It's A Noboe

  DCI Semifinals

Friday, August 8, 2025

View from FloMarching Broadcast

Bro's House, CA

By the time I woke up this morning, Bro had already logged onto FloMarching to watch the corps competing in the All-Age competition.  He was about to walk the pup pup, so he put it on pause while I took a shower.  I will not be blogging about the All-Age corps.  Instead, I wrote my blog from DCI Prelims while I watched.  I contemplated writing this blog live during Semis, but maybe for Finals?  I don't know.  I like having my little notebook and not being able to read it the next day.  

We did not take a selfie today, but I will be interspersing some photos of the decor Bro placed around the house for the occasion.  Don't be surprised if you see a lot of Vanguard!  

Bro's chair

Corps with * advance to Finals (top 12).

RIVER CITY RHYTHM -- 73.125

I got to watch this whole thing this time.  Ooh, a harmonica!  They kinda look like Roman Centurion soldiers, which doesn't fit the whole anti-establishment theme, but we did like the cap sleeves that are kind of like epaulets.

COLUMBIANS -- 74.50

I do not want to see your laundry drying.  I like when the show their blue rally towel, then they show the other side, which is the flower pattern.  If I was the girl in the pit, I would take that sprig of flowers home.  

CALGARY STAMPEDE SHOWBAND -- 75.250

R:  The solos are much cleaner today.

They have an invisible bass guitar.

Guard members lift up construction beams above their heads:

R:  They're strong!

SEATTLE CASCADES -- 77.050

Well, I fell asleep, but I was told that I didn't miss anything because their props still didn't work.  Bro searched through photos online of when they actually worked, and I texted my companions from the earlier season shows just to make sure my memory wasn't playing tricks on me.  So at one point, they all would flip around to show blue, or red, or the shimmery color for each color section.  That must have been very frustrating for the show designers for it to be so consistently not working to their vision.

GENESIS -- 77.700

O: Jellyfish!

B:  Why did you say that?

O:  Their skirts!

To spin the kaleidoscope by hand, or not to spin.  That's what we questioned.

BATTALION -- 79.125

Fire flags!  The sound is better today: we can hear the poetry narration.  Not that it's necessarily a good thing.

GOLD -- 79.9

Man, I really hoped they would get to 80 points.

S:  Why would you go to a barber who has blood all over his face?

The big red flag got caught on the barber chair stage, but they quickly fixed it.  Mostly.

SPARTANS -- 82.275

I wonder what they'll wear in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tihs year.  I hope it will be their traditional black uniforms with the helmets and huge plumes.  It will be nice to hear the announcer introduce them as the current DCI Open Class champions.  I like the Spartans.

<Intermission>

Rally Towels from Prior SCV Years

CROSSMEN -- 82.225

Bones!!!  They showed a close-up.

O:  Oh, it's a mask?

S:  I hope so.

They should have another "Wait!" at the end, then the lead color gaurd stops, and the corps does a quick drill to form their marquis cross formation.  That would have been a really cool finals week surprise.

ACADEMY -- 83.313

We spent most of the show shoppping online for their umbrellas.  I want one to use for shade, maybe in purple.  Aw, they're crying because it's their last show.

MUSIC CITY -- 83.838

Very nice Dies Irae solo.  Pretty double flag work during the Doxology.  I like the purple in the color guard's hair.

PACIFIC CREST -- 84.825

They sound much better today and I could hear the solos, which were nicely done.  Oh, they have different-colored flags at the end with writing on them listing the 7 Deadly Sins.  The green and gold flags remind O of Loki.

PC represented alongside SCV
The pillow is made from a uniform from SCV's
"Les Miserables" show.

MADISON SCOUTS -- 85.35

Bro likes the soprano trumpet/slide trumpet at the end of the show.  I'm still Meh about it.  Steve Rondinaro interviewed the soloist after the show, and asked him to settle the debate about what instrument he is actually playing, as this is determined by the manufacturer.  He says it's a slide trumpet, and that it took him a few years to convince the showrunners to allow him to play it for a DCI show.

BLUE KNIGHTS -- 88.275*

The oboe soloist was very happy at the end of his song, and he should be!  Brandt announced the end a little too early.  Oops.

COLTS -- 88.528

S:  I don't know, it seems like they're wearing pajamas.  Oh, "In Restless Dreams".  I get it! 

TROOPERS -- 90.063*

The hat that they place on the pine box at the end belonged to Fred Morris, the corps director largely credited with the Troopers' resurgence in 2009.  He passed away last November.   The corps' social media reps are encouraging those in attendance to shine their flashlights on the Trooper as he exits.

<Intermission>

BLUE STARS -- 90.375*

S:  They should do the wave.

<Blue Stars do the wave.>

R:  There you go.  Tell them to do more stuff.

S: They should do backflips.

<Blue Stars does not do backflips.>

Olympic rings, but not entertwined.  I think "The Winner Takes It All" is my favorite show this year.   Dan Potter interviewed the hurdler, whom is actually a state medalist in hurdling in Nebraska!

CAVALIERS -- 90.50*

S:  That color guard guy got rejected by the Bluecoats beause he's not wearing the correct eyeglasses.  

A few of them got to wear the white hats at the end of the show, but we don't know why.  e color guard gal at the end almost didn't make it to catch the last pillar.

PHREGIMENT -- 93.95*

Great rifle work, color guard!  I like whn they catch from a high toss and they all give it one more twirl before stopping and doing the next move. 

Umbrella from Phregiment's 2005
"Gershwin" show

CAROLINA CROWN -- 94.238*

Bro kept yelling at them to form their traditional crown.  Do they always beat up on that one person who gets run past the point of no return at the end?

BLUE DEVILS -- 95.40*

R:  It's not an oboe.  It's a "noboe".

Eek!  The trio had some issues.  The ending in the circle is really cool with the flags.  It was new as of this week.

SANTA CLARA VANGUARD -- 96.063*

We're wondering what the guy with the Pringles can arms actually plays.  I still don't know when to yell "VANGUARD!!!"  I like when they spin and the rally towels spin with them.  Brandt just kinda gave up on saying names at the end and said, "Anyway..."

SCV Bear

BLUECOATS -- 97.763*

Bro got faked out by the fake ending.  Bro really likes the trombone solo.  

BOSTON CRUSADERS -- 97.575*

The superfans are dressed as cartoon bombs this year!  So funny.  I like the silver Crusaders logo on the drum major's jacket.  Some drops by the color guard. 

Encore Presentation

Open Class Champions: SPARTANS

Some of them are wearing their medals from all three years of the Threepeat.

Hall of Fame Inductees

Jack Bevins of Velvet Knights (Director)

Matt Harloff of Carolina Crown (Brass arranger and caption head)

Alan Kristenson of DCI Adjudicating Panel (and SCV drummer!)

Jim Moore -- of Spirit of Atlanta (Color Guard designer and choreographer)

Exhibition Performance

SPIRIT OF ATLANTA ALUMNI CORPS

• Georgia On My Mind
• Devil Went Down to Georgia
• Sweet Georgia Brown
• Let It Be Me

Bones was there!  The Crossmen and Spirit have close ties because Crossmen assisted Spirit when their bus crashed a long time ago.  Spirit reciprocated when a Crossmen bus died later that season.  Click here for a more detailed account of their storied relationship.  Spirit even has a "Crossmen" award that they give out every year.  That's way cool.

Oh, yay!  Their bowler hats from the Speakeasy show!  Love those!

The current Spirit drum major gave a pendant from her necklace to the Alumni drum major.  B asked if that was her mom, and I didn't think so, but maybe!

Age Out Ceremony

We didn't get to see whatever they were showing on the big board.  We were really just watching to wait for the rest of the scores.

We didn't really do much but talk to V about her business trip, from which she arrived sometime after the final competition performance.  I'm glad she gets to join us for Finals tomorrow!