Perhaps We're Missing Something

Day 2: Quarterfinals -- August 7, 2008

After we woke up for breakfast, we went back to our hotel room and relaxed for awhile. We tried to take naps, but were unsuccessful, since we were already up. It was probably also due to the excitement of the day. Their breakfast here at the hotel (Embassy Suites) includes made-to-order omelettes, so I had one of those, and it was tasty because it had what I wanted -- spinach, onions, and mushrooms in all egg-whites. I'd be happier if they could throw in some ground turkey, but that wasn't on the menu, so that's OK. We're not at Barefoot, anyway. ;)

We decided to get our lunch on the way down to Bloomington, since it's 50 miles away, and we wanted to make sure to get there in time to see all the corps. I was being a dummy during the planning, and didn't reserve seats for us on the shuttle bus in time, so we had to rent a car and drive ourselves everywhere. To avoid being lost, we decided to follow one of the buses. It was in the right lane for the beginning of the trip, so I wondered if I should be there, too, as if I was missing something. The bus turned out to be going way too slow for my taste, so I passed it, and Bro thought that maybe the bus riders were now thinking that perhaps they were the ones missing something.

We ended up at a Steak 'n' Shake, which was Bro's first experience there. They have Side-By-Side shakes, which are shakes with 2 flavors next to each other in the same glass. I didn't have one, but they looked pretty cool.

The drive itself was OK. People rarely speed here. We figured that they probably weren't in that much of a hurry to see the next corn field. Indiana's a beautiful state, a little too flat for my taste, but at least the weather is very pleasant. There was some construction on the other side of the road, so we hoped that it would be gone by the time we'd be driving home, because the traffic looked terrible.

We arrived at Memorial Stadium at Indiana University, and had plenty of time to shop at the DCI Marketplace. Bro was looking for shorts, and I just wanted my 2007 recordings as well as the souvenir DCI yearbook. The price has gone up to $15, but they also provided coupons for $3 at each corps' booths. It's too bad I bought the program AFTER I bought a DVD from the Troopers. The IU trailer was also open for business, and I'll probably get a little something from there, too. We signed up to be Super Fans so that we could get our buttons and maybe some free stuff later.

Our seats were at about the 40-yard line, 55 rows up from the bottom. Our view was quite nice, and the seats were bench style (which would hurt our backs after 7 hours of no back rest). Today's competition was 20 drum corps, the top 17 of which would advance to Semifinals. Scores were announced between corps. All corps advancing to Semis in this report will be notated by a *.

The Star-Spangled Banner was sung by Lucy Yarborough. Very nice, although it was a bit slow, and the people in back of us hummed in harmony, which kind of irritated me because they tried to jump ahead of her, and would pick the wrong notes to harmonize. OK, so that reminds me. Bro and I kept checking around to see if CSL4 would be there, since this is his home state, and his son plays the drums, and is looking to join the Cavaliers one day. Bro just kept pointing out blonde people to me. None of them were Scott.

Pioneer -- 74.125
Show: Celtic Reflections
Repertoire: First Suite in E-flat for Military Band (G. Holst), Horkstow Grange (from "Lincolnshire Posy") (P. Grainger), Celtic Symphony (B. Warfield), Crown Imperial March (Sir W. Walton)

I like their use of the Celtic triangle, which was one of the formations, and was also imprinted on the tambourines. They had big triangles with mirrors all over the field. Their modified rifles (I call them skeleton rifles because they look like bone) were white with a green outline. Cool bit with the snares squatting lower and lower as they played at standstill. They also made a shamrock formation, naturally. I was disappointed that the CG didn't do a jig. If you're going to put down your equipment and dance, then do a jig, already! You're Irish! The CG was not spinning in unison. Nice solos and duet from the horn section.

Mandarins -- 77.925
The announcer really screwed up Santiago Sabado's name (drum major), which is Bro's favorite name right now, so he was irritated. The CG is now wearing blue and orange. So, of course, I want them to bring back their black rehearsal clothes. :) The people in the seats next to me came to their seats DURING this show (this is not good drum corps etiquette). Then they started talking, and not about the actual show. Grrrr.... Anyway, the Mandarins sound much better. Nice mello solo. They did a move that reminded me of my college choir rehearsal of "Paper Reeds," in which the corps members stood and swayed slightly back and forth to emulate reeds in a river. Nice. The river theme now makes sense to me since they are no longer using practice flags, and all of them have some blue in them. They have a new ending, wherein the CG runs to the bottom right corner of the field, with the corps as the banks of the river.

The Academy -- 78.85
OK, now the people next to me LEFT during the show. Also not good etiquette. SIGH. The Academy's sound was VERY nice, and the music was really great. The CG was wearing actual uniforms, which weren't exactly what I thought they'd be, but OK. I really love the battle of the two schools of music in Vienna. The CG guy that had the last toss in the ensemble ripple caught his sabre, and was so happy that he tossed up another 7-count just for good measure. That was a surprise! I like the way that the corps did their diminuendo, and lingered for a couple of counts as two of the CG did a rifle toss. The drum judge got run into by a cymbal player. I've never seen a horn guy actually kick a CG's ass before like in this show. Cool. That was not going to be the only piece of violence today. Stay tuned. :)

Pacific Crest -- 79.35*
Hey, where did the tall feathers go? They're not part of the headpieces anymore. WHY are some of you having spacing problems?! This is QUARTERFINALS! During this corps, not only did the lady next to me say that the corps on the field was "Pacific COAST," but she also *stood up* during the show to wave at someone entering the stands (during the show) so they could see where she was sitting. I quietly asked her to sit down, but she couldn't hear me, and really, I wanted to see/hear the corps rather than get into an argument with some stupid person who can't behave at their first drum corps show. Anyway, what happened to the didgeridoo sound? I did hear some kind of buzzing sound during the show, so maybe that was it, and it was more subtle. I liked the Academy's show better today, and you know that it hurts me to say that, since PC is the corps that regularly receives my donations.

Troopers -- 81.5*
Show Title: "The Iron Horse Express"
Repertoire: Canyon of Heroes (S. O'Loughlin), Sasparilla (J. Mackey), Song of the Gandy Dancers (R. Saucedo), The Great Arrival (W. Gordon)

Nice opening drill & music before the salute, then the big blast afterward! I love all the train elements in this show: the movement of the wheels and wheel bars that connect them, the train whistle, and the steel against steel sound were just great. They had those saloon doors made just for the one solo?! The Troop is back, and it's good to see them doing so well, and getting into Semifinals!

INTERMISSION

So, I guess that lady left forever because she never came back after this. Thank you, God. I didn't want to be irritated for the rest of the evening. The talkative CG gals in back of Bro also left, so we were surrounded by pleasant folks from then on, making it a much more positive experience. Hmm....maybe we're missing something.

Spirit -- 83.35*
Show Title: "pe-ri-4-ry"
Repertoire: Piano Concerto I -- The Beach (from "The Piano") (M. Nyman), Equus (E. Whitacre), Corynorhinus & Myotis (from "Batman Begins")

Something fell onto the field. Is that a sock? What is that? A glove? A wandering hashmark? What? Anyway, a horn player fell down, but I wasn't sure if it was because they tripped on the thing that was on the field, although the person was close to it, so it's possible. The 4 CG gals in the corners reminds me of the Cavaliers' "Four Corners" show in 2001. The CG uniforms reminded me of the Seattle Cascades' during their Airplane show, and I was distracted because I couldn't remember what corps I was thinking about. Then I remembered that the Cascades didn't do a full tour this year, and I hope they can return next time.

Colts -- 84.45*
Show Title: "Night and Day"
Repertoire: Sunset in the City -- Night and Day (C. Porter), Times Square/Curtain Time -- Fancy Free, On the Town, West Side Story (L. Bernstein), Moonlight in Central Park -- Unexpected Song (A. Lloyd Weber), Dangerous Streets/Sunset -- Spellbound (M. Rozsa)

Their uniforms are REALLY bright red. It's the new, brighter Colts with Clorox bleach or something! We didn't remember them being quite that red last year, but I think that these are the same uniforms. I finally realized that the big board display includes the repertoire of the corps at the start of their show. Duh, Sherry. I saw that there was one male CG and the rest were female, which made me ask Bro, "Are they doing Phregiment's show?" (from 2005). The shadows on the field made for a natural night and day effect, even though it was unintentional. Or was it? Hmmm.... Anyway, to show the New York City theme, they did formations of the Statute of Liberty's crown and the Empire State Building (or if you're one of the dudes behind us, a Christmas Tree). I liked the transition from a snippet of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata into Unexpected Song, which especially warmed my heart, because that's what I sang at Bro & V's wedding. Awwww..... The piece was beautifully done, and Bro now prefers it over my rendition, so I told him that at least mine came at a cheaper price. This drum judge is just slow! He almost got run over by one of the CG members. The CG dude did a kickass job throwing up his baton. Wow!

Madison Scouts -- 85.075*
Show Title: "La Noche De La Iguana"
Repertoire: Inteligencia -- La Noche de los Mayas (S. Revueltas), Danza de los Duendes (N. Galbraith), Estancia Suite & Harp Concerto (A. Ginastera); Pasion -- Danzon No. 2 (A. Marquez); Progreso -- Concierto Candela for solo Percussion & Orchestra (G. Ortiz)

I don't like that shade of green on them. It's too much like the field. I like the corps' synchronized adjustment of their ties. I always love those little touches that Madison does. I also like the straight line on the 50, which slowly goes into a diagonal. Great bodywork throughout, especially the dancing during the horn trio. The guy next to me knew every yard line his kid was on at each moment, telling his video camera "40, 41..." This didn't annoy me, since he didn't talk the whole time, just at the beginning. I like the cymbals all going crazy backfield, like the rest of the corps. I didn't really hear much from those boxes they used as percussion instruments, though. Hey -- this drum major used a baton to conduct. I'm not used to that from this corps.

Crossmen -- 84.825*
Show Title: "Planet X"
Repertoire: The Planets (G. Holst), What A Wonderful World (B. Thiele & G. D. Weiss), Also Sprach Zarathustra (R. Strauss), Moonlight Sonata (L. von Beethoven)

Where is Bones? I thought that he was always here at Quarterfinals. The corps has new uniforms. I like when they spin those big orange Xs, and when the horns go down the scale as they squat lower and lower. Great flag work.

Glassmen -- 87.625*
Show Title: "Kar-ne-vel"
Repertoire: Act 1: Life -- Carnival is Over (L. Gerrard & B. Perry), The Breakfast Machine & Overture (D. Elfman); Act 2: Love -- Watermark (Enya); Act 3: Passion -- Beirut Taxi (A. Desplat), Carnival is Over (reprise)

I heard "Carnival" and wondered aloud if they would be doing the Blue Devils' show from this year. They wheeled in several big chests, which didn't actually have bodies inside, as I thought. I was hoping that someone would jump out of each of them, but then it took way too long for them to be opened, and I figured that the people would be dead by then. I mean, hello, it's summer, and I didn't see any air holes. Oh, they held balloons!!! They were the kind that don't scare me, so it was pleasant. There was way too much wheeling around of those chests, though. They have iridescent-colored drums, that made them look like different colors in different shades of light. I really like the flags with balloons on them. You see what happens when you take everyone else's balloons? They fly away, because you can't handle all of them at once. The CG had a lot of costume changes, and used the chests for that purpose, too. No, only one of them actually went into one of the chests and closed it on herself. She got out of there pretty quickly, though, so no worries about her oxygen.

Blue Stars -- 88.10*
Show Title: "Le Tour...Every Second Counts"
Repertoire: Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78 (C. Saint-Saens), Toccata (from Symphony for Organ No. 5, Op. 42) (C. Widor); Reverie, Pagodes (from Estampes), Suite Bergamasque, and Clair de Lune (C. Debussy); First Gymnopedie (E. Satie), Pavane in F-sharp Minor, Op. 50 (G. Faure), Le Tombeau de Couperin (M. Ravel), Le Tour: Stage 5, Stage 15, Stage 20 (F. Sullivan)

Ah, the Tour de France. THAT's why they're dressed like cyclists! The horns and CG start in the end zone, warming up in preparation for the race. There were some problems with the sound system -- blech. I like all of the French music. The bottoms of the flag poles had handlebars on them, and even held a sabre on each of them at one point. Very cool to watch an actual bicycle being ridden on the field, with the corps making the shape of an arrow, which pointed to the finish podium. The cyclist made it through the lane and a narrow opening in the middle of the corps without hitting anyone. Impressive. This show is very well-themed, and I really liked it. It woke me up from the drowsiness that I was feeling due to lack of sleep.

Boston Crusaders -- 87.925*
Show Title: "Neocosmos"
Repertoire: Also Sprach Zarathustra (R. Strauss), Kingfishers Catch Fire (J. Mackey), Moondance (V. Morrison), August's Rhapsody (from "August Rush") (M. Mancina), Burly Brawl (from "Matrix Reloaded") (D. Davis & B. Watkins)

Everybody's doing BD's space sound from a few years ago! It's pretty cool with the Strauss theme, though, also known as the theme from "2001: A Space Odyssey." They do their "Conquest" theme at a slower pace toward the end. Cool formations during the transitions.

INTERMISSION

Blue Knights -- 88.425*
Show Title: "Knight Reign"
Repertoire: Cloudburst (E. Whitacre), Turbine (J. Mackey), Jeux d'Eau (M. Ravel), Amazing Grace (arr. by R. Newbury & J. Ausdemore)

Go, Chris! (I just wanted to join in with the people in front of us). I like that arrangement of "Amazing Grace." Interesting music and beautiful flags, especially all the different colors at the end. Bro asked later if BK actually played music, or if it was just a bunch of notes. I told him that I wrote "Interesting," and he left it at that. I'm much more esoteric than he is. What is with the 2nd DM having an extended 50-yard line to his podium? They have new uniforms, too.

Bluecoats -- 92.175*
Show Title: "The Knockout"
Repertoire: On The Waterfront (L. Bernstein), The Boxer (P. Simon & A. Garfunkel), Excerpts from "Rocky" (B. Conti, V. Dicola & Survivor)

I could do without all the talking in this show. I like all of the boxing moves matching the percussion hits, though. Rockin' drums, which makes me understand why they're getting such high marks in that category. Ooh, there's choir corps, too! I guess we're supposed to count to 10 along with the ref, because other people did. I think I heard some flat notes, though. Bro said that I was supposed to be rooting for the guy who lost at the beginning of the show. Why can't I just congratulate the winner anyway?

Santa Clara Vanguard -- 92.625*
I like their CG uniforms. I also like this ending much more than before, as it now ends big, instead of "Is it done?" The "Vanguard" yell is during "Cloudburst." I love those blue dresses with the white flags. A snare drum dropped onto the ground. W? At least he recovered in time for all of the craziness later on.

The Cadets -- 94.225*
Show Title: "...and the pursuit of happiness"
Repertoire: An American Elegy & Nitro (F. Tichell), Round 4 (F. Sullivan), Vesuvius (F.Tichell)

There are chairs and a window on a stage in the middle of the field. I'd already seen a picture of it before coming to Indy, but now they're actually there and I hate it in person, too. A guy and a girl are on the stage and are talking to each other as 2 people in an interview on a public radio station. They don't dance, they don't play any instruments, they don't spin anything, and they don't even sing. W times 10! All they did was talk in interludes between the corps playing stuff, while the corps did some really cool drill moves (at least they were cool according to Bro. I was too busy texting at the time because I was too upset to watch the whole thing). SHUT UP, ALREADY, and STOP TALKING AT ME! From what I did watch at the end, I loved all of the corps maneuvers. Just think of what they could have done had they not had a huge stage in the middle of the field! At one point, I thought that the drum judge was going to just sit on the stage to avoid getting run over by the corps. That would have made me smile. Oh, the corps itself sounded great, although it was too disjointed because of all of the talking, so there was no way for me to get emotionally involved with the show. Unless you call "hating" a show being "emotionally involved" with it. Yes, my friends, this will be my "hot dog corps." Sorry, Cadets. I look forward to next year, when you go back to your roots as "Holy Name" and play some West Side Story.

Phregiment -- 96.575*
As the DM entered the stadium being pushed on his podium by the slaves, and the trumpets played a fanfare to him, one dude near us said, "That's a heck of a whole lot better than a couple of easy chairs." Oh. My. Goodness. That was AWESOME!!!!! The show has changed a lot since Pasadena: At the end of the show, the other drum major ran up and killed the main DM, stepped on him, pulled out a baton from his own sash, and conducted the corps. The corps received a standing ovation for at least a minute before the show ended until the final note. Very, very, very cool. Violent, but cool. I'm Spartacus, too!

Carolina Crown -- 96.075*
Show Title: "Finis"
Repertoire: Candide (F. Lizst), Toccata & Fugue in D minor (J.S. Bach), Barber of Seville (G. Rossini), Symphony No. 9 (L. van Beethoven), Mid Summer Night's Dream #9 (F. Mendelssohn), Clair de Lune (C. Debussy), One Hand, One Heart & Somewhere (L. Bernstein), Hungarian Rhapsody (F. Liszt), Festive Overture (D. Shostakovich), 1812 Overture (P. I. Tchaikovsky), Appalachian Spring (A. Copland), Hallelujah Chorus (G. F. Handel)

I've been looking forward to this show ever since I saw the scores earlier in the season, when Crown beat the Cadets for the first time EVER. Then I heard about the show concept, which is the famous endings of classic pieces of music. That sounded really cool, and I was interested to see how it would turn out. It was AWESOME. I really liked the music, and the corps did a wonderful job of conveying the emotion of each piece. I'm sure that it was difficult for them to follow Phregiment, but I think we needed something more subdued to calm down the crowd after all of the killings. Phew!

The Cavaliers -- 97.00*
Show Title: "Samurai"
Repertoire: Bushido -- The Way of the Warrior, Ronin -- Masterless Samurai, Ken-jutsu -- The Art of the Sword, Fumeiyo yori shi wo -- Death Before Dishonor (all by R. Saucedo, J. Casella, and E. Johnson)

What's on that big drum? Is it like a huge practice pad, telling them where to hit the drum head? What is that? Anyway, this was classic Cavaliers, with their crazy drill. I mean, whoa! They're jumping over each other?! Nice slow motion, too. I liked the streamers being thrown up into the air as the one samurai kills the other, indicating blood spurting. Yup, folks, it's another violent show! More Battles! More Killing! Drum corps is apparently not for the faint-hearted. I liked when the horn guy brushed his shoulder after his solo, like, "Oh, yeah, I'm the coolest." They formed the Japanese character for "Samurai," which matches the tattoos that they were handing out at the Cavaliers booth today.

Blue Devils -- 97.375*
Dude can't pronounce "Absurdity." Their drum heads are now the same color as their shells. They made the poles glisten, so they show up nicely in the light. They made the poles curvy, too, which they hadn't done earlier in the season. That stick man that the corps forms at the end to match the one on the ground: did it always move, or did that used to be stationary? I didn't notice the figure until now, since Rudy had told me about it, so I have no idea. Neither does Bro. Roo, if you're out there reading this, let me know.

So it's still anyone's game. BD isn't far enough ahead to be comfortable, and the other corps are good enough to catch up with their very cool shows. I'm really looking forward to the next two nights!

We went to a McDonald's drive-thru for dinner on the way home, where we got, yes, more sweet tea. It's only a buck, man! We were lucky enough to get there a little bit before they closed at midnight, and the car behind us was the last one allowed to order. We did scope out other places to eat for the next two nights, since we knew that we'd be getting out at later times. Aside from the mile or so of one-lane, the traffic was fine, and we got home in an hour.

I'm writing this from home, but giving y'all the play-by-play as if I'm still there, BTW. I did start this report on Qfinals night, but this is a long one to finish in one session, and I was far too sleepy during our down time to give the updates more timely. Besides, I think that my brain is actually still there.

Next up: Semifinals