DCI Prelims
August 9, 2012
Lucas Oil Stadium -- Indianapolis, IN
We went downstairs to the Pullman Restaurant for breakfast. I looked to see if the cute Italian waiter would be there, since he was recommended on Yelp, but we got non-Italian Zac instead, who provided sufficient service anyway. We met a couple of people on the elevator that were in town for the US Open Swim Meet. We were, like, a swim meet? Now? They just completed the swimming competitions at the Olympics! Wacky.
LOS is really close to our hotel. We have a skywalk that connects to the convention center, so we walked through there, and just crossed the street to get to LOS. Our walk would have been even shorter had we not gone up ramp to find that those gates weren't open. Duh. We filled out our annual Superfan-that-doesn't-win info, and got our lanyards, which were even thinner than cardstock. I miss just having a sticker. I also miss when they would give out prizes, like shirts and stuff. I think that they pull a name from the box every day, but they actually used to go into the stands and throw stuff to the Superfans. Now it's just lame.
Our seats for today were in the second tier of seats, on the left 30-yard line. They are the club seats, so they're cushy. This is important for a more-than-12-hour day. I brought snacks to munch on when we didn't want to deal with concessions. But I did need water, and since the people working concessions were actually band boosters, they left the cap on the bottle for me. Bro told me to save it for another day. So I did.
The Star-Spangled Banner was played on a recording. That didn't surprise me, but I do expect more from an event that features live music. I asked Bro for like the 3rd or 4th time what the buckets were for on top of the lighting rigs. APPARENTLY, he has told me on more than one occasion that the buckets are there to hold the cords so that they don't hang down all droopy everywhere. He also told me to write it down so that I would remember. So noted. Now, on to the corps!
Top 25, marked with *, advance to Semi-Finals
BLUE SAINTS -- 49.1
Repertoire: "Diamond in the Rough" -- Selections by M. England, P. Glass, R.V. Williams and R. Simonsen
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| Blue Saints Fringy Circles |
So, here's my question. Why did we not play the Canadian National Anthem? Blue Saints are not from USA.
LES STENTORS -- 52.75
Repertorre: "The 60s" -- Le Yaya by Dorsey/Lewis/Robinson/Levy, Dillou De St-Tropez by LeFebre/Pascal, Wipe Out by M. Ferraro, Manon Vient Danser le Ska by D. Lautrec, Splish Splash by Darrin/Kaufman, Da Doo Ron Ron by Barry/Greenwich/Spector, Ce Soir le Serai La Plus Belle pour Aller Danse by S. Vartan, Agadou dou dou by The Bahmias, Your Love Has Changed My Life by The Clash
OK, so this is now the second Canadian corps. Bro suggested that I just go up there and sing their anthem. OK, but this is all I know: "O Canada". That's it. Something something "Land". Yeah, that wouldn't be any good. It's so good to have two Canadian corps here, though! I miss the Kiwanis Kavaliers. What was really cool is that they were counting off their beats in French. During "Wipe Out", the drummers played on snares that were on stands, and a couple of women nearby totally rocked out and danced in their seats. Not that I didn't, but they were really into it. Yay! Splish Splash! During the last song, the snares and tenors threw their hat and played on the orange drums as well as their own.
COLT CADETS -- 57.95
Repertoire: "Alive!" -- Escape from Chronopolis by R. Clark, Themes from "Van Helsing" by A Silvestri, Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 13 "Pathetique" by L. van Beethoven, Theme from "Psycho" by B. Hermann, Facade (from "Jekyll & Hyde") by F. Wildhorn
They wheeled out things on boards. Here's the conversation I had with nobody:
S: "That looks like bodies. Is that BODIES?! That's bodies."
So the color guard members are the doctors, and the bodies end up being the cymbal players. Very effective use of their role in the corps. I loved the bright colors. I wonder if those uniforms got hot in the sun? Somebody lost their shoe. Yay! Jekyll and Hyde!!!
RAIDERS -- 61.05
Repertoire: "Warped" -- Ripple, Shift, Bend and Suppress, Warp! all by K. Poulan
Oh, look, they brought their own football field. This reminds me of Cadets 2001, in whose show I hated the tarps because they kept blowing away. I like the red brick flags. I would have liked the show more if they actually followed the squiggly yard lines. Nice sound.
MUSIC CITY -- 62.85
Repertoire: "Phantoms of the Grand Ole Opera" -- The Phantom of the Opera by A.L. Webber, Ring of Fire by M. Kilgore & J. Carter, Sweet Dreams by D. Stewart, Music of the Night by A. L. Webber, Your Cheatin' Heart by H. Williams, Point of No Return by A.L. Webber, All I Ask of You by A.L. Webber, Stand By Your Man by T. Wynette & B. Sherrill
I like the arrangement of country music mixed with Phantom. The Phantom appears to be Johnny Cash in this instance. I could have done without the recorded singing, though. For instance, I don't remember hearing the Hank Williams piece played by the corps at all, because I was so focused on the fact that they played the recorded singing version. Pretty mask flags at the end, and they form a heart during Music of the Night.
LEGENDS -- 63.40
Repertoire: "The Edmund Fitzgerald" -- Four Sea Interludes Mvt 1,2,4 by B. Britten, Coming Home from the Sea (from "The Perfect Storm") by J. Horner, Bishop's Countdown (from "Aliens") by J. Horner, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by G. Lightfoot
OK, so both Bro and I heard "The Ella Fitzgerald" and wondered what the sea had to do with the songstress. So anyway, the Edmund was a ship that sunk on Lake Superior, which the program now explains a lot. Legends is from Michigan, so this was big news over there in 1975. They had a big blue flag that washed over the corps to indicate the ship sinking and the people perishing.
<Intermission>
I got a veggie burger basket, which came with a free chicken nugget. Yes, I checked to make sure that it was chicken first.
GOLD -- 66.35
This is Gold's first trip to Indianapolis, and we were happy that the made the trip, unlike Impulse and Velvet Knights. (Revolution went home right after Open Class finals, and Forte also didn't come up for the rest of the tour). I hope that they can all make it next year, but I know that raising funds is difficult. Good to see Gold, though! They had different CG uniforms than I remember from last month. Get it, drums! Great job, Gold! Welcome to Indy!
GENESIS -- 63.50
Repertoire: "Epic" -- Strength of 1,000 Men by T. Bergersen, Someone Like You by A. Adkins & D. Wilson, Original Works by F. Gobbel & D. Ingle, United We Stand, Divided We Fall by T. Bergersen
Hmmmm. Brandt Crocker didn't announce the corps. Instead, they used some sinister recorded opening.
R: "What's the point of having the hood if you're just going to take it off right away?"
They used a goose-step-like march to indicate the Empire, I'm guessing from the program I just read. Since we didn't read the program that was in our possession, this was my interpretation after the show:
S: "So she's an abused woman, and she gets beaten senseless, and dies, and he wins? I don't like this show." (I was way off, but still).
The dude sitting near us thinks I'm a drum corps spy, because I'm taking so many notes. I told him that I wasn't a very good one, then, if he noticed.
7TH REGIMENT -- 64.45
Repertoire: "24601-R" -- Symphony No. 7 Mvt. 3 by L. van Beethoven, Enterprising Young Men (from "Star Trek XI") by M. Giacchino, Ara Batur by S. Ros, Fire (from "Elements") by B. Balmages, Finale (from Symphony No. 2) by Sibelius
So I should have know by the numbers that this was Les Miz-themed. Yet I still needed to see them in writing to get it. I just wanted to know why he CG was dressed as prostitutes. So when I read the Les Miz thing, I got it. Except that they didn't actually play anything from that show or the movie. So the drum major is Javert, and Valjean is a corps member, then a cyberpunk guard girl. Uh oh. Someone fell as they ran to get into position, but they got right back up into the right place. I like the way they carried the dead girls on the rifles.
SPARTANS -- 69.35*
Repertoire: "Renewal" -- Firebird: Infernal Dance, The Princess Game with the Golden Apples, Dance of the Princesses, Dance of the Earth, Berceuse and Finale by I. Stravinsky
The pre-show is focused on the CG leader taking the field and next thing you know it, she's dead. Bro: "What's the point of having her there early?" They used absolutely NO amplification. None. We LIKE. Oh, she's the firebird. I like her final wings. They're shiny.
SANTA CLARA VANGUARD CADETS -- 72.95*
Repertoire: "Heroes and Legends" -- Main Titles (from the television show "Rome") by J. Beal, Danse Bacchanale (from "Samson and Delilah") by C. Saint-Saens, Viva la Vida by Coldplay, Medea's Meditation & Dance of Vengeance by S. Barber, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again by A. L. Webber, Russian Christmas Music by R. Reed, Great Gate of Kiev (from "Pictures at an Exhibition") by M. Mussorgsky
OK, I was not prepared for the emotions that this show would stir within me, and I was crying a bit at the end. I didn't even recognize the corps because their uniforms were covered. Bro told me to look at the drum major. OH! So this show has a LOT of SCV's renowned repertoire, which is what got me all emotional because of this moving tribute to their parent corps. Before the show, the drums were loudly playing behind the big screens. Cool change of uniforms with the queen wearing the old school SCV uniform. "Wishing" started me with all of the teariness, and then it just wouldn't stop. I liked seeing the passing of the Aussie to the different players. I want to see that show again, so I'll probably need to get the DVD, which will come with al of the death shows. But yay! I'll see them again tomorrow because they made it to semis!
BLUE DEVILS B -- 73.45*
Repertoire: "Ecstatic Waters" -- Ecstatic Waters by S. Bryant, Kingfishers Catch Fire by J. Mackey, Over the Edge original composition by J. Meehan, Splashdown original composition by B. Dinkel & J. Mapes, River's End original composition by J. Meehan
OK, so I heard something about a sky. I was incorrect. I like what happens during the dream feature, like the big drums and the CG hanging upside down from the poles. Bro thinks they should have used rain sticks at the beginning instead of synthesizers or whatever.
OREGON CRUSADERS -- 75.90*
Repertoire: "Dreaming in Color" -- Sleep by E. Whitacre, El Tango de Roxanne (from "Moulin Rouge") by Sting/Mores/Luhrman, Libertango by A. Piazolla, Channel One Suite by B. Reddie, Rhapsody in Blue by G. Gershwin, Fantasian on the Dargason (from "Second Suite in F for Military Band) by G. Holst, Rondo (from "Abdelazer") by H. Purcell, Simple Gifts by J. Brackett, Kingfishers Catch Fire by J. Mackey
Always with the big props. So this is the color wheel in reverse. I said, "So it's Biv G Roy?" Yeah, I know that's wrong. Plus, that's the spectrum, Bro told me. Aw, "Simple Gifts" with yellow flags! It's like "Martha" is here. The multi-tenors play some kind of yellow wood heads. I really like the cool black/white rifles, as well as the tango portion with the red fans. Fun way to do Rhapsody with the solo contra playing the low note and causing the corps, kneeling in front, to shiver their shakos. Awesome bass drum run. I can see why this show won Open Class, although I still would have rooted for SCVC.
<Intermission>
PIONEER -- 66.20
Repertoire: "Irish Immigrants: The Hands That Built America" -- The Irish New World (movements from Anonin Dvorak's "Symphony No. 9"); I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen by T. Westerndorf, Recollections of Ireland by I. Moscheles, I'm Shipping Up to Boston by the Dropkick Murphys
More fun with not reading the program:
S: "What's their show? America?"
R: "I'll give you two guesses."
S: "Ireland and America"
Then the program title was announced and we giggled. I was right! New World sound was bigger than I've heard them before. We got to clap along with the DM as they played the jig. Choir corps! I don't know that song, though. Bro couldn't understand whatever the narrator said. They had these big trunks that hey hardly used. No, Bro, they were not covered in Hawaiian grasses.
CASCADES -- 68.65*
Repertoire: "Shinto" -- Kingfishers Catch Fire by J. Mackey, Panda Po by H. Zimmer, Shogun by L. Norfleet
Their props have really squeaky wheels. It's good that they don't move them during the show. A contra player dropped his hat. Oh, a CG guy got sliced in the neck by the cymbal player after he thought he stabbed him to death. They use Japanese drums, and they have a cool DM stand. Big sun at the end. How many corps are using this Mackey song, anyway? I didn't notice until I did this write-up!
MANDARINS -- 71.70*
They now have a temple. The last part has more chant with the gal waving the 50th year flag, and the Mayan priest changing into the old school Mandarins uniform, from back when they were in Division III and wore purple. I think the ending took people by surprise.
JERSEY SURF -- 74.50*
Repertoire: "Bridgemania: Celebrating the Legacy and Spirit of the Bridgemen" -- In the Stone Fanfare by Earth, Wind & Fire; Land of Make Believe by C. Mangione, Tell William by G. Rossini, Pure Imagination by Bricusse/Newley, and Party Rock Anthem by S. Gordy
OMG, this show is awesome. First, the DM gets a hilarious phone call from his mom. Then the corps, dressed in bright blue, turns around, and you see a bright yellow Bridgemen-inspired vest. Then the music starts and it's just all fun. I don't know why there's someone dressed as a parrot for a minute, and I don't care. They pulled little wooden horses for the William Tell overture, and the CG got up on them to twirl their rifles. The Wonka song had pretty butterfly flags. Then they do the Party Rock thing, and even the (fake) judge throws up his hat and dances along. Wait. Aren't thundersticks considered to be artificial noisemakers? How are those allowed? Not that I actually care, because it's just so Bridgemen. I wouldn't want to follow this with a serious show. Bro said that this is what he was hoping that Impulse and the resurgence of VK would be like, but no. Methinks they need to look at this Surf show for some inspiration. I'm really glad that we get to see this show again tomorrow.
TROOPERS -- 76.30*
Repertoire: "This Was The Future" -- Galop (from "Souvenirs, Op. 28") by S. Barber, The Heiress Suite by A. Copland, Music for the Theater by A. Copland
Yeah, I would have hated following Surf's show with this one. I like that their CG uniforms and flag actually coordinate with the corps uniforms: yellow, tan and copper. The pit members are all wearing different clothing, like from the steam era. Steampunks would pay attention to this show. Maybe. If they weren't still thinking of that parrot.
COLTS -- 77.45*
Repertoire: "Boundaries" -- August's Rhapsody (from "August Rush") by M. Mancina, Boundaries by D. Nelson, Piano Concerto No. 2 Mvt 2 by S. Rachmachninoff, All By Myself by E. Carmen
I do not know why the color guard is wearing those big turquoise hats. Are the birds? What's with that one-arm pose done by everyone? Are they flamingos? Their uniforms look the same, but more sparkly, and not obnoxiously so. I like the way they have a little glint when the lights hit them. What's with all of the drum majors playing stuff? The Surf DMs both had solos, and now the Colts DM is playing a solo. The solo is BEAUTIFUL, though, "All By Myself". I love this song, and this rendition had the crowd on its feet.
PACIFIC CREST -- 78.95*
PRETTY. I love that last reveal from all of the white flags to all-different colors. Making me proud, PC! :)
<Intermission>
Set up time for the Big, Loud, Live broadcast.
So someone representing the Army sings "God Bless America". WHY ARE PEOPLE STANDING??? This is not our national anthem, folks!
THE ACADEMY -- 79.95*
GO KYLIE/KYLA! Bro met a woman on the plane, and I met her on the IndyGo, whose daughter plays for the Academy. So I said I'd yell her name. Then I said it wrong. I'm an idiot. Out loud, even. Anyway, they all sleep at the end of the show now. Awesome sound: the forte is GORGISSIMO! They didn't have all of those spears before. neither did they have those hats which they put on sticks, like Phregiment. Also, I don't remember those primal screams. Left of Spring, indeed.
GLASSMEN -- 81.25*
Repertoire: "Glassworks" -- Movement 1: Sand Mishima by P. Glass; Movement 2: Clear Glass original composition by Poulan/Ferguson; Movement 3: Shattered Glass original composition by R. Ferguson; Movement 4: Mirrored Glass Ethiopia III (from "Beyond Borders") by J. Horner; Movement 5: Stained Glass Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 by C. Saint-Saens
Bro is having an issue with the people wearing hoods today. "Are they going to take those off right away, too?" They did, but they put them back on. So now the guy in the stands that normal waves the Union Jack for every GMen show now also waves what we think is the flag of Belgium. WHAT is that about?! Cool to see the rifles that look like shards of glass. They have their faces on their flags! The Saint-Saens was very nice. Also, I like to say "Saint-Saens".
CROSSMEN -- 83.40*
Repertoire: "Fragile" -- Earth Song by M. Jackson, Wailers by B. McFerrin, PD7 by A. Shankar, Here Comes the Flood by P. Gabriel, Finding and Believing by P. Metheny
The show starts with all of them lying down, making an outline of most of the continents. They have silhouette people standing around. Oh, the PEOPLE are fragile. They die because they killed the planet by not recycling. (Don't you love how I interpret things without looking at the program? I might do this every year because it's fun to see how wrong I am). Anyway...that note is really high, dude!
BLUE STARS -- 83.75*
Repertoire: "The Blue World" -- Fate Has Smiled Upon Us by M. Streitenfeld, The Explorers (from "Symphony No. 1, A Sea Symphony") by R. V. Williams, Variations on Symphony No. 9, New World Symphony by A. Dvorak, original compositions by Sullivan/Aunst/Larrivee
There are ocean scenes, with a dock, rocks, and nets, one actual net, and the other made by the bodies of the color guard. Interesting. They also have fish flags. I love that they use New World because it has a little bit of the "Jaws" theme in there.
BLUE KNIGHTS -- 85.85*
Repertoire: "Avian" -- The Firebird by I. Stravinsky
What is with the synthesized singing in the pre-show? Firebird has lyrics? The corps shako plumes match the color guard blue/green. Then they change them to red at the end, and they form a bird! I like the little moments of Star Trek and the Jetsons during the transitions. I don't like the synthesizer. I like this Firebird better than the other one. Uh-oh. Somebody fell down.
SPIRIT OF ATLANTA -- 85.20*
Repertoire: "Sin City" -- Music from the film "Bullitt" by L. Schifrin, Harvest: Concerto for Trombone by J. Mackey, Luck Be A Lady by F. Loesser, Poker Face by S. Germanotta (Lady Gaga), Music from the film "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" by J. Powell
Their screens are a bunch of Vegas scenes, mostly of the strip, mostly the old one. Ooh, their drum heads look like poker chips. They also have little stages made of poker chips, and later on, one of the guys rolls on them. Aw, the King and Queen cards are in love, and they kiss at the end of the piece. I need to get a picture of the Jubilee dancer and the feather fans. I do not like the recorded singing, and the show has a lot of it. This synthesized stuff is out of control.
MADISON SCOUTS -- 88.55*
Repertoire: "Reframed" -- Pictures at an Exhibition by M. Mussorgsky, Malaga by B. Holman, The Way We Were by M. Hamlisch, Theme from "Ice Castles" by M. Hamlisch, Malaguena by E. Lecuona
I like the Pictures arrangement. Malaguena rocked the house, of course. I thought that they were building to a fleur-de-lis formation, but it was a company front, which the audience loves anyway. I love that they play to the audience, and just happen to get good scores, too.
<Intermission>
There is no vitamin water where there is a sign posted. I guess I'll stick to my boring water.
BOSTON CRUSADERS -- 89.00*
Repertoire: "The Titans" -- Enter the Titans & Celebration Pines of Rome by O. Respighi; Ritual Roman Festivals by O. Respighi, Symphony No. 10 by D. Shostakovich, Evey Reborn b D. Marianelli; Titanomachy War Dance by O. Respighi; Return to the Hall of the Gods Symphony No. 1 by G. Mahler
I like those long red/black double flags. They managed to fit their Conquest theme ino both main pieces. Their music was well done, but I don't picture Titans when I hear "Pines of Rome". I picture whales jumping. Blame Disney. I can't help it.
THE CAVALIERS -- 89.50*
Repertoire: "15 Minutes of Fame" -- Don Juan by R. Strauss, Dead Elvis by M. Daugherty, Paparazzi by Germanota/Fusari, Don Giovanni by W.A. Mozart, Vesti la Giubba by R. Leoncavallo, Out Here On My Own by M. Gore, In the Hall of the Mountain King by E. Grieg
The color guard has white makeup on their face and colored hair. Oh, they're Warhol Pop Art! I get it! Not so much crazy stuff this year...until the DM bows and the corps dances with more choreography, while wearing sunglasses. Cool! I like the different-colored bright rifles. The drums have a $ sign, and they also form the same.
BLUECOATS -- 92.25*
Repertoire: "Unmasqued" -- Masquerade (from "Phantom of the Opera") by A.L. Webber, Filet (from "La Reve") by B. Jutras, Flume by B. Iver, Ritual by Rarick/Thrower, Love Dance (from "Ka") by R. Dupere, Blue Cathedral by J. Higdon, Epiphanies (Fanfare and Chorales) by R. Nelson
They all threw off their masks at the end. I didn't even know they had them on, because of their hats. Unnecessary talking. I was liking the show until that part happened. Nice soprano solo, with NO microphone.
SANTA CLARA VANGUARD -- 93.20*
Look! There aren't any stars for the guard to point to! I almost cried during "Music of the Night", which has been added since I saw the show. But I had no time to think about it because they went back to playing "Mars". Not that I'm complaining. You've gotta love that quiet Jupiter ending. I thought of the Curiosity rover during "Mars". Outside, there was much thunder and lightning. We found out later that this affected the reception of the live broadcast. It was a cool effect during the "Mars" bit for us, though.
THE CADETS -- 94.05*
Repertoire: "12.25" -- Carol of the Bells by M. Leontovych, Jingle Bells by J. Pierpoint, Do You Hear What I Hear? by Regney/Shayne, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing by F. Mendelssohn
Merry Christmas! Ooh, snowflakes. The color guard is dressed as gifts. They had big gift boxes on the field, which opened, and one of them turned into a picture of a church steeple. Is this angel the same as last year? They form a crown and a Jesus fish. I don't really need the talking to tell me that they're illustrating the real meaning of Christmas, thankyouverymuch.
PHANTOM REGIMENT -- 94.60*
I finally saw the beheading. So they have a happy ending. Is that just for now? I had to look up the Turandot story again to make sure that nobody dies at the end. I mean, enough people die during the real show that they don't need that at the end, too.
CAROLINA CROWN -- 96.60*
Repertoire: "For the Common Good" -- Third Symphony (Fanfare for the Common Man) by A. Copland, Dreams by B. Moren
More hoods. There is an abundance of tympani. 4 sets of them. What a beautiful show! There's Copland, a teamwork theme, and cool silver cubes with people stretching in them, and someone balancing one on his chin, then the DM even has one at the end.
BLUE DEVILS -- 97.55*
Crazy show. They place the horses in a circle like a merry-go-round.
We didn't stick around to hear the final two scores, because I was hungry. We ate at the bar at Pullman's, and there were a bunch of other drum corps fans there, too.
Next up: Semifinals
They wheeled out things on boards. Here's the conversation I had with nobody:
S: "That looks like bodies. Is that BODIES?! That's bodies."
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| Body on Board |
RAIDERS -- 61.05
Repertoire: "Warped" -- Ripple, Shift, Bend and Suppress, Warp! all by K. Poulan
 |
| Raiders Field, not in Oakland |
Oh, look, they brought their own football field. This reminds me of Cadets 2001, in whose show I hated the tarps because they kept blowing away. I like the red brick flags. I would have liked the show more if they actually followed the squiggly yard lines. Nice sound.
MUSIC CITY -- 62.85
Repertoire: "Phantoms of the Grand Ole Opera" -- The Phantom of the Opera by A.L. Webber, Ring of Fire by M. Kilgore & J. Carter, Sweet Dreams by D. Stewart, Music of the Night by A. L. Webber, Your Cheatin' Heart by H. Williams, Point of No Return by A.L. Webber, All I Ask of You by A.L. Webber, Stand By Your Man by T. Wynette & B. Sherrill
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| Phantom Throws His Rifle |
I like the arrangement of country music mixed with Phantom. The Phantom appears to be Johnny Cash in this instance. I could have done without the recorded singing, though. For instance, I don't remember hearing the Hank Williams piece played by the corps at all, because I was so focused on the fact that they played the recorded singing version. Pretty mask flags at the end, and they form a heart during Music of the Night.
LEGENDS -- 63.40
Repertoire: "The Edmund Fitzgerald" -- Four Sea Interludes Mvt 1,2,4 by B. Britten, Coming Home from the Sea (from "The Perfect Storm") by J. Horner, Bishop's Countdown (from "Aliens") by J. Horner, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by G. Lightfoot
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| Big Wave |
OK, so both Bro and I heard "The Ella Fitzgerald" and wondered what the sea had to do with the songstress. So anyway, the Edmund was a ship that sunk on Lake Superior, which the program now explains a lot. Legends is from Michigan, so this was big news over there in 1975. They had a big blue flag that washed over the corps to indicate the ship sinking and the people perishing.
<Intermission>
I got a veggie burger basket, which came with a free chicken nugget. Yes, I checked to make sure that it was chicken first.
GOLD -- 66.35
This is Gold's first trip to Indianapolis, and we were happy that the made the trip, unlike Impulse and Velvet Knights. (Revolution went home right after Open Class finals, and Forte also didn't come up for the rest of the tour). I hope that they can all make it next year, but I know that raising funds is difficult. Good to see Gold, though! They had different CG uniforms than I remember from last month. Get it, drums! Great job, Gold! Welcome to Indy!
GENESIS -- 63.50
Repertoire: "Epic" -- Strength of 1,000 Men by T. Bergersen, Someone Like You by A. Adkins & D. Wilson, Original Works by F. Gobbel & D. Ingle, United We Stand, Divided We Fall by T. Bergersen
Hmmmm. Brandt Crocker didn't announce the corps. Instead, they used some sinister recorded opening.
R: "What's the point of having the hood if you're just going to take it off right away?"
They used a goose-step-like march to indicate the Empire, I'm guessing from the program I just read. Since we didn't read the program that was in our possession, this was my interpretation after the show:
S: "So she's an abused woman, and she gets beaten senseless, and dies, and he wins? I don't like this show." (I was way off, but still).
The dude sitting near us thinks I'm a drum corps spy, because I'm taking so many notes. I told him that I wasn't a very good one, then, if he noticed.
7TH REGIMENT -- 64.45
Repertoire: "24601-R" -- Symphony No. 7 Mvt. 3 by L. van Beethoven, Enterprising Young Men (from "Star Trek XI") by M. Giacchino, Ara Batur by S. Ros, Fire (from "Elements") by B. Balmages, Finale (from Symphony No. 2) by Sibelius
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| Sleeveless Javert and the Prostitute |
So I should have know by the numbers that this was Les Miz-themed. Yet I still needed to see them in writing to get it. I just wanted to know why he CG was dressed as prostitutes. So when I read the Les Miz thing, I got it. Except that they didn't actually play anything from that show or the movie. So the drum major is Javert, and Valjean is a corps member, then a cyberpunk guard girl. Uh oh. Someone fell as they ran to get into position, but they got right back up into the right place. I like the way they carried the dead girls on the rifles.
SPARTANS -- 69.35*
Repertoire: "Renewal" -- Firebird: Infernal Dance, The Princess Game with the Golden Apples, Dance of the Princesses, Dance of the Earth, Berceuse and Finale by I. Stravinsky
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| Shiny Firebird Wings |
The pre-show is focused on the CG leader taking the field and next thing you know it, she's dead. Bro: "What's the point of having her there early?" They used absolutely NO amplification. None. We LIKE. Oh, she's the firebird. I like her final wings. They're shiny.
SANTA CLARA VANGUARD CADETS -- 72.95*
Repertoire: "Heroes and Legends" -- Main Titles (from the television show "Rome") by J. Beal, Danse Bacchanale (from "Samson and Delilah") by C. Saint-Saens, Viva la Vida by Coldplay, Medea's Meditation & Dance of Vengeance by S. Barber, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again by A. L. Webber, Russian Christmas Music by R. Reed, Great Gate of Kiev (from "Pictures at an Exhibition") by M. Mussorgsky
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| Before, in purple with hoods |
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| Drums changed |
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| Final Change |
OK, I was not prepared for the emotions that this show would stir within me, and I was crying a bit at the end. I didn't even recognize the corps because their uniforms were covered. Bro told me to look at the drum major. OH! So this show has a LOT of SCV's renowned repertoire, which is what got me all emotional because of this moving tribute to their parent corps. Before the show, the drums were loudly playing behind the big screens. Cool change of uniforms with the queen wearing the old school SCV uniform. "Wishing" started me with all of the teariness, and then it just wouldn't stop. I liked seeing the passing of the Aussie to the different players. I want to see that show again, so I'll probably need to get the DVD, which will come with al of the death shows. But yay! I'll see them again tomorrow because they made it to semis!
BLUE DEVILS B -- 73.45*
Repertoire: "Ecstatic Waters" -- Ecstatic Waters by S. Bryant, Kingfishers Catch Fire by J. Mackey, Over the Edge original composition by J. Meehan, Splashdown original composition by B. Dinkel & J. Mapes, River's End original composition by J. Meehan
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| Big BDB Drum |
OREGON CRUSADERS -- 75.90*
Repertoire: "Dreaming in Color" -- Sleep by E. Whitacre, El Tango de Roxanne (from "Moulin Rouge") by Sting/Mores/Luhrman, Libertango by A. Piazolla, Channel One Suite by B. Reddie, Rhapsody in Blue by G. Gershwin, Fantasian on the Dargason (from "Second Suite in F for Military Band) by G. Holst, Rondo (from "Abdelazer") by H. Purcell, Simple Gifts by J. Brackett, Kingfishers Catch Fire by J. Mackey
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| Tenors Yellow |
<Intermission>
PIONEER -- 66.20
Repertoire: "Irish Immigrants: The Hands That Built America" -- The Irish New World (movements from Anonin Dvorak's "Symphony No. 9"); I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen by T. Westerndorf, Recollections of Ireland by I. Moscheles, I'm Shipping Up to Boston by the Dropkick Murphys
More fun with not reading the program:
S: "What's their show? America?"
R: "I'll give you two guesses."
S: "Ireland and America"
Then the program title was announced and we giggled. I was right! New World sound was bigger than I've heard them before. We got to clap along with the DM as they played the jig. Choir corps! I don't know that song, though. Bro couldn't understand whatever the narrator said. They had these big trunks that hey hardly used. No, Bro, they were not covered in Hawaiian grasses.
CASCADES -- 68.65*
Repertoire: "Shinto" -- Kingfishers Catch Fire by J. Mackey, Panda Po by H. Zimmer, Shogun by L. Norfleet
Their props have really squeaky wheels. It's good that they don't move them during the show. A contra player dropped his hat. Oh, a CG guy got sliced in the neck by the cymbal player after he thought he stabbed him to death. They use Japanese drums, and they have a cool DM stand. Big sun at the end. How many corps are using this Mackey song, anyway? I didn't notice until I did this write-up!
MANDARINS -- 71.70*
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| Temple |
JERSEY SURF -- 74.50*
Repertoire: "Bridgemania: Celebrating the Legacy and Spirit of the Bridgemen" -- In the Stone Fanfare by Earth, Wind & Fire; Land of Make Believe by C. Mangione, Tell William by G. Rossini, Pure Imagination by Bricusse/Newley, and Party Rock Anthem by S. Gordy
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| Pure Imagination Butterflies |
TROOPERS -- 76.30*
Repertoire: "This Was The Future" -- Galop (from "Souvenirs, Op. 28") by S. Barber, The Heiress Suite by A. Copland, Music for the Theater by A. Copland
Yeah, I would have hated following Surf's show with this one. I like that their CG uniforms and flag actually coordinate with the corps uniforms: yellow, tan and copper. The pit members are all wearing different clothing, like from the steam era. Steampunks would pay attention to this show. Maybe. If they weren't still thinking of that parrot.
COLTS -- 77.45*
Repertoire: "Boundaries" -- August's Rhapsody (from "August Rush") by M. Mancina, Boundaries by D. Nelson, Piano Concerto No. 2 Mvt 2 by S. Rachmachninoff, All By Myself by E. Carmen
I do not know why the color guard is wearing those big turquoise hats. Are the birds? What's with that one-arm pose done by everyone? Are they flamingos? Their uniforms look the same, but more sparkly, and not obnoxiously so. I like the way they have a little glint when the lights hit them. What's with all of the drum majors playing stuff? The Surf DMs both had solos, and now the Colts DM is playing a solo. The solo is BEAUTIFUL, though, "All By Myself". I love this song, and this rendition had the crowd on its feet.
PACIFIC CREST -- 78.95*
PRETTY. I love that last reveal from all of the white flags to all-different colors. Making me proud, PC! :)
<Intermission>
Set up time for the Big, Loud, Live broadcast.
So someone representing the Army sings "God Bless America". WHY ARE PEOPLE STANDING??? This is not our national anthem, folks!
THE ACADEMY -- 79.95*
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| Pink Spears |
GLASSMEN -- 81.25*
Repertoire: "Glassworks" -- Movement 1: Sand Mishima by P. Glass; Movement 2: Clear Glass original composition by Poulan/Ferguson; Movement 3: Shattered Glass original composition by R. Ferguson; Movement 4: Mirrored Glass Ethiopia III (from "Beyond Borders") by J. Horner; Movement 5: Stained Glass Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 by C. Saint-Saens
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| Shards of Glass |
CROSSMEN -- 83.40*
Repertoire: "Fragile" -- Earth Song by M. Jackson, Wailers by B. McFerrin, PD7 by A. Shankar, Here Comes the Flood by P. Gabriel, Finding and Believing by P. Metheny
The show starts with all of them lying down, making an outline of most of the continents. They have silhouette people standing around. Oh, the PEOPLE are fragile. They die because they killed the planet by not recycling. (Don't you love how I interpret things without looking at the program? I might do this every year because it's fun to see how wrong I am). Anyway...that note is really high, dude!
BLUE STARS -- 83.75*
Repertoire: "The Blue World" -- Fate Has Smiled Upon Us by M. Streitenfeld, The Explorers (from "Symphony No. 1, A Sea Symphony") by R. V. Williams, Variations on Symphony No. 9, New World Symphony by A. Dvorak, original compositions by Sullivan/Aunst/Larrivee
There are ocean scenes, with a dock, rocks, and nets, one actual net, and the other made by the bodies of the color guard. Interesting. They also have fish flags. I love that they use New World because it has a little bit of the "Jaws" theme in there.
BLUE KNIGHTS -- 85.85*
Repertoire: "Avian" -- The Firebird by I. Stravinsky
What is with the synthesized singing in the pre-show? Firebird has lyrics? The corps shako plumes match the color guard blue/green. Then they change them to red at the end, and they form a bird! I like the little moments of Star Trek and the Jetsons during the transitions. I don't like the synthesizer. I like this Firebird better than the other one. Uh-oh. Somebody fell down.
SPIRIT OF ATLANTA -- 85.20*
Repertoire: "Sin City" -- Music from the film "Bullitt" by L. Schifrin, Harvest: Concerto for Trombone by J. Mackey, Luck Be A Lady by F. Loesser, Poker Face by S. Germanotta (Lady Gaga), Music from the film "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" by J. Powell
Their screens are a bunch of Vegas scenes, mostly of the strip, mostly the old one. Ooh, their drum heads look like poker chips. They also have little stages made of poker chips, and later on, one of the guys rolls on them. Aw, the King and Queen cards are in love, and they kiss at the end of the piece. I need to get a picture of the Jubilee dancer and the feather fans. I do not like the recorded singing, and the show has a lot of it. This synthesized stuff is out of control.
MADISON SCOUTS -- 88.55*
Repertoire: "Reframed" -- Pictures at an Exhibition by M. Mussorgsky, Malaga by B. Holman, The Way We Were by M. Hamlisch, Theme from "Ice Castles" by M. Hamlisch, Malaguena by E. Lecuona
I like the Pictures arrangement. Malaguena rocked the house, of course. I thought that they were building to a fleur-de-lis formation, but it was a company front, which the audience loves anyway. I love that they play to the audience, and just happen to get good scores, too.
<Intermission>
There is no vitamin water where there is a sign posted. I guess I'll stick to my boring water.
BOSTON CRUSADERS -- 89.00*
Repertoire: "The Titans" -- Enter the Titans & Celebration Pines of Rome by O. Respighi; Ritual Roman Festivals by O. Respighi, Symphony No. 10 by D. Shostakovich, Evey Reborn b D. Marianelli; Titanomachy War Dance by O. Respighi; Return to the Hall of the Gods Symphony No. 1 by G. Mahler
I like those long red/black double flags. They managed to fit their Conquest theme ino both main pieces. Their music was well done, but I don't picture Titans when I hear "Pines of Rome". I picture whales jumping. Blame Disney. I can't help it.
THE CAVALIERS -- 89.50*
Repertoire: "15 Minutes of Fame" -- Don Juan by R. Strauss, Dead Elvis by M. Daugherty, Paparazzi by Germanota/Fusari, Don Giovanni by W.A. Mozart, Vesti la Giubba by R. Leoncavallo, Out Here On My Own by M. Gore, In the Hall of the Mountain King by E. Grieg
The color guard has white makeup on their face and colored hair. Oh, they're Warhol Pop Art! I get it! Not so much crazy stuff this year...until the DM bows and the corps dances with more choreography, while wearing sunglasses. Cool! I like the different-colored bright rifles. The drums have a $ sign, and they also form the same.
BLUECOATS -- 92.25*
Repertoire: "Unmasqued" -- Masquerade (from "Phantom of the Opera") by A.L. Webber, Filet (from "La Reve") by B. Jutras, Flume by B. Iver, Ritual by Rarick/Thrower, Love Dance (from "Ka") by R. Dupere, Blue Cathedral by J. Higdon, Epiphanies (Fanfare and Chorales) by R. Nelson
They all threw off their masks at the end. I didn't even know they had them on, because of their hats. Unnecessary talking. I was liking the show until that part happened. Nice soprano solo, with NO microphone.
SANTA CLARA VANGUARD -- 93.20*
Look! There aren't any stars for the guard to point to! I almost cried during "Music of the Night", which has been added since I saw the show. But I had no time to think about it because they went back to playing "Mars". Not that I'm complaining. You've gotta love that quiet Jupiter ending. I thought of the Curiosity rover during "Mars". Outside, there was much thunder and lightning. We found out later that this affected the reception of the live broadcast. It was a cool effect during the "Mars" bit for us, though.
THE CADETS -- 94.05*
Repertoire: "12.25" -- Carol of the Bells by M. Leontovych, Jingle Bells by J. Pierpoint, Do You Hear What I Hear? by Regney/Shayne, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing by F. Mendelssohn
Merry Christmas! Ooh, snowflakes. The color guard is dressed as gifts. They had big gift boxes on the field, which opened, and one of them turned into a picture of a church steeple. Is this angel the same as last year? They form a crown and a Jesus fish. I don't really need the talking to tell me that they're illustrating the real meaning of Christmas, thankyouverymuch.
PHANTOM REGIMENT -- 94.60*
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| The Beheading |
CAROLINA CROWN -- 96.60*
Repertoire: "For the Common Good" -- Third Symphony (Fanfare for the Common Man) by A. Copland, Dreams by B. Moren
More hoods. There is an abundance of tympani. 4 sets of them. What a beautiful show! There's Copland, a teamwork theme, and cool silver cubes with people stretching in them, and someone balancing one on his chin, then the DM even has one at the end.
BLUE DEVILS -- 97.55*
Crazy show. They place the horses in a circle like a merry-go-round.
We didn't stick around to hear the final two scores, because I was hungry. We ate at the bar at Pullman's, and there were a bunch of other drum corps fans there, too.
Next up: Semifinals
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