiment, but I didn't think their total program was nearly as good. While all the "Fiddler" music is recognizable, the show felt very flat. The audience response was not very good, and at no time did they ever grab your attention. The kids do a very good job of performing, and if the staff can come up with some bigger impacts in this show, then possibly I would be more sold on the total theme. As it stands now, the show is a bit too dark and serious for the average person to really get into. 6. Boston Crusaders 69.2 I was excited to see Boston with such good numbers in the corps. They had a total of 104 kids (52 brass, 21 percussion, 28 guard, and 3 DMs). They open with "Seahawk," then do selections from "Captian from Castile," and close with a more symphonic rendition of "Conquest." The overall show is a bit flat, although the music is played well. The balances are always nice, but sometimes on the safe side. You kept wondering when they were going to jack it up a notch, but it never really happens. The drill is complex with lots of room for cleaning, and the overall visual package is good, but not great. If the music GE could deliver a few more big impact moments, then quite possibly the visuals would benefit. I didn't care for the percussion, although they seemed to play well, but I could barely hear the snares or the tenors. Everything seemed muffled. The best part of the show was definitely "Conquest." Yes, I've heard it a million times, and I sometimes wonder why these corps feel a need to recycle music so much, but this arrangement is very interesting. It's very symphonic, not in-your-face, and it really builds to the close. There is a neat section where the corps plays the conquest meleody to the back field while several solos introduce bits of the theme in various keys. This section of the show was well done simply because they made you think, they kept you off guard, and they focused your attention to exactly what they wanted you to see. It's not a bad show, and it should put Boston in a fight for 13th through 16th place come finals, but I think a top 12 appearance is asking too much. 5. Spirt of Atlanta 72.4 WOW! I've read all these great things about Spirit for some time now, but I was absolutely SHOCKED! What a great show, and what an entertaining show!!!!! Maybe the best entertainment of the evening. Spirit of Atlanta is definitely back--in a big way. They may not be scoring good enough for top 12 right now, but they are only 2.4 away from Magic, and Spirit has much more room for growth. They are marching a total of 119 (58 brass, 32 percussion, 28 guard, and 1 DM). Repertoire includes "My Friend," "Way Down Upon The Swanee River," "Take My Hand Precious Lord," "Maybe God is Trying to Tell You Somethin'," and "Sweet Georgia Brown." Yes, the horn line has some serious power, and the percussion line is excellent, but this show isn't just one of those lay back 'n' jam shows. Spirit has a very complex and exciting drill design, the music has your attention the whole way through the show, and their is a variety of effects in the show. In "Take My Hand Precious Lord," this ballad builds beautifully to a climax, much like Amazing Grace, in which the hair stands on the back of your head, and you get big-time goose bumps. Then, the closer of "Sweet Georgia Brown" just rocks the house. This is by far one of the most clever arrangements I've heard this summer. There are constant groove changes in this production, with a variety of thematic development and percussion integrated solo passages. By the end of the show, you are on your feet in a big way. As you can tell, I really like this show, and it is my opinion that it will make the top 12. Spirit has some cleaning to do, but they have a super difficult horn book, and very difficult drill, great percussion, excellent guard, and a show with GE out the wazoo!!! A must see for every drum corps fan in 1998. This is the best Spirit of Atlanta corps since 1985, IMO. 4. Magic of Orlando 74.8 Magic is an interesting corps this year. The first time I saw them I didn't care for much of the show. Last night, I loved the opener, but everything else fell flat. They have a full corps with lots of brass, and they probably have the loudest intro I have ever heard in DCI. This horn line is looking for the "Spirit of Atlanta" award for power, as they have the same kind of power that the 1980 SOA line had. I'm not kidding, this has to be the loudest line in DCI this year--my ears are still ringing. WOW! The opener was not only loud last night, but it really grabbed me and kept me focused throughout. It's the rest of the show that needs to have the same kind of energy that the opener has, otherwise, I see SOA passing them up. One thing about Magic, however, is you can tell there is a LOT of talent in this corps. The solos are magnificent, and the horn line often sounds like BD--no joke! Especially the sopranos. They play some wicked licks, and they're nailing them. Visual GE will hurt this show, I'm afraid, if no changes are made. 3. Bluecoats 80.5 The Bluecoats may very well be sproting their best show since 1989. I loved the 1995 show, but this show is even better. They are, again, fielding a large corps (60 brass, 30 percussion, 36 guard, 2 DMs), and have a excellent total show design. The show is called "The Four Seasons of Jazz." Selections include: "Winter," "Spring Really can Hang You Up the Most/It Might as Well be Spring," "Summertime," and "Autumn Leaves." That typical, and very powerful, Bluecoat brass line is back, and the percussion seems as solid as ever, but the big thing with this show is the incredible guard (ah, what great colors they used last night), and the excellent total show design. Everything is integrated so well, and at times, due to the color schemes used by the guard, the shows sports some of the most beautiful visuals that I've seen this summer. This was perhaps the second most entertaining show of the night, and it is definitely a can't miss for you DCI lovers out there. If I had once concern for the Bluecoats, it would be in the area of GE Music. I guess it depends on how a judge views this, but I sort of felt that during several moment in the show, the Bluecoats would start building, and building, and just when you thought they were going to hit you, they pulled back. This kind of effect is cool sometimes, but when it happens too often in a show, you begin to lose focus. There were times in their show that I thought they were going to pull me to my feet (big time), if they only could've kept some of those moments driving a bit longer. Overall, however, a great show! 2. Caviliers 86.2 I was excited to see the Cavaliers, and they certainly didn't dissapoint. Their show, called "Traditions for a New Era" is a bit of a tribute to older Cavalier shows, as well as a look into the future. It's amazing to me how exciting, and entertaining, some of the older visuals can be. The crowd really liked this show, as the Cavaliers keep you totally focussed throughout the entire show. The corps is sporting a wonderful guard, again, and has a great percussion line. The horn line sounded very good, but nothing super great. This may end up being their weakness. The charts aren't very difficult, with mostly whole notes and half notes in the low brass parts, but the Cavies have some incredible strengths too. It's not like their brass line plays poorly, in fact, they are doing a very nice job. However, the visual book for this corps is "State-of-the-Art," even if it is design from previous years. It's integrated well, beautiful to watch, and the Cavies march the heck out of it. Great marchers!!! This is another must see show. Can they win the title? Well, I don't know. They do have the visual, they have good percussion, a great guard this year, and I would say that thay are certainly one of the top 4 corps going right now. But I don't think they will be able to beat the Cadets. The Cadets are simply too good, with a ton of room for improvement. 1. Cadets 88.1 Well, the first clash between the Cadets and Cavaliers was a good one, and the Cavaliers made them earn every bit of this victory. The Cadets flat-out have an incredible show this year. It's solid drum corps, although there is really nothing in the show that makes me leap to my feet like SOA and Bluecoats did. But the show isn't boring either, it's just a complex show based on a more sophisticated type of GE. I don't go to DCI shows expecting everybody to be like Madison (hell, I don't want to see 12 corps perform in the same style), or others, but I would rather see a mutltitude of styles. The Cadets definitely provide great contrast to the show. The Cadets have maybe their best horn line in years, a super tight and musical percussion section, the always incredible guard, and a near impossible visual package that is already looking very good--with the exception of the falls in the rotating block in the 2nd set. About 9 or 10 people fell last night when this block started rotating, but the recovery was incredible. Many people I spoke with after the show didn't catch it. This seemed to phase the Cadets some, because the rest of the show seemed to lack the emotion and high level of performance I have seen from them 2 other times this summer. I spoke with a member of the corps last night who told me that the fall was attributed to a new member learning the show, and that he felt the Pittsburgh performance was definitely not their best. Let me say this: this horn line plays with so much emotion it is not funny. Their sound is absolutely Glorious!! They have put in a couple of new sets, notably a new opening for the show, which really highlights the horn line and guard. The fugue at the end of the show is starting to sound much better, and come late July/early August, these guys may be unbeatable! I'm not kidding. As much as I loved the Cavaliers show (all of you should see this show BTW), the Cadets had a rough night, and if they would've performed a bit better, they might've beaten the Cavies by 2 to 2.5 points. Jonathan Willis

Tuesday July 14

St. Louis, MO (DCM) Here it goes. My first ever official drum corps review! Weather looked threatening but held off tonight. Slight cross breeze with occasional gusts that may cause problems. Temperature in the low 80's The field looks a little rough, dim lighting, and the stands are only 8 rows high, made of concrete right in front of a brick building. You could have found a better stadium guys. Nonethess, I had THE best spot in the house. I parked myself right on the 50 right behind the 8th row directly below the GE scaffold. I told Ms. Webber, the horn GE judge, that I would make sure it wouldn't blow over. She looked a little uneasy at first (maybe it was my Kiltie Tam). I stood there (at parade rest of course) for the entire show with my pen and deposit slip for notes. First on were the Memorial Lancers. 12 horns, no contra's, 3 snares, 2 tenors, 3 bass, 1 pit, and 12 guard dressed in purple spandex. Cool color offsetting the black and red uni's of the corps. This all black corps had a good selection of songs and were easy to jam along with. The color guard sure could get down and boogie. A nice mellophone solo, and a cool drum solo with some nice sticking stuff. NO DHUTS. Entertaining head butt from the Soprano/Mello duet after their feature. Overall, good program to start off the show. The crowd enjoyed their hometown corps and so did I. Second on were the Marion Cadets. 5 horns (yes, that's right), 4 snares, no tenors, 4 bass, 4 pit, and 4 guard (yes, that's right), and NO drum major. One of the guard girls directed one song during their park and blow concert. What can you say about the spirit of these guys. No leakers here. They had an old skin covered bass drum in the pit with an ancient Marion Cadets crest painted on it. Definately antique. Heard the drumline dhut a couple of times, but hey, they should be allowed to with no drum major. The group of 21 put on a nice controlled show. Hold it a second. "Would you kids PLEASE SHUT THE F*@K UP! They came to play and I came to listen, so I would appreciate it if you would just PLEASE SHUT THE F*@K UP while the corps are on the field. Thank You." Just had to be blunt and take care of some annoyances. Even gained a few fans in the process. Sometimes you just have to be nice and say please. No more problems in my section. Oh yeah. The fans appreciated the efforts of the Cadets and rewarded them justly with a partial standing O and during the traditional troop the stands. Next on were the Phantom Legion. 19 horns, 5 snares, 3 tenors, 4 bass, 8 pit, and 11 colorguard in red (wow). I had expected younger kids in this corps but was really fooled. This is no cadet corps. The pit took a golf cart and 3 trailers behind it to tote it all onto the field. When it was all set up, it looked like a huge arcade shooting gallery. A lot of gongs, chimes, and other hanging metal things. The big initial impact of the horn line woke the crowd a bit. Good full sound. The guard pulls out some yellow flags which look great with the red guard outfits against the dark green field. They later change to white and then purple. I liked the yellow the best. Overall, good solid show. Pit was a little overwhelming at times. I forgot to check to see if they actually played on every piece of metal. 15 minute intermission. Time for a St. Louis style hot dog and a coke. Burp. The announcer is really having a rough time with this stuff. But the fans are kind, think that it is funny, and tolerate her. Her East St. Louis dialect makes up for it. Next up, the Crossmen. 54 horns, 5 snare, 7 tenor, 5 bass, 11 pit, and a whopping 35 guard. The pit has 8 mallets and was even larger than Phantom Legion's. They could have just played off of a flat bed and saved the trouble of loading and unloading. Big sound from the hornline. Rough on some of the running parts. Marching was sloppy. Intervals were bad on their first park and blow. Soprano soloist was a little rough. A partial standing O in the middle of the show. The guard, what can you say. YELLOW FLAGS. They add so much color. A lot of rifle and sabre tosses, one drop. More yellow flags on arched poles. Cool visual stuff with the swirling poles. The corps finishes loud and strong in your face with screaming soprano hanging over at the end. Gotta love it. Big standing O. Overall, nice show, drill needs cleaning, and horn line needs to get together on the runs. Seems like the marchers are scrambling around way too much trying to make their sets. East coast style I guess. Guard is definately the premier section of the corps. Glassmen. 66 horns, 8 snare, 4 tenor, 5 bass, 4 marching cymbols, 6 pit, and 30 guard. Supposed to have 30 drums, maybe I miscounted the pit. They give it to you right off the bat. LOUD. Much louder and more balanced than the Crossmen. Their marching appeared cleaner, too. The rolling bass drums are totally kick. Man, what a drum line. Mellophone solo was a little rough, but made it through ok. Oh, look at the pretty kites that the guard is flying. Cute, but unnecessary. What can I say. You gotta love these guys. Great show, LOUD hornline, and a supertight drum line. Make no bones about it. These guys came to play with the big dogs. Madison has their work cut out for them. Madison Scouts were the crowd favorite tonight. 60+ horns, 6 snare, 6 tenor, 6 bass, marching cymbols, 10 pit, and a guard dressed like everybody else. Horn line is LOUD as usual, but they didn't use it much. I actually thaught that the Glassmen were louder. Don't like the way they tried to jazz up an old classical Phantom tune. No drops in their first big rifle toss. Crowd responds. More yellow flags with flashy gold trim. Cool leg chop thing with the cymbol section during their drum solo. The drum line at one time sports 12 snares and no tenors, then switches to 12 tenors and no snares. A little muddy with the tenor stuff but overall nice effect and shows versatlity. Duet to the back of the field had a nice effect. Soloists struggling a bit. They finish on the sideline in your face and recieved a huge standing O. Overall, typical Madison sound, the cleanest marching of the night. Drums rough in a couple of spots. It should be close, perhaps within a point. Last on, the Kavaliers. 48 horns, 6 snares, 4 tenors, 5 bass, 9 pit, and 26 guard. The guard starts off a little unusual, featuring 6 sabres and 6 rifles, the rifles being dressed in sport jackets of varied colors and ties. What's up with that? I don't get it. Not necessary. Take it out! They do away with them halfway through the performance and return to a normal looking guard. Whew! The mallets were overpowering at times. That metal just cuts right through you. The horn line has a good balanced sound and their soprano soloist was the best of the evening. Great park and blow section near the end of the show. Overall, I liked their show. It's a little tough to follow the crowd favorite and the fans rewarded the Kavaliers with a 3/4 standing O at the finish. Recap. The fans (approximately 2000) were very appreciative of the performances tonight. The announcer was having a rough time of it, but she did tell everyone to be quiet while the corps were on the field at the intermission break (done took care of my section). Yellow seemed to be THE best color for the flags tonight. Madison's victory park and blow was the best part of the evening. The hornline arced on the track right in front of the stands. The drum major, Bob Gwynn, stood right next to me on the top bleacher (row 8) and directed the hornline. Nothing like standing in the middle of a powerful hornline arc and listen to them let it all hang out. I wanted to help Bob direct "Never Walk Alone" since I remembered that one (actually played it in Phantom with SCV and Madison at Rockford's Show of Shows in 1982) but I left it all up to him. The drum line joined in for a couple of more tunes and that ended up a wonderful evening. Thanks to all of the corps for giving me another dose of drum corps. I thaught I was a recovering addict, but not anymore. Oh well. It was nice to finally meet Darlene (Dar with the Cavie Bro) and Scott H. with the Kiwanis Kavaliers Souvie Stand. We traded some great stories. Ran into a Kiltie Sr. living in St. Louis and the wife of a former Kilt Sr. Met and chatted with Madison's DM, Bob Gwynn, after their V show. Good luck to you sir in your final season, and good luck to all of the corps that participated. This WAS my first attempt at a review, so save the flames if you ever want to see another one from me. I'll be at the Alton Show on the 29th. See ya all there! Dennis E. Sparrow Kilties 1999 I don't think I can top Dennis, but I'll just give my perspective. Dennis was much higher than I, he managed row 8, I could only muster row 5. I got a cheap seat! :) There were only 6 permanent rows to the whole "stadium" and about 5 temporary ones added in between the 40's. Hopefully, if this show becomes more successful, they can hold it in a better field. The lights are between the field and seats, and have hardly any power. I'm surprised the kids could see! The weather was beautiful, imo. Those kids had a great day to practice, with cloudy skies and slight drizzle all day. There was no drizzle during the show, though. The announcer for this show was a trip. She would babble between corps and who knows what she was talking about. She fumbled up all the corps names and hometowns and about everything else imaginable! I think she was the same lady that I could never get ahold of to buy tickets! This show, if it wants to be successful, needs to be planned and advertised better. It tempts me to organize a show myself in the coming years. The crowd was a decent size, but did not even fill the 6 rows. Actually, I think a lot of people paid to get in, then stood in the back so they could see. The crowd was also VERY noisy, but I tried to block it out as best I could. I expected they would shut up during the larger corps, and they did. Thanks to the announcer (yes, she did something right!) for asking people to quiet down. This was the FIRST time, except for when I marched, that I was at a 'small' show. I mean really small. They served lemonade out of a big bucket (it was very good, too! :) and that cracked me up. It was a new experience. Memorial Lancers, 36.7... St. Louis, MO The hometown corps had the crowd all fired up. Unfortunately, most of the yelling was to friends, and had nothing to do with the show. The last time I saw these guys they were very tired and not very into the show. That was not true last night. The corps still seems lost when it comes to most of their drill, but they play their music very well. The soloists are magnificent and did very well last night. Marion Cadets, 44.0... Marion, OH These guys did a much better job in DeKalb. They were not on at all last night. Also, the crowd where I was sitting was very disrespectful of them, and there were many laughs in regards to their size. I have seen these guys the past couple of years, and they've done nothing but get better. The guard is excellent when all four of them are there, but when one leaves to conduct, they lose it a little. They have only 5 brass, and compared to Mem. Lancers 15, they seem twice as large. They also march their drill well. Phantom Legion, 56.6... Rockford/Loves Park, IL... Best Drum Major, Div. III PL also performed better in DeKalb. They seemed very flat tonight. The guard still seems they are struggling with the work they are asked to perform. Some is done very well, but the rest is very sloppy and rushed. The horn line played very well and marched very well, but the guard forced the show to suffer. Kiwanis Kavaliers, 63.8... Kitchener, Ontario, Canada I don't know why these guys went last, but that was a mistake. After Madison, no one was interested in watching their show. I don't like the fact that they have a flag line and rifle/sabre line, and they are distinguished by uniform. They are doing An American in Paris, and start with the flag line in uniforms (military style), and 1/2 the rifle line in suits, the other half in dresses. Then all change into spandex with skirts for the girls. However, the flag line still stays in back, away from everyone else. I would hate that, personally, because it reminds me of high school. From what I could tell, there is a lot of magnificent drill in this show. I'd hate to say it, but I don't remember much else. I was so bothered by the guard!! Crossmen, 78.1... Bergenfield, NJ I really liked this show!! It is VERY fast and keeps moving. I have always LOVED Crossmen's guard, and this show was made for someone like me! I counted about 38 guard members. This show was very powerful visually, as you can imagine. From what I could tell (you know, 5th row), there was very good marching and drill. The guardwork is incredible, but performed a little sloppily. The guard really has to fight to meet all their marks and set points. There were several drops and scrambling, but I am sure this will improve with practice. The only thing I didn't like was the teal tanks and drums. Just not a pretty color! Musically, this show was a little weak. Of course, the visual program dominates. Glassmen, 79.8... Toledo, OH I liked this show less the second time around. I saw it in DeKalb, and didn't like it. I really didn't like it last night. It just does nothing for me. We informed the guys around us about Glassmen's drum line, and they soon understood why they are scoring so well. They did play better than Crossmen, I agree with that. They added a few cute moves in the horn line that weren't there in DeKalb. The guard however, is pretty weak, compared to what they've been before. The show is marched clean. The kites crack me up. What's the purpose? Madison Scouts, 81.3... Madison, WI... Best Drum Major, Div. I When I saw this show in DeKalb, I was very impressed with the visual portion. There is some amazing drill. However, I wasn't totally impressed, because it didn't SOUND like Madison (we were in the 57th row!). Well, last night, I HEARD Madison (you know, 5th row :). The gentleman I sat next to is a former Scout, and I told him I wished he could see it from above because the drill is fantastic. (have fun at DATR, Mike and Anastasia! :) I still don't like the shiny uniforms the guard strips down to. I do like searching for them in the beginning of the show, though! The whole show was very clean and had a lot of energy tonight. I was very impressed and had a lot of fun watching it. I don't expect these guys to beat Cavies again :), but I do expect them to be in the top 5. I did not stay for the entire victory concert, but could hear it while talking to a friend. The audience loved it. Overall, I was glad I attended. I had debated it, but decided in the end I should. There aren't any shows in St. Louis anymore, so I'm glad this one exists and I hope it comes back (even though it needs some work). I saw a lot of old friends and made a couple new ones. I'll see you all in Michigan City, Alton, Ypsi, and Orlando!! Dar Colts '92 w/ a Cavie bro '93-'98 The skies looked somewhat ominous, but fortunately held off for the duration of the show. The stadium was not a stadium. It was a field next to a school building, with about 8 rows of stands,and had very poor lighing. It was amazing that any of the guard's caught anything they tossed into the air! Anyway, I don't have any comments about the Memorial Lancers, Marion Cadets, or Phantom Legion, so I'll start with the Div I corps. Crossmen: The show tonight was much better than a week ago when I viewed it in Blountville, TN. The guard is excellent! The best of the night without question! The guard is definately carrying the corps' VIS per. score. The individual marching is still pretty rough. The horn book has cleaned up a lot also; however, the book just doesn't seem to jump out and grab your attention like last year's. That's not a performance problem, it's just a structure flaw. The drumline is clean, I guess. Personally I don't see why everyone is hyping them so much! The line is no where near last year's. Well, Crossmen is worth watching simply because their guard is too Sweeeet! Glassmen: I was really excited to see this show. I've been on here reading all these great things about them. Well, the opening statement of the show is terrific! The back field mellophone stuff was precisely in tune! (you mellophone players know that's an accomplishement!) Very good playing out of this hornline! They play with much maturity for such a young line. The drumline was solid. The best of the night! Even though they were great I just don't think they are top 4 material. Everyone on here makes it like they are just phenomonal. Well, they are the best line Gmen have ever fielded, but they are not drop-dead fantastic. This corps has come so far the last two years it is remarkable! My main concern with this show was the lack of involvement and effectiveness of the color guard. It seemed like the guard was always secondary. And they use these terrible short dinky rifles and sabres. And on top of being a foot long they have gold streamers on the ends! That's like 1960's! I really believe if the guard was contributing more this corps would be a lock for top 6, and would compete for possibly 5th. Overall, much respect is due to the Gmen. They are without a doubt the best story of this season so far. Madison Scouts: Ok, I'm a little biased on this one, seeing that I marched Scouts myself, but as always, I will tell it like it is! The opening drill with the guard in the full corps uni is very nice. It's a nice visual effect the first time you see it, but after that it wears out quickly. The hornline is fantastic!( Of course!) The guard was very rough tonight. They had more drops than I could count. Really the color guard is what's lacking in this show. The talent is there, it's just not being exploited. I really disagree with the different battery configurations. in the opener there are 12 snares. I just think it's 'gimmicky' and I don't like 'gimmicky' stuff. All in all, of course the performance level is high, it's the freakin' Madison Scouts! I just don't like the show design. I think a show with a concept/theme, like last year, works much better. Without a storyline to follow the guard is just strung out without a role to play. It's like a horn player playing a lot of technical passages, without playing any lyrical themes! It's just not flowing. Well, the corps is very good, so I wouldn't miss them if you get a chance to see um, I just personally don't agree with some of the show concepts. The show is pizazz, and jazz .... but it needs somemore power! That's how it was in St. Louis, July 14, 1998. Charlie Carter

Hornell, NY (DCI) Patriots - much bigger than the last time I saw them (its been a few years). While they are certainly not huge, they are big enough to create some big sounds. The corps seemed older as well. The show featured music by Phillip Glass and Cirque du Soleil. Mostly unfamiliar to me, the music was enjoyable. At one point, the guard unveils alien looking heads atop their flag pole. Not sure the significance - maybe related to Cirque du Soleil. Tarheel Sun - Much improved since Elkton. The Kenton pieces they play fit together well. Their yellow uniforms add a lot of color. Very impressed with the guard work. Spirit of Atlanta - the first really big sound of the night. The crowd really got into their show. People around me were swaying to Sweet Georgia Brown. This corps continues to push forward. Boston Crusaders - Notable improvement over last night. Marching seemed cleaner, soloists much better. Still, not suprised they're scoring behind SOA. The show feels a little beyond the corps at this point. The Conquest arrangement grows on me with each viewing. Carolina Crown - Armenian Dances is fast becoming my favorite single selection of the year. I was very unimpressed with Crown at Elkton. With each viewing, though, I like the show more. I was very skeptical of Russian Christmas Music, with its rich history in this activity. But this is what I found myself humming all day today, so I guess it really works. The crowd was very excited by them and many around me liked them the best - up to this point in the show. Bluecoats - definitely the crowd favorite, and with good reason. Soloists were almost on tonight. Guard work was terrific. I'm so excited for the kids in this corps. They were beaming when they finished. Cavaliers - Hadn't seen them since Toledo, so it was great to see how the show turned out. Machine - their closer - is a powerful percussive song. The drill is fast paced and includes the horns stepping over the guard as they lay on the ground. Can't keep my eyes off the snares during the standstill. They are so much fun to watch. Phantom Regiment - Watched the practice most of the afternoon. They moved from the stadium to the baseball field for ensemble around 4. About 4:45 some young ball players started arriving. Turns out there was a scheduling problem. PR thought they had the field until 6. They had to cut practice short and stopped at 5:30. I really don't know what's up with PR. The show is excellent, there just seems to be something missing and the crowd and judges both realize it. Unfortunately, for one corps to go up another must come down. Last year it was Cavies making room for Crossmen. This year, PR seems to be the one to vacate the top 6. It is not that their show isn't good or they're not executing. I think it is more that the Bluecoats, Crossmen and Glassmen have moved it up a notch. Oh, I almost forgot. The national anthem was sung by someone named Kristy who looked an awful lot like a former drum major with the same name. I couldn't hear the anouncer real well, so I'm not positive, but I think it was Ms. Spears. Well, turns out my hotel room has a whirlpool. Wasn't expecting that. Time for a bath and then to bed. Back home to Philadelphia tomorrow. Christopher P. Maher Maher Associates, Inc. Drum Corps Song History

Go to the Next Page of Reviews!   Go to the Previous Page of Reviews!

LE FastCounter     Hits since June 24, 1998!