July 12, 1997, Hershey, PA - DCI-AD Championships

Cadets of Bergen County..86.2 - GE, Brass, Perc, Vis, Aux
Bluecoats................80.0
Crossmen.................78.0
Magic of Orlando.........77.1 - DM
Carolina Crown...........75.4
Boston Crusaders.........71.5
Kiwanis Kavaliers........71.3
Academie Musicale........70.2
Les Etoiles..............69.6
Spirit of Atlanta........68.0
Tarheel Sun..............61.0 - (Exhibition)
Southwind................59.6
East Coast Jazz..........59.3 - (Exhibition)

US Marine Corps D&B......Exhibition

Thanks to Mike Simaska for emailing us these scores!
Thanks to Sean Taylor for emailing us these scores!

Review - July 12, 1997, Hershey, PA - DCI-AD Championships

Thanks to Mike Ferlazzo for emailing us this review!


Editorial notes:

HERSHEY, Pa. -- Before a packed Hershey Stadium crowd of almost 10,000, the Cadets of Bergen Country swept all major captions in easily topping a field of 13 corps to win the first Drum Corps International Atlantic Division Championship, as expected, with a season high score of 86.2. Magic of Orlando kept the Cadets from a clean sweep by winning the Best Drum Major Award.

You could hear the "oohs" and "aaws" from the large crowd throughout the Cadets (64B, 30P, 32CG, 2 DM) program of "Celebration" and "Year of the Dragon" by Phillip Sparks. The fast horn runs and accompanying whiplash drill throughout much of the program drove the crowd to its feet by the show's end. All sections perform proficiently, although the color guard probably stands out because of the numerous throws throughout the show. Has anybody had more throws in a show? The large demands on airborne equipment go hand-in-hand with the musical demands from this note-laden show. Has anybody ever played more notes?

This was my second viewing of the Cadets this season, not counting my visit to their camp at Allentown College, and the furious horn run to open the show is really starting to clean up, although it still needs some more refining before August. There were a few guard drops early on, but with so many equipment demands you almost have to expect that. The ballad is truly a Cadets' classic, although the guard tosses throughout make the visual package a little busy and could distract from the flowing beauty of the piece. The trademark, but expanded, z-pull at the end is incredible. All-and-all, a great show -- championship caliber and possibly one of their best -- but the large number of notes and difficult visual demands may be too much to clean in order to win the title.

The Bluecoats (60B, 26P, 30CG, 2 DM) may be presenting their best show ever and added some distance between themselves and the intense battle with the Crossmen and Magic of Orlando, placing second while hitting 80 (80.0 to be exact) for the first time this season. I also saw the 'Coats in Wilmington on June 28 and I was impressed with their complete package during their "Midnight Blue...Jazz After Dark, the Bluecoats Way" program. While the judges certainly indicated that they thought the "Coats were improving, I didn't think they performed their best show Saturday night. Their familiar jazz program and big sound is easily approachable for the fans and the large Hershey crowd wanted to respond wildly. But while the performance tonight did receive a standing ovation, it was reserved and probably more of an appreciation for the program than the performance on this night.

Of special note, the 'Coats marched just six snares tonight because or illness to their seventh, although they have added another tom playing -- giving them five. While the impacts by the hornline really fill it up, they weren't as crisp as they need to be to contend for a top six spot -- at least not on this night. Several horn players fell during "Harlem Nocturne," possibly creating a little of that uneasiness. The drum break in the opener, featuring the snares on an elevated stage right playing floor basses with foot pedals, is a real highlight. The guard has added purple skirts to their uniforms for the ballad titled "Moon," which really didn't seem any cleaner than the first time I saw this corps -- musically or visually. It's a pretty piece which seems to be their weakest number and should receive some attention before August. The closer "You and the Night and the Music" was strong, and could get stronger with some additions and rewrites to the end which I found out about at the corps' practice site earlier in the day. One of the staff told me it would include fast paced drill, even bigger brass impacts and more guard work. Unfortunately, he also told me that the large snare line, which included mounted suspended cymbals on every other snare, was going to be cut. In fact, he said that last night was its final show!

Big news from the Bluecoats camp is that they are going through a director change. Apparently, the workload was too much for 65-year-old Bill Maling to handle by himself, so he has left the corps. Longtime corps director Ted Swaldo has stepped in on the interim basis and gave the corps a rousing pep talk on this afternoon, telling them that "this was the best show he could remember from the Bluecoats," He also announced that former director Bill Hamilton will be returning as director on Monday. Hamilton had been the director the past four years, but had a parting of the ways following last season due to philosophical differences with the rest of corps management. Swaldo says those difference have been "ironed out" and announced Hamilton's return to the applause of the corps members.

The Crossmen (50B, 35P, 40CG, 1 DM) have come a long way since I first viewed them in their camp at Allentown College, placing third on this night at 78.0. While the spread got wider between the X-men and the 'Coats, the staff was probably pleased with the solid victory over Magic -- which had the upper hand throughout most of the early season. The popular jazz book, titled "The Colors of Jazz," is like the sequel to last season's popular "The Voices of Jazz" program. It opens where if left off last season, with the ever popular "Birdland." While "Blues in the Night" and "You Are My Sunshine" continue that theme through the middle of the program, "Niner-Two" certainly has to be a stretch for a jazz classic. Nonetheless, the corps has one of the best color guards in DCI and a much-improved hornline which drove the crowd to a well-deserved standing ovation. This was probably the second most-popular show next to the Cadets.

While the drumline is large (9 snares, 4 toms, 5 basses, 5 cymbals, 12 pit) and has a great front ensemble, the battery is stylistically much different than the great "Bones" lines of years' past. It's getting better, but the battery is in much more of a support position this season with a great deal of the drill taking place backfield. It almost appears as if efforts have been made to "tone down" the engine which has driven this corps for many years, with cowbells mounted on the front of the snares, who are playing on duller plastic heads with NO scoops. I watched the drumline run its break in "Niner-Two" several times at its practice site and it is getting better, but the footwork and aggressiveness of past lines' just isn't there -- at least not YET! That's not true of the pit, which is talented and just a whole lot of fun! By the way, the "Niner-Two" drum break sounds likes a '90s version of the break played by the 27th Lancers when they performed this song in the '80s.

Back to the corps proper, it's nice to see the aussies back -- although they are black with white vertical plumes and a shiny red band to match the jacket fronts. The guard's purple form-fitting outfits match the theme of the program very well and the members project the proper sultry jazz attitude. Watch for some incredible tosses throughout! Other than the improving battery, this program still needs one big thing -- FASTER TEMPOS! Both "Birdland" and "Niner-Two" are nice, but could really cook if they approached the tempos of last year's "Birdland" and 27's "Niner-Two."

Aside from the drum major award, it was probably a disappointing night for the Magic of Orlando (64B, 31P, 28CG, 2 DM), which placed fourth at 77.1. Magic was fast out of the blocks this season with its "Carnivale: Celebrations for Sinner and Saint" program, beating both Bluecoats and Crossmen during my first viewing on June 28, but appears to be losing some of its scoring punch. Unfortunately, some of that may be because of the show design, which is fun and exotically entertaining but also somewhat senior corps-like with many "park and bark" segments. The corps, and even the drum majors, seemed a little flat tonight too, possibly contributing to their fourth-place finish.

Since my last viewing, the corps proper has added light purple sashes to their traditional purple and gold tuxedo jackets, with big white plumes now in front of the black plumes on the hats. The corps proper is also now doing the "Funky Chicken" during its opening Bourbon Street parade, which I don't believe they did two weeks ago. The drum majors couldn't seem to get the crowd response in "Lil' Liza Jane" like they had in Wilmington, possibly because Central Pennsylvania has a little more "traditional" drum corps taste. That may have contributed to the corps' less-inspired performance and lower placement. "Mass" was a beautiful ballad with a pretty mellophone solo and some pretty sheer, white guard silks. By the end of the piece, the entire guard has these large, white silks, with some of them containing black drawings of an open eye. The impact in "Mintzer's Voodoo Magic" also got the crowd back into the show, particularly those who don't like mellow pieces.

It appears to me that this program is driven on its GE, and if the corps isn't clicking that way, this program really suffers. Because of all the standstill segments, they also really need to clean up their performance -- both musically and in the drill. If they do that, they'll still compete with the Crossmen (and it sounds like the Glassmen based on the midwestern scores) as the hometown corps in Orlando. The 'Coats may be out of reach though because their program is just that much better.

Carolina Crown (53B, 30P, 36CG, 1DM) went on after X-men, Magic and Bluecoats and it really hurt them with the crowd, although their fifth- place finish of 75.4 has them within striking distance now of Magic. The familiar music of their "Postcards from Britain" program offers some exciting moments -- both musically, and visually with some guard tosses -- but the whole program still doesn't tie together. I spoke with a member of the creative team at their souvenir stand and he said the staff also feels the show lacks cohesion and will be addressing that in coming weeks. Unfortunately, while some of the corps were going home for some R&R and a chance refine their show through camps, Carolina Crown is staying on the road -- heading to Dallas, Tex., following last night's appearance. That means their tweaking is going to have to be done on the move. If this cleans up and has better progression, they could rejoin the pack battling for seventh and eighth. If not, they could be fighting to retain their spot in finals.

Since seeing them in Wilmington, they've added several large, eloquent brass gates for the different groups to march through during the "Crown Imperial" start. I heard some positive response from the crowd to the concept, although the hornline still lacks the impact it needs during its first unison statement. The guard is large and busy throughout the program, with numerous tosses and costume changes. While the costume changes are effective -- particularly in the second number "Terpsichore" when the crowd is introduced to fencers, fox hunters, croquet players, and British maidens wearing large yellow sun hats -- the work is still badly in need of cleaning, possibly because of the demands of all these costume changes. The ballad -- "Enigma Variation IX 'Nimrod'" -- is beautiful and will even be better once the corps begins to project. Watch for the classy British women in hoop skirts dancing with gents during that ballad.

I believe their drumline is the strongest section of the corps, although recaps in Drum Corps World don't suggest that. Their 10 snares were the most of the night and appeared crisp to me, although the book is probably not as involved as some. The Crown staff might want to think about more of an extended drum break since they seem to have the horses and are in need of some GE.

The easy surprise of the night was the sixth-place finish by the Boston Crusaders (45B, 28P, 20CG, 2DM), who scored 71.5 to narrowly defeat a pack of five corps separated by just 3.5 points. I have to admit, I didn't have them nearly that high for their "Portraits of Our Homeland - Conflicts and Resolution Program." Like the Crossmen, this is the sequel to Boston's program a year ago. While I believe this program is better than 1996's, it's very traditional in nature and lacks the innovation of some of the other corps. Apparently, at least according to the judges, they're performing it well, although I thought their execution was really lacking at times tonight. I believe this version of the Crusaders is potentially better than the 1994 corps which just missed making DCI finals in front of the home crowd, but I also believe the open class competition is much better now and this show will be hard-pressed to contend for that same status. Based on tonight's placement, they'll probably make semifinals -- although there were four corps tonight and Pioneer in the midwest who could make that interesting.

The corps opens with five large (and presently unpainted) plywood picture frames, with different segments coming through those frames during the "Original Fanfare." Obviously, these are designed to set the mood for the "Portraits" show. The fanfare is pleasant, featuring a nice effect two drummers playing on old field drums and another on an old bass drum, the show really gets moving with the haunting sounds of "Chester Overture" -- ala Star of Indiana's patriotic show. "A Lincoln Portrait" feature a nice mellophone solo and some nice backfield work, although a harsh xylophone solo bridges directly to the next song. "Victory at Sea" is a beautiful piece with a solid drum solo, but the hornline just isn't quite performing it at this time. I actually heard some crass sounds coming from my seat on the 40. It didn't bring the show to a rousing finish, earning a spotty standing ovation.

Of special note, while the battery is large by Boston standards (eight snares, four toms, five basses, three cymbals), its not very visually appealing with the snares and basses cream-colored and the toms in burgundy. I hope that's just because Ludwig hasn't shipped the new toms, or they haven't gotten around to refinishing the old ones, but they look out of place right now. Once again, the tuning of the drums are also quite low, just like last year. I know Ludwigs aren't as crisp as some of the other brands, but these are low by even their standards. I don't know if they are looking for an old-fashioned sound, but that's almost what they've achieved.

The guard uniforms are also "interesting" at best. They featuring black-and-white plaid fronts which almost look like aprons around grey t-shirts and black spandex tights. When they turn away from the front, all you see is grey and black. The colors chosen for this show in the guard are also not very vibrant, at least not as colorful as some of their closest rivals.

Kiwanis Kavaliers (48B, 33P, 22CG, 1 DM) was just two-tenths behind Boston in seventh at 71.3. Their placement was not real popular with the crowd, which gave their "Evita" program a rousing standing ovation. This corps has made great strides since I saw them in Wilmington, improving some 12 points in two weeks. If they continue this improvement, with their solid program in place, they could be a fringe contender for a top 12 spot. The music is powerful and easily approachable because of the success of the Broadway production. The corps continues to add more props to sell the production too. Every section seems to be solid and now projecting better. They just need to continue tweaking and improving the execution.

"Requiem" opens with a big fanfare which immediately drew the crowd into the program. The ballad shows off the white sheer "Peron" flags, which I had no problem reading. "And the Money Keeps Rolling In" is later in the program and contains an entertaining drum break with an eight-bass feature. "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" brought the crowd to its feet and now contains large white flags with gold trim and the black Evita logo.

The guard costumes are very effective for this program, with the white halter tops and multi-colored, flower-print Latin dresses with the slits up the side. These dresses actually contain same-colored veils, which the guard takes off and uses effectively later in the program. If they could just work on completing the tans on their legs, which appear two-toned.

Academie Musicale (41B, 19P, 20CG, 1DM) is now a legitimate open class corps, even if its membership still appears young, placing eighth tonight at 70.2. Actually, the corps may just appear young because of their trademark short, flat-top, military-style hats. I like them because that's their style, but Kiwanis Kavaliers just seemed so much older because of their tall shakos. Nonetheless, this visually-loaded program titled "Metamorphosis: A Choreographic Suite in Four Acts" suits this corps' fast-paced style very well and is supported very nicely by a fuller brass line and able color guard. The clean visual/M&M program, featuring some Star of Indiana-like body movements, is this corps' real strength. Once again, the smallish field percussion (five snares, three toms) is its weak link and could really be keeping it from moving higher up to DCI ranks.

After a great drum major salute while the color guard lays down between the horn columns, "Act 1: Vision of a Spirit" features some creative body movements and spirited playing. The multi-shaded blue flags of the color guard are also very appealing. "Act 3: Temptation" has some really nice impacts and high guard tosses, although there were a few drops tonight. "Act 4: Redemption" brings the show to a rousing finish. The crowd responded positively, although the music is unrecognizable.

Talk about a surprise, smaller Les Etoiles (36B, 26P, 20 CG, 1DM) followed the popular Kiwanis Kavaliers and brought the house down with a closing drum feature you just have to see to believe. Despite one of the most spirited responses, the corps placed ninth at 69.6.

The 1996 DCI Division II champions are still marching about six horn holes, but put out a much fuller sound then their 36 horns would suggest throughout their program. They have a tight soprano run in the opening statement of the "Nixon" piece. The shimmering, purple sun dresses worn by the guard are also attractive.

While the program building up to the drum break is nice and performed well, the crowd gets involved when the six-person snare line begins playing on their rotating garbage can/thunder drums with mounted cymbals. I didn't see this corps last year, but I can't believe they moved this apparatus as much as they do this year, swiveling it around between the 40s. As if that's not enough, members of the pit (I believe there are six) climb into a devise which features roto-toms in front of seated cages. Designed by Remo, which had a representative there to unveil the equipment by taking off the black cover, this looks like an awfully large devise for playing single roto-toms, until you see that each player can be spun around in a 360 while playing their respective drum. And boy, do they spin -- all the way to the end of the show for about a minute!! As the corps marches off the field to the frenzied crowd, the other corps members continue to spin the roto-tom players while they roll the equipment off the field. I've never seen anything like it!

Spirit of Atlanta (43B, 30P, 16CG, 1 DM)is back, despite their 10th- place finish tonight at 68.0. The crowd, which had earlier given Spirit the first true standing ovation of the night, voiced its disapproval to the placement. While the uniforms have been modernized -- featuring royal blue jackets with gold buttons similar to Suncoast Sound, with a subtle gold and red Delta against their cream colored pants -- the program titled "Southern Jazz - Spirit Style" is just that, old time Spirit of Atlanta music with a '90s twist. The guard wears purple Southern belle pant suits and once again portrait that sultry Southern attitude. When the corps hits its first impact of "Georgia On My Mind," it brings goose bumps and really got the crowd involved for the first time. The closer of "Let It Be Me" gets the same response and really brings the crowd to its feet. This is not just a token response for Sprit playing its most popular music, the corps is performing so much better than its first two years back on the field.

They still need to add a few more horn players and guard members and clean up the execution, particularly with the horn line on the move. If they can do that, you might just see Spirit at semi-finals.

Of special note, the drumline is a nice size and pretty tight. The high matched-grip sticking unison part in the drum break is particularly effective. The red flags against the purple guard outfits in the closer are very colorful and are later changed to big, bright, shimmering multi-colored flags for the final push.

DCI's biggest surprise this year might be Tarheel Sun (50B, 30P, 26CG, 1DM) from Cary, N.C. The DCI Atlantic Division II champs really look more like an emerging open class corps with size and developing confidence. After blowing away the Division II competition on Friday, they were the second corps on Saturday night and went on to easily defeat open class Southwind (which actually looks more like a Division II corps), finishing 11th at 61.0. This corps should be the favorite to win DCI's Division II championship and could make a run at semi-finals too, although they've got a lot of cleaning and performance improvement to do before that happens. By the way, if they remind you of some of the successful Dutch Boy corps of the late '80s, they should. I believe former Dutch Boy corps director Al DiCroce is now running this corps -- at least he was at their practice site earlier in the day. He gave a rousing pep talk before their afternoon workout and might just get this corps motivated into believing it belongs with the "big boys." In fact, as Al told the kids, "We are a big boy!"

On this night, the sopranos, percussion and guard seemed to be up to the challenge, although the low brass appeared tentative. Actually, the whole corps seemed to be a little nervous, or maybe over hyped, for this show. The guard's teal outfits are stunning, particularly when they each add a different colored skirt for the end of the show -- ala Dutch Boys' guard. They where those skirts to retreat too. The attractive and colorful color guard particularly has the feel of the former Canadian champion. The snare line has a nice tight style on its well-tuned Premier equipment, although the toms are a little loose in comparison to the snare line. The program has some recognizable drum corps pieces, like "Cuban Fire Song" and "On Fire/Caribe." The success of this corps, in just its second year, should develop and interesting rival with state rival Carolina Crown in coming years.

Southwind (28B, 30P, 14CG, 1DM) was the first "open class" corps of the night, but they look and sound like they should trade with Tarheel Sun, finishing 12th tonight at 59.6. It's not that Southwind is bad, they play and perform their "Scenes from Childhood" show pretty well, but they are just missing the impact because they lack the bodies. The show is fun, cute and well done -- ala 1994 Crossmen, although they don't have the numbers the Crossmen had in '94. Like that production, Southwind's guard also wears the costumes of children and tries to portray that role.

The hornline was a little tentative tonight, although the large drumline -- which includes a five-person cymbal line -- picked up the intensity. The drum break during the "Iron Will" closer was well-played, but lacks some color which could make it real crowd appealing. In fact, the hole drum book, which performed well, suffers from some simplicity. Still, the percussion section clearly leads this corps. The visual program as whole is very side-to-side, although I was sitting low and not at the best vantage point to view drills.

Division III runner-up East Coast Jazz (23B, 19P, 10CG, 2DM)opened the program in place of the surprise D-III champion Rochester Patriots, which hosted their own show Saturday. Because of their size, it was tough for this corps to compete against the open class groups, although they nearly knocked off Southwind, losing by just three-tenths while finishing 13th at 59.3.

This corps is clearly led by its powerful hornline, which features great soloists and a bigger sound then it would appear to have. A beautiful soprano solo opens the program, titled "Threshhold: The Music of Patrick Williams." Another great soprano solo is heard later in the program. The drum break in the middle of the program has some good ideas, with the four-man snare line using brushes to create a nice effect. The guard comes up with a very unique prop during the drum break, opening up expandable red cage-like balls which look like the Cavaliers "Planets" balls. The guard supports nicely throughout the program. The horns ran out of a little steam at the end of their program tonight, but possibly from trying to project to such a large crowd. East Coast Jazz will easily be a contender for DCI's Division III championship this year.

All-and-all, this was a great show and made me optimistic that drum corps is still alive and very well, in spite of all the "gloom-and-doom" accounts you read each year. DCI Executive Director Dan Acheson and DCI Atlantic Division Executive Director Tony DiCarlo presented the awards at retreat, which did feature a full Olympic-style retreat and a unison rendition of "America the Beautiful/Oh Canada," followed by the encore by the Cadets. While I enjoyed this patriotic unison arrangement several years ago when DCI first unveiled it, I've grown tired of the production and long for the days when corps got to play themselves off. Wasn't it great to hear Boston play "Conquest," or Spirit to really open up again with "Georgia on My Mind." I know they're trying to get the corps and fans on their respective ways earlier, but I feel a little cheated by the new retreat procedure. Once again, I think DCI, DCI Atlantic and Five-Star Brass should be commended for a GREAT show, but DCI should rethink why it doesn't want to give EACH corps one more chance to thrill the crowd. I know when I marched in 1983, I looked forward to playing ourselves off the field. It also seems kind of foolish to bring the drumlines back onto the field with their drums if THEY ALSO don't get a chance to use them.

Just a suggestion.

Review - July 12, 1997, Hershey, PA - DCI-AD Championships

Thanks to Lee Helena for emailing us this review!


Editorial notes:

I'll make this review short and sweet. I sat in the nose bleeds but the view was still pretty good from section 7.

East Coast Jazz (Exh) Very strong hornline with nice sop. soloists. They have a solid enjoyable show, especially with the guards' globe-like props.

TarHeel Sun (Exh) I can't believe this is only their second year! They were really good. The only thing I didn't like was that their show was called 'SunFire' but with their uniforms being almost all black, it was hard to interpret that theme. All in all though, really impressive.

Southwind - Other than the guard uniforms, you wouldn't know that the music was suppose to be about kids. Nice try but they aren't selling the theme.

Spirit Of Atlanta - Yea, Wow, Cool. Great to see them, especially there guard. I would expect to see them all in the next Victoria Secret Issue. This group is so good that I couldn't except such a low score. Great uniforms, brass, drums, guard, the works.

Academie Musicale - Very Junior look, but a nice solid show. I don't remember anything really great or bad, just a show in mid-July. I love their hats, a lot like ours at West Point. Impressive overall.

Boston Crusaders - The Guy beside me was from Boston and he had to make sure I knew it. A solid show but they need to make more use out of the frames. 'Eternal Father' was nice. They are just not going to be up high with this show.

Kiwanis Kavaliers - I got upset when their pit decided to have a loud pep talk and break in the middle of Boston's show. Not very considerate. The show did have theme,which a lot of corps had a problem getting to the crowd. When I first heard the soundtrack to Evita I said to myself, "This will meet the field and I hope SCV does it!" I'll accept KK's. It was nice but I would make "Buenos Aires" longer. Spacing problems but they got a standing O.

Les Etoiles - They need some work on cleaning drill but this ending is out of this world. I loved the spinning rack and the torture device for pit members at the very end is so neat. I know I couldn't play if I was being spun upside down. Tres Cool!!

Crossmen - I went to their practice and the drums were working on playing and marching at the same time. They are looking very good. The more guard you have, you expect more drops but I was not distracted by the few. I didn't see a great percussion feature anywhere. This thing needs speed. This corps can do so well. I think what they are lacking is confidence at this point. Great Show!

Magic - Cool guard but the show is, well, slow. By the time they get home in August,they will be in the run for 7th or 6th. Great Brass.

Bluecoats - They were practicing at an old high school of mine. I like the Pit during 'Moon' and the percussion ramp is nice but I don't like the big ramp, or at least the cover on the front of it. I love the color on the line's drums. Real nice overall.

Carolina Crown - I didn't like the opener, but I really like the rest, especially the guard uniforms in 'Terpsichore'. These guys are selling the theme. I love the shirt "Brits and Grits." They had a good solid drumline which isn't featured muck or enough. They're looking for a brass player. Good Show, but it's hard to follow Crossmen and Bluecoats.

Cadets of BC - The beginning notes were messy to me but the drill is looking great. They had more guard drops that I expected. I'd like to see the whole guard on flags during the ballad- all those different pieces take away from the music. The Show was really nice and fast and Cadets BUT, I still like their '92 show better. If the can clean, they can win. Nice Job.

US Marine D&B Corps (Exh) I liked them a lot and they had the best quints of the night. I felt really sorry for the cymbal player that lost his hat at the beginning, right in front.

A couple of Notes: A few of the fans and I were pretty upset from all the mallet warm-ups that could be heard from outside during the performances. Then the warm ups continued throughout the night and were very distracting. Then it began to rain bugs as they were fried by the stadium lights. There were bugs all over us. A lot of people left because it became such a nuisance. I had a great time even though we all knew who would win.

My Next shows will be in the Carolinas right before finals. It is going to be a real fight in Orlando and I wouldn't be surprised by high scores during the week.

Lee Helena
Cadet, United States Military Academy
Go Army, Beat Navy!!!!

Recaps - July 12, 1997, Hershey, PA - DCI-AD Championships

Thanks to Jeff Mitchell for emailing us these recaps! GEM GEV EM EV BP PP VP TOTAL East Coast 125 128 84 96 66 51 43 59.3 Tarheel 121 144 80 90 68 61 46 61.0 Southwind 115 126 95 85 67 59 49 59.6 Spirit 134 149 101 100 71 68 57 68.0 Academie 143 161 99 116 69 60 54 70.2 Boston 138 153 107 110 70 67 70 71.5 Kiwanis 131 151 104 113 73 71 72 71.3 Les Etoiles 133 147 97 117 65 63 74 69.6 Crossmen 155 157 114 124 76 76 78 78.0 Magic 153 163 119 121 75 74 66 77.1 Bluecoats 154 162 122 125 82 75 80 80.0 Crown 148 155 110 119 72 73 77 75.4 Cadets 168 173 127 135 85 89 85 86.2

July 12, 1997, Concord, CA

Blue Devils..............86.6 - (GE, Visual, and Brass)
Santa Clara Vanguard.....84.1 - (Percussion)

Div II
Blue Devils B............81.9 - (Percussion and GE)
Pacific Crest............81.5 - (Brass and Visual)

Div III
Mandarins................83.1 - (GE and Visual)
Earthquake...............75.0 - (Percussion and Brass)
SC Vanguard Cadets.......71.9
West Coast Sound.........60.2

Thanks to Larry on r.a.m.d for these scores!

Review - July 12, 1997, Concord, CA

Thanks to Larry on r.a.m.d for this review!


Editorial notes:

Hi, All...

Just got back from PW, in fact, I'm sitting here at my friend's computer typing this. Here's a brief review...

Overall, performances seemed to be lacking in energy tonight. The weather was nice, and the DVC (Diablo Valley College) stadium was excellent as usual. After four youth bands performed, We were treated to Div. III corps.

West Coast Sound (4) 60.2--A small corps. They have a good sound. It's nice to see them doing this well their first year out of the gate. I don't know what the program was, as the printed program did not have them listed in the corps section.

Vanguard Cadets (3) 71.9--This corps has improved greatly since I saw them at PP. The Evita program is really coming along, and all sections are performing well. Energy was not a problem for this corps tonight.

Earthquake (2) 75.0--Percussion and Brass--I was surprised that this corps took these two captions. For a first year corps they are very strong. There were some problems with the energy level towards the end of their performance. Look for this corps to show vast improvement over the next year.

Mandarins (1) 83.1--GE and Visual--Another complex performance from this corps. Like Earthquake, they were plagued with a drop in energy level toward the middle of their program. Their show seems to fall off after the Taiko drum section. Clean performances from all sections with superb guard work. They will be difficult to beat at the championships in August.

DIVISION II

Pacific Crest (2) 81.5--Brass and Visual--I loved this show. I'm convinced at this point, however, that the energy level was being sapped from the corps by the astroturf, as they too seemed to fall off towards the middle of their program. The guard is elegant, and the corps moves well. It's too bad they won't be competing any more this season.

Blue Devil B (1) 81.9--Percussion and GE--What can I say? These kids are excellent. The A Corps has nothing to worry about regarding losing quality due to age-outs with these kids coming in to fill the holes. An entertaining show all around, and a definite contender for the Div. II title in Orlando.

OPEN CLASS

Santa Clara Vanguard (2) 84.1--Percussion--I have liked this show from the beginning, and I see it making great leaps and bounds in the next week or so. This is a definite contender for the title. There's a lot to look at during the entire program, and guard and corps are integrated well throughout. The marching and movement, however, need to be cleaned up a bit. Strong brass and percussion. The new uniforms are back to the classic style.

Blue Devils (1) 86.6--GE, Visual, and Brass--Clean, Cleaner, and Cleanest. However clean does not always mean exciting. I love the opening, but after that point, I found my attention wandering. I'm not sure what, but something seemed to be missing. All sections performed very well, but like I said, something was missing. And even though I wasn't particularly impressed with their overall performance, they will still be a strong contender for the title.

Larry

Recaps - July 12, 1997, Concord, CA

Thanks to Christina Mavroudis at Drum Corps World for these recaps! GE Ensemble Performance MUS VIS TOT / MUS VIS TOT / BRA PER VIS TOT / TOTAL SCV 16.6 16.8 33.4 12.0 12.4 24.4 8.3 8.5 8.1 24.9 82.7 BD 17.1 17.3 34.4 12.7 12.7 25.4 8.9 8.6 8.4 25.9 85.7 Recaps for CONCORD 7/12/97 DIVISION I GE Ensemble Performance MUS VIS TOT / MUS VIS TOT / BRA PER VIS TOT / TOTAL SCV 16.7 17.0 33.7 12.7 12.3 25.0 8.6 8.6 8.2 25.4 84.1 BD 17.1 17.5 34.6 13.2 12.8 26.0 9.1 8.4 8.5 26.0 86.6 DIVISION II GE Ensemble Performance MUS VIS TOT / MUS VIS TOT / BRA PER VIS TOT / TOTAL PC 16.6 15.3 31.9 12.9 11.3 24.2 8.4 8.7 8.3 25.4 81.5 BDB 17.1 17.5 34.6 13.2 12.8 26.0 8.0 9.2 8.1 25.3 81.9 DIVISION III GE Ensemble Performance MUS VIS TOT / MUS VIS TOT / BRA PER VIS TOT / TOTAL WCS 11.3 11.7 23.0 9.3 9.0 18.3 6.9 5.9 6.1 18.9 60.2 EQ 14.4 14.1 28.5 11.0 10.1 21.1 9.1 8.8 7.5 25.4 75.0 VC 14.0 13.6 27.6 10.7 10.9 21.6 7.6 7.7 7.4 22.7 71.9 MAN 17.0 16.5 33.5 11.4 12.2 23.6 8.9 8.4 8.7 26.0 83.1 YOUTH BANDS MUSIC VISUAL EFFECT PERC TOT PER(I) PER(E) PER(I) PER(E) MUS VIS SOS 11.7 10.9 8.1 7.5 21.1 16.7 7.1 76.0 SM 9.4 9.9 7.0 6.7 21.7 14.1 8.1 68.8 SSFS 12.6 11.1 7.6 6.3 23.0 14.7 6.9 75.3 NL 13.6 11.9 8.7 8.5 25.0 17.8 8.9 85.5 TAI 9.2 9.8 7.4 7.2 22.4 16.9 6.6 72.9 LEGEND: SCV - Santa Clara Vanguard, BD - Blue Devils PC - Pacific Crest, BDB - Blue Devils B, WCS - West Coast Sound, EQ - Earthquake, VC - Vanguard Cadets, MAN - Mandarins, SOS - Spirit of Sunnyvale, SM - Sound Machine, SSFS - Spirit of Santa Fe Springs, NL - Northern Lights, TAI - Taipei Marching Band PER(I) = Performance (Individual) PER(E)= Performance (Ensemble)

July 12, 1997, Stroudsburg, PA - DCA

Caballeros...............77.6 - Marching, GE
Bushwackers..............75.5 - Brass
Westshoremen.............74.5 - Percussion
Bucanneers...............67.0
Skyliners................64.9
Chieftains...............52.0

Thanks to Bud McCormick for emailing us these scores!

Review - July 12, 1997, Stroudsburg, PA - DCA

Thanks to Michael T. Siglow on r.a.m.d for this review!


Editorial notes:

Chieftains - I give this corps a lot of credit for spunk. They put on an emotional show this evening. It was dedicated to Patrick Shuster, a member of their corps who had past away this past June 14th. But emotions are unable to makeup for size.

Skyliners - If they were to perform the rest of their show like they perform their signature, they may have beaten the Buccaneers. They just don't seem to have the horses. If they do have the horses, they better readjust their work ethic (not the members, the staff).

Buccaneers - First time I've seen them. Small but good. They'll make Finals and place somewhere in the second division. Their music seems to be a Best of the Buccaneers, Through the Years type show. Fairly clean but short on emotion.

Westshore - Much cleaner then the last time I saw them at Barnum. Sopranos still need some work. Drums are the second best in DCA, and not that much out of it. The changes have helped but I don't think they were that close to Bush this evening.

Bushwackers - They have remedied that timing problem between the horn and drum lines and it really improved the performance of their show. I really like this show. Now if they can put their heart into it like that Baritone soloist, hold on to your hats folks, 'cause we're in for a real hayride. Hey Ed, I guess if you can't find a costume that will fit you, have everyone else wear what your wearing. LOL

Cabs - WHOA NELLIE, as Keith Jaskson would say. Their attitude befits their music, "My Spanish Heart". Looks like they had a point to prove and they proved it. Performance level was very high. Drums, "Fast Frankie" you old so-and-so, out of step, never missed a stroke and talking to the drum judge all at the same time. You ARE amazing. And to think you learned that all in the Skyliners.

Still need to see Empire, Minnesota Brass, Kilties and Kingston Grenadiers. I was talking to a member of Heat Wave. He said they will be competing at DCA Championships in Allentown. He also said they would be putting on an exhibition at Cabs show on July 19th.

Michael T. Siglow
Madonna 1953-64
Skyliners 1964-70,75-78,92


July 12, 1997, DeKalb, IL - DCM Championships

Div I
Madison Scouts...........84.3   
Phantom Regiment.........82.0   
Cavaliers................81.3   
Glassmen.................77.2   
Colts....................73.9   
Pioneer..................66.3   

Div III
Phantom Regiment Cadets..54.8   
Marion Cadets............54.7   
Golden Lancers...........52.0   
Cincinnati Glory.........44.3   

Senior
Racine Kilties...........62.1   
Minnesota Brass Inc......61.3   

Chopstix Percussion......Exhibition.  

Chopstix Percussion Hails from Waseca, MN. Founded in 1991, this 30-member group is managed by Mike Mayer, a former member of the Madison Scouts. This was their second apperance at DCM. The average is age 23. In 1994, a second group with brass was added called Top Chops (not appearing in DeKalb.)


Thanks to Kurt 'Flash' Schiebel on r.a.m.d for these scores!
Thanks to Tim Coyer for emailing us these scores!

Review - July 12, 1997, DeKalb, IL - DCM Championships

Thanks to Matt Lineberry for emailing us this review!


Editorial notes:

The following are caption awards for Senior and Div III at DCM

Note - these were awarded on finals night, but were based upon prelims.

Div III

brass - Phantom Regiment Cadets
percussion - Phantom Regiment Cadets
visual - Phantom Regiment Cadets
color guard - Marion Cadets
general effect - Marion Cadets
drum major - Phantom Regiment Cadets

Senior Division

brass - MN Brass Inc.
percussion - MN Brass Inc.
visual - MN Brass Inc.
color guard - Governaires
general effect - Kilties
drum major - Kilties

First, let me congratulate DCM on one of their finest competitions. They were fortunate enough to raise $1100 from their 50/50 raffle, which will be given out as scholarships so financial problems won't keep the kids from this great activity. Bravo on a fine job, and thanks to everyone who attended and contributed.

The senior corps were ALL a great deal of fun. Kilties, winning with a 62.1, were the absolute crowd favorite - they had a fine and entertaining performance. Minnesota Brass (61.3) also put on an excellent show, with the percussion standing out as being very proficient, although certainly not tickless by any means. Kilties' win was a breathtaking upset since MN Brass has taking DCM Championship 18 out of 19 years.

Division I

Pioneer - Riverdance, 66.3
Pioneer has becoming a surprisingly strong corps; however, this show is lacking. More visual effect is desperately needed to complement the musical book, and drill will need more cleaning in places. Strong horn performance and that classic Celtic/Scottish drumming are still characteristic of Pioneer. I just wouldn't put money on them breaking top 12.

Colts - Blood, Sweat, and Tears, 73.9
In '97, C-O-L-T-S spells EXCITEMENT! It was all I could do to sit still in my seat while watching this show. It's jazzy, it's sexy, it's VERY convincing - this show SELLS. For crowd hype, Colts come second only to Scouts. Certainly, the horns will need work, but I'm convinced that the finished product will be something to watch for. The drumline is very strong, even if the DCM judging doesn't reflect it. They produce a thin, crisp, articulate attack which even top 6 corps are having difficulty with. They play well in the ensemble and they have an exciting and difficult book. All I can say is, judge for YOURSELF. Top 12? Probably. But like Chuck Naffier said, Who cares? It's fun!

Glassmen - Bizet, 77.2
Very strong horn line - I was pleasantly surprised by their rich tone production and style. Drumline, however, was disappointing. It seems that they've only learned their book, rather than learning proper approach to the drum. It's clean - don't get me wrong - but it's also very (relatively) easy. They'll be left behind if they don't start teaching proper style and intensity. (Watching warmups I saw +4 vastly different stick heights/hand positions in the battery.. not acceptable for top 12...) Everyone's complaining about the ladders, but I think they work nicely. Perhaps a few unison ladder moves would be appropriate as the horns get stronger? It seems so random, not in character with the music.

Cavaliers - Firebird, 81.3
This show will most likely see Cavaliers hanging around 5th or 6th again. Classic strong guard work, good (not GREAT) hornline and drumline. Still a hole to be filled? It seemed that in the last picture the hole must have really thrown off a few members; there was a pretty bad ripple in the form. Cleaned up, I'm sure I'll enjoy it more.

BTW - some folks were in awe that Cavs had executed the "1-minute Silent Drill" without taps or audibles. Listen CAREFULLY - there is whispered chanting and the drum major (I assume) counts out "One and Two and..." before the corps breaks out into drill. Not quite as extraordinary as it would be without any timing at all, just looking at the drum major...

Phantom Regiment - Wagner's "Ring", 82.0
This show says to me, "We're technically proficient." I don't find any story, or even an idea to this program. Wagner's story took 18 hours to tell, and in these moments, PR cannot and has not given me an inkling of what they're trying to do. The guard didn't even use different flags. So why does the crowd cheer? For their INCREDIBLE horn line. PR can still make you cry with their beauty, even without a strong theme. Strong percussion, although warmups were a tell-all - Dr. Beat and PR don't get along. The drumline consistently dragged their parts, and it seemed they were just throwing down notes, rather than playing "through" the drum head and allowing it to resonate properly. Had they done this, they'd probably have knocked the clothes off of the people on the first few rows. I don't see a championship title for them this year. And yes, Kristy looks beautiful. Her outfit seems out of character for such a conservative corps, making me wonder to myself why they decided to play that card...

Madison Scouts - Pirates of Lake Mendota, 84.3
Whoo-hoo! Finally, Scouts have done something new and genuinely exciting. I was absolutely turned off by the incessant "Malaguena/Bolero/Malaga" medley of past years, but "Pirates" is a refreshing departure. I could use some more fancy/clean drumming - they really didn't deserve to be much higher than the Colts. I LOVE the theatrics - brilliant writing. Watch for (1) the cymbal rack, with the battery on both sides and two guard members sword fighting as the rack spins madly, and (2) the company front, going minor and finally going absolutely destructive. Very enjoyable show!

Review - July 12, 1997, DeKalb, IL - DCM Championships

Thanks to Tom and Teresa for emailing us this review!


Editorial notes:

This was one of the better DCM shows that I have seen in DeKalb. Every corps was better than they were in prelims. Almost every corps made me eat some of my comments from my prelims review. Everyone was significantly better than the night before!!!! If I said there was something missing in their prelim show, I think they found it for finals night! The show started with the 4 division III corps, followed by 2 senior corps, followed by the 6 division I corps and then the division II champ from Friday night doing an exhibition. Madison Scouts ripped the place apart with Pirates of Lake Mendota (Div. I champs). The Kilties Senior corps got the greatest crowd response (senior Div. champs). Blue Stars wowed the crowd with a very technical performance (Div. II champs). Phantom Regiment Cadets were near flawless (Div. III champs).

Division I:

Madison Scouts won Division I with a score of 84.3, also winning the crowd as well. There was no doubt who the crowd wanted to give the title to. This performance was even better than the night before when they won prelims. Madison's Pirates of Lake Mendota once again was clearly the most exciting show of the night with the crowd jumping to its feet at the end. Madison is solid in all captions especially visual and as usual the horn line was smokin'. Despite what I have written in past notes, this show has become as exciting as previous years.

Phantom Regiment came in second with a score of 82.0. What a sound out of this horn line. I'll say it again, Phantom's horn line had the most beautiful sound of the night with some of the tightest intonation that I have ever heard. Wagner's The Ring is a great show but did not generate as much crowd excitement of years past (however, give them time). I must have been enjoying this show more than the crowd around me since it seemed like everyone was sitting on their hands. Don't get me wrong, they had a standing ovation at the end but not much cheering to go with it. This show will go down as a classic, but Madison simply out performed them.

Cavaliers came in third with a score of 81.3. The Cavies were much better than they were in prelims. The marching was much cleaner as well. This show still has the potential to do some damage come Orlando. It is a great show, the crowd likes it, but Phantom and Madison were simply awesome. Cavies did not lose tonight, the other two just did better. In other years, Cavies could have won with this show.

Glassmen doing the music of Bizet took 4th with a score of 77.2. This is a very classy show with a lot of power. It was a clean performance that was very enjoyable to watch. Glassmen are doing much better than last year.

The Colts had a powerful 5th place finish with a score of 73.9. They were even louder than they were in prelims. The music of Blood Sweat and Tears rocked tonight. The crowd really liked it. The brass line seemed to find what was missing during prelims. There was a pulse going through the crowd that was not there the night before. I feel fairly confident that we will see the Colts on Finals night when we get to Orlando. This show is much better than previous reviews have stated (including my own).

The Pioneer came in 6th with a score of 66.3. This was the best performance of the year for Pioneer so far that I have seen. This was the first time that I thought that the corps got the intended effect out of River Dance. The hornline was still struggling with some very difficult rhythms but they were recognizable. The percussion was louder which was needed to add to the effect. A little more polish and I think that this show will yield some pay dirt come Orlando.

Senior Division:

The Kilties where the biggest surprise of the night by beating Minnesota Brass. They were not as clean or playing music that was as difficult, but they had the crowd on their feet after every song!!! The standing ovation at the end of the show lasted at least 10 minutes. I was very surprised to hear that Kilties won, but I joined the crowd to give them another standing ovation when their placement was announced. The crowd supported the judges choice of Senior Champion.

Minnesota Brass was awesome however they had to perform after the Kilties. I think that the crowd was exhausted and denied them a response. Minnesota Brass had the high note solos and the technical music, but were out scored in GE by what must have been a large margin ( I have not seen the recaps yet). I felt bad for Minnesota Brass since this amazing show was denied much of its credit simply because the Kilties caught fire. I hope to see both Kilties and Minnesota Brass turn some heads at DCA.

Division II:

The Blue Stars won Division II with a score of 56.1 on Friday night and then put on an exhibition Saturday night. Even though they went on last after the Madison Scouts, their highly technical show was very well received and appreciated by the audience. I am excited to see the Blue Star doing so well. I predicted last month that the Blue Stars would win Division II and was pleased to see my prediction come about. Congratulations Blue Stars.

Division III:

The Phantom Regiment Cadets won with a 54.8. This very young corps was amazingly clean. The color guard was together and handled their equipment better than some corps twice their size. The horn line had a very mature sound. My hat was off to PRC for such a well done performance. The crowd gave them a standing ovation again when their score was announced.

Marion Cadets just missed the title with a 54.7. This 5 member hornline plays like a professional ensemble. They are tight and very impressive. The crowd rewarded them with well deserved standing ovation at the end of their show.

The Golden Lancers did a fun show call Seascapes. They had some really nice effects. This show could have won except they were out performed by the top two.

Cincinnati Glory took 4th with a 44.3. They were a pleasant surprise. This second year corps (first year in competition) was fun to watch. A job well done. I expect to see some great things out of them in future.

The crowd was buzzing at the end of the night. Everyone seemed to agree with all of the winners. The biggest surprise was the Kilties winning Senior. Kilties won the night in terms of crowd response and Madison was a close second. Not one corps was boring tonight. I was very encouraged to see the judges rewarding entertaining corps. Last night I said that this was not one of the better DCM's, I was wrong!!! This was one of the best, partly because the judges did a good job.

Tom and Teresa currently in Chicago (but living in St. Louis for the past 4 years and moving to South Carolina next month)

Review - July 12, 1997, DeKalb, IL - DCM Championships

Thanks to Jim Eiden for emailing us this review!


Editorial notes:

What a show. Drum Corps is electric in the midwest. We were able to get to the show on time.

The first group to perform was Chopstix. They performed in exhibition to warm up the crowd. They were a fun time, although it seemed they did more antics than playing. But they were fun.

They played the Linus & Lucy piece from the Charlie Brown cartoon. The battery was a little sloppy, but they were there to entertain, not to be judged. They did this act where one of the cymbals players misses, and they punish the player with pushups. The crowd counted along, but they missed count, so they had to start over. It was a riot.

Chopstix ended their performance with a feature where the snares pass the stick down while playing, and the player on the end tosses it over the line back to the first player. It is a tough move, and I was hoping that the player on the end would catch it.

Unfortunately the player didn't catch it.

We started watching the show from the 41st row where our seats are, but after awhile we moved to the top. In our experience, we like to view shows from as high as possible, and DeKalb is high (VERY HIGH).

The first division to compete was Division III. Cincinnati Glory was the first on the starting line. They were good, but needed some polishing.

Being a former drummer, I tend to key in on drum parts. I love to hear Bass Drum runs, as well as clean Tenor and snare features. I also love to hear a good pit.

Next up were the Golden Lancers. They too, needed some polishing.

The next Corps to compete was one of the most unforgettable performances I have ever seen. EVER!! The Marion Cadets. Folks, If you have not seen the Marion Cadets, you have truly missed something special in Drum Corps. What I am about to tell you is not an exaggeration. The Marion Cadets have a total of 16 members. That's right, SIXTEEN. They have five horns, five bass drums, one snare, one tenor, Three guard, and one Drum Major. You must believe me when I tell you that bigger is not always better. This Corps impressed the hell out of me. Having marched in 1982, that didn't have any drum music for half the show, I can tell you that this Corps rose above the challenge of being small and played with pride, and heart. They played Caravan. To compensate for their smallness, the drum line came forward and played handheld percussion instruments for one piece. One person played the triangle, another played a shaker, etc. At one part of the show, the guard actually marched cymbals, and the Drum Major joined the guard for flag work as well.

The Marion Cadets received a full standing ovation for their performance. God Bless The Marion Cadets.

Next up was the Phantom Regiment Cadets. Their show was "The Summer of Native America." For a cadet corps, they were great. The drum line was clean. The tenors were right on with their solos. The made unique use of the fake trees they placed on the field.

Phantom Regiment Cadets were simply hot.

For Division III, Phantom came in first, Marion came in second. Pretty damn good for a corps of 16 people. They beat two other Corps' 3 times their size. Phantom Cadets won by a tenth.

The Adult Corps' then performed. The Kilties were up first. They lined up on the end zone and marched across into formation. Many times in my four years of Drum Corps performing, I could tell even before we hit the first note, if we have it or not. You could feel it in the air with the Kilties even before they played their first note that everything was going to click for them. One word describes the Kilties performance FUN! The brought fun to the field. You could tell they were having a good time out there. The highlight of their show was Minnie the Moocher. They all put on shades and did a call and response from the audience with "Hi de hi de hi de hi's." The crowd responded. It was electric. I'm talking Drum Corps chills up my spine which is how I personally rate a great performance. If I get a chill up my spine, then it's a winner.

Next up was Minnesota Brass. They had some great soloists, but they had their work cut out for them coming on after such a hot performance from the Kilties.

After the Adult Corps' came the Division I competitors.

The first Corps for Div I, was the Pioneer. Pioneer did the music from Riverdance. My personal opinion is that Pioneer is trying to fill the void that 27th left behind. Riverdance is a tough show for Pioneer. If Pioneer can pull it off, it will pay huge dividends. I saw some problems with horn solos, they seemed to have a difficult time. The guard seemed to have a difficult time as well. After seeing a Drum Corps try to do this, I have new respect for the ability and discipline it takes to execute this type of show.

After Pioneer came the Colts. The Colts did a show based on the music from Blood Sweat & Tears. The guard was dressed like Biker Chicks. As a red blooded American male, I must say Hubbula Hubbula Boomski to the guard. They were hot! The show was fun, and the music was challenging. At one point, a soloist was playing and one of guard was riding up & down his leg. Every time she touched him, he would bend a note. It was classic. I loved the show. Watching the Drum Line, we were watching the snares, and right at the end of a movement, his stick broke and flew up in the air like a rifle toss. It was perfect timing. The player had to play the rest of the show with a split stick. He seemed to be doing a good job, since we could hear any ticks. We also had a pair of binoculars, and saw that he was keeping up. Overall, the Colts put on a hell of a show, and it will only get better.

Next up were the Glassmen. The Glassmen had a more intellectual show. They executed very well, and we distinctly heard some very difficult well played bass drum runs. The interesting thing the Glassmen did with the guard was to use various wooden ladders. The did balancing tricks with the ladders that would certainly get you yelled at by your parents if you did that at home. It was neat, but it was also a little dangerous. I'm not quite sure what the meaning of the ladders are. Not only did they violate OSHA, but I had to sit there and try to think it through. I really like the Glassmen, but I didn't come to a Drum Corps show to try to guess what the corps meant by doing this or that.

Overall, I did like the ladders and thought it was a unique visual aid, but I have no clue as to the meaning. The person sitting behind us told us that it was an interpretation of a mountain piece.

Next up were the Cavaliers. Yes the Cavies, The Green Machine. Their show was the Firebird Suite. They started the show all bunched up like a giant egg. They did not have any instruments. The whole corps was huddled. They began with a "Whoosh" and the egg expanded and contracted while they did their whooshes along with shouts. The egg broke out into a drill, and they worked their way to their instruments. When they did play, they were great. The drum line was hot. The horns were right on as well. It was very well executed, but I didn't care for the egg thing. Why does it have to be so intellectual? I felt like I was trying to interpret an abstract painting. On the other hand, I have to give them credit for trying something new, and experimenting. I didn't particularly care for it though. Last year the guard used the lattice, which also went over my head.

Phantom was next. They did Wagner. It was very dark. So dark that the whole Corps was in black. I must say that the Phantom Drum Major is beautiful and elegant. WOW! I really liked the ballet dancing the guard did. There was a point where two members of the guard were ballet dancing. The Drum Line was hot. The tenors played some great runs. Overall the entire show was well executed, but I think the nature of the program made it difficult to win because it was so dark and somber. I'm hoping that Phantom can bring back the feeling they had with Sparticus for next year. I really like Phantom, they are one of my all time favorites, but their showing is lacking a chill factor. They didn't give me the chills.

Last up was the Madison Scouts. Just like with the Kilties, you could feel the electricity in the air as they took the field. They started in a company front along the end zone and marched across as they formed the trade Fluer de Lire. Madison did a Pirate show. Madison was so on, they smoked. The drum line clicked. I heard some great bass drum runs, and the Tenors and snares were very tight. The horn line did not disappoint either, the theme was nautical in nature but the music was very jazzy at times, and the sopranos delivered with off the scale solos. The guard was great. It was hard not to watch the guard, they were doing some really great physical work. At one point, one guard member who was "Drunk" was trying to take a spinning rifle from another guard member. The one with the rifle was holding back the drunk who was flailing to get the rifle. At the last minute, the drunk is able to push the other member spinning the rifle and catches it. The crowd loved it.

The horn line also did this moving wave drill. The horns moved up and back to it looked like ocean waves. VERY COOL! The highlight of the show was the spinning cart. For those of you who have not seen it, I will try to describe it, but words cannot do it justice. The drum line comes to the front of the field were there is this cart/rack on wheels with several cymbals hanging from it. The drum line surrounds the cart as it is rotated in the lower right front of the field. Of course as it is rotating, the Tenors, and s snares are playing from the hanging cymbals. While the rack is being rotated, two guard members are dueling with swords on top of it. The lead pirate is eventually killed, and his Pirate hat and jacket is stripped from him as he lays on the field. The dead pirate remains on the filed for the rest of the show while the Corps marches over him. At the end of the show, one of the guard members "Spit" on him as he walked over him. It was very funny. Then just as the next corps is setting up, another guard member comes and heaves the dead Pirate over his shoulder and carries him off the field. You heard it here. After seeing Madison, I just can't see how any other Corps can beat them. I'm predicting Madison to win the championships in Orlando. You have to trust me when I tell you that they CLICKED. Guard, Drums, Horns, all three clicked. They really pulled it off.

After Madison came the Blue Stars who won Div II on Friday for an exhibition. The Blue Stars (Blah Stah's if you're from the east coast), had a great show. The execution was all there. I can see why they won Div II.

For Finale, the Chopstix, percussion ensemble played the Corps' onto the field. While the Corps were setting up in formation, the Kiltie's Drum Major played the bagpipes. The crowd went nuts. The crowd went hysterical when the Kilties won. This was a great show. We moved all the way to the top and were sitting by some older people who marched in their day. We traded about the folded Corps' we all marched with, and stories about buses breaking down. It gave my friend and I a unique perspective about the activity and we were able to relate to others across the generations through Drum Corps. I gained an even more sense of appreciation of the history of our activity by being around these other people.

I had a great time. Can't wait till next year.

Jim Eiden
Imperials
1980 - 1983

Recaps - July 12, 1997, DeKalb, IL - DCM Championships

Thanks to John P. Caspers for emailing us these recaps! GE Ensamble Performance Mus Vis Mus Vis Bra Perc Vis Total ---------------------------------------------------------------- Division III Cincinati Glory 77 90 70 70 41 51 44 44.3 Golden Lancers 102 97 77 82 51 60 51 52.0 Marion Cadets 113 92 83 90 57 58 55 54.7 Phantom Cadets 116 94 85 80 53 64 56 54.8 Senior Minnesota Brass 128 121 100 81 58 65 60 61.3 Kilties Sr. 140 114 104 92 54 63 54 62.1 Division I Pioneer 130 122 103 100 69 73 66 66.3 Colts 143 146 109 115 74 79 73 73.9 Glassmen 152 154 114 114 80 83 75 77.2 Cavaliers 162 165 119 120 81 86 80 81.3 Phantom Regiment 159 162 121 123 86 87 82 82.0 Madison Scouts 171 171 122 125 85 84 85 84.3

July 12, 1997, Belleville, ONT - DCA

Empire Statesmen.........79.6 - Percussion, GE - (.3 penalty due to boundary violation(s).)
Brigadiers...............79.6 - Brass, Visual
Crusaders................65.1
Grenadiers...............64.6

Thanks to tks on r.a.m.d for these scores!

July 12, 1997, Rochester/Brockport, NY

Patriots.................72.2
Spartans.................67.0
Lone Star................63.0
Jersey Surf..............62.6
Lake Erie Regiment.......56.7
St. John's...............55.6
Spectrum.................52.2
Gen. Butler Vagabonds....50.0

Thanks to Christopher D. Niklaus for emailing us these scores!

Recaps - July 12, 1997, Rochester/Brockport, NY

Thanks to Christopher D. Niklaus for emailing us these recaps! GE ENS. TOTAL Music Visual Total Brass Perc Vis Total Gen. Butler 9.2 11.2 20.4 9.0 11.1 9.5 29.6 50.0 Spectrum 10.1 11.8 21.9 9.6 10.8 9.9 30.3 52.2 St. Johns 10.5 12.2 22.7 10.1 12.3 10.5 32.9 55.6 Lake Erie Regiment 10.4 12.4 22.8 9.5 12.4 12.0 33.9 56.7 Jersey Surf 12.3 11.9 24.2 11.1 15.9 11.4 38.4 62.6 Lone Star 12.5 13.1 25.6 11.6 15.5 10.3 37.4 63.0 Spartans 12.2 12.3 24.5 13.8 16.6 12.1 42.5 67.0 Patriots 13.0 13.9 26.9 14.3 16.7 14.3 45.3 72.2

July Scores

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