Zade's Story Continues

DCI Semifinals

Friday, August 8, 2014

Lucas Oil Stadium

Indianapolis, IN

We hung out a little bit this morning because I needed to finish yesterday's post, so V and Bro kindly went to Starbucks and picked up something for me to tide me over until lunch.  Then we walked to Tastings for our annual visit.  We ordered the Goat Cheese and Fig Pizza, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and Sesame Encrusted Tuna for lunch, then we had the Tiramusu for dessert.  It was all quite tasty.

Yummy!

Wines we tasted:  

Bro: 

• 2012 Michael David "Earthquake" Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville (Napa area), CA* 
• 2010 Pio Cesare Dolcetto D'Alba Pinot Noir from Peidmont, Italy

V:

• 2011 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars "Hands of Time" Red Blend* from Napa Valley, CA*
• 2010 Lechuza Garnacha from Carinena, Spain

Sher:

• 2013 Ca' Donini Pinot Grigio from Ca Donini Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, Italy*
• 2011 Joseph Drouhin Pinot Noir from Chorey-Les-Beaune, France

*Preferred by Taster

We went to TILT to check out the claw machines, but none of them were worth Bro's time, so we walked over to Lucas Oil Stadium.  Outside the entrance gate, we saw the package pick up and registration for Street Beat 5K, so we picked up our stuff and went inside.  We took our daily picture at the SCV booth and I bought a sports tank top.  They have more Scheherazade shirts!  I'm glad that I really like the one I have already, but who knows how crazy I'll get tomorrow. 

Sher & Baby Cone

V Reading Zade's Book

Bro and people that wouldn't move

The Star-spangled Banner was sung by a woman named Kristen.  She had a strong voice, and did a couple of embellishments to the melody.

Corps time!  Top 12 are marked with an * and move on to Finals.

7TH REGIMENT -- 71.425

That was nice!  They sing at the beginning and the end.  I really need to do research on this Nevsky guy.

Nevsky

SPARTANS -- 74.050

V said that the whispering from the gods sounds like Parseltongue.  Oh, there's the red trident.  Beautiful duet of "You Are So Beautiful".  I really like the fermata and the subsequent lift on the first "So...." The brass field judge stepped in front of them after their duet and must have said something very nice, because they nodded and said "thank you", then they hugged because this was their last show.  Then Sherry had tears in her eyes for the rest of the show.  Great music, Spartans!  

Spartans Duet

GENESIS -- 74.075

V said that the stretching of the sheets over the CG faces reminds her of the bulging doors in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.  Bro said that they bought triangles yesterday and used them today...or he didn't actually see them there yesterday.  The guy in the pit that plays the big bass drum was acting crazy really well.

Genesis Flags

JERSEY SURF -- 75.800

Points off for introducing yourselves.  I forgot to take a picture of the pairs of brass players during "Lean On Me".  Ah, the Simple Gift of having a plume on your shako.

MANDARINS -- 78.150

Uh-oh.  The synthesizer wasn't working.  The audience took Bro's survey and said "No amplification", I guess.  Poor guy, I did feel bad for him, and wondered if they'd get a timing penalty.  (Jill is the lady holding up the time cards this week, we learned from yesterday's Loud Excited Girl). He was able to get help and they still started on time, though.  "The human spirit is limitless."  Indeed.

SCVC -- 80.200

The CG chanted whatever as they entered the field.  Oh, the formation at the beginning is a question mark!   Well done, SCVC!  I love sitting in the SCV section.  We got to hear the Vanguard yell.  I quietly said, "...guard!"  I thought that the battery kicked butt, but it was the color guard that got them to jump PC and Oregon Crusaders tonight.

I'll Stand By You

PACIFIC CREST -- 78.900

Guys, it's semis.  Your feet need to be in step, your lines need to be straight, and you need to catch your sabers.  Fun show, though, still one of my favorites this year.  After the DM's strings got cut, he was happy and did the can-can!  You can do the can-can, too!

BD B -- 82.325

The narration was really loud today, so I didn't like it as much.  The judges liked them, though, and they jumped 3 spots!

<Intermission>

I walked around, and saw a bit of the Old Guard Fife and Drums.  I found cotton candy for V, but it didn't look like Pioneer was selling their hand flags quite yet.

ORE CRU -- 80.100

I don't know what's on the other side of that eye.  V likes the theme that's used throughout, as well as the CG uniforms. I hope I never meet up with an Unkindness of Ravens with those creepy eyes.

Nevermore

I like the whole trend of the corps uniforms that have long coats.

THE ACADEMY -- 81.875

Speaking of trends, the trendsetters themselves!  This show makes me smile the whole time.  CG was on fire!  I like when some of the corps members go to center field and hold one of their coat tails out during the Beethoven.

Dragging the Guard

SPIRIT -- 81.550 

My interpretation of this show:  "We love our magnolia tree.  We love it very, very much."  They form a delta at the end, with the tip pointing to the tree.  Pretty magnolia flower flags.

TROOPERS -- 84.775

Beautiful show, they sounded great.  They received a standing ovation during the company front of "America The Beautiful".

Bro and V chose to make this time (Troop and Colts) their Hot Dog Corps time.  Bro brought dinner for me then left, so I was left there to watch the next corps.

COLTS -- 85.350

Before the show started, a woman that behind us said, "I hope his mic cuts out."  This woman knew at least one person on the staff of almost every corps, and she was educating her friend about drum corps.  If only she didn't talk during a performance, I would have appreciated her more.  As for the Colts, I heard more words, but still didn't understand.  I do like how they put in little touches of the music from the movie, and his choreography as he leaves the field as full Scarecrow.  

This row has plenty of traffic.  They're lucky that they're all SCV.

CROSSMEN -- 85.450*

Phew!  They made it to Finals!  They added some kind of subdivision to the trumpet line in the last piece, making it more difficult.  Cool!  They have a tent now.  It was there yesterday, but I forgot to mention it.  Great show!  

MADISON -- 87.650*

That one CG in the gray-ish camouflage costume looks like he's wearing pajamas.  At the end, the guy pushing the clock during most of the show gets on it, too.  When they're all leaving the field, a euphonium also plays at the same time as the screaming soprano.

BO CRU -- 89.050*

A tuba player got injured, and stayed on the back sideline until people came to help him.  This distracted a lot of us.  Dan Potter announced later that he's OK.  It's a recurring injury for him where his knee pops out.  When he was writhing in pain, it was also the part of the show that makes V sad, so she cried.  So all of those bright pink masks are pigs.  Whoa.  They had big banners with B A C at the end.  Well done, color guard!  "All drum corps are created equal.  But some drum corps are more equal than others."

Piggies with Flags

BLUE STARS -- 89.225*

Aw, someone dropped a saber.  One of the snare guys forgot to put on a shako.  I like this show a lot.  Dude behind me said that the rainbow flags are paint samples.  I thought they were just rainbow, like "There's No Place Like Home".  Perhaps I went deeper with this than I should have.

Blueprint Drums

Exhibition:  United States Army Old Guard Drum Line

US Army Old Guard Drum Line

<Intermission>

PHREGIMENT -- 91.550*

I don't like the synthesized singing.  You're better than that, Phantom.  The show was beautifully done, though.  So, does she die and meet him in heaven?  I like the costume changes, as they add a very dramatic contrast between black and white.

Swan and Prince

BLUE KNIGHTS -- 91.825*

"Oh, this is a pendulum of a clock!  I've watched this show 6 times." Bro laughed at me.  Those clock hands need to be silver and frosty.  Now they're a garish orange.  That's a different guy than the one on the screen.  Or not.

CAVALIERS -- 93.275*

I like all of the deep red, signifying the blood, as well as the pulling out of the scarves from their bodies.  So, are they ALL immortal now?

Cavaliers Percussion

CROWN -- 95.300*

The brass during the UFO portion was crazy good.  Crown Crazy Good.  V did not cry this time.

Pretty Colors

SCV -- 95.650*

"JUSTIN!!!!"  I did my job a few times while they set up for the show.  The first book has "Aladdin" on it.  I've decided that the tumbling guy is the magic carpet.  Zade opens her book at the end, signifying that the story continues.  I mean, how can you not like that show?  They were on fire tonight.

The King

BLOO -- 96.550*

I like the music, but the orange blinds me.  

Tilting

CADETS -- 96.700*

The people in the front have to watch the big screen because they can't see what's going on behind the big stage.  The corps only has to change the front of their cumberbunds, I noticed, since the back of the cumberbund is always the corps red.

Cadets

BD -- 98.950*

Oops.  That dude dropped the spotlight.  Their trumpet line is just wow.  I feel like all of the CG women need to condition their hair because it looks frizzy from my vantage point.  BD got the highest scores in all captions but percussion.

Tambourines

Guess who got percussion?

S.C.Frickin' V., that's who!

Then came some awards.  I almost cried when they presented  posthumous award to the family of a volunteer for the Colts.  The Age-Outs and supporters all had Batman signs and waved them as they received the award.

The Age-Out ceremony was fun to watch, as always.  I wish we could have seen more of the slide show pictures that the Age-Outs submitted.

Age-Outs Class of 2014

We went back to the hotel and got our stuff ready for tomorrow's 5K.  

Next up:  Street Beat 5K, Drumline Battle, and FINALS!