DCI

[Guest The Satanic Angel]

Just got back from the Elizabeth, PA show. We saw:

 

The Glassmen

The Crossmen

Spirit of JSU

Magic (of Orlando)

Boston Crusaders

Carolina Crown

Phantom Regiment

The Cadets

 

While none of the shows were overly memorable, I enjoyed the hell out of Phantom Regiment. Their chords gave me chills. The Cadets did a show that was a continuation of last year (apparently). Through the Looking Glass was its title, and it was like DCI on acid, according to the other guys that went with me. Alice in Wonderland, fo sho. I wasn't impressed, as they had some lady singing, and four of the color guard wore microphones and narrated. They had a lot of fluff in the color guard, and it reminded me of the Morris Brown band in Drumline. Yeah, it was cool to watch, but that ain't drum corps!

 

Anyway, I don't know how many fans there are, but I figured I'd start a DCI thread rather than hijack the one about Micah Glossinger in NHB.

 

Anyone wanna donate to my Madison finals fund?

[Guest Felonies!]

As for fans here, I think Bruiser Chong is the only other person here who's even so much as familiar with the activity.

 

The Glassmen stayed down the street from my house a few weeks ago, and I heard them practicing their Beethoven show. It was pretty cool, when you take into consideration that the Glassmen spent my first six years of drum corps attendance ('99-'04) doing the most forgettable unexciting judge-pleasing contemporary wind ensemble shit you could imagine, until finally dumbing down to "New World Symphony" last summer. I'll take the dumbing down, as the academic stuff was a total pain in the ass to sit through and ended up being the designated bathroom break/concession stop of the night by the second time I saw them. (They even sold a shirt that said "The Glassmen: boring our way into your heart.") I mean, listen: I understand that this an activity with a lot of really intelligent and educated music majors both marching on the field and on the design staff, but come on. I'm at a high school football field in the middle of summer. I'm not here to think. I'm glad the Glassmen are trying to do something that can connect with the fans as well as the judges, because even with the academic stuff, they weren't gonna pass the Cavaliers/Cadets/Blue Devils.

 

I'm really glad to hear that Phantom has a cool show. I'm going to their home show in Rockford on Sunday night, and with any luck, they'll pass the Cadets and win their show. I've always been a Cavaliers fan first and foremost, but there's just something really cool about Phantom. I don't know if it's their penchant for Russian music, or the all-white uniforms, or what, but I always enjoy seeing them. Prokofiev & Mahler has all the makings of a Top 3 show by Finals.

 

As for the Cadets, I fully intend to heckle them. I know it's wrong because they're "just kids" and all that, but amplification is so ridiculous, and their management was pushing so hard for it, so that makes it okay. Having kids try to narrate these shows and sing lead vocals over a drum corps is just ridiculous and does the activity no good.

[yankovic fan 0]

We had a guy march Glassmen in my university band.

 

Before one of our practices he was out, marching his show from DCI, alone.

[Guest The Satanic Angel]

I should have noted that it was announced last night that DCI would be on ESPN2 after the finals.

[Guest Felonies!]

Yeah, big deal. It's like 40 minutes of human-interest fluff and five minutes of marching. I don't care about how HAAAARD it is to march and the PASSSSION that goes into throwing a flag in the air. I want to see the Santa Clara Vanguard because they only come to the Chicago/Rockford/Milwaukee/Madison region like once every three or four years.

[Guest The Satanic Angel]

I noted to my parents that I'd REALLY like to go to Madison ... I think they got the hint. I never ask for anything at Christmas/birthday specifically for this reason.

 

One of the guys I went to Elizabeth with is a HARDCORE DCI fan. He's marched with one of them, Blue Coats or Blue Devils, I think. He's also trying to put together a corps for West Virginia. He said the Glassmen went to shit after their long-time director died, the one that was like a father ... I'd mention names but it was midnight when he talked about it. He had to keep his mouth going or risk falling asleep at the wheel, I'm sure.

 

Phantom Regiment's show was Foust, BTW. I knew it last night, but forgot to edit.

 

No update on the scores from tonight's show. My fingers are crossed for the Cavaliers, too.

[Guest Felonies!]

Don't bother with the Cavaliers. They forgot to write music this year.

 

I haven't been following the rise and fall of the Glassmen (of all the corps, we're discussing THEM the most?), but I know they've finished as high as 4th place with one of their judge-pleasers. BTW, I'm like 99% sure there's some corruption going on with the judges.

[Guest The Satanic Angel]

Cavaliers are running second, by only a half point. Wouldn't count them out just yet. Then again, I haven't heard/seen their show ...

 

Cadets got knocked to third, which pleases me.

[Guest Felonies!]

I have. Fantastic drill, but the music is extremely forgettable, a risk you run when you write your own music. They did original music in 2001 and 2002 that was interesting, but this year, like last year, is just sound to accompany the drill. (Contrast this with the park-and-blow Blue Devils/Phantom Regiment/Madison Scouts, who decide now and then to march a little bit after some really high and loud trumpet runs.) Basically what I'm saying is that the full package isn't there, so they're not worthy of a championship this year.

 

I'm listening to PR's American in Paris/Rhapsody in Blue show from last year. Good stuff.