Just Keep Swimming

DCI Prelims

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Lucas Oil Stadium

Indianapolis, IN

I flew into Indy from LAX on Wednesday, and checked in to our home for the next few days.   The flight had been a bit bumpy, which seemed to have no effect on the little dog sitting with his owners in the seats next to me. Bro and V arrived a few hours later, and by then, I had unpacked and was really hungry because all I had eaten was a blueberry scone and a small bag of Fritos.  So we had dinner at Thai Paradise as soon as we were ready to go.  The server was kind of impatient, but at least I made her giggle when she asked how spicy I wanted my food, and I said a lot of synonyms for zero: "none; not any; nothing; zero spice."  Our food was delicious (I had the eggplant dish with chicken and NO spice).  Afterward, we walked next door to Jack's Donuts, and were happy to see that they had their specialty available: cronuts.  Their cronuts are different from the ones at my neighborhood donut place.  Those are donut-shaped (round), made of layers of croissant dough.  Jack's are croissant-shaped, and i think they're actual croissants with a glaze like you find on regular glazed donuts.  We bought a dozen donuts, which would eat over the next few days.  I also got a raspberry-filled donut, which is tasty, too.

On Thursday morning, Bro and I got up early, ate a donut each, and walked to Lucas OIl Stadium.  We arrived earlier than the gates were scheduled to open, so we watched the Colt Cadets color guard do their warm-ups.  Thank goodness they didn't search bags, because I had a bunch of snacks to help us last through our 14-hour drum corps day.  We shopped around and I bought a pair of Pacific Crest sunglasses, a blingy Madison Scouts fleur-de-lis t-shirt that was on sale, a program, a DCI orange cone, a DCI keychain, a bracelet from the Crossmen booth, and a UNICORN keychain!  Bro came very close to purchasing Drum Corpse Bride uniforms from the Academy.  I wish they had special Finals shirts at the SCV booth, but now that they're sponsored by Pep Wear along with BD, Cavies, and Cadets, they don't have independent cool stuff like in previous years.  Someone needs to come up with a bootleg shirt with the V like the corps wears in the show, so I can buy it.

Our seats were in Section 242, row 6, seats 3-5, at the left 25-30 yard lines.  There were a bunch of people that were there early with us and were in it for the long haul, too.  One lady took a ton of pictures, and had some kind of book with a page for each corps.  It looked pretty cool, but I was too shy to ask her about it.  It was not an official DCI book, but more like a thin binder/portfolio. Bro said I should make one, too, because he doesn't think I have enough stuff to carry, I guess.

The Star-Spangled Banner was performed by DCI's Urich on the trumpet.  Great job, Urich!  I hope I spelled your name right.

Brandt Crocker listed all of the corps to be performing during the day and only made 4-5 errors, but as long as he said Vanguard was from Santa Clara, I was OK.


Exhibition Performance
Inbhear Mor Performance Ensemble from Arklow, Ireland

Inbhear Mor

Gavroche

Their show was about Bohemia.  Their drum major's name is O'Shane Malloy, and Bro and I smiled at how very Irish his name was.  Their big bass drum must have been borrowed because it said "Pioneer" on it, with the shamrocks.  I think it was from their Les Miz show, which is funny because the little boy in the CG reminds us of Gavroche.  You know we can't have DCI Finals without an Irish unit, so Inbhear Mor was especially welcome today.  (Pioneer is now a weekend-only performance ensemble, and marches in parades.)

Scores were announced after the intermission from each block.

*Top 25 corps advance to Semi-Finals

HEAT WAVE -- 60.05
Repertoire: "Nature Boy" -- Nature Boy by e. ahbez;  Fix You by G. Berryman, J. Buckland, W. Champion, & C. Martin; Changes by T. Rabin, J. Anderson, and A. White    ; Original music by B. Sweeney

They have pine trees which they use for shade.  That guy flung his saber about 40 yards toward the end zone.  Wow!  How did he hang that rifle on his face?  Question:  Is he fixing her by giving her his vest thing, or is she fixing him by making him more like a human in society?  I like the big full moon flags.  The music ended kind of abruptly as the two of them ran away together.

LES STENTORS -- 63.15
Repertoire: "Passion in Red" -- Águas de Março by A. C. Jobim; Symphonic Overture by P. Sparke; Danzón No. 2 by A. Márquez; Capricho Árabe by F. Tárrega; Libertango by A. Piazzolla

Cute DM salute with a rose in his teeth.  Why was there a singer?  It's not like she sang any lyrics.  Nice trombone and mello solos, and pretty flags.

RAIDERS -- 62.45
Repertoire: "Gateway to the Unknown" -- Discovery of the Portal; The Comvertsation; The Veil of Isolation; Teleportation; Our Connected Universe -- all original music by K. Poulan, D. Bryan, and T. Peterman

The guard liked to toss up flags from behind the circles, step through the circles, and catch them from the other side.  I like it when that works.  I worry that it won't and that stuff will bounce off the circle and fly into people's heads.  I like the different shades of blue.  So they liked whatever the found in the "unknown" and destroyed the portal?  Or did they destroy the portal so that nobody else could go in?  

COLT CADETS -- 64.425
Repertoire:  "Of A Feather" -- Blackbird by J. Lennon & P. McCartney; Don't Stop Me Now by F. Mercury; On Eagles Wings by M. Joncas;  The Raven by A. Parsons & E. Woolfson

The show started with the cymbal players sitting on the platform, and moving their heads around like birds, which was cute because of their plumes.  Nice baritone solo for "On Eagle's Wings", and cool trumpet solo on "The Raven".  Go, solo dancer, go!  She was cool.    

SHADOW -- 66.3
Repertoire: "Sonnets to Orpheus" -- Keyboard Suite in D minor by G. F. Handel; Symphony No. 7 by L. van Beethoven; Orfeo ed Euridice by C. W. Gluck; Anvil by Lorn; Overture & New World by Björk

That one gray-uniformed corps member was a shadow of Shadow.  I like the multi-colored plumes on their Aussies.  Pretty purple and pink color scheme at the end.  Music was well played.

GOLDEN EMPIRE -- 68.475
The color guard has uniforms now.  Oh, look!  An ending!!!  I thought she was going to fall off of the tower as if the wax on her wings melted, but she didn't.

<Intermission>
Bro and I got lunch.  I didn't enjoy my french fries, but Bro enjoyed his pot roast sandwich.


RIVER CITY RHYTHM -- 71.075
Repertoire:  "Breaking the News" -- The Typewriter by L. Anderson; Second Rhapsody by G. Gershwin; A Day in the Life by J. Lennon and P. McCartney; Breaking the News by C. Friesleben, B. Hoover, P. Weber, & C. Myers

Awesome trumpet solo on "A Day in the Life"!  Their front screens change from newspaper to 24-hour news channel.  Now in Technicolor!  I forgot how much I like that typewriter song.

GUARDIANS -- 70.975
Repertoire: "Unpeeled" -- Musical selections by The Beatles, Karl Jenkins, Justin Timberlake, Jacques Brel, Irving Berlin, others

The horns danced while in necktie formation.  They form an apple, and the guard guy bites on a bright green ball as you hear a "crunch", like in Boston's Temptation show.  The green rifles resemble the apple stem. Very nice trumpet solo.  I love all of the different elements of the show; great job relating to the painting.

7TH REGIMENT -- 70.475
Repertoire:  "Poetic" -- In This Broad Earth by S. Bryant; Coriolan Overture by L. van Beethoven; Aha! by I. Heap; Film Noir/Pursuit (from Iris) by D. Elfman; Pure Imagination by L. Bricusse & A. Newley

They make a "7" out of their cymbals.  Nice raven flag.  "Pure Imagination" + Flag with balloons pictured on them = NO.  "O Captain, My Captain" and other poems were recited throughout the show, which annoyed me because of all of the talking.  This probably would have been my hot dog corps had I known about it earlier.

SOUTHWIND
Repertoire:  "Caged" -- Drive to Bohemia by E. Goldenthal; Highwire by J. Mackey; The Grind by J. Williams; Ordinary World by S. Le Bon, J. Taylor, J. Bates, & W. Cuccurullo {Duran Duran); Symphonia Resurrectus (from Easter Symphony) by D. Holsingert

Their fences reminded me of Surf's West Side Story show.  Pretty flags.  I didn't hear "My Body is a Cage" and was disappointed, even though I already knew it wasn't going to be part of the show.

LOUISIANA STARS -- 73.6
Repertoire:  "Break" -- Featuring music of Bonerama, Daft Punk, Jacob Collier, Knower, Panic! at the Disco, and Snarky Puppy

The DM started off the show by breaking his baton.  There was also a mean break up with the heart formation broken.  I did like the Take 5 bit.  I don't understand that ending.  Bro thought maybe the show wasn't done yet.  On Finals week.

GOLD -- 76.775*
Happiness is just being me.  They had tarp issues again, and I wonder if this hurt their score.  It's difficult to see the highway with the bright lights shining on the tarp.


LGENDS -- 78.075*
Repertoire: "Song of the Siren" -- La Mer by C. Debussy; Pure Imagination by L. Bricusse & A. Newley; Aquarium (from Carnival of the Animals) by C. Saint-Saëns; Genie in a Bottle by D. Frank, S. Kipner, & P. Sheyne; Finale (from The Abyss) by A. Silvestri; Symphony No.10 by D. Shostakovich

I would not go toward that siren's voice, because it's too operatic and I would be annoyed.  Sirens don't wear shoes.  Cool use of their uniform flap to depict the water movement. Tridents!  They also move their heads to look like water. I see those "The Little Mermaid" colors they're wearing!  They threw back the hat when they ate the guy.  Bro: "Eew, feathers!"  S:  "They do not eat balut."  

SPARTANS -- 80.4*
Repertoire:  "Experiment X" -- Act I: Balkan Dance by E. Crausaz; Egyptic by D. Satori, Z. Jakes, & T. "Sidecar" Cappel (Beats Antique); Act II: Libertango by A. Piazzolla; Act III: Shallow by S. Germanotta (Lady Gaga), M. Ronson, A. Rossomando, & A. Wyatt; Act IV: Gretel & Shofukan by M. League (Snarky Puppy)

Great show!  I couldn't help from humming during "Shallow", but tried to hum quietly.  Awesome trumpet solo.  I like the lining of the CG uniforms.  It's not the Spartans look that I'm used to, but I like it.


<Intermission>
We walked around and Bro still resisted the Academy uniforms, but I was able to convince him to get Earasers while we were here, because they had a good show special.

SEATTLE CASCADES -- 73.7*
Repertoire:  "Off the Grid" -- Off the Grid by B. Smith; Asphalt Cocktail by J. Mackey; I've Got the World on a String by H. Arlen & T. Koehler; Never Gonna Give You Up by M. Aitken, M. Stock, & P. Waterman; Nitro by F. Ticheli; High Wire by J. Mackey

Nice big opening hit.  Those pink strip things on the ground are dangerous.  It's good the judges aren't on the field.  Oh, they raise them up.  Twice!  So when it ends they look like party streamers.


JERSEY SURF -- 76.413*
Repertoire:  "FantaSea" -- Oceans by G. Richards; Moses and Marco Polo Suite (main theme from Marco Polo) by E. Morricone; The Legend of Atlan (from Aquaman) by R. Gregson-Williams; Op. 28: The Sea, Fantasy in E major for Orchestra by A. Glazunov; Aurora Awakes by J. Mackey; He Commands the Sea (from Aquaman) by R. Gregson-Williams

That was pretty!  I loved all of the blues depicting the ocean, then when they revealed the big blue tarp, the screens were turned around to reveal coral, and the CG uniforms were different types of fish.  Beautiful design!

MUSIC CITY -- 76.588*
Repertoire:  "Of Mice and Music" -- (info not available)

Those drums look like cheese. I want to taste one.  I love the double flags with the mouse silhouette during "Imagine".  Oh, those are mouse tails on their uniforms!  I get it.


GENESIS -- 78.163*
The CG now wears dresses at the beginning, depicting Mother Nature.  The CG girl no longer walks across the wall, and now the wall is more toward the center of the field.  It works much better that way.  

TROOPERS -- 80.850*
Not much change since we last saw them in So Cal, but the show is still pretty.

MADISON SCOUTS -- 81.025*
Repertoire:  "Majestic" -- Afterburners (Original music) by C. Naffier; Backlash (from Euneirophrenia) by S. Dobson; 715–CR∑∑KS by J. Vernon (Bon Iver); Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by B. Britten; Spinning Wheel by D. Clayton-Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears); One Voice by B. Manilow

I got sad watching this show because it's the last year they're an all-male corps. Yay, fleur-de-lis!  I like the old school hats on the drummers.

PACIFIC CREST -- 83.925*
Brandt read a seizure warning before the show started, and said, "This is not a joke."  That opening drill is fast!  I wore my new PC sunglasses for the whole show.  

<Intermission>
Dinner time:  hot dogs and popcorn.  Bro got a freshly-made pretzel and I've decided to get my own on another one of these days because it was yummy.  I did not have what you would call a "nutritious" day, unless popcorn counts as a vegetable.


COLTS -- 83.825*
Repertoire: "When Hell Freezes Over" -- Hells Bells by A. Young, M. Young, & B. Johnson (AC/DC}; Inferno by R. W. Smith; Danse Macabre by C. Saint-Saens; Dulcinea (from Symphony No. 3, Don Quixote) by R. W. Smith; Etude Op. 25 No. 11 (Winter Wind) by F. Chopin; Winter (from the Four Seasons) by A. Vivaldi; Knockin' on Heaven's Door by B. Dylan

OH, they just drop stuff into those circles when they're done with them.  Um, Dude, you dropped your cymbal, and I worried that someone was going to trip on it because there are no longer any judges on the field to pick up stuff like that.  Cool transition with the big silk covering the corps in ice.  More tridents, but they are pitchforks for the demons this time.  Well done! 

Aw, the exuberant volunteer lady didn't let 2018 SCV DM Carl come up the stairs because he wasn't a Friend of DCI.  I would have let him come up to sit next to us.  The people that left them never came back.




THE ACADEMY -- 83.9*
That "Bridge Over Troubled Water" gets me teary every time.  They have playful parts by section toward the end of the show now, which is cute.




SPIRIT OF ATLANTA -- 85.25*
Repertoire: "Neon Underground" -- Intro by M. Filosa, J. Cypert, & C. Moore; Krump by S. McAllister; You and Me by H. Lawrence, G. Lawrence (Disclosure), J. Napier, & E. Caird (Eliza Doolittle); Attraction by E. Séjourné; Color Wheel by J. Izzo, A. Rafowitz, A. Bentley, J. Calderone, & R. Martinez (Arch Echo)

The vinyl skirts are really cool, especially when they reflect the lights.  Cool drum set!  I like the neon rifles because they remind me of Big Stick popsicles.  I like the pink drum slips, too.  They have to clean up confetti ribbons before they leave the field.

PHANTOM REGIMENT -- 87.375*
Repertoire:  "I Am Joan" -- Carmina Burana by C. Orff; Audivi Media Nocte by O. Waespi; Zohar by J. Leshnoff; Fire of Eternal Glory & Lady McBeth of Mtsensk by D. Shostakovich; Vox Populi by J. Leto (30 Seconds to Mars);  Unleashed by T. Bergersen (Two Steps from Hell)

There I was thinking, "I thought this year they added guys to the color guard."  Then they took off the black coats from whom I thought were trumpet players, and they threw up rifles for the not-trumpet players to catch.  What?!?  That was cool.  Glenn texted from his seat at DCI Cinema and was disappointed that the double horns were not real.  They form a big cross, as well as a shield with another cross inside.  Nice use of trombones to add to the climax of the show.

CROSSMEN -- 87.163*
Repertoire:  "Valkyrie" -- Music by Led Zeppelin; Music by T. Reznor; Music by A. Markworth

Hi, Bones!  My Crossmen bracelet does not have a skull because it's too creepy.  They have V flags that I think V should get.  They also make a V formation.  The trombones played Wagner's "War of the Valkyries" and I would have liked to hear all of the low brass play that.  Wings!  V was waiting for them to take someone to Valhalla, but it never happened.


MANDARINS -- 88.85*
Lots of changes were made since we saw them in So Cal.  There are no longer spikes coming out of the different carts.  The DM doesn't conduct from the carts anymore, either.  Neither does the intruder go up to the DM stand.  The switch of Intruder portrayers is now underneath one of the carts, and the hood comes off both during the pas de deux and after the switch, so now it's totally obvious that they're two different guys.  I don't like that.  Now the Intruder dies by hanging instead of strangulation, and because there are no spikes, I don't know why they throw him against the wall.  It's still a great show, though.

<Intermission>
This intermission was pretty short due to DCI's Big, Loud, Live broadcast.

THE CADETS -- 90.10*
Repertoire: "Behold" -- Fanfare for the Women by L. Larsen; Just by D. Lang; Blueprint by C. Shaw; Dance 1 (from Estacy's Mom Orchestral Suite) by Fountains of Wayne; Bridge Over Troubled Water by P. Simon; Do Better (original music) by T. Aungst, O. Carmenates, & B. Carrita; Symphony No. 4 (Finale) by D. Maslanka

They cut the live singing that I thought I saw during the DCI Premiere at the start of the season.  The stairs and different configurations of them are cool.  I don't really understand the story and what it has to do with what I interpret "We can do better" to mean "gender equality."

BLUE STARS -- 90.85*
Repertoire:  "Call of the Wild" -- Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, “Winter” by A. Vivaldi; Symphony No. 1 by P. I. Tchaikovsky; Dance Panels by A. Copland; Sora by Y. Kanno; Avalanche by J. Wunderlich, R. Barclay, & M. Hernandez; The Great Thaw (Vuelie Reprise) by F. Fjellheim & C. Beck

The narrator said "Under bright and blue stars"!  The sled is shaped like a dog's head.  We were already cold because we were directly underneath the air conditioning vents, and it felt even cooler during the show.  They make a * formation.

BLUE KNIGHTS -- 91.475*
There's a lot more talking in this show than I remember.  Bro said that it was from a trailer for the short film "Ellis", starring Robert DeNiro.  "They're at last...home."  Those horns are awesome.

CAVALIERS -- 94.25*
One of the CG guys now does a handstand on one of the barrels in the center front of the field.  Now they're throwing barrels, too!  Awesome job, Cavies!  Love that color guard.

BOSTON CRUSADERS -- 94.225*
Repertoire:  "Goliath" -- Enough of Our Machines by R. Lott (Son Lux); Everybody Wants to Rule the World by R. Orzabal, I. Stanley, & C. Hughes (Tears for Fears); On the Shoulders of Giants by P. Graham; Giant Steps by J. Coltrane; My Shot (from Hamilton) by L.-M. Miranda; Fanfare for Rocky by B. Conti; Once Upon a Castle by M. Daugherty

I like that formation of the walking man.  Goliath can run on those stilts?  Ooh, that's bloody.  Apparently they added a lot more blood for Finals Week.  The beheading is gruesome, but it works.  Great CG work.

CAROLINA CROWN -- 95.938*
Repertoire: "Beneath the Surface" -- Temen Oblak (Dark Clouds) (from The Drop That Contained the Sea) by C. Tin; Frolic (From Rabbit and Rogue) by D. Elfman; Gabriel's Oboe (from The Mission) by E. Morricone; Bucimis (Traditional Bulgarian based on arrangement by The Swingles w/T. Sankaran)

That horn line.  Wow.  Very loud opening.  I need to borrow Bro's Earasers.  The horn line is all that kept me from falling asleep at this point because I haven't slept a lot lately.

SANTA CLARA VANGUARD -- 96.238*
The Viper is back!  Also, they're hanging Leo's baritone by a rope and spinning it around a pole like it's a tether ball.  I don't think they need the tarps, and I'm glad I never saw the huge one in the center.

BLUE DEVILS -- 97.55*
I forgot all about that violin player, and now he's in the last scene.  Awesome show, BD!

BLUECOATS -- 97.65*
Repertoire: "The Bluecoats" -- Revolution Number 9 by J. Lennon. Y. Ono, & G. Harrison; Strawberry Fields Forever by J. Lennon (as Lennon-McCartney); Penny Lane & Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by P. McCartney (as Lennon-McCartney); A Day in the Life by J. Lennon & P. McCartney; What Goes On by J. Lennon, P.  McCartney, and R. Starkey; Love Me Do & I Want to Hold Your Hand by J. Lennon & P. McCartney; Yesterday & Eleanor Rigby by P. McCartney (as Lennon–McCartney); Within You Without You & Here Comes the Sun by G. Harrison; A Little Help From My Friends by J. Lennon & P. McCartney; Blackbird by P. McCartney (as Lennon–McCartney); Dear Prudence, Come Together & I Want You (She's So Heavy) by J. Lennon (as Lennon–McCartney); Hey Jude by P. McCartney (as Lennon-McCartney); The End by P. McCartney (as Lennon–McCartney)

That blackbird is far too big to fit in that little cage.  Those stands look like Pirin tablets to me.  I don't think they're actually playing their instruments when they're moving the ramps.  Is the woman's voice on the recording the same woman who sang last year?  It sounds like her.  I would like this show more if there was less blue and orange.

We walked home and ate donuts for dessert while winding down for the night.  It's been a fun show day, even though I almost fell asleep at times.  I liked all of the different ways that water is shown on the dry, green football field.  The scores are tight in lots of places, and I'm happy that PC is doing so very well!  

Next up:  Semi-finals