Hawthorne Caballeros.....79.1 (Hi brass, visual, honor guard, Tie GE)
Reading Buccaneers.......77.0 (Hi perc, Tie GE)
Sunrisers................73.8 (Hi color Guard)
Hurricanes...............71.7 (Best DM)
Bushwackers..............66.1
Heat Wave................56.0
Chieftains...............52.8
Exhibitions: Yankee Rebels (well received)
Skyliners Alumni (brought down the packed house!)
Cabs Alumni (more CLASS than most countries have!)
Great contest, great crowd, great weather, love that sound!
When SKY blasted, I had to dry my eyes.
When Cabs Alumni and Field corps played together, I had to dry my pants!
Thanks to Joe Dziezawiec for emailing us these scores!
Empire Statesmen.........86.7 Brigadiers...............84.5 Grenadiers...............70.7 Crusaders................69.3 High Brass & High Perc awards to Empire Note: No ex perc judge... all corps received a perfect score. Thanks to Tom Peashey, DCA PR for emailing us these scores!
Blue Devils..............86.2 High Brass / GE / Visual Santa Clara Vanguard.....84.8 High Percussion Madison Scouts...........82.6 Glassmen.................80.0 Blue Knights.............78.5 Crossmen.................77.0 Kiwanis Kavaliers........65.0 Troopers.................53.9 Div II / II Blue Devils B............80.0 Seattle Cascades.........66.0 Allegiance Elite.........64.5 Americanos...............63.9 Thanks to Ed Harvey for emailing us these scores!
The competition was held at Denver's Mile High Stadium on a natural grass surface. The grass had been marked out with fresh hashmarks, but some fainter lines for the professional soccer team were still present, giving the field a somewhat confusing look. The sky had scattered light clouds; the temperature was about 102 degrees, but the humidity was low. Overall, it felt quite pleasant out (a true Arizonan talking ;) ). It helped that the crowd was sitting in the western (shady) side of the stadium.
The competition began on time at 5:30 p.m. The announcer was Casey Smith, an alumnus of the Troopers and a former instructor with the Troopers and the Blue Knights. The stadium was about one-third full in the upper level where I sat at this time. By the beginning of the Division I competition, the upper level was packed from end zone to end zone. I assume the lower levels had similar sized crowds.
Division II/III Competition:
Blue Devils B: 26 horns, 7 pit, 19 battery, 16 guard, 1 drum major. Total: 69 members on the field. Repertoire: There's No Place Like Home, music from The Wiz and The Wizard of Oz. I did not think very highly of the corps' presentation, primarily because the horns and drums were out of balance with each other. The percussion section was quite good, but they frequently overwhelmed the horn line. My companion on this trip, Garry Parker (a.k.a. VKGarry) noted that the horn line got stronger as the show went on, instead of weaker. I agree with this assessment. During the second song, Witches Theme, there was a nice duet between a baritone, facing the audience, and a soprano player, facing away. First Place, 80.0 points. Notes: I completely disagree with the score and placement for Blue Devils B. After watching the entire II/III competition, I had placed them fourth. Looking at the recaps, the General Effect scores for both the musical and visual captions are highly inflated. Given the weak sound of the horn line, the severe balance problems between the drums and horns, and the simple drill, I can't see how the G.E. judges can justify their scores. One can't help but wonder how much influence the Blue Devil name has on the judges.
Americanos: 24 horns, 9 pit, 16 battery, 16 guard, 1 drum major. Total: 66 members on the field. Repertoire: Another Night in Tunisia, Beautiful Maria of My Soul, Late in the Evening, Spanish Eyes, Spain. Opening the show with a quartet was unique. The overall sound between the horns and drums was much better than with Blue Devils B. The horn line was also much stronger. I liked the feature during the drum solo between the three tenors. There was also some decent baritone solo work. As the baritone played his solo, a guard member stood next to him with a collapsible fan in her hand. The romanticism she put into scene was very pleasant to watch. Fourth Place, 63.9 points. Notes: I had picked them to come in third.
Seattle Cascades: 36 horns, 8 pit, 14 battery, 9 guard, 1 drum major. Total: 68 members on the field. Repertoire: Music from the Chicago Transit Authority (better known as "Chicago"): Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?, Listen, Someday, Beginnings. When asked if his corps was ready for competition, the drum major made the sloppiest turn around on a podium I've ever seen. Come on, Sean! Hasn't anyone taught you how to do an about face? So what if you're eight feet up in the air? :) Some of the formations left much to be desired, especially the circle. The corps has a decent mellophone section. The yellow :) smiley face flags are amusing to look at. Overall, a decent program. Second Place, 66.0 points. Notes: I had picked them to come in second, and was on the money. I also thought they had the best horn line of the four II/III competitors. Considering the corps has been inactive for a year, I thought they did quite well. They just need a little cleaning in their drill.
Allegiance Elite: 32 horns, 12 pit, 10 battery, 14 guard, 1 drum major. Total: 69 members on the field. Repertoire: Africa: Coming to Africa Incantation, ...To Die For, Tribal Drums, Lea Halalea-Africa. One expects to see color guards dressed up in a costume that's appropriate to the theme of the show. Allegiance Elite has taken this idea one step further by dressing the pit crew and the drum major in their own costumes as well. These costumes are very colorful. The battery was impressive for its size: four snares, two tenors and four bass drums. The horn line sounded a bit "scratchy," not the clear tone one expects to hear. Visually, the corps has gone all out. There were some very interesting flag designs, including lion and baboon prints and large triangular zebra pennants. The horn line also got into the action by putting their bugles down during the drum solo and marching with oval African shields. Overall, the most entertaining of the II/III corps present. Third Place, 64.5 points. Notes: One of two corps I thought were screwed by the judges. I had picked them to come in first, with the best visual show and percussion. The horn line needs work, though. On a cynical note, as my companion observed, Allegiance Elite plays an African show, "but is there one African-Canadian in that corps?"
Nova Color Guard and Brass by the Dozen: At this point there was a brief intermission. A small brass ensemble and a color guard came out for the playing of the American and Canadian national anthems. The color guard had nine members, six carrying plain red flags in an arc behind three carrying the American flag, the Canadian flag and a saber. The ensemble, Brass by the Dozen, had eleven trumpet players in an arc. They played the two anthems very badly. They could not keep in time with each other, and it sounded as if several were fighting musically to control the tempo. This group needs considerable practice time together before its next public appearance.
Division I Competition:
Troopers: 24 horns (with at least two, maybe three holes), 9 pit, 11 battery, 17 guard, 1 drum major. Total: 62 members on the field. Repertoire: Forging a Frontier: Silverado-Main Theme and The Getaway, Tombstone-The Family, Silverado-The McKendrick Attack, Ghostriders/Riders in the Sky. The corps marched onto the field in a company front, a la Madison. Unfortunately, the corps needed to dress up that line. There was no warm-up on the field, as per tradition. Too bad. The corps needed it. The horns sounded somewhat muddy during the middle of the show, and need a lot of cleaning. There were also balance problems with the battery dominating the sound at times. On the way up to Denver, my travel companion and I wondered if the corps would perform the Sunburst or not. The good news is that they do it. The bad news is that it's the only good part of the show. The crowd responded accordingly. Eighth Place, 53.9 points. Notes: It is sad to see the Troopers a shadow of their former selves. The corps management needs to seriously reconsider why they are competing at the Division I level. The corps was the smallest unit in the show, and barely makes the cutoff for Division II corps. There is no disgrace in competing at a lower level if the size of the corps dictates it.
Kiwanis Kavaliers: 49 horns, 9 pit, 15 battery, 27 guard, 1 drum major. Total: 101 members on the field. Repertoire: An American in Paris. An unclear soprano solo starts the show, but the horn line sounds decent as the familiar melody of An American in Paris is played. Later in the show, there is a good soprano solo. Some of the rifle tosses are out of sync. I liked the flags, the first set being the French tri-color (although I'm not sure how the French would appreciate their flag being twirled about like a common flag). The second set of flags features an artist's pallet with splotches of "paint." Overall, the best show of the evening so far. Seventh Place, 65.0 points. Notes: Two members of the horn line remained on the sideline until after the first break in the music, several minutes into the show. They then marched onto the field to join the rest of the corps. Very odd. Kiwanis is the first corps in the show not to use a simple "follow-the-leader" drill.
Glassmen: 61 horns (with three holes), 8 pit, 21 battery, 32 guard, 2 drum majors. Total: 124 members on the field. Repertoire: Dreams of Gold: The Music of Alexander Borodin: In the Steppes of Central Asia, Overture from Prince Igor, Notturno from String Quartet #2 in D Major, Polovtsian Dances and Symphony #2 in B Minor. Some great, intricate drill by the horns. A marvelous sound by both the horns and the drums. The drum line, which had done so well in the mid-west, is the real deal. (They came in third here, according to the recaps.) The kites delivered a few "ah's" from the crowd. The first standing ovation of the night. An excellent show. Fourth Place, 80.0 points. Notes: My second favorite show of the evening, behind only Madison. The corps has an excellent chance of breaking into the top six this year. I hope they do.
Blue Knights: 57 horns, 13 pit, 21 battery, 30 guard, 1 drum major. Total: 122 members on the field. Repertoire: Masters of the Symphony: Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony, Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony (Pathetique), Dvorak's New World Symphony, 2nd Movement (Largo), and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, 4th Movement (Ode to Joy). The home crowd favorite. There are some beautiful butterfly sequences where two guard members stand next to each other, both holding a "butterfly wing." Some very good artistic drill. Beethoven's Ode to Joy is particularly welcome. A very good show, similar in style to the Glassmen's show, but not quite up to the same standard. Fifth Place, 78.5 points. Notes: The crowd enthusiastically stomped their feet for the Blue Knights. For those who have never been to Mile High Stadium before, the upper levels are made of metal, not concrete, so when the crowd stomps their feet, the stadium really rumbles. (Something to listen for the next time you watch a Bronco game on TV.)
Madison Scouts: 64 horns, 10 pit, 24 battery, 26 guard, 2 drum majors, 1 miscellaneous(?). Total: 127 members on the field. Repertoire: Power, Pizzazz and All That Jazz!: Lupon, Swingin' Pete...Sweet (based on Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite #1), Remembrance. The warm-up this year is Rhapsody in Blue. Madison remains a jazz-oriented corps, but they are much more mellow this year than I expected. Three years of hot Latin jazz and last year's Pirates show left me hoping for a musical fireworks display. It's just not there this year. But it's still an excellent show. A couple of unique features: the guard remains in full uniform for Lupon before getting out of their jackets for the evening. (Personally, I would have preferred the color guard remain in uniform for the entire show. Hey, why not be different?) Also, the drum line is interchangeable from song to song. Madison comes out with ten snares for Lupon, then changes to five snares, five tenors for Swingin' Pete. There was yet a third combination for Remembrance. The highlight of the show, though, was the marching. This was drill the way drill is supposed to be marched. Some of the sets were incredibly intricate: not one but two fleur-de-lis, a moving wave and ball formation which is simply out of sight, and a rotating box inside a larger rotating box. Without question, the most exciting show of the evening. Third Place, 82.6 points. Notes: What does that one miscellaneous guy do on the field, other than pick up the guard's equipment? The crowd booed lustily when Madison's placement was announced, then gave the corps a standing ovation. Watching Madison reminds me of the Australian movie, Strictly Ballroom. Everyone else follows the status quo while Madison marches those "wild, crowd-pleasing steps." Like the hero and heroine in the movie, Madison is screwed over by the judges. To put Madison's skill at marching in perspective, the second most difficult drill marched in Denver (in my opinion) was done by the Glassmen. Madison did a show that was at least two times more difficult than that. And they executed that drill beautifully. The crowd knows who really won in Denver.
Blue Devils: 65 horns, 8 pit, 16 battery, 33 guard, 2 drum majors. Total: 124 members on the field. Repertoire: One Hand One Heart, a fictional encounter between West Side Story's Tony and William Shakespeare's Juliet, featuring music from Bernstein's West Side Story and Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet. The show starts off with a great buildup, using an ensemble of sixteen. The music is played with typical BD professionalism. The drill, however, isn't nearly as intricate as Madison's (who was a tough act to follow). Allegedly, about 1/3 of the show is music by Tchaikovsky, but you could have fooled me. It seemed almost all of the show was West Side Story (drum corps' most overplayed music). I would have liked to hear more Tchaikovsky. A very good show, but it wasn't a goosebump moment for me. First Place, 86.2 points. High Brass, High Visual Performance, High General Effect, High Auxiliary (Color Guard). Notes: The crowd booed when the Blue Devils won the High Visual Performance and High General Effect captions. Madison, at the very least, should have won High Visual Performance. The Blue Devils probably marched the fourth most difficult show after Madison, Glassmen and Santa Clara. Just more confirmation that the judges are out of touch with reality.
Santa Clara Vanguard: 58 horns (with 2 holes), 8 pit, 20 battery, 34 guard, 2 drum majors. Total: 122 members on the field. Repertoire: Copland: The Modernist: Grohg, Hear Ye! Hear Ye!, Down a Country Lane, and Dance Panels. Santa Clara is one of those corps where it's almost impossible to write down any notes. The show is just too absorbing. There is an interesting shift in style about half way through the show, when the corps goes from its traditional serious nature to a silly moment. The show has a great ending. Second Place, 84.8 points. High Percussion.
Crossmen: 55 horns (with 4 holes), 11 pit, 17 battery, 35 guard, 2 drum majors. Total: 120 members on the field. Repertoire: A Metheny Portrait: Third Wind, Letter from Home, First Circle. There is a great pit solo with an interlocking circles drill. Unfortunately, about 30 seconds before the end of the show, a young woman (baritone) fainted and two contra players tripped over her body. She was able to crawl off the field under her own power, but she needed to be carried out of the stadium on a stretcher. One contra continued with the show, but the other horn was too badly damaged. A good show, but the corps was worthy of its placement. Sixth Place, 77.0 points. Notes: After hearing such rave reviews about the '97 Crossmen, I had high expectations for this year. The Crossmen are not living up to those expectations.
A moment of levity just before the corps returned to the field: four very young girls started running around on the field. Some people started chanting, "Go, go, go...!" The kids had no idea that they were being yelled at. What was rather disappointing at the show is that there was no exhibition group to fill the time between the Crossmen's performance and the retreat. Hey all you drum corps people in Phoenix! Let's form a senior corps and be that group! You'll get to see (most of) the show for free. (Hopefully! :) ) Another thing I'd like to see at a retreat is the various corps playing off the field instead of marching (or walking) off. If you're not going to play off the field, why bring out the entire corps? The drum majors will do. This is one tradition that needs to return to junior drum corps.
Overall, I had a great time in Denver. The show was terrific, and the Blue Knights are to be congratulated for their support of this competition. And it was very nice to see Dan Acheson make the trip to Denver to present the awards to the corps.
Overall a very nice show, Mile High is a great place to see a drum corps show. I hope the championships will return here in the near future.
First to compete was the Troopers, it was sad to see such a small corps, but we were very happy to see them still competing. They were a little weak, but hopefully they'll make a strong comeback soon.
Next to compete was Kiwanis Kavaliers, it was refreshing to see some new faces at "Drums", pretty sweet uniforms.
Next up, the Blue Knights, the local favorite, pretty "Butterflies" and silks - guard uniforms really need some help.Musically, they had a nice run. Horn line was one of their best yet, coming from an ex horn player.
Glassmen were hot, good total package. definitely keep an eye on these guys. Had a good drumline and let everyone know it right out of the gate.
Madison Scouts had an excellent entrance, when they say "Take the field" these guys really showed how to get it done. Very entertaining show, the crowd seemed to feel they got jipped with a third place score and objected with lots of "BOO's" and a standing ovation, crowd also cheered them on when they left the field after retreat while Blue Devils were setting to play. Even the show M.C. down on the field said "This happens every year."
On to Santa Clara Vanguard, these guys marched their butts off with a very intense drill! Stellar drumline, good guard, especially the uniforms. Score wise they should have been a lot closer in the hunt, we were convinced they would win. Listen for the Appalachian Spring run in the ballad, very nice touch.
Blue Devils - I'm sorry to say, I wasn't that impressed. their show was a bit low energy, they didn't seem to pull the crowd in much until they played after retreat. On the positive side, Horn line, Horn line, Wow! What a horn line!
Last up, the Crossmen, nice to see another (new to drums) group, the spot they pulled would have been a tough one for a lot of corps and they had a girl collapse on the field due to the 105 degree heat here in Denver today. Not only did she go down, two Contras fell on her, one horn was actually broken. Hope she's okay and feeling much better after cooling down a bit, it's sad to see, these kids work so hard for a good score and a little recognition and something like this comes into play, but you handled it like pro's guys! By the way, another girl (from a different corps) passed out at the end of their run so this wasn't a good day to be running your backside off. Way to go!!, to all who competed.
These are just a few opinions that we thought would be of interest, the order of appearance may not be totally accurate, but should be pretty close.One last thing, and I know this has been said before but, we had a friend that is new to the whole Drum Corps scene with us that agrees it would have been a lot more enjoyable if the music was more recognizable to the common person.
First of all, I have to say that this was one of the most competitive DRUMS I've ever seen or attended. I was very surprised by the outcome. The announcer was great, the grounds were good, and the Scoreboard Controller was an idiot. The announcer called the Blue Devils score (82.6) and the scoreboard said 82.6. And then during the Blue Devils show the scoreboard said that the Madison Scouts were on the field. But overall, it was a very entertaining show.
Division II/III: Sorry guys, missed ya but I will put scores!
Blue Devils "B": 80.0 (1st Place) 35 B, 30 P, 20 CG 1 DM
Music from "The Wiz" and "The Wizard of Oz" including Bluebirds Fly and Overture Music, Night On Bald Mountain (witches theme) and excerpts from The Amazons; On Dangerous Ground (Themes from The Wizard of Oz, Going Home Medley, and Home.
Seattle Cascades: 66.0 (2nd Place) (none in program)
Music from Chicago Transit Authority including Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?, Listen, Someday, and Beginnings
Allegiance Elite: 64.5 (3rd Place) 48B, 30P, 30CG, 1DM
"Africa" including Coming to Africa Incantation, ....To Die For (from the Lion King), Tribal Drums, and Lea Halalea Africa
Americanos: 63.9 (4th Place) 40B, 30P, 24CG, 1DM
Another Night In Tunisia, Beautiful Maria of My Soul, Late In the Evening, Spanish Eyes, and Spain
Division I
Troopers: 53.9 (8th Place)
I must say I am an avid Troopers fan, but this year is horrible!! The theme is "Forging a Frontier" including Silverado and Tombstone. I liked the music but the performance was horrible. The guard had no clue what they were doing. The flags were going every which way. The percussion and the brass were bad just as well. The marching was also horrible and nothing in this show was good, unless you count the support from the crowd! High Point: none Low Point: Pretty much everything
Kiwanis Kavaliers 65.0 (7th Place) 50B, 29P, 30CG, 1DM
I have never seen Kiwanis before and I was very surprised at their execution of their show. They are continuing their Musical Tradition this year with "An American In Paris." It was a very exciting show. The brass was a little out of tune, the percussion was pretty good, but the color guard was AWESOME! There were several marching problems, But overall, they did a job well done. If they really polish up the shaky parts, they could have a chance at Finals. Only time will tell. Good Luck! High point: Guard Low point: Marching (just polish it and it will be fine!)
Crossmen 77.0 (6th Place) 56B, 35P, 36CG, 1DM
What can I say? This was the typical Crossmen show: Awesome brass, ROCKIN' Guard, and GREAT Percussion. This year wasn't as emotional as last year, but almost as entertaining. The theme was Pat Metheny music including Third Wind, Letter From Home, and First Circle. The brass was good this year, but could be polished. The percussion is better than last year and the guard isn't as intense, but it works. A member passed out during the last movement suddenly, and that got the crowd going. 2 contras and 1 baritone fell on her, but she apparently was ok. It was scary for a moment. That may have distracted a bit, but hey, they finished good anyway. Not as intense as last year. By the way, playing after SCV is a tough act to follow and they did it masterfully. High Point: Percussion Low point: The G.E. of the show
Blue Knights 78.5 (5th Place) 60B, 35P, 32CG, 1DM
The Blue Knights are baa-ck and all's well in Denver. This is by far their best year. The Brenda Vang designed flags are wonderful. The percussion is S-S-S-mokin and the Brass is BETTER than ever! The theme is Masters of the Symphony, including Shostakovich's 10 symphony (written after Stalin's death), "Pathetique" from Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony (a portrait of Stalin), Dvorak's Largo theme from The New World, and Beethoven's Ode to Joy from his 9th Symphony. The guard was intense tonight and the drill was fast-paced. Kudos to Rob Billings! The scores were low for them and Crossmen. Crossmen was more like a 79 and BK was more like an 81. They are aiming for a Top 7 finish this year Great show. High point: Brass is back Low point: a few marching problems but definitely nothing that can't be fixed.
Glassmen 80.0 (4th Place) 66B, 30P, 30CG, 2DM
These guys were awesome. Their theme "Dreams of Gold: the Music of Alexander Borodin" was very interesting and unique. All around, everything was pretty good, especially the drill. I loved this show. The color guard was better than in the past. The brass was just as hot as they were last year as well as the percussion. This is definitely their best year ever and they should be in the Top 7, maybe 6th. We'll see. High point: the Marching. Man is it clean! Low point: The crowd didn't really appreciate the work put into this show.
Madison Scouts 82.6 (3rd Place) 64B, 34P, 29CG, 1DM
These guys ROCKED the house! Everyone loved them and when their score was announced, everyone booed the judges. This was definitely the crowd fave. I loved the theme of "Power, Pizazz, and All That Jazz" It wasn't as good as last year though. The brass as usual kicked MAJOR A--! The percussion was pretty good, but not Championship Caliber. This score was a little low. Maybe an 84. The guard was great, especially at the beginning when they all threw their rifles up and they all caught them at the same time. I don't know what it takes to win another championship, but whatever it is, I hope they find it fast. Good luck the rest of the summer. High point: Guard Low point: Percussion (sort of disappointing)
Santa Clara Vanguard 84.8 (2nd Place) 64B, 28P, 34CG, 2DM; High Percussion
I LOVE this show like I do every other SCV show. Kudos to Myron Rosander for a great drill. This show deserved to win. the music, Copland is great, exciting and dramatic. The brass kicked this year like last year. The guard is A LOT better this year compared to last. At the end they were lightning-quick. But the highlight was the percussion. Kudos also to Jim Casella. SCV gets cheated a lot when it comes to DCI World Championships. These guys were clean and should make the top 3 again this year. High point: Percussion Low point: none
Blue Devils 86.2 (1st Place) 66B, 24P, 36CG, 2DM High Color Guard, Brass, Visual and G.E.
These guys were Cool Beans! They really played a good show tonight. Though it's not as challenging as last year, I seem to like it better. I've always liked the Blue Devils, but I seem to always root for CBC and SCV. The brass here was sky high. The West Side Story-Romeo & Juliet relationship kept it in it's niche. The Percussion was good, but not great. The color guard was really good , but I think, should not have won. SCV was so much more mean. They were one of my favorite shows and deserved 1st place. High Point: Brass Low Point: none
Overall this was one of the most competitive DATR's I've ever been to. Here is my fave list and Ranking List:
Ranking List:
Thanks for reading my review and see y'all in Houston, Ypsi, Allentown, and, of course, Orlando! Buh-bye!
Nick
Cadets of Bergen County..90.1 Cavaliers................89.8 Phantom Regiment.........80.0 Magic of Orlando.........78.5 Colts....................77.3 Spirit of Atlanta........73.2 Boston Crusaders.........70.0 Thanks to DANIEL MOYER for emailing us these scores!
I attended the Cavaliers' show last night in Michigan City, Indiana. After carefully taking notes during each of the corps' performances, here's how I feel that the show went.
The first corps in competition was Spirit of Atlanta. I was really looking forward to seeing them because id heard so many good things about them. I only wish I had a better vantage point (25 yard line stage right). Spirit's marching 58 brass, 33 percussion, 28 guard. They have a traditional Spirit show which starts out with an awesome soprano soloist (of course) and then the "wall of sound" lets you have it. The corps seems to have a very laid back approach to drum corps. Which is nice to see. They did have a little phasing from toms to snares at times but nothing a little metronome can't cure. I think their biggest problem was individual marching style. It seemed not everyone was the same tonight. But that didn't stop me from enjoying their show. By the way, the ladies in the color guard were some of prettiest girls on the planet. And were very talented to boot. Nice job Spirit! 73.20 6th
Next up were the Colts. Crown Him With Many Crowns was a treat to hear again. I'm constantly impressed by the battery at the end of the tune. The ending is exciting and could be very easily overplayed, but these guys do it with such control. The corps has a ritardando or two in the show and battery are handled extremely well. Also, the marching in half time during the 6/8 section is pulled off nicely as well. The ending of the show seems to get more exciting with each viewing and the corps is definitely headed in the right direction. Those folks from Iowa did it again. Looking good! 5th 77.30
Boston Crusaders up next. 52 Brass, 33 percussion, 21 guard, 3 DM. Seahawk, their opening tune is clean, but seems to lack excitement. The brass execute the 16th notes well and there is good timing throughout. The battery uses Ludwigs and the toms seem to be huge. They must be the heaviest ones out there. The corps has a very military approach as usual but like I said, I think they need to sell their show some more. Conquest is pretty exciting this year. In my opinion, it's the best arrangement that the corps has ever used. Keep at it Boston Crew! We're all pulling for ya. 7th 70.00
Then came the boys from Florida. Magic of Orlando. I'll have to say over the past few years I've enjoyed this corps more and more. In God Bless This Child, the corps holds this note, in the mean time the drum major interacts with the crowd asking if they want more volume. I'm glad we said yes. The corps then lets the crowd have a fortissimo that parted our hair down the middle and set us all back three rows. Very very nice. All the soloist people were on the money tonight and were fun to watch. The color guard looks very interesting (again) some of the 16th notes played were cloudy at times but they are very difficult and and performed well for the most part. Nice lower pitch snare tuning which is nice to hear. And they have good dynamic control. The pit had a tempo tare at one point but only for a second. Very entertaining show! 4Th 78.50
Brief intermission followed by a long wait at the concessions and short trip to souvie booth led us into our next corps in competition.
The Cadets of Bergen County. What word can I use to describe the cadets? Awesome? That's not good enough. Phenomenal? More like it. How do these guys do it? Every year they just come out smokin'. This year is no exception. I set my pad and paper down and just enjoyed. As well as the rest of the crowd. I couldn't find anything wrong, and mistakes usually jump out at me. Stonehenge by Jan van der Roost. Will prove to be yet another Cadets' classic. The end of the opener is very exciting and blew the crowd away. Really looking forward to these guys going up against Blue Devils and SCV. Look out though, those guys from Rosemont are right behind ya and they are hungry. 65 Brass, 30 guard, 26 percussion. 1st 90.10
The Phantom Regiment is up. These guys handle their Songs from the Eternal City show pretty good. Even though clarity is a problem some times. I really like the herald trumpets used in Un Bel Di by Puccini. Very nice effect. The pit handles their six mallet work with style and look very professional.I also enjoy The Pines of Rome as well. The corps has some cleaning up to do yet but they are coming along rather nice. Check out the large flags used at end of the show as well as the huge banner. Spiritus Concordia Unitis Semper. What does that mean? Maybe I should ask Roman Blenski. (God, I'm getting bad) Keep up the hard work Regiment. Things are coming along good. 3rd 80.00
Cavaliers are up at their home show. They have 64 brass, 32 percussion, 32 guard. This corps is very clean musically. Visually some minor flaws but slowly working their way out. I'm constantly impressed by the huge bass sounds coming out of the pit. Sounds good! There are lots of runs in the brass all of which seem to be very clean, and the brass also handle this decrescendo very well, especially at the pianissimo level. Oh by the way, when the guard uses China Boys during Machine it really adds to the overall impacts. The contra basses also play their feature very well. Green Machine at it again. 2nd place 89.8
Very good DCI show again. See ya all at DCI Mid America. Looking forward to it. Now its back to work for a while.
East Coast Jazz..........87.5 Patriots.................83.8 Spartans.................82.7 Jersey Surf..............76.8 Citations................68.0 Knight Storm.............65.4 Phoenix..................61.6 Spectrum.................60.5 Thanks to john for emailing us these scores!
Pioneer..................75.4 Capital Sound............65.1 Blue Stars...............62.4 Racine Scouts............38.0 Bandettes................EXH Thanks to DCI for these scores!
Tarheel Sun..............71.8 Phantom Legion...........61.1 Blue Grass Brass Sr......46.6 Marion Cadets............43.0 Memorial Lancers.........38.0 Marquis..................36.4 Thanks to DCI for these scores!
OPEN Kips Bay Knights Club....80.10 Div. II Phoenix, NJ..............67.80 Div. III Spectrum................. 1st Defenders............48.80 Latin Knights............61.00 Illusion (host)..........57.40 Thanks to Jose Velazquez for emailing us these scores!
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