DRUM AND BUGLE CORPS
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Red Bank, NJ - June 1997 From: Purple408 (purple408*aol.com) here is my review of the red Lion DCa show...please remember this is IMHO,
so don't flame, just stating what I saw and felt.
1st....Hawthorne Caballeros, 70.4.
The rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated.
What an incredible improvement their drumline has made. Smart move opening
the show featuring them....great brass, strong in all sections, esp. the
solo work(yes, you TOO Jen!) Maybe a little smaller, but still the
Cabs...liked the new transition into the rumps too. Winners of brass and
percussion. This corps will again will be in the hunt.
2nd....Bushwackers, 68.7
What a difference between rehearsal and show. The 1st thing I
noticed was the sop line....always there, attention getting even for this
drummer. Drums not what I am used, but it is early. They won marching, and
the guard was well written in to the show. Nice to see Bush back to jazz.
3rd....Sunrisers, 67.0
What a guard.....attention getting and the opening move, while
not throwing stuff sky high is beautiful. Horns had power at the big
spots, but lost them a little backfield...Phillip Bliss was nice, and I
didn't have high hopes after 93 CBC. Godd quad line, looked as if they may
have been missing a bass. Keep you're eye on them DCA...Sun is back.
4th....Westshoremen, 65.5
???? Yes, the holes hurt, and the hornline was better at run
thru last week, but I'm sorry, this was not 4th. Bias aside(i'm alumni),
I'm not sure what happened. Losing drums? No disrespect to the Cabs, but
this was a call the Sun alumni I sat next to disagreed with. Westshore
will improve, the holes will get filled and they will be back. Copernicus
was upbeat, with a smokin' drum solo. The Seal tune is a little rough, but
it has potential...many metered foot things happening. The transition into
One More Time was nice, and the horns came to life at the end...Excellent
sop work in a song that demands it. Guard needs to be in uni's soon or
that will hurt. You have been challenged Westshore...go home and cry or
come out fighting? I have faith in you.
5th....Buccaners, 55.1
Total overhaul in percussion in recent weeks, and as such,
they had several rough edges. Strong openeing in Red October, but
Meadowlands had a couple of rough moments. Firebird shows signs of
potential, but til the corps gets some time to iron out the wrinkles, they
will be hurting. The seas are yours to sail Bucs, so keep working. Also,
the undertime penalty hurt.
That's what I thought....anxious to see other peoples reactions.
Jeff Ream
From: R4umble (r4umble*aol.com)
I agree with the review posted. It is going to be a very competitive
season. Was also impressed with Bush's sop line, Cab's drumline, Sun's
guard. It's gonna be nip and tuck all year. Stands were about half full.
Show was well run, plenty of friendly staff to help you find your way.
Great stadium to watch a drum corps show. For those that care, here are my
unofficial horn counts:
SUN.....................37
BUCS.................. 28
BUSH...................39
CABS...................43
WESTSHORE.......36
ps..Don't be misled by these numbers, I was sitting
right on the 50 about 10 rows up and the quality and impacts of these
hornlines were impressive. Will be very interested to see how Empire and
Brigs fall into this mix and was glad to see Sun back in the hunt.
From: Bakgroundr (bakgroundr*aol.com) Well, you asked for a review, and instead of the old "everyone was great routine" here is just one man's opinion, so don't flame me if I didn't give your corp "great" or an "Awesome".... I am returning out of "lurk mode" for the first time since April for my review of the Red Bank show. After a late start, and getting stuck in shore traffic on the Garden State Parkway, I was pleasently surprised to find that the directions given on the Internet were accurate, however, due to traffic I missed the beginning of the show. After arriving midway through the Skyliners show, I watched from the fence, went and got a dog and coke, then settled into a seat to watch everyone else. (That’s not a knock on Sky, it’s just that I consider it rude to walk in front of fans to find a seat while a corp. is performing.) I also missed Rochester and Hurcs (due to that Coke and the fact I ran into more people I haven’t seen in a while on my way back from the bathrooms,) so I’ll catch you three corps hopefully in Bridgeport!! So, now that I have set the mood, here’s my opinions/ review: (these are just the things that struck out at me) On second was the Cabs: Overall: Much improved (as I predicted) from the indoor show I witnessed on Long Island. Drum Line: Take the one snare, one quad and 5 bass I saw in the Long Island show back in April, sprinkle a little magic, a little "mudflaps", just add water and presto---instant drum line. (Very nice recovery guys!! Was that a set-up? ;) Horn Line: Horn Line’s show was a little flat, (Probably due to the emotional week that all corp. members experienced), but still was the Cabs Horn Line and the crowd was on their feet at the end of the show like always Guard: Guard was pretty good, but needs to clean much to help overall GE. (Hey, It's early!!) On Third was Sun: Overall: Slightly disappointed in the horn line’s job (after seeing them at that same Long Island show, I was expecting to be blown away) But if I’m not mistaken, if the history of this corp. stands true, in late July / and August they will make a lot of the corps that are coming in ahead of them now, a tad upset and make them do that old scratch your head and say "I don't understand how they do that all the time" thing!! Drum Line: A little dirtier then Cabs ( Although I think they came in second in drums) , but definitely the most interesting and most fun to watch of the night (day?). Horn Line: (See above and….) Very Hard book (esp. Rhythmically) and with what they are doing in drill, I think I would have dropped dead halfway through the show!! Drill was a little sloppy, (warp speed pass-thru’s, and I swear I was watching a Mellophone doing "2 to 5’s" in that one tune.) Anyway, I think the Horn Line's performance is definitely being affected by what they have to do in drill. Drill: I love the drill! Most interesting out there…Needs lots of cleaning but is very cool and when the Horn Line builds up the endurance, it’s going to be awesome. Guard: I’ll go on record now by saying, NO ONE is going to touch this Corps Color Guard…WOW! And this is this early in the season. Did I say WOW?!? On fourth was Brigs: Overall: Congratulations….The Winner of the show…Big (and I mean big ) size and improvement over the last, oh say, 35 years…They deserved it. Drum line: Large, clean. To me, not that overall improved since last year, (not that it’s not good, just that they have had a good Drum Line the last couple of years!!) but maybe that’s because the…. Horn Line: Horn line’s improvement was that much more noticeable. Huge, and pretty clean. Definitely won over the crowd there. Wow.. nice job. A well deserved round of applause. On Fifth and Sixth: Hurcs and Cru…Again I apologize, but I couldn’t hold it!!! I’ll be looking forward to seeing you later in the season!! On last was Bush: Overall: I was both very exited and equally disappointed. I am a fan of this corp. for a few years now and I was looking forward to seeing this show when I heard they were going "back to their roots" by doing Latin Jazz. There is a reason I am a fan. In the past 10 years, they would always strive for breaking new ground in DCA. Fast paced and super accurate drill, awesome Horn line, a Drum line that made you say Holy S*#T. With the exception of the Horn Line, this is not the case this year. Which is why I was disappointed. Drum Line: This was not the Bushwhacker drum Line that I knew. It was OK, but that just didn’t cut it for me personally. Horn Line: Great Sound, pretty tight from where I was. This WAS the Bushwhacker Horn Line I knew. Things are OK here. I have a lot of respect for this Horn Line. Hard (and good) book. Overall, great performance. Drill: I could go for am hour here (but I won’t)…This was not a Bushwhacker drill, and I’ll leave it at that. EXCEPT…Was it me, or was the pinwheel (on the opposite side of the field, rotating in the opposite direction with red and black flags for the guard) a dig or a salute to the Cabs? When this drill move was done you heard a collective "ooooohhhh" from the crowd…..Maybe it's coincidental, but I wasn't by myself when I heard it. These guys have won more championships in the least amount of years for a reason. When something works, why mess with it? Please don’t get me wrong…… they will / are going to be right in the thick of it this year, It’s only as a fan of what I’m used to them doing, this was not what I’m used to seeing from them. Overall everyone: Another Post had it right when they said that everyone was unusually prepared for this early in the season. This is going to be a very competitive and great season to watch. Good Luck to all this season! Well that’s it for now…..I’ll see what happens in Bridgeport!!! From: ABurdet (aburdet*aol.com) Sorry to be a week late on this issue, but here is my opinions of the Red Bank season opener for several of the DCA corps. All in all, it was a good start for some, with one or two corps left with some work to do. In any event, it looks as if the year will be quite competitive and have high quality performances up until Finals. Corps by corps, here are my opinions, from the eyes of a knowledgeable spectator. New York Skyliners Sky may be back in Finals this year. Though only three of five songs have been performed, with the color guard only doing work to the opener, the potential is more than there. Quality is already higher than last year's show. The pit on the field bothers me a little as it seems that the marching is occurring only in one spot. But don't worry about what I think of that. If the judges like it, go with it. Probably could've jumped two spots if their show was finished. Rochester Crusaders I'm sorry to say that this show did nothing for me. Numbers are down for the Anniversary production of the great ladies of song. Ob the bright side, Rochester has been known to start slow, and turn on the juice in late August just in the nick of time. I hope this is the case this year. Percussion was thowing down some tough stuff for early season. Connecticut Hurricanes Rebuilding can be a pain in the neck, but the Hurricanes seem to be making the most of it. They have several contenders for Best Soloist this year. Soloist in opener "raising the roof" was a scream. Even when sloppy, the Hurricanes always perform with intensity. I feel this show could surprise by the end of the year. For any Hurricanes out there, will Magnificent 7 be the closer? Autumn Leaves does the job. Sunrisers Call me an idiot but I thought they had this show won. It may not be the typical Senior show with all of the screaming soloists and High GE impact, but it was pretty darn clean for June 14. This show could compete come August. Quads going a mile a minute during the drum break. Color Guard could be a shoe-win for a repeat. Middle ballad number was a hit. Clean the horns and anything is possible. Bushwackers This show, in my opinion, needs some fine tuning, but don't they all in June. The potential is more than there for a fine season. Second half of show seems to be clicking better than the first at this point. Nice to see Latin from the Bushwackers for a dramatic change of pace. Jazz could work in the long run. One thing this corps isn't short of is talent. Fix the pinwheel mishaps, please! Hawthorne Caballeros It appears that the Cabs need a little work this season. The numbers are down in the horn line for the moment, but the power is there. Opener is kick-butt as the horn line lets loose in a hurry. Frank Ponzo with some terrific soloing as we've come to expect from him. The second half of the show seems a bit muddy at this point, but it is early in the year. New closer didn't smack the crowd over the head, but we need to get used to it. Syracuse Brigadiers Awesome show. This was definitely the most pleasing performance of the afternoon. The clear winner in the eye of the fans and the judges. Cole Porter suits the corps well. In The Still of the Night is a goosebump inducer. Mike DeMeo, you're the man! He may have the best sound in DCA. Trevor Stoyer puts a lot oflife into this show and does well on the box. It looks like allcaptions are pretty well rounded. They will definitely be in the hunt come Labor Day weekend in Allentown. Anyone with scores from Red Lion, please send them in my direction along with any of my opinions here. Adam Burdett ABurdet*aol.com From: Timothy Ace Holleran (tace*concentric.net) DCA/CHAMPIONS ON PARADE/BRIDGEPORT, CT/JUNE 28, 1997 Note: The following blather is only my opinion and has nothing to do with my writing in Drum Corps World, etc. and so on. Hey, I don't write show reviews anyway. Strap 'em on! Perfect night for dc at this hallmark stadium. After all the folderol of intoductions and the mummers (yes, I emcee this show, and have no idea why they insist on putting on silly exhibition acts such as this), we finally got down to the what the crowd came fer. In general, I thought the level of competency was over and above what one usually sees in DCA at this time of year. Cabs especially seem in midseason form. The only "top" corps who seemed to need some work was Westshore. 6th place--Skyliners--61.9: Okay, it's been years since they've contended. But a nice, enjoyable, well presented lagniappe of big band faves. Yes, we've all heard "Sing, Sing, Sing" a jillion times. An excellent example of a corps "playing within themselves." Add in a youngish, very exuberant, free-form guard. Drum line still ails, with four snares, one of whom seemed to drop out at certain spots of the show. Pit is tiny, too, and placed on-field. Dash and verve make up for lacking departments. Corps always has some real soprano "wailers," and they get a lot of face time. "Signature" closing is trotted out again, but it still works after all these years. Best closer of the night, according to the crowd. 5th place--Hurricanes--66.5: Like Sky, Hurcs are playing it safe, with more standards such as--ulp--"Caravan" and "Autumn Leaves." But this tack services corps well. Naturally, a big fan fave in their own nape o' the woods. Again like Sky, more quality and better technique than this corps has shown in the past few years. I'd wish they'd returned to the "cop" hats to match the lightning bolt sashes. Huge chorus of booing when I read off the score, but it's to be expected. This show always garners a large, boisterous, non-dc-oriented audience. 4th place --Sunrisers--70.1: I enjoyed no corps more than Sun at this event. Scads of improvement, especially in a neat, controlled horn line, who played with gobs of technique. Good feet, too. Perhaps a tizzy-sounding, well hidden drum line is keeping them back. Great Holsinger book, with pages drawn from Cadets, especially during a well-executed arpeggio. Yes, the male guard members are wearing "skirts," and I had to hear about it from some of the drum corps codgers who make up about 60% of the crowd. That notwithstanding, this is the best color guard I have ever seen in DCA. Some nuances are again cribbed from Cadets' book, but even the hardest-core Birchers in the crowd oohed and aahed over the many moves and equipment throws this aux unit executed. I want to hear -- and see-- them at Birney Crum in September. 3rd place--Westshoremen--71.6: On the down side, this corps isn't nearly as ready as they were at this point last year. Mind you, Westies ripped the roof off this stadium last year in beating Cabs. This year's book is more subtle. Basia's "Copernicus" is, IMHO, a great choice for a corps to play, yet requires much work, and must ride in exactly the right groove, which it isn't--yet. Seal tune follows it, and is also a non-exciter, albeit played well. Fans must wait for "Chuck Corea" to get animated. Many horn holes, and marching hampered by people who have just joined corps. Once again, drum line is absolutely hellacious--pit and battery both. How they didn't win top drums (.4 behind Cabs) is a total mystery to this writer. Yes, they have the book (and one hopes, the horses) to make a late-season run. Corps appeared one slot early due to mysterious Bush tardiness. 2nd place--Bushwackers--72.8: (1.0 penalty, methinks for lateness). As before, I don't know why corps wasn't ready to compete in their assigned slot. IMHO, the best corps on the field this night. Latin jazz program shines, even though audiences may tire of this idiom after Westies' closer, plus Cabs' show. Great job on Weckel's "Ritmo," outdoing Dutch Boy '92 on same tune. Best feets of the night, too. Always tough to win over this hidebound crowd with an understated, controlled show. Perc line may be a tad less serious than their usual heinie-kicking line. 1st place--Caballeros--74.0: As you may have guessed, a crowd favorite. No, they didn't leave behind their big, brassy horn line, with blow-your-face-off capacity. Drummers more expressive and up-front than in recent seasons, even with more than a little battery dirt in opener and first half of feature. Nonetheless, this corps is ready, and plays and marches with their consistently high standard of excellence. One wonders, though, with all this talent, why Cabs don't push the edge a little more. I wasn't surprised once by anything the corps did. Yes, the traditional bullfight stuff and the "brumps" are once again revisited, and yes, they work well. "My Spanish Heart," while a faint tracing of Devils' 1994 walloper, still succeeded. The expected "wheel" was sloppy, but this didn't deter impact. Nicest story of the night was the return of Jimmy Russo to the podium. The fans went wild--even those who were unaware of his recent tragedy. Cabs also took best honor guard and dm, the only two caption awards. Do the math, and they win by a scant .2. Great partying in parking lot, what with all corps staying over for boffo parade the next day. Much rollicking from the Hurcs, who traditionally have their "rookie night" at this show. My takeaway--figuring in for an always-contending Empire and upstart Brigs, and you've got a five-corps race come Labor Day, and that's not counting Sun, who I think deserve to be in the elite. This is good for the activity--and DCA. For those of you corps diehards who were appalled at the seemingly rude, unknowledgeable crowd, give 'em a break. The Champs is a classic for those people who only go to one show a year. Many of these people whould sit on their hands for SCV, trying to figure out what was going on. Ace Holleran This time not speaking as a staff writer for Drum Corps World. From: Mark Hoover (hoovmonster*ezonline.com) Subject: 1997 DCA predictions- Bridgeport +... Newsgroups: rec.arts.marching.drumcorps I also saw everyone at Bridgeport and here are my personal thoughts. Not many horn lines over 40 bodies this year (4?) and maybe only two over 50. I believe DCA in 1980 had every top 10 corps with 45+ horns and I think the top 8 had 50+. Where are all the horn players these days? If DCA ended today- - July 9th ----- it just might look like this.....It's too early yet.....and will probably change alot yet.... 1--Empire (in a close one) 2-- Brigs 3--Bush 4--Cabs 5--Westshore 6--Sun 7--Minn Brass 8-- Bucs 9-- Hurcs 10-- Crusaders 11-- Grenadiers 12--Sky There is a definite break after the top 6 and there will probably be several points in spread there. Last year was pretty much a two-horse race between Westshore and Cabs with Empire close in third. This year there seems to be an early-season six corps race. Way too early to tell anything with DCA, just like any season. Winning early means nothing in the end. Being at the finish line is what it is all about and there is a crowd on turn one of this race. There is also a crowd between 7-12. They are also tight and will make a great second-6 race. This is turning out to be a very interesting season and entirely different than '96. Next week it could all be different!! Bush -- I don't know if Bush has the horses in the drumline to get them there. The snares are the weakest section and are nothing like the Bush snares of old. The pit lacks alot too. There just aren't enough bodies in the pit to give a complementary sound. The tenors and basses are much stronger than the snares and play well. Horn line is very strong and puts out a well rounded sound. Guard is strong and full. Westshore-- Lacking some bodies in the horn line that will hopefully be fixed soon. The drum line is great again and should contend and lead in the end. The guard is talented with what there is, but also lacks some bodies. The closer is very exciting. Could still finish in the top three, I believe. Too early to tell....never count a champ out until he is totally knocked off the hill. There are still 8 weeks to go in the DCA season. Cabs -- Always a contender, no matter what. Drums are stonger than last year, but still lacks something. Who knows with Cabs? Won't finish lower than 4th. Hurcs -- Not too sure about the Lightning Bolts yet. I saw them at B'port and I didn't dislike them and I didn't love them. They were just kind of out there. It's early yet, so.....I'll leave them alone. Hard to tell yet, but a better year than last is forecast. Sky -- Better than '96, but will still be in the 9+ placement range. Drums are better, but is the brass? Bucs-- Haven't had a real good corps in several years, just trying to survive. I believe they may finish as high as 7th or 8th, maybe leading the rest of the pack behind the top 6. Probably will be their best year in the last 7 or 8. Brigs and Empire -- Haven't seen 'em yet, but then I don't have to. I can read the scores each week. It's obvious that the two of them will battle it out til the end on Aug 31 and one of them might just end up #1, or they may end up #1 and #2. The jury is still out on the Brigs to see if they can really hang with the big boys in a year that there are six of them, it seems. Lack of longevity and experience may catch up with them, hopefully it won't. It's good to see a new kid on the block once in a while, just like last year in DCA. Sun-- They are making a strong return. Drumline is coming back, guard is good, horns are stronger. The whole corps is pushing forward. Definitely top 6, but I don't know how high yet. Could be as high as third this year based on early season results. The Sun is begining to rise once more. Minnesota-- I don't know, but probably will finish between the top six and the rest of the pack. It could be a battle between them, the Bucs, Crusaders and Hurcs for 7th. Metropolitains-- Whatever happened to these guys??? Anyone know??? Crusaders-- I expected more from them since it is they're 50th anniversary. Doesn't look like it's going to be a very nice present at the end of the season. Still, I wish them well and happy anniversary. 50 years is a long time for any drum corps to exist. I guess they join Westshore, Cabs, Minnesota Brass, Govies (70 this year) and Sky (I think) as seniors in the 50+ club. Hopefully they can push towards a good ending. Grenadiers-- Making a push for the top 10 and may just get it this year. I have not viewed them yet this century, but would like to since my buddy Ed is teaching the horn line up there in Canada. Good Luck Ed. From: Michael T. Siglow (siglow*bellatlantic.net) Subject: Bayonne DCA Scores Newsgroups: rec.arts.marching.drumcorps Cabs 78.2 Bushwackers 78.0 sunrisers 74.6 Hurricanes 70.1 Skyliners 65.3 Chieftains 55.2 So as not to offend ANYONE, I'll give you the hearts and flowers review first. Everyone was just wonderful, and they all should have come in first. Now my honest opinion. Cabs seemed tired but still performed a good show. They were much better last night in Stroudsburg. Personally, I think the close scores of this show are accurate. Bush is performing an excellent show, and I've been saying that through the season. They've solved the problem between the horn and drum lines. I really can't wait for Finals this year. What a horse race. Last time I saw the Hurricanes in Bridgeport, they really performed their show. I mentioned then that the end of "Caravan" left me flat. They rearranged it and I'm impressed. They are improving at a fairly rapid rate. If they can fill out their hornline, they should challenge for the lead of the second division come Finals. Skyliners performed a better overall show then last night at Stroudsburg, but they still need plenty of work. Chieftains seemed better as well, but sheer numbers cannot be overcome by emotion alone. Michael T. Siglow Madonna 1953-64 Skyliners 1964-70,75-78,92 P.S.: Didn't see sunrisers, went for refreshments. But from what I was told by my former horn instructor they were clean but a drab show, with little entertainment. Can't say if that is the case, that was someone else's opinion, but isn't a coincidence that we are influenced by our instructor's, right Mr. Sitler? From: Rufus44p (rufus44p*aol.com) Subject: Senior Reviews Newsgroups: rec.arts.marching.drumcorps OK - These are just opinions.....don't flame me for what I have to say - pluralism is a good thing DCA Finalist Crusaders - Glad to see them make finals - show concept was kind of "chessey" with large portraits of the female singers they were Saluting through their show. They ave shown improvement throughout the year though...they seem to be a corps struggling for a musical identity. Traffic barrels section was interesting however I missed how they related to anything. Bucs - Another corps that grew and matured throughout the season. I had them up in the 6th spot. They actually had an show that integrated all sections - a rare thing in DCA. The colorguard was large and strong...opening Gold flag sequence was the visual highlight of the entire evening for me - and their colors made sense throughout the performance. Hornline was suprisingly strong. Visual was this corps strong point. Minnesota Brass - Nice horn sound and talented colorguard. The only thing I can say after seeing this show is that I wanted to seem them do something. They seemed very static but very entertaining. Westshore - Good Perc, Nice horns - BUT - did the drill designer forget to write the colorguard in the show and was everyone on the same page when they put this show together? Colors were awful but the guard was obviously more talented than what they were given to do. This show was too incongruous for me. Hurcs - Another jazz show.......felt much the same about them as I did for MB. Bush - Felt that they were given a bit of a raw deal - nice package - very nice horn sound and good perc....was a little disppointed that they went back to playing standard jazz-faire that almost everyone was playing. The thing that made Bush special was their push towards the progressive...they seemed to lack that this year but they were very good and fun to watch. Sun - The hype on this guard seemed to me to be misplaced....they were dirty...they did basic Cadet-like work with 7ft poles and their drill / colors seemed to work counter to everything the corps was doing. Orange corps uniforms vs Red flags......maroon and grey flags.......I could not watch the entire show. Their horns sounded great though and it is good to see a corps like Sun go through a "rebirth" of sorts into a strong contender Cabs - Hot show...hot everything.....nothing more really needs to be said...they received a fair placement and they were very entertaining. Empire - Good show...glad to see some of the "showy" tactics were left behind this year...great perc section and nice hornline......colorguard was clean though lacking a great book from which to perform from but they deserved the trophy tonight.... Brigs - Hornline seemed sop. heavy and I was surprised they tied for brass.....but the overall show was sophisticated and it worked.....congrats on your first title! Like I said - Just opinions THE SHOW STAFF WILL NOT ALLOW SUCH A THING TO HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!! From: Russ Colchamiro (russ*amshow.com) Subject: Fair Lawn, NJ (DCA)- 7-19-97 Newsgroups: rec.arts.marching.drumcorps Fair Lawn, NJ- DCA 1. 80.9 Syracuse Brigadiers (GE, Marching, Guard) 2. 80.3 Hawthrone Caballeros (Brass, DM) 3. 76.1 Bushwackers 4. 68.4 Connecticuit Hurricanes 5. 65.5 New York Skyliners (H. Guard) 6. 53.4 Leheigh Valley Chieftains After a week of talk, speculation and wonder, three of DCA's top corps squared off on a cool July evening in Fair Lawn, NJ. The Syracuse Brigadiers occupied the winner's circle after a three-way battle for the top, edging out the home-town Hawthorne Caballeros by six tenths of a point, and shutting down the week-ago "in the hunt" Bushwackers by more than four points. Much talk circulated the stands prior to the start of the show about who everyone thought was going to pull out a victory. "Did you hear what happened last week?" and "they're out for blood tonight" were heard more than once, as well as "have you seen them yet?... they're a heck of a corps," as the sun set and the portable lights illuminated. But the favorite had to be the Caballeros, as alumni and die-hard fans came in droves to show their support for the host corps. By show time the stands were packed, with support for other corps as well. In short, this show was to be a battle, and what a battle it was. Going onto this show, I was familiar with the hype and accolade surrounding the Syracuse Brigadiers and took it with a grain of salt. To put it bluntly, I saw the corps last year on several occaisions and wasn't too impressed. This year, however, the fact is that Brigs are a solid, well coordinated drum corps performing consitently all the way accross the board. In contrast to other senior corps, Brigs aren't doing one thing well and "just getting by" on other aspects. They're doing everything well, particularly the color guard who are performing at a very high level. The question is, can they improve? Even though they're performing very well right now there remains much room for improvement in the overall package such as phasing, missed sets in the drill and some sound holes and bad intonation in some spots. Not to take away from their good performance remember, at this point it's the little things that need addressed-- not a bad place to be for the third week of July. Their hornline is balanced and can generate some healthy volume at times. The drumline is tight, but I would like to have seen a solo in there somewhere rather than snapshots scattered throughout the show. The backdrops help the overall mood of the show, and their strategic placement (they're placed right behind the back hash) aids in making the corps look as though they cover more field. If they concentrate on fixing "the little things" rather than "we're winning right now" they have a shot at coming out on top in August. After seeing Hawthorne duke it out with Bush last week I was prepared for a similar battle between the two corps, however the Caballeros seemed to stride right passed their neighbors to the South. Cabs somehow found an extra notch and let it out tonight. Perhaps it was due to the packed house of alumni in the stands yelling "go Cabs!!" or perhaps they wanted to make Syracuse earn their rewards. Judging from their improvement over last week, Cabs looked as though they were out to avenge their last meeting with Brigs a month ago. Cabs took Brass GE and Percussion this evening but fell short in Visual and overall GE. For some reason Cabs just don't have the visual impact that Brigs have right now. Brigs are simply cleaner. This can work to Cabs advantage if they can show vast improvement over the next few weeks leading into Allentown, remember they're only down a few tenths of a point. Cabs show is much more demanding than Brigs, with individual sections seeing exposure throughout. I think the show has more potential to go somewhere if Cabs can clean, clean, clean. Judging from past years, Cabs are clutch performers and certainly not new to a championship caliber work ethic. We have an exciting battle on our hands here folks-- experience of a perennial senior corps champion vs. the talent and energy of a rising star. Factor in the Harrison Bushwackers. Bush had a bad night. They were off to a great start in the opener and through most of the show. I think emotion got the best of them because they seemed to loose steam by the end of their run-through. I remember seeing them last week "just getting warmed up" for the end of the show, bringing the house down with a more than dramatic ending complete with the lead soprano line on the front sideline having its say. Technically speaking they were fine, they just didn't have the punch or pizzaz they had the week before. Like I said, an off evening that happens a lot in this game of drum corps. The brass book is probably the toughest on the field this season, and they are handling it wonderfully. Awesome soprano and mellophone lines, more than supportive low brass, great soloists. What Bush will have to consider is their percussion problems-- they just don't gel. Its even leading to more ensemble snafus with respect to timing between horns and drums. One, two, three weeks ago, this would be forgiveable, but not toward the end of July. I hope they can clean it up because this is too good a show and too good a brass section not to place high at Championships. Hurricanes are proving that they are also a force to be reconed with. I don't think I've ever seen a corps this size (about 24 horns) pack such punch. I'm surprised every time I see them. They are no nonsense, straight ahead drum corps. Good colorguard, although a few drops in the wind this evening, and an outstanding drumline. Skyliners need to clean!! They're loud, but D-I-R-T-Y!! You can tell that the members are experienced and are into selling their show. These folks love what they do, it's evident. But, they're in danger of not making finals because they're so over-hyped about what they do that the cleanliness of the show suffers. Chieftains are looking good in their red and white uniforms reminiscent of '80's Crossmen. I'm having a hard time understanding their show and how it fits together. My question is how does "Halleluja Chorus" fit with the opener "Birdland?" And then, how does this all fit with the closer from "Les Miserables?" It's nice music but why did they choose to put these tunes together? It's apparent in their performance and show construction that this corps lacks guidance. They need to find someone with drum corps experience who can show them the way. Like I said last week, they're getting better and there appears to be some talent and desire out there, but they need to learn how to do drum corps. In addition to the competing units the fans were treated to some fine samplings of alumni organizations. The first was the Yankee Rebels from Baltimore, MD. I have to admit they were great. They performed a complete show Sixty's style-- no props, no equipment changes, and company fronts galore. They are history in a bottle. Also performing were the Hawthrone Caballeros Alumni performing old Cabs music. They even marched in to the "call of the bull," which had the audience erupting. In fact, the audience didn't stop cheering the whole time they were on the field. After their performance, the competition corps joined them on the field and redefined the term "loud." I stopped counting at more than 70 horns (12 contras). In all, as fans we are blessed this season to have such competitive corps on the field. It's going to be a very interesting August. Get to a senior corps show, it's worth it. Can't wait 'til next week! Ed Medina VK Lead Sop-'90-'92 VK/Spectrum Staff '93/'96 From: Purple408 (purple408*aol.com) Subject: Re: DCA Cumberland, MD... Newsgroups: rec.arts.marching.drumcorps
here's a review w/scores.....
1) Brigadiers.....Wow!!!!!! Been reading it, have finally seen it, and I
love it! great brass sound, solid marching, large and in charge. The only
thing I saw I didn't like was the drummers doubletime marching in Love For
Sale. Fix that, and the visual program will smoke. Congrats, 85.1
2) Cabs.......Started out like a house of fire, then leveled off a bit.
Drumline still smokes, and Frankie dances the best in the feature.
Great to see Jimmy back, and don't count 'em out yet........83.7
3) Bush........Expected great things, but they seemed a little
flat.......drumline has improved, the DM added sex appeal during A Mis
Abuelos(you go girl!!!! CG from Shore says hi!!!), and the horns still
have power...always a threat....80.6
4) Sunrisers......Siglow may not like this, but they have Improved greatly
since Red Lion. Brass in the 1st hit was excellent, and except for the
helicopter landing at the med center, their show was a joy to watch. Great
guard, and Phillip Bliss had me thinking I was in Jackson Miss 4 years
ago...and THAT Mr Siglow is a great complimet to this corps. Wake up
folks, the Sun is shining once more......79.6
5)Westshore.......I love you guys, and if I offend, my apologies, but i
want you to do well. Opener was flt...the horns are spread too
far.....Drumline rocks, and despite the announced winners, they won ex and
ensemble. Like the guard unis...finally......Seal drags on to long...the
hit needs to be bigger....Chuck shows great improvement. Now, you want to
add GE??? Bring Back Blues in the beginning, and Ta F'n Da(quote by Hoss)
instant GE. Pull in some horn sets and visual will go up. Gettin there,
and still a chance........77.1
6)Bucs.......Great recovery from the accident and great improvement since
Red Lion. Some holes, but given the circumsatnces, forgivable. drumline is
improved(great job Rich) and the horns sound dark at times......good
arranging. Large guard and they help the show...keep it up.....69.9
7) Grenadiers......heard all kinds of rumors, finally saw them....nice
horns sound, but marching and Percussion killed them. Drummers breaking
and feet problems galore. Potential is the key word here and only time
will tell....67.5
Thats my IMHO.....if I hurt anyone's feelings, I am sorry, but I
tell it like I see it.
Jeff
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