Page Two of Reviews

Div 2/3:

San Diego Alliance - 6th place - 45.2
They were a new corps last year and their show was Masks of Spanish Passion. A very small corps, only two snares, 3 mellos, etc...I don't think their show is complete yet. Lots of silent parts in the last piece. Marching technique was so so. Lots of stick outs from a baritone. Timing was big issue. There's some dancing by the hornline during the ballad, but it looked a little odd like as if the hornline was embarrassed. The solos were pretty good. But overall, good effort and I hope they continue to grow.

Esperanza - 3rd place - 58.8
They really surprised me tonight. This was a bigger corps than last year. They're also a second year corps from San Diego. Their performing Songs of Ceremony (some stuff by Holsinger and Greg Sanders). Their opener was really good. Lots of musical and visual impacts. Great drill. The guard is large and they did pretty well. Better ensemble sound than Alliance. The closer was ok- the hornline sort of dropped out. I would really like to see this show again. I really hope Esperanza continues to grow because they really good only for their second year.

Mandarins - 1st place - 75.85
I enjoy the Mandarins every year. The show design is always well written. This year, I like them even more. Why? They have a larger hornline. The music is difficult, but the Mandarins play it well, very well. But at times, the drumline overpowers the hornline. Speaking of the drumline, they play some hip cadence-like grooves in the second half of the show- it makes you want to bob your head. At the end, the corps has some Cadet like drill with a circle moving with another circle moving within...you know. Anyways, it looked like they were just running around aimlessly. Maybe it was because of the uniforms. I'm not sure, but it doesn't look impressive. But they deserved 1st.

Vanguard Cadets - 2nd place - 66.0
The hornline looks smaller than usual or maybe because their drumline is huge...I don't know. But I do know their show isn't well written as last year. The drill was ok, nothing memorable. The music was ok too. The show didn't have much impact on the crowd or myself. But the talent is there. The music and visual technique is good. But there was one soprano with wicked intonation that kept sticking out. The best part: 10 snares with 10 toms- sort of like 98 Vanguard during Hear Ye, Hear Ye (tenor players at toms). Overall, it doesn't look like a Div 2 champion caliber show.

Blue Devils B - 4th place - 57.65
Having seen their scores from the past few comps, they were better than I imagined. It's a nice show, but the hornline didn't put out much sound. BTW, I saw trumpets so I assumed they had a B flat line. They had a warm sound but not much output. I recognized the ballad from 98 Cavies. Overall, nice show.

Impulse - 5th place - 57.60
Two words: Cute show. It was. It started was a great solo from a mello I believe. It was the theme to Gilligan's Island and the crowd laughed. The hornline was very top heavy. You can notice it in the ballad; in the final chord, the sopranos were so lasery I could barely hear the mellos and baris. The drumline was good though. To me, the drumline break wasn't "Oh my god" great, but it was good. The corps needs improvement with fast tempo marching or maybe running was the originally plan.

Div 1:

Pacific Crest - 1st place - 63.05
One of my favorite corps since the Hamlet show in 98. Now, they're bigger and louder. The beginning starts out with Scythian Suite. (Phantom Regiment did a great rendition of this piece in '84.) Anyhoo, great impact with a company front after a few seconds. There were a few timing problems with the hornline and pit. The strong section is the baritone section. There aren't many exposed parts in the music. The hornline plays together for most of the show minus the drum breaks. The show has a lot of impact points with extended chords and such. But not many licks from the hornline. The drum book sounds easy- note: I said "sounds easy." Good solos from the bari section. The drill is well written and the guard is good. Good rifle work too. Overall, a good loud show for a great So. Cal. Div. 1 corps.

Ok, there's my review. Hopefully I'll be writing more.

Dave P.

Well, Swedish Days are upon us again, and that can mean only one thing. Drum corps in Geneva. It was a beautiful night for just about anything. 70 and dry. There was a sizeable crowd filling the stands, and lots of people seemed to be into the whole show. But I was at the show, just trying to soak up all of what was around, see my bro in Capital Regiment, and have a good time. Some of the shows were not my main focus. Others were.

Joliet Kingsmen -- I love this corps. They have the cutest kids out of everybody, and I think that this is one of the last corps with the mission of getting kids off the streets and doing something constructive. That, and I thought their hornline sounded halfway decent, for the size they were. And they're from Joliet, so I hold them in hometown esteem. Go Kingsmen!

Emerald Knights -- My eight-year-old sister hated this show. But she hates just about every show. I don't exactly know why she let loose on this particular one, though. They were pretty small, but that can't be the whole deal. All she said was "That show stinks." She wrote it in the program. She's a big fan of my brother, though, in the corps mentioned above.

Decorah Kilties -- Just as fickle, my sister liked this show lots. I like the kilts, and the "Sticks (Styx?) and Stones" show was a fun premise. I didn't realize how old this corps was. I learned from a woman sitting next to me that the King of Norway goes to Decorah, IA every year to visit. I imagine that he likes it there. I don't really know what he sees in that part of IA, but to each his own. I guess that there's a Lutheran college there or something. I heard one of the judges in the box blabbering once during this show. I thought to myself, "I really wish that the judge would talk more softly into the tape recorder." Then I ate some popcorn.

Intermission -- I got up and walked around, trying to listen to some of the other corps warming up. I did see one of the local families trying to make some corps staff members as comfortable as possible. These family members offered the staff beer. The staff were elated. These staff could be any of you. You slobs. You'll do anything for beer.

Capital Regiment -- What's with the spelling of their name? I don't get it . But I really liked their show -- much more than I expected. To make the kind of gross generalization that only arrogant fools make, there are two kinds of corps. One is the kind that everyone claps for because of the kids' effort and age and the fact that everyone was at the show to have a good time, and clapping is part of that good time. The other kind is the kind that people clap for because they get chills. CR was the latter corps tonight. Even thought my brother is a snare dummer, I thought the drums sounded kind of puny tonight. But I'm an idiot and an arrogant fool. So whatever. Their horns sounded far better than any of the other groups that night, with better tone quality than the Cavaliers at DCM in DeKalb in 1997. Oops. I probably shouldn't have written that. But whatever. There was little of the overblown sound that we all expect (and kind of enjoy) from drum corps. But the volume was there during the impacts. All in all, a surprisingly mature sound for such a young corps. They won the show, by the way. Go to http://www.dci.org for the scores tomorrow during the day. They have a lead soprano that is shorter than my 8 year old sister, but can scream. He is cool, even though I don't know him at all. Rock out, whatsyername. During this show I heard the drum judge yelling into his tape recorder during a quiet part, and the main judge blabbing. I began to get annoyed with both, but not that much.

Oh yeah, I have a pet peeve. Dutting that is really loud. Tariq, tell the drumline to shut up with the loud dutting during the soft, intense parts. Again, I have no say, but this is my soap box and that's that.

Troopers -- The Troop is great. I have the utmost respect for this drum corps that does the little things right. Most of the stuff goes unjudged, but it is still there. Like the contras in the "carry" position while parading the stands. That's tough stuff, even though they have the lighter 2-valve King contras. Or the snappy responses to the drum majors' commands. Too many drum corps don't pay attention to these small things that don't seem to matter, but will slowly erode the discipline of the group. The Troop just does things the classy way. I just wish this drum corps had some more people in it. The show was pretty blah until the closer, when everything, in the immortal words of emeril, was kicked up a notch. You could just see all the members stand up straighter because they were that much more confident in their ending. The Copland they played was pretty well arranged, too. This part redeemed the show, in my eyes. Now, if they could just get the other three songs up to that level, and they'd be large and in charge.

Pioneer -- I was pretty sour on the Pioneer. They always wear green, and play Irish music. You kind of either like it or you don't. Most of the time, I don't. But this show was different. I liked the recurring theme ot the minstrel boy, and I also enjoyed the patriotic closer. I liked the sound and the heft that the drumline had. But their hornline was not quite as good soundwise or timingwise as CR. So they came in second.

Retreat was great. I'm tired. Capital Regiment won possibly its first show ever. They knew how to play the first part of America O Canada. And all was well in Geneva...

Best regards to all,
Javeed Shah

Keep in Mind, the Woodstock Field was in horrible shape.....many deep and wide holes down the middle of the field making marching difficult and even treacherous......the sun was in the eyes of virtually every corps on the field (show started at six......field runs east/west.

1. Phantom: 73........a beautiful show.......brass is really making huge strides, but the field show has some rough spots with intervals and covering.....and some minor synch. problems with ensemble.

2. Blue Coats: 71: What a great hornline. Opener is one of the more exciting I have heard in years........guard does gorgeous work........jury is still out on the uniforms and the long slits.......but hey, it is great stuff.

3. Southwind: 61: Not as exciting a brass book as they have had in recent years.......cleaning up nicely.

4. Capital Sound: 52: Kind of a down show for them....they have been hitting it big each night but seemed to have a bit of a let down tonite. I love their drum line and their visual show.

5. Kilts: 47.55......Kilts, my being biased or not, are starting to really make a move......poor rationale for dropping their brass ge show by about 3 pts from the previous evening......but a much cleaner and more controlled show.......and a difficult one for them (us).....but exciting. Cleaning of some basic problems will result in big jumps in the next two weeks.

6. Glory Cadets: 36 (did not see them)

7. Bandettes: 31 (did not see them)

RDoran8728

Since I was at all three shows performing with Minnesota Brass (bassline) I'll try to give me perspective of what I saw (basically my random thoughts on the weekend :)

Colts: My youngest brother Shawn is marching in the Baritone line for them so I might be a little biased but I really dug their show. Seems to be a better show design for them then the past year. Talking with him after the shows he seemed to be really enjoying his age out summer. It sounds like the corps members are happy with their show design and the crowds seem to like them a lot. After one of the shows my other brother Scott (who also happens to be in MBI's bassline) Shawn and I were able to enjoy a tasty beverage together after the Alex show. Drum corps at its finest I tell ya.

Madison: I was only able to see their concerts since we marched just before or after them this weekend but I thought the music was totally kick ass. One of those shows you can put in your cd player and play over and over again. I was able to chat with some of my friends that I marched with that are now on the Scout's drum staff. They seemed pretty happy with how things were going. All of them had nice compliments for Minnesota Brass' show (they were hagging out on the track in Alex checking us out and seemed to enjoy themselves).

Racine Scouts: caught part of their run through in Hastings. Bless their hearts they are getting better every year. Looks like they bought a new corps trailer. Looks like Paul Chaffee is leading the corps well.

Americanos: caught their run through before we started practice on Sunday. I liked their guard but the rest of the corps seems to be struggling.

Blue Stars: saw their drumline warm up and chated with a few of them after the Sauk Rapids show. Year in and year out they always have a pretty nice drumline.

Govies: I love the Govies! 'nough said.

Chops: Spoon, I love you like a brother but your show seems the same year after year. Comedy is probably the hardest thing to pull off in drum corps and it is just not happening for you guys.

Zurah: you gotta love old man drum corps...

Minnesota Brass: what can I say... the show got better throughout the weekend and I had a blast performing. The crowd really seems to be enjoying our show and from my stand point it is the best designed show MBI has ever done. I saw Scott Stewart on the sideline in Hastings and he seemed to enjoy our show a great deal. For me personally that is a great compliment.

Anyway... those are my miscelaneous ramblings

Paul Wochnick

Well, the Colts closed the gap to 1.9 points on the Scouts tonight in Hastings. Nice to be back in Hastings after a year off due to stadium renovation. Hastings is a nice high school, horseshoe stadium carved into the limestone. Although you don't get that high, you are very close to the field, which is nice(especially for Scouts!). Wind was a bit of a bugger for the guards coming from the back left corner of the field, but up here in Minnesota where all 10,000 of our lakes are cranking out mosquitoes like crazy this summer, it was great for bug control! Also, the stadium is at the corner of a main intersection so you do get the occasional townie with the blaring radio at the stoplight. But only three police cars this year. Two years ago I think a whole SWAT team drove by.

Anyway, on to the important stuff. You'll notice that most of my general comments are visual, brass, or overall music comments. Sorry for not paying detailed attention to the percussion. I'm not going to go into every little thing here, but I will try to comment on what stuck out that made each performance unique.

8th - Chops, Inc. - 35.10
(18H, 26P, 6G, 2DM = 52)
Chops is a Twin Cities'-based group in their 10th year. Their show was a 10 year greatest hits review. Probably the only show where the hornline plays football during the drum solo. And the only time you'll see straw hats, Hawaiian shirts, shorts, and red hi-tops for uniforms. These guys are out there to ENTERTAIN and that they do. They don't tour or practice full-time so of course that will show, but who cares? They have fun and so does the crowd. Nice to see this group getting bigger and better each and every year.

Overall impression: I had a slight grin on my face throughout their show.

7th - Racine Scouts - 36.20
(10H, 12P, 2G, 1DM = 25)
The Chrome Domes are in their 74th season of competition, making them the oldest continuous junior corps in the U.S. The highlight of their Gershwin show would definitely be the mellophone soloist in "Summertime." These kids are marching at about a 6 step interval so you can easily hear each individual in "Summertime" and they play really well together at the slower tempos. Very nicely done. Looks like they have a few holes in the hornline that will get filled and hopefully the guard will grow. It's tough when there are only two of you.

Overall impression: Impressed with the individual talent levels of some performers

6th - Govenaires
(13H, 15P, 16G, 1DM = 45)
This Sr. corps from St. Peter, MN is the oldest competing drum corps in the world. Their Latin Jazz show was colorful and the addition of a winter guard shows this summer. Much improved in that area. Corps has good body control at slower tempos, but they need to define what foot style they are going for. I saw about 6 different techniques on the field. Also saw a lot of upper body and neck tension in the hornline. Spending time on basics will help that. The closer arrangement of Malaguena had some troubles as the horns lost steam and the battery had some drill problems that caused some playing problems.

Overall Impression: Nice to see them growing - especially guard.

5th - Americanos - 44.05
(17H, 23P, 12G, 1DM = 53)
Guard does an interesting interpretation of their "Twisted in Time" show. Probably the most skin and tan lines you'll see this year. I think some of the grandmas and grandpas were offended. Anyway, they have a demanding show that should take the whole corps right up to finals to achieve. Pleasant mellophone sound in the opener and well written horn book overall. Good overall show design from start to finish. Pit is centered on the 50 but back about 10 feet. Provides nice staging in front and guard equipment storage behind. This corps marches with pretty good basic technique but the feet get messy at faster tempos. Endurance is OK for June, but will need to improve if this show is going to work. Hand painted flags create a Salvador Dali feel to the show which is very appropriate.

Overall Impression: Interesting show but I wouldn't want my kid wearing those guard uniforms.

4th - Blue Stars - 51.70
(17H, 20P, 11G, 1DM = 49)
Guard takes the cake for best looking uniform and overall guard presence on the field. Dark red velvet body suit that fades to black going down. They look good on every body type (I think more designers need to consider this!) and they look very $$$. Looks great with the corps uniforms. Raspy horn tone in opener and a few nasty intonation problems at mid to high registers stuck out like a sore thumb. Maybe it was the wind? Corps has a good understanding of body carriage and marching style, but they need to work on control at slow tempos. Scouts drumline warming up was a distraction during the ballad. Nice battery book and playing during closer. Very cool.

Overall Impression: When did they loose the white stripe on the pants? Quality guard contribution.

3rd - MN Brass - 60.55
(42H, 31P, 24G, 2DM = 119)
Local SR. corps doing a unique James Bond show. Arrangements are fresh and "Tomorrow Never Dies" as the ballad was the highlight. Battery is always a strength. Guard does well, but all white slinky uniforms show the tummies of middle-aged members. Not nice to see. Flag designs and color palettes were very out of place but the book was nice. I don't ever remember seeing Q use a box of Crayola 64s for anything, but this guard does. Colors conflict with the whole show. Drill is better each year and overall show was fun.

Overall Impression: If this whole corps worked as hard as the percussion section, they could really take off. Still fun to watch and listen to.

2nd - Colts - 69.15
(54H, 30P, 35G, 2DM = 121)
Best looking group on the field tonight. New uniforms look great. Love 'em. No more droopy diaper drawers! HUGE GUARD with interesting uniforms. Contemporary version of medieval, harlequin style. Similar to Glassmen's gold guard unis a few years back but not as over-the-top. Guard book is very demanding. Nice to see company fronts in the opener and the closer. Best overall brass sound of the night - balanced, deep and full. Nice show design from start to finish. They need to push the highs and lows in the show to create more GE and I'm sure that will come. Need to take a look at the feet at the large fast step sizes. Crowd enjoyed them as they are almost hometown.

Overall Impression: Top 12? I hope so. Definitely a step in the right direction.

1st - Madison Scouts - 71.05
(66H, 33P, 21G, 2DM = 122)
Holy volume, Batman! Madison can play loud and without the usual laser tone! THANK YOU! Hornline was tight with some nice licks. Drums were good and I hear they are changing the drum solo this week to "Old School Madison." Overall show design is much better than last year's "11 tunes in 9 minutes" production. But there is a 15 second tag in the middle of the show they need to ditch. Ruins the flow and is very out of place. Corps marches fairly well, but they need to work on upper body control. Much flailing around at the end of the show. Now the guard. The guys are doing a good job with what they have been given and there is growth from last year. Considering they have a lot of inexperienced members, they look pretty good. It is all in the design. Uniforms make them look stumpy, book is written poorly and about 15 years outdated, and the design and color of flags was awful. Usual amounts of Sal Salas color and lame in everything. Body and dance during ballad got giggles from the crowd and it wasn't meant to. I don't even remember weapons?

Overall Impression: They'll be in the top 12. Talent is there but design and construction need to be looked at closely. Loved the last 30-45 second note of Ice Castles.

So, there you have it from Hastings, MN. Several of the corps have a free day at the Mall of America today. According to Drew Carey, only Heaven and the Mall of America live up to the hype!

Andy Combites

Lovely afternoon in Bayonne. Nice breeze off the bay. Partly cloudy in the low 80s. Stadium has new metal seats since I was there last. Very nice. All my marching experience was in the Garden State Circuit so it was great to watch this GSC show. For what it is worth, here are my thoughts about the show.

Show opened with the Bayonne HS Band playing the National Anthem. Always appreciate when this is done live rather than recording.

GSC Division 4 is stand still only. Two division IV corps in competition.

Quest Explorers (5 brass, 9 percussion, 3 guard and 3 very tiny drum majors) - played Onward Christian Soldiers and theme from X-Men in this their first year of competition. Members range in age from 6-12. Drums had very nice sound. This is a great place for these kids to start. Bravo to the Quest organization!

Phoenix Kidets (7 brass, 4 percussion, 1 drum major, 5 guard) - More lower brass than Quest Explorers. Sopranos cut through nicely. Played music from Tarzan. Thought I'd recognize this music from my daughter's videos but didn't. This is their 3rd season in competition. The Phoenix organization should also be commended for their support of young performers.

Next Quest (Division III) went on in exhibition. (12 brass, 10 guard, 11 field percussion, 5 pit, 1 drum major). Well I recognized the music (Escape from Plato's Cave) but I doubt many in this audience did. Corps did not march - obviously they have a lot of work ahead learning the show. The ballad had a nice mello solo. Nice extended drum solo complete with back sticking and other fine stick work. Drums were quite good but overpowered the corps. Ending was very uninspiring. Personally I'd pick a different program for a corps at this level.

Targets (11 brass, 3 field percussion, 5 pit, 10 guard, 1 DM) opened the Div III competition with a very nice Mangionne program. Good soloist work from the sop and mello. Really need a few more field percussion. One snare just isn't enough. For the drum solo, the snare put on a bass drum. Really enjoyed this music. Nice job.

Phoenix (15 brass, 11 guard, 10 field percussion, 4 pit, 1 DM) - played music from Jekyl and Hyde. Love the music from this show and Phoenix does a nice job with it. Actually the corps used two different drum majors. Didn't realize till they switched. DM1 went back to the horn line as DM2 took off his snare - nice utilization of members. Show ends with drums kneeling on the side line. For the second half of the show the pit stood on the side line with backs to the audience. Can't imaging show is done - at least I hope not. Looking forward to seeing them at GSC championships.

Last corps on before the break was the much anticipated Lehigh Valley Knights. With all the hype on this board and elsewhere I wasn't sure what to expect. The corps fielded 20 brass, 6 guard, 11 field percussion including 2 cymbals (YES), 6 pit and 1 drum major. This was the best presentation up to this point in the show by far. Especially impressed with the low brass. Only weak points were during the low volume moments. Didn't know this music but didn't matter. The corps sold the emotion. Found myself captivated both with the music and guard work. As with most corps at the show, they are not done. No guard work in the final few minutes, no marching the last 45 seconds or so.

Cadets of NYC took the field after the break (24 brass, 15 guard, 9 field percussion, 7 pit and 1 DM). My memory of them from last year was how impressed I was with the percussion. Not quite up to last year's level at this point. Show had some very nice music - Nights in White Satin, Cadillac in the Skies, A Mis Abuelos and A Mighty Fortress. All good songs but A Mighty Fortress did not make for a mighty ending. I expect this will change. But it seemed they just stopped. There were several 'back field' moments but no one was conducting where the performers were looking and they corps had timing problems. Thought they should have a guard or snare drummer conduct during those moments.

Kips Bay Crusaders (1 DM, 11 brass, 5 guard, 5 field percussion and one guy in the pit playing bass drums) - Show obviously not done. Stood still for last half of drill. Not sure they played their closer. Seemed like they just stopped and had lots of time left. Didn't take note of what they played and can't recall right now.

The competition ended with the home corps, the Raiders. Drum corps IS back in Bayonne! Slightly smaller than LVK (17 brass, 8 guard, 8 field percussion, 5 pit and 1 DM) they had the best overall balance. Seemed like the only finished show of the day. Field percussion would benefit from a few more players but otherwise every section was strong. Pictures at an Exhibition is a great drum corps piece. Looking forward to seeing this show progress this season.

The Bushwackers performed in judged exhibition (but not score was announced). 23 brass, 17 guard, 10 field percussion, 5 pit and 2 DMs. IMO Bernstein's On the Waterfront is a little over done. While the corps had a loud, full sound, I found the show dragged at times - especially the ballad. Ending was very uneventful. Didn't even realize they had finished. Perhaps another show not ready. It was fun to have Bush at the show and they definately added to a wonderful afternoon. Not sure how they'll stack up with the competition at DCA with this show, though.

A great afternoon for drum corps. Well worth the 2 hour drive from Philly and $7 admission.

Pictures will be posted at corpsreps.com later tonight or tomorrow.

Chris Maher

For expert analysis and educated insight to the Div. II/III show in San Diego on June 23...well, read it somewhere else. BUT, if you don't mind the ramblings of an average Joe, well, read on.

The show was held at Helix HS. The stadium has fairly low stands and an extremely wide track, but the field looked like it was in excellent condition. The show started at 4:10 PM with the hot summer sun still high in the sky. Let me briefly say that this show was very well run. It included a full retreat with the corps playing themselves off the field. It wasn't done exactly in reverse order of placement, but so what! Also, some of the corps weren't prepared for this (one didn't even bring their drums with them). Others played a street beat or simply quarter note taps. Funny thing though, Blue Devils C was one of the few corps that actually did play themselves off. The other strange element was that the "Victory Concert" was performed by the 4th place Div. II host corps (which did a fine job BTW!). I understand that this is a trend, but at the next San Diego show on July 11th, it had better be SCV, BD, or Cadets playing that Victory Concert or I will be very upset! If the host corps wants to do a concert afterwards, I’ll stay and listen, but GIVE US A VICTORY CONCERT BY THE WINNER, PLEASE! OK, now for the shows...

Performing in "Judged Exhibition" the Blue Devils 'C' corps was the first to take the field. Their score was never announced, but they had to be one of the most entertaining groups of the day. First of all, some of these kids are VERY young. They announced that the ages were 8 to 14, but a few of these kids looked well under 8. Their warm-up included some very cool drum licks in typical BD fashion. It appears as if their horn line is all sopranos, but on some of the kids, they look like euphoniums! Their program consisted of compositions by John Williams and featured music from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, and Jaws. The drum line also threw in the classic "Legend of the One Eyed Sailor" intro as they transitioned between numbers. They closed with the drum line on the 50 and horns and guard lined up on the 35's. The drum line then opened into a 'V' that continued to a company front as the horns and guard pivoted their respective lines to join them. I listened to the very recognizable melody straight out of BD's '80 show. This show helped me to remember what the activity is all about. A well deserved standing O followed.

Div. II/II (combined)

6th - 47.00 - San Diego Alliance. The theme of this show is "The Mask of Spanish Passion" and features music from Man of La Mancha and The Mask of Zorro, among others. Although the corps is small (13 horns) they performed an entertaining show. Some of the things to watch are the horns body work and their attention to a uniform marching style. These promise to be a strong suit for them. There were a few missed cut offs in the horns and they didn't seem to have their closer done yet as the performance seemed rather short. They have a good instructional staff and should show great improvement over the next few weeks.

5th - 57.00 - Blue Devils 'B'. Unfortunately, I only saw part of their show from the concession stand as the line was long and my 5-year old wanted a hot dog.

4th - 58.55 - Eperanza. The show features two Holsinger pieces including "Liturgical Dances". With 26 horns, 4 snares, 3 tenors, and 5 basses, this corps can produce a very mature sound. Several exposed entrances were very tight. Soloists were impressive. Drum line is pretty tight for this point in the season. DM is outstanding. Only .25 behind Impulse tonight. More good things to come from this one.

3rd - 58.80 - The Velvet Exclamation Marks, er...I mean Impulse OK, these guys are downright entertaining (oh yeah, they can play, too!) While they cling on to some of the trademark VK type of antics, they are quickly coming into their own. Their show, "Island Extravaganza", starts off with the theme from "Gilligan’s Island" and goes into the timeless music from "Bali Hai". The guard spins 'dolphins' (if anyone from Greenpeace is reading this, relax. They're not REAL dolphins!). These dolphin-shaped apparatuses (I looked that word up!) are somewhat like scimitars. The pit wears shorts and Hawaiian shirts (why couldn’t I have been so lucky when I marched?). To me, what set them apart (in addition to the Hawaiian shirts, spinning dolphins, etc.) was their middle voices in the horn line. What disappointed me was their lack of impact for the size of their corps. I was expecting a bit more, but I'm sure that will improve. OK, now for the drum line. Take 2000 Cadets, sprinkle in liberal amounts of BLAST, and stir in the heart of VK. There was so much going on, I'll try to hit the highlights. The cymbals play this split part by setting their cymbals on pieces of plywood. This creates a moving, woosh and is quite effective. The only problem is that they do this while behind the pit, and it is easily missed. The tenors do this part where they play with a brush in one hand and a mallet in the other. This creates a unique separation between the right and left hands as each part is independent of the other. There is nice use of ethnic percussion from the pit throughout. Now for the cool part; there are some concert toms on the front sideline. The snares line up two deep at each drum. The guy in back reaches around both sides of the one in front. Now you have two players on the same drums. And the ones to either side are also 'sharing' there respective drums. It makes the ones in front look like they have four arms! The snares drums, which have been placed on stands and are in an arc on the field. They do this triplet roll as the players run around each other, a la 2000 Cadets tenors. They also kick their right leg and reach under and strike the drum, kind of like a between the legs basketball dribble. Unlike the Cadets, their featured soloist isn't a snare drummer, it's bass drum #1 who does a little of the "Anything you can do, I can do better" thing. They had these plywood walls that were about 6' x 2' set up at the concert toms, but the slight breeze knocked them over (with the toms!) before they were used. Staff removed them and reset the drums before they were to be used. I don't know what the effect was going to be, but I’m sure it will be unique. Once again, very entertaining stuff.

2nd - 63.75 SCV Cadets - I was not familiar with any of their selections. They did not sound as developed as they did at the same point last year. Drum line is a strength and plays some BLASTesque types of things with the snares doing a drum to drum pattern on concert toms. Snares use that funky angled hook-up that the 'A' corps did in '99. Good show, but has a lot to do before it can be competitive with the Mandarins.

1st - 74.10 - Mandarins - In keeping with their Asian heritage, the 2001 Mandarins feature music by, um, well, British band music composer Philip Sparke! This show absolutely COOKS. Horn line sounds very mature. Percussion didn't sound as crisp as SCV Cadets, but they took all captions, so what do I know? The guard is strong as is their entire visual book. Their uniforms may hide errors, but they also don’t allow for clarity when things are done well. They look great individually, but the colors are very dark. While not as clean as it will be, the closing drill is fast and furious (Cavaliers). This year’s Mandarins have to be one of the favorites in Div. II.

Div. I

Last Place 61.55 - Pacific Crest - OK, OK, so they were the ONLY Div. I corps to perform. Their program "Age of Empire" includes "Scythian Suite" by Prokofiev and music from "The Egyptian", "Prince of Egypt", and "Gladiator". This is the total package. They march well and they play well. They are big and they are loud. What more could you want? It's hard to believe that they only practice and perform on weekends most of the summer. Their white shoes and pants do tend to reveal marching style inconsistencies. The pants also tend to highlight the waves in the fabric as it moves. Heaven forbid if a member is a bit chunky. I would like to see them reverse their colors and go with a lighter jacket and dark pants and shoes. If this corps were to go to Buffalo, they would contend for Finals. If they were also to suddenly change their philosophy and rehearse daily and tour, they would be a shoe-in.

Tom Doogan

Well RAMD, here is my first show review of the 2001 season. Before I get into the meat of things, I want to put down a few caveats and explanations. So if you go further and don't like what you read, don't say you weren't warned.

First off, as any RAMD review is, what follows is my opinion, my perspective. I started marching 19 years ago, and I tend to be a traditionalist, although I'm not anti-innovation. If you don't like something I say, don't get angry. If you disagree with me, there's a simple explanation... you're wrong. (j/k) No, really, if you disagree there's no need for arguement, it's just IMHO.

Also, I am a horn player and unfortunately don't know any more about drums than your average specatator. Guards also receive short shrift in my writing. Not intentional so much as I write about what catches my attention.

In this review, I call the ensembles playing G bugles Drum & Bugle Corps, and those playing brass band instrumentaton brass bands. I will keep "brass band" in lowercase, so the reader understands that this is not these ensembles official names, but rather, a recognition of their reality. For more on this, see my accompanying post on D&BC -vs- brass band terminology.

As for my review, I preface by saying that these are impressions being written well after the fact. I didn't bring anything to take notes, so some things that I may have thought about commenting on at the time, I will forget. I was also taking pictures & making recordings. For section & subsection body counts, you'll mostly have to get the info elsewhere.

THE SHOW
... was held at Helix H.S. in La Mesa. One nice thing was the field has a east-west orientation. It meant that neither the performers or audience got any shade, but on the other hand, nobody had to look into the sun, and I'll take that trade-off any time. The stadium is not very tall, and there is a wide track around the field & in front of the stands. Combined, you have a stadium were even from the top row, you really can't see formations well. The sound at this stadium was average - no complaints. I don't know what the crowd count was, but it appeared to be at least several hundred. The stands weren't packed, but weren't empty-looking. All in all, about the right size stadium for this show.

Now the gates opened at 3, and the show started at 4. This was bad timing. It was just about the hottest part of the day, I'd guess in the 90s, and it didn't start to cool down till the last 2 corps. The last corps finished at 7. The sun had just set and it was cooling off, and people around me commented that this was the time the show should have been starting. I'm sure there is a reason they scheduled it so early, but it later would have been better. The retreat was over just before 8. I read there was a big picnic afterwards, but I was talking with other fans & didn't see it.

B.D. "C"
Once again, they are SOOOO CUTE! (Well, the littlest ones anyway.) With 13 sopranos, no low brass, the tended to have a top-heavy sound. (j/k) I think they had a fairly large guard. The show is all movie tunes, Star Wars and the like. For such young kids they memorized a lot of drill and music. Very impressive for their ages. I know this level group doesn't tend to be competitive anymore (I think even the kiddie corps used to be scored in the midwest) but IMHO, they did more stuff than most of these ultra-young groups even attempt to bite off, and did it well. The audience loved them.

Alliance Drum & Bugle Corps
2nd year for this corps, & they have a spanish-themed show. 6 colorguard, up from 2 last year. Their costumes looked cheap through binoculars, but from a distance, the long brightly-colored skirts visually enhanced the show well. The low brass balance is unusual with 3 contras and 3 baritones. Their show starts off well with a short snippet from Zorro, right into I Don Quixote (Man of La Mancha) This tune is melodic and lively, but brass and percussion were quite ragged this early in the season. Intonation problems abound & individuals stick out of the ensemble. This small corps has not made any leaps from where they were at this time last year. Perhaps they haven't developed summer stamina yet, as they were performing in the hottest part of the day. The next tune is recognizable as the pop hit "When You Love A Woman", but it goes on a long long time. There is a nicely written mello solo in the 3rd tune. The 4th tune is a drum solo that starts energetically with interesting pit parts, but seems to go on forever. It has a bit too much repititon with those annoying DUTS you can hear from the top of the stadium. There are a few slow and dead spots where I'm sure the staff intends to put stuff in later. The closer starts with a bari solo, which will undoubtedly improve throughout the season. The closer is a good arrangement, but has a soft, too abrupt ending. I'd suggest a rewrite of the very end. Overall it was competent & shows promise, but it finishing 10 points behind the next corps, it looks like SDA may be in a class by itself all year.

B.D. "B" brass band
Before the show, I talked with one of the vets in their horn line. He confirmed they're playing trumpets instead of bugles, and told me he wished they were still on drum corps horns. So much for those who say it's what the kids want. No, if you want to march corps, and your local corps has sold out, most will play band instruments rather than travelling to be in a D&BC or just sitting out.

Anyhow, this was a decent sized group. The uniforms don't do this group justice in that they are kind of dreary looking when seen from a distance. There is a small strip of dark greyish purple between the dark blue & black sections, that is clear from up close, but disappears from farther away, making an indefinite demarkation between the upper & lower bodies. The colorguard wears attractive purple-pink uniforms. I think also they used very attractive flags throughout the show, but as I don't have notes, I may have them confused with SCV Cadets.

This group was much larger than Alliance, which making a huge difference in the drill and power. The music is energetic and fairly challenging, but not very melodic, and will require many listenings before a spectator can remember where it is going. Intonation problems abound at this point, but with more players, fewer stick out of the ensemble than with the more individually exposed Alliance. Some lead trumpets had trouble going for the top notes. Intro to a short drum solo had the drum line shouting their annoying duts at the audience. They did the same thing at what would have been a nice pregnant silence 30 seconds before the end of their show. I'm still in favor of allowing competing units to do this, as long as they are willing to accept a 1pt penalty for every dut audible past the front sideline. The show is only about 8 min long, so there isn't a big problem with endurance, and plenty of power at the end. Intonation is their biggest enemy at this stage. The kids are doing fairly well with this show and while there's nothing you could hum when it's done, there's a lot of potential written into this show. It will be very impressive if they get to maxing it out by the end of the season.

Impulse Drum & Bugle Corps
This is Drum Corps with no apologies!! Entertainment from the opening Gilligan's Island solo through the very end. These guys have fun without being overly wacky. Bali-Hai is a powerhouse tune, & I never saw it that way. The ballad is pleasant enough, but not particularly memorable after Bali-Hai. It has pretty moments, but felt long. Throughout the show, it looks like the drum line throws down some incredible stuff. Real showboat stuff that the audience loves. After the ballad the corps goes back to playing jazzy stuff that is fun to listen to & had the audience rocking along with them. There's power, melody, beat, and even some high (if not exactly power-screaming) sopranos! If you used to like drum corps but aren't sure now, you WILL like Impulse.

Now I didn't really understand the backfield props. There was a HUGE white mountain (?) labeled VOLCANO, and 3 smaller white satellite pieces labeled Manny, Moe, & Jack. (The PEP Boys for those of you who don't get the reference.) What those had to do with the show I didn't get however. The "volcano" just sat there, as did the boys. Maybe they just weren't ready yet and will look different in July. Also during one of the tunes the colorguard carries these big white boards in front of themselves. They don't do anything but walk around with them. I'm sure there's something planned for these later in the season as well.

Bottom line is Impulse is all about drum corps entertainment with some good humor, but never becoming stupid or overly cheezy. See this show if you can!

OK. That's my intro and 4 corps down. It's 11pm the next day already, so I'll post this now, and finish up the show in a follow-up.

Mike Margraf

I traveled with the high school band that I work with to see this show. It was about a two hour drive by bus. The Blue Devil's clinic was pretty boring. All of the high school band kids got in a huge block with the Devs and did some very basic M & M. The guard did a little explanation on how they clean their work and the hornline ran through their warm-up. Boy, did they sound bright! I guess that is the difference in Bb and G. Anyway, by this point in the clinic I decided to go check out the souvie booths. I was disappointed in the clinic because there wasn't a whole lot of actual playing and real explanatory work by BD. The high point of the clinic was watching Michael Cesario get all hyped up.

On with the show. Nice weather, a little humid, but pretty cool and no rain. Heat Wave and Micro Magic were there first for exhibition. Heat Wave did an admirable job considering the amount of time that they probably put into the show. One old timer had to sit on the sidelines for most of the show. I hope that he just got a little too hot in his uni and wasn't having a heart attack or something. Basically, they had basic posture and marching problems which affected the hornlines playing. A lot of the guard work wasn't finished. The strong point was the percussion section although even some of there stuff was dirty too. All in all, they were a nice start to the evening.

Micro Magic did a little mini brass theatre type show which was really kind of cool. I couldn't hear them too well because of my seat down on the 35 yard line but from what I could tell they were decent. They also played the national anthem.

Teal Sound played a "Symphony of Metallica" show. Although I didn't recognize the music I thought they did a pretty fair job for their small size. I was very impressed by their body posture and marching. Almost the whole corps had really great style. One baritone continuously stuck out because their horn was 10 degrees below parallel. As Teal's show progressed I could see the posture and style go a little from fatigue. Overall, however, I was very impressed with them.

Tampa Bay Thunder is pretty darn big! They did a nautical themed show that included "Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor". Overall, not bad. Individuals stuck out though. Phasing, being totally out of step for several measures, and intervals were big problems throughout the show. They also have some pretty simple drill. However, it is early and things will clean up and maybe some drill will change. Their sound was not too shabby, although I could have stood for them to be a tad louder, especially considering the size of the hornline.

Carolina Crown did a show titled, "Industry". The guard used tires and two by fours. I didn't recognize any of the music, but I did enjoy the show. The ballad was beautiful and the guard did some really nice work. Once again, phasing was a problem as was horn angles and some interval problems. Overall, this show will be a top 12 show when it gets cleaned up. I just wish the music was more familiar.

Crossmen did another jazzy show and was my favorite of the evening. They seemed to me to be the first truly Div. 1 corps to take the field. Yes, Crown is Div. 1, but Crossmen just came out and really took it to the crowd. They had some of the most solid soloists of the night and a really cool section where the hornline did some footwork and just sat back and jammed. Thank you Crossmen!

Cadets did a Cadets show. I recognized the "Young Person's Guide" and also saw some Cadet's licks back from last year. They did a very nice job with the show and there were some really nice moments, but it is early yet and there is much work to be done. I saw some foot phasing issues from time to time and the drill wasn't as clean as it needs to be. But hey, it is June.

Blue Devil's show was nice. I think it will grow on me as time passes. It was well executed and everything but it just didn't reach out and make me say, "Holy ****!" Also, man do they sound bright!

Cavies had a pretty good show tonight. They were not clean clean though. They had the same problems that I have mentioned earlier for other corps. I guess it is just June. I enjoyed this show more so than Blue Devils and in my heart I wanted Cavies to win the show, but I knew that BD was cleaner tonight. Cavies still have the Cavie sound but it isn't quite the same on Bbs.

Well, that was my take on the DCI Orlando show. Sorry if I was long-winded! This show was nice but would be better if it wasn't performed on a baseball field. I saw two Cavies take a tumble and several others almost bite the dust. To all the corps, nice job but keep pushing to be better!

Shane Ainsworth

DCI Orlando was great this year, the Stadium was packed (unless you wanted to sit in the endzone...hey wait, I was in the endzone, if the field was big enough, but it wasn't, because DCI Orlando is held in a BASEBALL STADIUM!) So, I waited until, well, this morning to buy my tickets and ended up with crap seats, behind homeplate, in the endzone. Man, I miss the old hard-on-the-ass bleachers at the Citrus Bowl, at least there one could get a good seat. Oh well, my fault for waiting so long. Anyway, the stadium was quite full.

Heatwave and Micro-Magic played prior to the event.

DIVISION I

1 Blue Devils 80.30
Wow, the Blue Devils broke 80! The show was good, much better in the stand still encore since I was able to sneak around to center field and actually hear them play. Impressive!

2 The Cavaliers 78.55
The bad part about playing on a baseball field is that there is this thing used in baseball called a pitcher's mound. As it implies, it is indeed a mound, which is higher that the grassy areas around it. Apparently, 3 Cavies were not aware of this, as they managed to fall backwards over the mound at the begining of their show. My first thought was "Dominos", 90% of the show was as-clean-as or better than BD, the other 10% (the very begining, and the very end) were not so great. In another week, Cavies will be in the mid 80's. Again, impressive!

3 The Cadets 77.20
I always have liked the Cadets (except for the 1997 show) but this year, I was not impressed. I did not notice a lot of potential in the show, and the show did not flow very well. I don't think they have a winner this year.

4 Crossmen 70.10
Wow, the Crossmen broke 70! I liked the show, it still has a lot of potential too. Impressed!

5 Carolina Crown 63.95
I think this was their first show this year, and it was pretty good. The use of tires (hopefully not firestone) and wood planks was cool. Still much work ahead, but this looks like it could be a Good year (HA!) Amused!

DIVISION II

1 Tampa Bay Thunder 61.15
Wow, I think this corp has benifitted greatly by Magic not touring (again) this year. They look quite a bit larger than in the past and much better than in previous years. Impressed!

2 Teal Sound 47.50
Metallica on the field! Well, I never would have imagined that but (or a very small corp) they do it well. The show has much potential too, as it is early in their season.

Overall, the show was good, but the venue, although very nice, is not meant for this type of activity. Turnout was great, at least 8,000 people.

Brad
Orlando FL

I can understand everyone's wanting more reviews - is it me or does it seem like there are a lot less this year compared to last year? At any rate - here goes mine.

Pre-review disclaimer and show perspective - Not affiliated with anyone (I help micro-magic when I can, would love to do more, but I got booked this year with other HS/UCF/and Disney stuff) formerly with Magic, Marched Suncoast, teach at UCF, write for some high schools, Love any kid who puts it out there every night, more concerned with everyone getting down the road safely than who places where.

On to the review:

First off, Orlando and Central Florida is a GREAT drumcorps area, and besides it being a baseball field with both an unsightly and unsafe(for the performers) pitcher's mound, the Wide World of Sports complex is a really nice place for a show (plus - they sell BEEEER there!!!!!!! ahhhhh, drumcorps they way it should be - good friends and great drumcorps).

The weather was pretty typical for Fl this time of year, but it rained a little earlier in the day. Temp was a little down but it was very very muggy, other than a little heavy air, it was a really nice evening.

Crowd - in a word - HUGE!! Overheard a few DCI people say over 6000 seats were sold (not confirmed numbers), it looked it and SOUNDED like it. Great support for all the groups.

on to the show

Heatwave (exhibition) - much much much much much better than last year. I was a little disappointed with the lack of dynamics but as long as they favor the loud side, I'm down with it ;) pretty balanced hornline and an agressive drumline. There was an uncomfortable moment before the 2nd tune (seemed like some people forgot how the song started) but they recovered moved on and did great. I'm not really familiar with how they do in DCA, but you people who do know I'm sure will notice a drastic improvement. The drill seems nice, there are some nice moments and the staging is very good for a group this size, but it is obvious they are looking for a few players in all sections. Colorguard had some moments and will help more as it gets clean. One performer an endurance issue and had to catch his breath on the sideline, but seemed fine.

overall - great start to the show and congrats to Vic/Chad and the rest of the staff - You done good baby!!!!

MicroMagic (exhibition) - first off, it's great to see the organization performing and contributing again. The new leadership is fantastic and is going to make something great in central florida. John/Mike and Melanie have done a great job putting a group of kids together in a waaayyyyyy too short of time period and getting them ready to perform. Conceptually, micro is going to be an outreach and convention/type group that will be self sustaining and function year 'round. John and Mike have lot's of theme park and entertainment experience and as the group progresses - I know you will see one of the most dynamic and groundbreaking groups on tour.

music performed - Brass Machine, some classic rock tunes (bohemian rhapsody - Carry on my wayward son), Lil' Liza jane, and a Santana Medley. They are using a portable PA and mike and will have a keyboard for second tour, all percussion is on rolling racks (ala future corps) with about 15 horns and 6 or 8 colorguard.

You could tell they were a little nervous, but the personalities and smiles were a welcome change and made for great entertainment. Good solos and ok vocals (yes they sing) made it both interesting and fun. I know some won't dig everything, but the key is there was something for everyone. GREAT CROWD RESPONSE!!!!

Overall - excellent. Rod, John, Mike, Melanie and all the kids - way to go!

in performance order

Teal sound- (first competing unit) - I had heard through the grapevine that they were not that good, but I was pleasantly surprised. They are playing the music of Metallica (I think that's right) and though I don't really know their music, I enjoyed some of the themes and I found the show pretty easy to follow. Horns(20 or so with a few holes) had some nice moments and the percussion did a nice job. Weak point from my perspective was colorguard - not much visual support at this time. I think it's both a numbers thing and an early thing. Hard to read right now. But it looks like the staff has put together a nice package and the kids look like they are enjoying it - this is a good thing.

Overall - pleasant surprise, fun drumline 2nd place div II 47.50 (seemed a little harsh on Div II sheets)

Tampa Bay Thunder - WOW! Great package, great sounds. Another Surpise for me (I never thought they would be bad, but I didn't know they would be this good!!! Yesssss!) They should be in the hunt in Div II this year. Nice tunes, the perfect level of drill (imo) for this group, good staging etc. Just a nice show. There are some style issues in "Beyond the Sea" but that will get there. A few times the brass seemed to overplay, but again, I'll give it to them as long as they're going for it. Nice Job guys.

Overall - Energetic, fun, easy to follow, should be very very good come August. 1st place div II - 61.15 (seemed right)

Carolina Crown - Great to see some of our UCF/Magic kids performing. This was there first show and they have been rained out a few days. But they were fine. The first thing you'll notice is that they are at the next level up in brass. A MUCH more mature and focused hornline (Larry M. from G-men does them now) and it is very very apparent. The show is about wood/rubber/metal or something and uses a few tunes I know and some original stuff (I think) from Marty McCartt.

The only tune I recognized was the Gillingham Concerto for percussion and wind ensemble (UCF wind ensemble performed it this past year and we joked in rehearsals at how good it would be on the field). It is very good. Pit does a nice job with some very difficult passages from the piece. Again, can't say enough about how much better the horns are. Colorguard is very interesting spinning what looks like 4 by 4's. The second part/movement got some giggles when the whole colorguard performed with old tires. Why giggles?? I've always thought that drumcorps audiences are very very smart and I honestly think we were all making some sort of "oh, THAT's where all the faulty Firestone tires are" joke in our heads. it may just be me. Anyway, the work gets better and better and actually got some "oohs and ahhs" from my area when the guard does some cool roll overs with them. The metal stuff was very aggresive and fast but endurance issues started to set in so it really became hard for me to follow but you can tell it will be a really good show. Drill is MUCH improved and will clean up nicely. The overall felling is that Crown has addressed thier weaknesses and will be much stronger this summer.

Overall - Great Brass, Percussion doesn't get in the way, liked the colorguard, cool show. 5th place div I 63.95 (number seemed low to me)

Intermission zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz more beer zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

cool, here comes crossmen

Crossmen - Man, these guys can BLOW!!!! Chuck! You're best book to date! Dean/Evan - wholly moses man, where did you find these horses!!!!! Best soloists (yes better than devs) of the night. GREAT TUNES!! Harlem Nocturne is reallly really really fun. I went to Cadets rehearsal earlier in the day, and a minute into Crossmen's show, I leaned over to my friend and said "wholly geez, c-men are gonna beat cadets! what is george gonna do???? ;) " As you get into the show though, I started to form a few opinions - I think the drill could do a little more (maybe it is sooo well written that it looks easy, but I kept wanting more) and the drumline, while very good, has some weird interps under some swing stuff (just kind of grates a little, know what I mean?) Anyway, the colorguard is good and staged well and they have the best of what seems to be the now compulsory "silent toss" of all the corps tonight. I could see this being the crowd fave come Aug.

Overall - Amazing soloists, Great music, 10 point spread at same show as high score in country usually translates to top 8 if it holds. 4th place div I - 70.10 (seemed like a good number but not when I heard the spreads)

Ok here we go.

Cadets - Saw them in rehearsal earlier and thought they were a little tired. Tonight was muuuuuuch better than rehearsal. You will notice the huuuuuuuge colorguard (40 ish) from the downbeat. Young person's guide is really nice. Honestly, I like SCV's a little better as a production number in '81, but this works really really well as an opener. The kids handle the tempo changes and 3-against-2 section very very well for this time of year. Low brass - great, mids- excellent, trumpets (wierd to write that) are a little behind (imo). I'm not sure who won drums tonight - but cadets seemed like the most 'on' tonight. I'm a big fan of cadets colorguard and they don't disappoint, but, and this is coming from a hornguy, it just seems like the big guard is just overkill to me. It could have been the stadium too (the stands are really close to the field, this could also explain why there seemed to be very few staging problem with all the corps from my vantage point). Any way, moondance is a great piece, and they are trying to build on last years amazing tenor break, but it just isn't working yet. I can feel the crowd wanting to go nuts, but we just aren't being led in true cadets style yet. The tune does seem a little out of place with the rest of the show, but I'll buy in for now.

Hornline sounds GREAT! Go Gino and Wayne!! Transition from moondance to the Ballade is excellent with the unison pitch building into the first chord - beautiful. From this stadium, it seems like the colorguard is just making up most of the ballad - again, I LOOOOVE cadets guard, I'm just not gettin' it yet. Ballad is typical cadets - great build, great sounds, very emotional. Farandole is very cool, The side to side staging of the upper and lower brass is very effective and hard as b@@@'s to keep together, but they did it great. It's about here in the program that I thought to myself "where is the cadet's mega velocity drill pass-through, death defying, wholly s@@t drill stuff????" Well, you get a little at the end, but, call me greedy, I just want a little more. Of course, it IS cadets, and this show will probably be totally different in 3 days, so you can never ever count them out of the title.

Overall - Strong in all areas, I think all the elements are there in thought, if anyone can get them to the field-it's the maroon team. 3rd plave div I - 77.20 (seemed right to me)

Blue Devils - clean. great. loud. clean. fun. clean. I don't know how they do it. Just AMAZING. Another 40 plus colorguard, but they seem to not scream "Looook at meeeeee"' the whole time. The hornline is brilliant (Goooo Van! Sun-Coast Sun-Coast!!!!) UCF and Magic should get a commission from Dave Gibbs (20 kids from the 2 in the hornline). The Away Day piece really works for them. I don't know the piece, but it is one of the big "new" wind ensemble pieces that everyone is playing. Drumline is very aggresive and seems better than I remember them the last few years. Great soloists. Colorguard unis are a little "over the top" for me (bright yellow vests, dark pants with 4 inch wide vertical stripes around the legs - kinda Beetleguese (sp????) looking to me) again, it could be the stadium. But they are very good and fun to watch. Contra line is most memorable part of show for me, great grooves, great sounds. They will go on very very late finals night.

Overall - No Weaknesses. Locked, Cocked and ready to Rock. They only problem I can see for them not winning nats is that they are totally done and very very clean. Devs don't ever seem to peak early but they can be caught - maybe. At this point, I am not ready to announce them invincible, but they are close. 1st place Div I - 80.30 (seemed high, but they really earned it)

Cavaliers - Fantastic. Innovative. Enertaining. Edgy. not as clean. Was upset when about 6 kids went rolling over the pitcher's mound in the first 15 sec. of the show. It's an amazing drill move - fast and backwards- I can imagine how they felt as they reached back and found ground sooner than they thought. Roll, roll, roll. But, God Love 'em, they were up and back in within 10 counts. Just amazing to me. Especially the 2 contras who went over together (looked like a volkswagon wreck hehehe). I was sooooo worried that on of those kids was gonna get hurt. But they seemed fine.

Cavies use the whole field better than anyone. It's just great. The hornline is warm and powerful. The tunes, though original, have accesible melodies and beautiful harmonic sturcture that make you feel like you know the piece. That is very hard to do. In '85 Suncoast, we fought all year to get people to recognize our Florida Suite stuff, with cavies, I felt like I knew it and loved it already, I was a little envious. Colorguard is typical cavies and the exchanges and athletics are well written and when clean, will get amazing crowd reaction (it wasn't that bad tonight, but a few drops and overthrows didn't help). Lot's of moments for everyone. Best overall Trumpet section, very very solid and blend was amazing. The 'Over the rainbow" quotes in the closer are a real treat if you are a cavie fan. If this progresses as they usually do, this will be one of thier most memorable shows ever. Our group thought they should score higher than cadets tonight and the 2 beers we bought the judges worked!!!

Overall - no weaknesses, best overall program (imo) but dirty. Having not seen SCV yet (I hear it is very very good), and if I had to bet the house, I would put it on cavies to take it this year. But it's early. 2nd place div I - 78.55 (seemed right)

Final thoughts - A lot of people talk trash about DCI, but props must be given to getting this tour set up this early in the season. It really was a spectacular evening of drumcorps. Dev's, Cavies, and Cadets together this early is usually only a dream, put that with crowd fave crossmen, a much improved Crown, 2 surprising Div II corps and solid local exhibitions and BEER! You have just an amazing evening.

Awards they forgot at DCI Orlando:

Most Improved from last year- Heatwave, Crown
Best soloists - Crossmen
Best smiles - Micro-Magic
Biggest Surprise - Micro-Magic, Heatwave
Best Uniform - Devs (it's just amazing)
Best Crowd reaction - Crossmen
Loudest impact - Devs
Best silent toss - Crossmen
Most unusual Guard equipment - Crown

Pet peaves - people who sit in the empty seats or stand behind the last row and then tell everyone else to shut up, cell phones, the cheerleader/colorguard fake smile/surprise face that seems to say "Oh my gosh, I can't BELIEVE how GREAT I'm doing tonight in my performance!", no corps playoffs at retreat.

Hope everyone has a great summer. I hope to get to Texas and MTSU.

peace
Ron

DISCLAIMER : This is my review not your if you dont like it .. go watch a show and write on better.. (oh yeah grammer stammer deal with it)

WOW the place was packed.. ( WARNING I AM A DRUMMER SO 85% IS DRUM STUFF )

Teal Sound: 47.50
The show is a hard show for a Div III corps but they will do well with it..If they do not make finals with it, they will be on the bubble.. The pit is great .. Good chops and over all a good group.. If they wash away some of the bad spots in the show ( brain farts and scared marching ) they will be pretty dam good..!! Good luck guys..!

Tampa Thunder: 61.15
Big this Yr looks like a full 90 for Div II. Very good horn line.. Some good moments through out the show. Drumline is very good.. Tenors are the stars!! Basses have some nice licks. Cymbals play very well nice visuals in the show. The only PROBLEM I have is with the snare line.. They are tuned way WAY to tight .. Higher then Devs, Cadets, They do not project and sound very bad... Could hear some good notes from then book wise but the sound comming from the drums tone wise was to counter top'ish.. Over all great show corps wise... i see them giving some of the Div II top groups a run this yr.. JUST LAY OFF THE CRANKIN OF THE SNARES PLEASE!!!

Carolina Crown: 63.95
Over all sweet show.. Good things all over the field. this drum line has some serious chops. The horn line was loud in tune and kicking some butt.. I am not a big CC fan but I do like there show.. They show be in the top twelve but I am not sure if they will be in higher then 11-12 .. Oh yeah the color guard had FREAKIN car tires on the field .. Its pretty dam cool in the ballad section of the show..That is the wierdist thing i have seen in a long time on the field .. BUT it works!!

Crossmen: 70.10
HOLY CRAP WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DRUM LINE!!!!! The last two yrs I have not liked the book the crossmen have been playing felt like a high school book ( sorry but birdland is just to bando ) I kinda felt Mr. Hannum was just going threw the motions with the Xmen. I see in the 2001 program Lee Beddis is there. It shows.. drum line rocks this yr!! (heading towards the xmen of old). I see the Xmen in the single digits some where around 6ish.. Horn line rocks.. good soloist and great sound.

Cadets: 77.20
(I love the cadets always have) Drumline has some serious chops.. they could play just about anything you put in front of them.. But this not one of those yr where everything design wise came together. The show is has some very enteraining parts: Fast drill, Horn licks that would rip a normal players tongue off. The big problem I have the how off beat the solo section is in moondance..( the first section of moondance is great ) the tenors are playing some serious notes.. They only problem is they are trying to copy last yr.. ( that will not work ) the snare solos is pretty cool but I can get past the multi tempo section that it happens in.. just doesnt work for me..!! ( horns are playing moondance back field, and the snares are playing in a completely different tempo) Ii see them making it to the 3rd or 4th this yr.. but i do nto see them in the hunt. sorry.. I hate it to ....!

Cavaliers: 78.55
( I have never been a big fan of the green machine, If someone could pick a cavie show apart to find ticks. It is/was me.) THIS DRUM LINE FREAKIN ROCKS!!!! the book is dirty in a few spots.. very exposed. but I have to say the whole show was sweet.. the high hat on the snares .... WOW ... the whole dam show is cool.. they will be tapping Devils on the shoulder for the top spot this yr .. just do not know if they will pass them.. Horns, loud and solid as always.. Colorguard dam clean for june.

ATTENTION ANY ONE IN DCI WHO READS "RAMD" Three members of the cavies summer almost came to a bone break halt at the orlando show.. a bari, and two contras rolled ass over apple cart . Thanks to the pitchers mound where the horn line opened the show with some fast drill. the bari fell and got up int a split sec.. the contras on the other hand.. one fell and the other slam in to and over him I was amazed they were ok.. it was a painfull sight . i have seen legs broken with lesser falls. IS IT SO DAM HARD TO DIG UP A PITCHER MOUND (HINT HINT ITS DIRT.. !!) WHAT THE GROUNDS KEPPER AT DISNEY TO TIRED WATERING THE GRASS.. ?

Blue Devils: 80 yes yes 80.30 ( and in july )
I will say it now THEY are the 2001 champs.. they are late july clean right now.. !! no B.S. Very few spacing problems and the whole dam book rocks.. THE ONE thing I had a problem with was when the snares picked up the basses drum and had them on the carrier like a snare.. the move into a large block.. and part and jam. ( might have been the baseball field ) but they sound got really muddy. Almost painfull for a few seconds (maybe if they leaned forward to project the sound to the front of the field.. ?) over all the show is HARD ROCKIN FLAME THROWIN!!!

Had a great time.. saw some old friend from my marching yrs.. walked around the buss and got a few lung full of bus fumes and then I went home!!! GOOD LUCK EVERY ONE and enjoy marching corps while you can...

Clay
Daytona Beach, FL

OK, this being the first show I've seen live since 1995, bear with me. I'll apologize now for this being long, but I'd like to give an impression of the entire show, not just pieces and parts.

Also, let me be the first to say that having a Drum Corps show on a baseball field sucks. Tonight's show was at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. Its a great stadium for minor league baseball, NOT for Drum Corps.

The weather cooperated nicely tonight. Mid 70's and calm. The crowd seemed to be ready for a good show.

Two corps performed in exhibition tonight. Micro Magic from Orlando & Heatwave, also from Orlando. They did a great job getting the fans revved up for the rest of the night.

Div. II/III

Teal Sound - 47.50
First on the field was Teal Sound performing 'Symphony of Metallica. I was intrigued by this show when I heard about it. I'm a fan of the band Mettalica & was curious what a drum corps might be able to do with the music. The corps is small (17 horns, 10 battery, 9 pit, 7 guard, and 1 DM), but they did a decent job with their show. They had obvious tone, phasing, and balance problems throughout the show, but as the summer goes along and they get their chops up to speed, this show will have people talking in Div. II. The show had a lot of movement from the corps, but not much going on with the guard yet. I'm hoping they are still working stuff into the show for them. The guard does a lot of jazz runs now. I'd like to see them do some air guitar or SOMETHING. Look for the mello (or is it French Horn) soloist. Very nice job tonight. Overall, I'd expect this show to improve and be quite fun to watch come Aug.

Tampa Bay Thunder - 61.15
Next up was the Tampa Bay Thunder. I liked this show concept. The horns had trouble listening down during most of the show and the upper horns were slightly off key. Just enough to make you wince and shake your head to make sure your ears are working. They are well on their way with the show. The Soprano (OK, it was a trumpet!) soloist was obviously having fun tonight. He was great - and I'm amazed that he didn't overpower the rest of the upper register horns and stick out. The guard had a lot more going on during the show. A few timing issues and figuring out that marching and body work do happen at the same time. The percussion was pretty sharp. 19 in the battery I think. Good crisp timing and they had a good sounding drum feature tonight. I enjoyed the show and I believe they will do well in Div. II/III at Finals.

Div. I

Carolina Crown - 63.95
First up for the big boys was Carolina Crown. Their show is very entertaining and ha slots of moments where fans can let the corps know what they think. The crowd seemed to like the show tonight. Crown marched nicely and have a tough drill in places to keep up with. The overall sound from the horn line is balanced (with places during the show that the lower voices blatted and stuck out a little), but they could use more punch and 'attitude'. Once the line gets to the point where they know that, they'll be impressive. The guard was good tonight. I'm trying to remember this correctly, and I may have them mixed up with Crossmen's guard. If so, it's my fault. Anyway the guard, (I think) uses 2 by 4's and old tires as equipment during the show. The 2 by 4's were actually a very cool effect and the guard had fun with it. I think the tires were the best, though. The guard does some interesting work and the whole thing seems to fit into the rest of the show. I was worried when they were rolling them out during warm-up. They won me over, though. Another corps that should progress nicely through the summer. (I thought they would have scored about 3 points higher tonight.)

Crossmen - 70.10
This was the first corps of the night to come out with some volume from the horn line. This Jazz oriented show is impressive in its early stages. The corps does a good job for most of the show with their balance and tone, but faded a little near the end. Maybe the last minute and a half, I could tell they were getting winded. The last chord was awesome, though. Right in your face and it sounded great. I think they were stoked with a good show and slammed home that chord. That's what I mean about attitude. As they move on and keep cleaning the show and improving their chops, watch out! The guard had interesting uniforms - black unitard with gold and silver accents on the legs. They had a pretty difficult book to run through and had their moments of intrigue, but again, time and practice will bring the package together. This show should have the Crossmen knocking on the top 6 door again this year.

The Cadets - 77.20
Based on previous reviews, I was looking forward to seeing this show. Others have said that the show is fast and furious. Most of the time, it is. BUT, I came away wondering why the corps doesn't move more. I counted, I think, 8 times during the show where the corps did park and barks. The horn line was the best of the night, I think, but that was due , in part, to the playing so much while not marching. The marching they do is usual Cadets stuff - fast and frantic, but I'd like to see more moving. The horn line faded a tad toward the end of the show as well. The licks got a little muddy for the last two and a half minutes or so. The guard is excellent for this early in the season. They do lots of body movement, though. The 'commas' they use instead of traditional rifles are an interesting touch. I'm not sure what they have to do with the concept of the show, but I don't know that it matters. I think they should be used more during the show. I didn't see much work with them, really. I think I remember about five tosses. Anyway, the percussion was rocking tonight. They had fun and it showed. They have a lot of notes to play and they do it well right now. They have some work to do to catch up to BD and Cavaliers, but they are well on the way. This show should get the Cadets into the top 4 pretty easily. (I wonder if the Cadets will go back to the theme shows next year)

The Cavaliers - 78.55
First off, did I mention that holding Drum Corps shows on a baseball field sucks? This show is hard to keep up with. There is a ton of stuff going on. I will definitely need to see the show again to catch all of it. The horn line is excellent, but they are still feeling their way up to being comfortable playing their book and marching this drill. Lots of moving around and FAST. I enjoyed the music, even though it is original. The horn line should be putting themselves in gear when Finals get here. The drill, again is tough. Having marched with The Cavaliers in '92, I thought THAT show was hard as they get, but man. Watching this show had me shaking my head. The marching was a little ragged for Cavalier style, but I attribute that mostly to needing more run through's and cleaning. There were three guys that went down while marching backwards over that pitcher's mound. One Baritone & two Contras (Tubas?) did a little gymnastics tumbling, but got back into the drill within 8 counts and moved on. I heard quite a few moans and groans about the mound from the crowd around me throughout the night. The percussion was on fire. I think this was the finest percussion book I've heard in a long time. I'm not a drummer, but these guys play extremely well and will only get better. WOW! The highhats on the snares are an awesome thing to see and hear. This show should have the Cavaliers in the hunt for two in a row.

Blue Devils - 80.30
The horn line was loud & I mean LOUD. Many other reviews stated that the horn line was great but the marching was only so-so. I have to agree with that after seeing the show for myself. I wish the Blue Devils would try more stuff in the drill department. They have great marching technique, but I can't help making the excuse that they don't have a whole lot that stretches their talents. I came away from their show thinking that all they have left to do is clean it & their done. The visual just isn't where I would like to see it for a big time corps with all of the talent they have. The horn line was top heavy at times with the sopranos (sorry - trumpets) getting a little edgy and making their presence known above the other voices. They are still the ones to beat for high bass at Finals, though. Very tight articulation and they didn't seem to have any problems with stamina tonight. The percussion smokes, too. They will be gunning for the trophy at Finals, for sure. They have some great licks and do a great job with the book they have. The horizontal bass drums are different, but the sound doesn't carry enough to be as big of an effect as I think they want it to be. I like the guard and what they do for the show. I'm not sure I like the uni's, though. Yellow tops and black pants with white stripes. The backs of the guard tops are different colors and that is an interesting effect when the guard spins in unison. The book they have is good and they seem to have fun with show and still try to get their sexy vibe out to the audience. I guess the only thing I can say about the show as a whole is it left me wanting more moments where I got tingles on the back of my neck.. Their weren't as many of those memorable moments in this years show as they have had in the past. I though they were the winners, but I also think that the other corps will catch up to them once they clean their shows and add whatever needs to be added and/or changed. I think the Blue Devils will be overtaken by Finals unless they can add some fire into the hornline and not just sound and technicality.

gray_3

Teal Sound: Didn't get a chance to see them, but I know the kids are getting great instruction. Good organization, look for them to do great things in the future.

Thunder: WOW! I saw them from the gate, and all I can say is they looked pretty darn good from that vantage point.

Crown: WHERE DID THEY COME FROM!? The new unis style looks like a cross between the Cali boys and Orlando Purple! They truly looked and sounded better than I have seen them in memory. They have stepped it up a few notches, and they look like they are hungry to take DCI by storm!

Crossmen: IMO, they had the best hornline of the night, bar none. The soprano soloist was rock solid and lit that crowd up like no other did Saturday night. The Crossmen will be a crowd fave all year, and I would look for them to come knocking on top 6's door come August. Very impressed with that production, I can't wait to see them later this season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cadets: The boys of Bergen Cty seemed tired, but still put out a heck of a show. As we all know, what you see early season more than likely will change my August. I am sure they have more than one trick up thier sleeves and will pull together a show that will compete for another title. Although they seemed a little winded, those guys and gals really put in all they had, and it was more than appreciated by the crowd!

Blue Devils: Well, as a Magic alumni, it is almost like seeing my home corps out there. They have a bunch of guys and gals out there who once wore purple, so I was rooting for them. The snareline was August clean. My jaw dropped at the first exposed roll. The scoups on the snares added just enough tone depth to keep the snare sound present at all height ranges. I am very impressed with that drumline, and the pit writing complimented the brass and battery books perfectly. The hornline, while tight didn't have the punch I expected of the Blue Devils. They sounded wonderful and nicely balanced, but the volume wasn't there. The contras were simply gorgeous with a dark, tuned sound that bellowed through the stadium. I also liked how Jay Murphy staged the contra line right up front for the last portion of the show. Great production, and already pretty clean. Good job Devils!

Cavaliers: This show will be unstoppable by the end of the season. I simply am amazed at how well they moved. Even with the pitchers mound obstacle (been there, done that) they still performed thier butts off. The low brass sounded like an organ, simply wonderful. Those guys are moving. A buddy of mine (who saved a very nice sop solo backfield...go Mike) quoted the ballad at over 200BPM. Once this show is clean...and it will be clean...I don't see how they will be stopped. Very innovative drumming, amazing drill, great guard, phenominal hornline...this show has all the elements.

Micro-Magic: All I can say is...ROCK ON!!!!!!! It is wonderful seeing the home team out to make the crowd crazy as we always did. The new team at Magic will make it a corps to be reckoned with in the next few years. My best wishes and regards to the entire Magic family.

HeatWave: Well, being that I teach the brass section and march bari, I can't comment. I will say we had a blast doing the show....although we had a little weeensie tear;)... the crowd loved us. We all had a great time and thanks to DCI for the opportunity to play for such a fine crowd!

Unfortunately, I stayed in uniform, so having a beer was out of the question. The entire evening was first class. It was a time to enjoy good corps, catch up with old freinds, and enjoy the activity that we all love. I can't wait for next year!!!

Chad Kirk

I haven't been to a show in awahile but this was a pleasant suprise. It was good to see the activity regaining what it once has in this area. The stands were pretty packed and the weather was excellent.

The first three corps( Quest, Silver Knights, and Raiders) while small, gave it their best for the first show. Quest has a pretty decent drum line, Silver Knights do a nice job with the Gershwin Tunes, and the Raiders projected real well. Give these guys a few more years and they should do well.

There was an obvious change in the caliber of corps after the intermission. Jersey Surf had a decent size corps and did a good job with the Pat Methany book. While the music & drill seem a little sloppy right now..I'm sure they will tighten things up as the season progresses. Excellent soprano soloist! They should be a contender in Division II for sure.

The Spartans made an excellent prescence under the lights. I really like the uniforms and the guard looks great. The Gladitor/Ben Hur book should be one of the best this year. They were the first corps to really show coordianation between all elements and they projected well. The audinence let out a collective gasp and applause when the Horn Line played the ballad portion of the show. While still early in the season they have a mature sound that should only improve. I would like to see more moments like that in the show. The drum line seemed to be the tightest of the bunch and they have an talenetd pit section that really clicks. Their guard has some beautiful moves and the uniforms were the best out their. The Spartans should also be a contender for the top echolon of Divsion II.

East Coast Jazz was sporting new uniforms that looked pretty nice. The corps seem small in comparsion to Jersey Surf and Spartans but projected and performed well. Nice horn book with some good soloist. They too should do well with more time and if possible a few more bodies on the field.

Boston Crusaders...what can I say. There huge, loud and fast. The opening move is outstanding. I'm not sure I like the book at this point....I'm kinda a popcorn guy who misses the old days of Conquest and the like. They do tease us a bit during the show. I feel they are trying to compete at the top three level but they should remember their roots and give the fans what they want....and stop TEASING! Horn line is excellent, Drum line pretty tight, but I can't stand the guard uniforms. I hope they were just temporary. All in all they should be up there near top five again.

RAM

My first review so go easy...I did look for positives in every show, but will point out problems too.

First off, a few venue complaints...stands face the sunset, 'nuff said...whomever is in charge of the food concession stand, please move your refrigerated truck to somewhere so that when the compressor kicks on, it doesn't drown out the quiet part of a corps show. Finally, NO signage from the road telling you where to turn in to the school. It's set back a few side streets from the main drag and if not for the permanent sign for the school, we never would have found it. Seems like DCM needs some help as this is not the first time I have read complaints about their venues.

In order of finish:

Bandettes-31.15
Not sure how long they have been practicing, but the 31 was deserved. Early on there were sync problems between the field players and the pit. It got better later, but it was noticeable. Other small things include missed plants, guard inactivity during parts of the show, and one snare drummer was ghosting parts during one song. Soloist was good and a bright point. The closer ends very quietly and you don't know that it's the closer. It caught me off guard when the field commander turned for the end of the show salute. I will say this for ALL D3 corps, you keep up the hard work because no one can take that away from you. There is nowhere to hide in the smaller corps, and I admire the guts it takes to be in one. This show will be nice once the music is down.

Glory Cadets - 38.05
As a former non-corps percussionist, I usually pick on the percussion the most. I liked the sound of the GC battery, but the lower BD's seem to be pitched too low. Runs and successive multiple notes were getting muddled down in the reverb. My only complaint about their break, and this seems to be an issue with most D3 corps is that the break was four measures of snare, four of multi-drums and four of BD's with nothing tying them together. I thought they were very good for this time of year other than that. Typical marching snyc problems were present, but the brass sound was much stronger than Bandettes with the same amount of marchers. A great show for a D3 corps...can't wait to see them in Dekalb in a few weeks. Should be a killer show by then.

Kilties Sr. - 43.90
I thought the score was low for the show they put on. It was a compilation of all the best songs they ever did and closed with Auld Lang's Syne (spelling??). Bold strong sound which I would expect from a Sr. corps, but was impressive none the less. Interval problems and some horn flash sync marred the show, but it was VERY entertaining regardless. Some comedy was included like the old VK days. Example: upper horn line goes down to one knee to end a piece...beginning of next piece they moan and groan when they get up and one yells "I'm too old for this!" Speaking of upper brass, these old guys can still scream. Must have some BD alumni. I think only dogs could hear the last note of one of the finale soloists. WOW!!! Could these be the best uniforms in ALL of drum corps??

Pioneer - 49.49 (tie)
I was really looking forward to their show when the announcer said they were doing selections from the Gettysburg soundtrack, one of my all time favorite movies. The first 64 bars sent chills down my spine and nearly a tear to my eye. An impressive goal line to far sideline to goal line formation starts the show folding down to midfield resulting in a decent first blast starts the show. They also use a lot of gradual tempo changes during the show which could be part of the low score. I thought they did OK with them, but I guess the judges didn't. They seemed to run out of steam at the end, but I enjoyed the show and didn't take many notes for the review as I wanted to just sit back and listen. Another Dekalb "looking forward to".

Capital Regiment - 49.49 (tie)
Very surprised they were not scored higher. This is a tight show and will only get better as the season goes on. A few marching set problems held them back tonight, but I love the book and the drill. Middle piece ending gave me more chills and plays the emotions perfectly. One drill move that I particularly liked, not because it is something new, but they do it so well. Lines front to back (only about eight in each line) at four step interval right to left, playing, playing, playing, two beats of silence while every other person in the line goes two steps to the right, then the whole block blasts and continues right. During the silence when it happened, I actually said "SWEET " out loud.

Capital Sound - 50.50
I actually noticed the guard last week in Oswego for this corps and thought they had a really off night then. Don't know if that was an off night or if they have improved THAT much in a week. Opening rifle line hit every toss with only one miss, whereas last week there were two drops during each toss. Great improvement gals! VERY solid mello (?) solo during second piece. Great control and technique! Spacing interval problems held them back tonight.

Southwind - 56.10
First time I have seen them since the rebirth, and I like what I see. They have a ways to go, but they have some really neat drill ideas and the flashy flags that the guard uses really accents the music and the look. They fall short in the "oomph" department with the brass. I kept waiting for that extra notch of sound that never came. Give us the sound and tonight could have easily been a 60+ show. Blame the writer, but I hate the ending of the second piece. Actually had some decent sound from the brass, drive from the percussion that just should have ended on beat one and down. Instead, they drive to beat one and the pit finishes up with a dum-dadum, that was weak. End it on one and you've got a winner. If the sound is improved by Dekalb, SW could be one of the sleepers from DCM.

Bluecoats - 67.55
BLUE!!! If these guys are not in the top 10 come Buffalo, it proves a judging placement conspiracy. I loved this show, the sound was huge, the drill was passable, and the players deliver. Biggest brass sound I have ever heard from the BC. It blew me away how loud they are. Early blasting could have resulted in some tiring at the end, but big interval problems kept them from the 70 range tonight. Big Blue, can't wait to see you in Dekalb. The show just plain rocks. (Disclaimer: My only tie to the BC is that I am also from Ohio, but otherwise no affiliation exists.)

Glassmen - 71.80
I thought they beat PR in Oswego, they beat them in Michigan a couple of nights ago, and they darn near beat them tonight. I think the secret to the GM success is that they do everything "well" and don't spike out in certain captions like other corps do (see PR review). Again, love the show and the sound. They have a good drill mix and strong soloists. Dang, I just like the whole package. Last year when I saw the Boston show for the first time, I told my wife "that's a top five show" and they took fifth. I'd like to say the GM will be this year's Boston, but I don't think they will break top five, but top 8-10 is VERY possible. As a side note, I watched the show next to a GM parent and he told me that they had a bus accident on the way to the show. Nobody was hurt, but they did need a new bus to get to the show and I'm sure some nerves were rattled. Give them an extra couple of cheers when you see them.

Phantom - 71.90
I admit that I thought PR won tonight and by a little more then one-tenth of a point. However, I think the drill shortcomings are catching up with them big-time and I gave them more credit than they deserved. Case in point...at one point they do a move where half the block goes left and half goes right. I SWEAR that the same two people who collided in Oswego collided in Rockford. One nearly landed on their butt and looked to have been staggering of clocked in the head. If it's a consistent problem, fix it. For what the drill lacks, boy did the sound make up for it. This is why I thought they were higher than one-tenth. Call it the comfort of home field advantage, but the sound was huge tonight. Lower brass was there in force. This is what I meant by the GM not spiking in a caption. I'm sure the PR music score was up there, but their marching was very low, thus holding them back. Once the drill, which has some potential gets cleaned up, this will be a good show, but it's not top five unfortunately. Phantom is my annual favorite to pull for, so I hope they are able to fix the problems and surprise my in Buffalo.

As both GM and PR clean, improve, clean and improve, this will be a good DCM battle. They just can't let the Cavies get too far ahead. Thanks for reading and support your local drum corps shows! Apologies for grammatical and spelling errors.

Chitown Bobcats

hey everyone. i was gonna wait until tomorrow to do this but with my recent sleeplessness and all the energy i got from going to my first show and only seeing 4 corps, i decided to do it now.

now i'm not very good at describing things, so i'm gonna try and just give a kind of comparison view.

BDB-i know that the members of this corps are usually pretty young, but for some reason this year seems to be very young. I actually thought they did pretty good, they seemed to put out more sound than they have in the past few years and there drumline was playing some nice beats too. although everything was still pretty dirty, they had a really nice show that should be good after a few weeks rehearsal. their lonely contra player needs a buddy though.

Vanguard Cadets - last year at this time i remember thinking that they were gonna do really good, but i never would have thought about them winning Div 2. tonight i thought that they weren't doing as good as last year, but i got the same sort of vibe from their show. it was a very good show musically and visually, but it was very dirty at this point. i personally thought that their drumline was better than the mandarins (but then again i love huge drumlines).

Mandarins - well i don't know what to say, it was the usual mandarins show to me. they didn't seem to be as clean as they normally are either, but then again they were doing some hard stuff too. they had some really good drill, but there didn't seem to be any sound coming from any of the contras (as usual for the mandarins). also their drumline was playing some hard stuff as well, but very dirty at this point. all in all i can see them winning div 2 with this show.

SCV - i already love this show. they have some really good impacts. their horline seems a lot more grown up compared to last year and is going to do very good for them this year. the drumline isn't their best of recent years, but i'm hoping to change my mind about that at the next show i see them (i didn't really pay that much attention to the drums tonight anyway). i don't usually pay attention to drill that much but i did notice that they brought back the famous drill move from their show in 99 at the end of their show. i didn't care much for their chanting of new era and it did make me chuckle at first. that part seemed a little empty to me so i'm expecting(or maybe just hoping) them to do something else to it. i'm pretty sure they'll stay in the top 4, and winning the title isn't out of the question in my opinion either.

Vanguard played clowns for the encore, which was beautiful as always, but i was disappointed because i wanted to hear their show again.

i also took my MD recorder with me and got them all but i won't have anything decent ready for you guys until monday probably. for those of you who are too impatient to wait until monday, email me and i'll tell you when i'll be on winmx so you can get the raw, crappy, distorted version of the recording, but i suggest you wait til monday and hopefully i can have a much better cleaned up version of it by then.

you'll hear from me again after the so cal shows.

Marlon Hopper

Ok, this is my first review on RAMD, but I will do my best to give you my perspective...

A beautiful night for drum corps, the rain stayed away and temps were great! Very well run show. As others have posted about previous shows, I was surprised that there were so few Souvie stands. I only saw PR, and Glassmen.

Glory Cadets: I was surprised to see that the combination of Cinci Glory and Marion Cadets did not yield a corps with more members, as this was a very small group. Only 2 color guard, an very little work for them. To the performers credit, they did what they had with some nice confidence. Lots of holes in this corps. Battery is really carrying the brass right now, and hopefully with more numbers in the brass line, the performance level will go up. Nice moment with the contra solo. Other than that, not much else to say. Keep up the good effort!

Capital Regiment: Sharp unis, they look great! This is a big corps, about 90-95. This corps is a model for how the build a group from scratch, very cool. Battery was quite good for this point in the season. Guard used solid color silks all the way through. They had a really cool yellow pole, that later revealed a hidden silk inside. I cannot remember a lot of specifics about the show, but I enjoyed it. Again, I really believe that this corps is gonna go nowhere but up in the future.

Capital Sound: A smaller group than Capital Regiment. The color guard was larger that CR, and did a very fine job. Guard had purple "belly dancer" style unis. They had some jangles on them that would sound when they moved. It may have distracted some, but I liked the effect. Snares played djembe drums on a tune, cool! They pit in this corps was very strong. There was a nice 16th note run with mellos that came off well. Good horn book. Did Scott Boerma write it? Anyway, I liked it. River Lullabye offered some nice moments as a ballad.

Southwind: It is different hearing SW do music that is not "accessible" to the mainstream audience. But they did it well. Nice strong baritone section. Percussion had some interesting tonal colors. They are using the Yamaha MTS snares. I like it when they throw on the MTS for the pipe band sound. Drill did not impress me as much as it did in '99, but then again I saw them at quarterfinals, and it is still June. A lot can change. Don't remember a lot from this one either (It's late for me!), but I thought they had a solid show.

Glassmen: I like the unis with the triangle mirror. Drums were rockin' tonight. Plates took up some concerts toms and marched with them for a while. Hornline was very strong. Some very nice visuals from horns in the usual Glassmen dance style. Very cool drill on the closer, I loved it!!!

Pioneer: Lots of holes in the corps still. Many in the guard. I think this was the first time they put their closer on the field. Some nice brass writing, will be neat to hear at the end of the season. It looks like the guard keeps the same silk design all the way through, just changes the color combinations. Neat effect. Nice work in rifles during battle scene. Percussion were solid, and did well leading the corps on for retreat.

Phantom: My favorite of the evening! I really like there show. There have been some posts about the drill being boring, but I though that this is one of their better visual packages in recent years. Brass are very strong, and Festive Overture was excellent. Color guard was quite clean for June. I think the crowd was pushing for a PR victory, but it didn't happen.

Hope this helps bring some of you a little closer to actually being there! Just my two cents.

Good job all corps!

Rob

A beautiful night in Jenison, Michigan. Cool, clear - a perfect drum corps night. Real nice crowd for a show that didn't get much publicity and has been moved around a lot the last few years. Sat on the 35 - 18 rows up so my perspective for the drill was better than last week at Jackson. My only real complaint was that about 10% of the bulbs in the light towers (including 8 out of 20 on the tower which lights the middle - front of the field) were burned out so as it got later the field was not well-lit (esp 45-45 front). Remember - I am a horn guy first but really paid attention to the drill tonight (mostly because of recent posts here concerning drill) so I hope not to offend - merely to offer my observations.

(In order of appearance)

Marion Glory Cadets - 7th Place - 33.5
They added a horn since last week - now marching 13! Wish they could add about 20 more and this might be a real nice show. Much cleaner than last week - better playing in the horn line but still overbalanced by a really strong (and good) percussion section. As I said last week - these kids are working hard - you can see it in their performance - they are just overmatched. Contra player's a horse tho!

Capital Regiment - 6th Place - 45.8
Once again, I really like this Corps. They have a real nice horn line - great show to work with - and they really go for it! Good high Sop in the opener. Does some screaming. Both last week and this week the program and announcer said they had 16 guard but only 7 marched. Once again - loved Dragonheart. This group has ton's of potential.

Capitol Sound - 4th Place - 47.5
First time I have seen this corps. Was pleasantly surprised. Only 30 horns (as compared to Cap Reg's 48) but they play very well. Actually had a little more punch in the horn line than Reg. The program - Exodus - has some really neat moments and has much potential! Cool Guard uni's - Hey I am a guy after all! But seriously the guard added a lot to this show. Solid percussion, good horns, effective guard = good show!

Southwind - 3rd Place - 53.8
I liked this show better tonight than last week. Horn line still lacks punch but has some really nice moments. The Brahms still doesn't cut it for me. Not as many phasing problems as last week but several still evident in the Brahms. Closer much stronger and much more interesting tonight. Not sure this show is going to get them in the top twelve though.

Glassmen - 1st Place - 70.8
I still really like this show. Having said that - now that I have seen the drill from higher up, I'm not sure they have the difficulty to stay with the top 4 (I have read a few reviews that have said watch out SCV) The horn book is good but not real technical. Great show but not enough to get them in the top 4 certainly and maybe not even the top 5. Soloist that I raved about last week was still impressive but not flawless. There were two blatantly early entrances in the opener by a sop and then a contra. Guard very effective. Cleanest show of the evening but I still thought PR might win.

Pioneer - 5th Place - 46.8
Last week I posted a less than glowing review of this group. They were much better tonight - In fact I thought they would beat Cap Sound. Added a few horns, cleaned things up. Still not as strong as they have been in recent history but showing signs of improvement.

Phantom Regiment - 2nd Place - 69.2
The first two-thirds of this show have been greatly improved since last week and until they got about a third into the closer I thought they were a lock tonight. Nice opening unison statement in the opener followed by lot's of technique in the hornline. Very clean. Music book imho is much more technical than G-men. Drill is also more difficult. Then came the closer - Festive Overture. Started out great - wonderful dark, symphonic sound - very exciting. But about a third of the way in things started getting sloppy. During the percussion feature the brass ends up in a big arc and then they just stand there for what seems to be a minute or so (actually about 30 seconds). The problem being, other than they haven't finished the drill yet, the arc was badly out of alignment and spacing was terrible. From there things seemed to go downhill. Lot's of problems in the execution of the last two-thirds of the closer. I observed one baritone player who after making a wrong turn about eight counts before a freeze stood totally out of position and had to go around a moving line once they stepped off again to find his position. Anyway - this show has ton's of potential and if they clean... Crowd was not happy with their placement but I think the closer hurt them.

Glassmen badly scratched the first note on America/O Canada.

JMHO!

B(b)Shetts

Hi there. I haven't written many reviews of shows but I wanted a chance to share my experience in Jacksonville with others who are interested.

The venue at JSU was pretty nice. I was on the 40 yard line but not very high up to be a very clear judge on drill. I also know little or nothing on drums, but I will try my best. OK on with the corps....

**Spirit - I have never been a big fan or follower of this corps, but this years show is very different from what I can remember of recent years past. It is the music "Ghost Train." The first two movements are very agressive, and very very dark. Quite the contrast from their show last year where I remember it being jazzy, etc. The hornline was pretty full sounding with a lot of room to grow and clean the rest of the season. With a bit of work, they will bring life to a really pretty nice show. The guard, I thought, was the weaker link. They didn't have any moments and didn't seem to be integrated into the show very well. I'm sure they will clean up very nice as well. I wouldn't dare say they are going to jump in the top 12 this year, but also wouldn't eliminate it as an outside chance.

**Crossmen - I for one, enjoyed their program last year quite a bit. The colorguard is the first thing that pops into my mind about this corps, just as it does almost any other year. They have a very nice book, and seemed very clean, and I had to try to remember it was only the beginning of tour. Very nice ladies and gentlemen. The hornline, too, sounded very nice for this time of season. Too many park and blows IMHO. They did have a nice moment towards the middle of the show however, where part of the horns are sitting down indian style, the second row kneeling, and the third standing during a rock n roll type section. Nice programming all around and will give Scouts a run for their money again this season. Good luck Crossmen.

**Scenic City - I don't remember seeing this corps before. The show was styled around being a Kid I guess. They were the only Div III corps there and started off with Jackson 5 "ABC - 123." I'm not sure what to say here, other than these guys are going for the "cute" type of program. Good luck guys.

**Cavaliers - I am biased. I love the Cavaliers. I knew seeing them in Toledo last year they were going to go a long, long way. This time, I get the same feeling, not quite as strong this year, but it is an incredible show. Definately not the type of show that you are accustomed getting from the Cavies, but a welcome one. The colorguard will win the title again, and probably the rest of the corps. I need to see the show a couple more times, as there is so much going on. The drums are very hot, and are going in for the kill. The horns are very clear for the time of year, with more dirt in the end of the show as to be expected. The third movement ends with three solos on three corners of the field. The ending is not as dramatic yet musically. I hope, and know they will add some spice to it. I hope they bring it home at finals.

**The Cadets - The loudest corps of the night. Yeah, louder than BD. They have a lot of fast drill and a lot of dirt. I don't like this show. They go from Britten, to Van Morrison, to Hans Zimmer to Bernstein. I just didn't buy it. They are the Cadets, and will perfrom very well and entertain. I just don't think it is a championship show. The colorguard was fun, except some of the body choreography was silly. They have changed the look of the rifle, it is all "curvy" and I think it takes away from the effect. The most entertaining part was during the second movement, the horns do a park and blow right in from of the stands, some of the corps in and in front of the pit. The sound will blow your socks off.

**The Blue Devils - I do not agree with the two point spread. I thought they were clean, but that they will peak early and the other three (Cavs, CBC, SCV) will catch them. If not all three, then a couple of them. The show was entertaining, jazzy and percussive. The colorguard outfits are pretty zany. They all wear ties, hats (for some of the show), and black striped pants. They also have long sleave rolled up shirts (different colors) with vests. Not one of the stronger colorguards that BD has produced in the past few years. They perfrom well, just didnt' seem to add that much to the show...yet. Who knows, they could win. It's very early to predict. Tonight their show won because it was more clean (possibly easier) than the Cavaliers and Cadets. I heard they were tired because of the traveling, which could be why it was I wasn't blown away by their performance.

At any rate, I enjoyed my first drum corps show of the season. I had a Blue Devil win and a tie, so I knew it was DCI. It is going to be a good year from Drum Corps. Signing off for now, see you in Columbia, SC!

BTW, BD regrettably did not perform an encore. They said something about they didn't have all the equipment they needed? Interesting....

SpacePupATL

Hello all,
After a long and painful drive home....well....I'm home. =] Since it is 5:15 in the morning....I dunno if this will make sense, but hey, I tried...

Thunderstorms looked to be threatening as the show was about to begin....Scenic City's equipment truck was late getting there so the first corps didn't go on until 7:32 (which was a good thing since that good ol' Tennesse traffic put us at the stadium at 7 on the dot). So, first up:

Spirit: LOVE the new unis! They are beautiful! The guard uni's however....=\ Also, please give your guard some shoes....they deserve 'em as much as the next guy. I felt the brass had a nice sound, but their mellos were almost nonexistent. Could hear every voice except for them....an overall nice performance, but it's missing that certain something that grabs you by the cajones and makes ya love the show.

Crossmen: As I mentioned the other night...I love this show! An all around great show! Guard is wonderful....hornline sounds great....and drill is much better than the other night!!! Great performance tonight!

Intermission

Scenic City: For those of you that saw them last year, you would not believe this is the same corps. These guys have grown so much since last year! Unlike their show last year....the "kids" actually pull this one off. Hornline is much nicer than last year, fun guard stuff too. Overall a fun show! Glad to see these guys makin' their way up! Keep it up!!!!

Cavaliers: I've been really psyched to see this show and it didn't disappoint! The show encopmasses things from years past, both drill and music and not limited to the Cavaliers either. Really awesome show design. Brass was very nice...feet are a different question. Not really much else to say....awesome show!

Cadets: My pick for the nights winner. They were the cleanest of any tonight. Very nice brass, clean drill, and the guard was amazing as always. I really enjoyed the arrangements of Young Person's Guide and Farandole. Didn't care for the Moondance/percussion feature or the arrangement of Vide Cor Meum. Great visual during Vide! Best total package of the night, imho.

Blue Devils: Again...I was highly anticipating seeing this show. Opener was great, but then it went down....the hornline got sloppy and the guard.....every other one was about half a beat behind the next....not typical stuff coming from them. Drill was nice....it's gonna come along. How they pulled out the victory, I don't know....Nice job and can't wait to see it again!

CorpsVets: Awesome job! First time seeing a Sr. Corps...those guys have fun! =] There was a mello(? couldn't see too well) duet near the end that was totally lost because of the corps...but that's about it. Was nice to see them!

Spirit/Spirit Alum/CorpsVets: They played "Salvation is Created" and "Georgia on my Mind" (repeated for encore). Great job on both! Both were beautiful!

Drum Major retreat only....that sucked. The tie was booed (not by me, that's childish, imo). And BD did not do an encore. They said they didn't have all of their equipment? But reading a previous post, I saw that most of them had just got in a few hours before the show......maybe they were just beat???

Overall the night was great! Don't like the stadium or the festival seating/standing in the reserved sections...but oh well. Glad the rain held off too! Hope you all enjoyed!

Brandon =)

Once again, another year of drumcorps loaded with ideas and innovation. Every corps that came out tonight had their own new flavor to sell. I saw dazzling new concepts being used by every corps, and by the end of the night it was truely a tough call in regards to the top 3, yet all thing "can" and "should" change each year in DCI, I think it's going to be a great season.

This review is more drum oriented. I know there are a lot of you out there that don't catch yourself watching much else than the percussion section. Still, I'll try to include something for everybody.

JSU Spirit - I've followed Spirit quite a bit in the off-season, and they truely live up to their name "Spirit", this corps is filled with so much heart and reverence, they know the history of their corps and the legacy of the Uniform.
This is Spirit's best show in years. There were lots of tears ensembly. Execution was a big kicker, marching, and visual ideas are new and I believe will send them to top 12 eventually this year. Not many fans know this but, last year (2000 season) Spirit improved their overall score more points than any other corps in DCI. So don't think this corps isn't capable!!!
Their percussion is rocking! 9 snares, 3 tenors, 5 bass, 7(?) pit. The breaks were sweet and there were plenty of them. The tenor break, though it didn't hold together very well tonight, was one of the hardest of the entire corps show, so I gave credit to them for that. The snare and bass line are tight. Really, keep your eye on this drumline, they were clean as hell last year, and they're doing it again!

Crossmen - I have never liked a Crossmen show. But I often caught myself digging this one. It's a fairly good package. Lots of movement, the color gaurd is awesome. Drumline - much improved tenorline, snareline had quite a bit of dirt, I wouldn't have put them as high in percussion as judges did, but they aren't that bad. Drill cleaning is in their future, but the same for every other corps in DCI. I'm looking for a strong placement from the Crossmen this year at finals.

Cavaliers - this show blew my mind. It really is impressive. The all original music show will be hard to sell this early. Yet, the whole isn't quite as catchy as Niagara Falls in terms of seeing what they are trying to do. But I think this show will come around just as well, if not better than the one before it. Drumline - is smoking, best tenorline I saw of the night, I liked the snare-hihat thing, but I felt there was more to be desired, I'm sure they'll tweek it quite a bit. Pit was incredible as always, most musical pit of the night. Snare line had more dirt than I expected from the Cavaliers, I think their setup as far as tuning with the snares is quite unique and since it is so different, you'll second guess the rough spots of the show. Overall, this show is grooving. I like how they have a broad dynamic range, they covered FFF all the way down to dead silence with all stops in between. I really want to see this show again, there was a tremendous amount going on, to catch even half of it in one show.

Cadets - Cadets seem to always be a very bright sounding corps to me, I've always wondered why that is, yet this year is no exception. Some moments of the show are very FAST. Tough drill. Drumline - snareline has things pretty together, tenorline is stronger than last years(for all of you who could see past the behind the back), tenorline does another stand-feature, but they are hurting themselves in crowd perspective because, really, they aren't topping what they did last year. Yeah, it's more behind the back motion than last years, but hey, I guess the only other idea left is to have them stand on their heads and play it, ehh? Bass line is very good, right on the money. Pit is always superb. I'm not quite sure wether I liked the show all that much, it didn't leave that much lingering in my mind like last years show. I love the jazz section, I guess the jazz feel is coming back into popularity.

Blue Devils - This production was very tight indeed, they showed that their show was much more well prepared than the others, and I believe that was the key factor for their win tonight. It's a pretty common thing to see BD smoking the other corps in the beginning of the season, their "move-in" policy makes way for that.
In the beginning of the show, the blue devils let you know "what's up", It is in your face. Horns sound really good, but the colorgaurd wasn't all that clean, yet I saw more theatrics in their program that the rest of the corps.
Drumline - the snareline, after a not-so-hot year last year, they are back!, very clean, I liked it. Tenors, I have no clue what's up with the fingers-off-the-stick techinique, and why every lick has to be a major production, quality over quantity, I appreciate the tenorline more when 1. I am able to hear them 2. when it sounds cleaner but I do appauld the effort, their is some tough stuff in the book, and it's very hard to play well, I guess I just expect the best from the blue devils.
Oh yeah, I definitley did not dig on the horizontal bass drum idea, I thought that sucked, but It looks like too much money was invested in to doing it for it to go away, I'll just have to cover my eyes and ears next show I see.
Overall, BD is very strong. I like the show, and it's gonna do well.

CorpsVets/Spirit mass brass and drums - "Georgia" always makes me teary eyed. Freddy Martin was meant to conduct that corale. I know enjoyed it, but others who had no clue over the legacy and tradition of the Spirit organization had no clue and thus gave no respect.

This was a very good show, please try to make it out to see all over corps this summer, it's well worth it. I haven't seen a bad one yet. Enjoy!

Jody White

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