Post by r***@comcast.netPost by SisPost by Ron AllardDM - David Bruni
Honor Guard - Hurricanes
Total Effect - Bucs
Color Guard - Hurcs
Visual - Bucs
Brass - Empire
Percussion - Bucs
Whoa. Recaps should be interesting. I don't see any Minnesota Brass up
there.
Post by Ron Allard10 Crusaders - 83.738
09 CorpsVets - 86.763
08 Renegades - 89.675
07 Brigadiers - 90.013
06 Bushwackers - 93.425
05 Caballeros - 93.625
04 Hurricanes - 94.913
03 Empire Statesmen - 95.063
02 Minnesota Brass - 96.513
01 Reading Buccaneers - 97.913
Damn couldn't get the 98.00.
Congratulations Bucs!
Jackie
How about Minnesota Brass! The highest score/placement for a non-NE corps ever!
Awesome!
Jackie- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
MB had balance and consistancy across the score sheets. Everyone in
our row, a mix of DCA and DCI people, had them picked over Hurcs and
Cabs. Beating Empire was a pleasant, for MB, surprise.
Top Five Take:
...after working on the sideline for prelims shooting pix, I went up
and took photos from the stands for finals. Found a great perch next
to the judges box and proceded to get fried on hot drum corps! Couple
of local guys who both marched Auburn Purple Lancers ended up there,
too...what a bonus, 'cause they had that "old school" experience
without,unlike me, being influenced by contemporary styles and show
construction.
During prelims I couldn't help but notice the minutiae,being the
marching geek that I am, but still had to take pics and got wrapped
in that gig for long stretches...all contributing to a
disporportionate view of the festivities. Still, I gained strong
opinions (go figure!)...Bush's guard is the most athletic group out
there, and dam good besides...Hurc's are for real (and still win High
Hat)...MBI is VERY strong across the board...Cabs have more heart than
*anyone*, have a slightly stronger marching show than last year and
are prone to youthful inconsistency...Empire is amazing and having a
howitzer like Joey Pero in front shouldn't mean anything other than
they, AND the crowd, are sooooooo dam lucky...Bucs are winnin', but
are getting pushed.
Finals rolls around and all of the above was in place...'cept I get to
*see* the shows.
Hurcs brought it. No glaring ensemble problems, horns were good and
had a big sound, drums were pretty bitchin', guard stood out as
excellent to unreal. Gonna be WORTHY soon enough.
...then...
MBI went on and I couldn't pick my jaw up after! Wow, what a
consistent performance. Horn line was powerful and lush (WONDERFUL 6
man contra line), drumline was what you'd expect from a previous hi
drum champ *and* one of the most tricky and rhythmic solos I've heard
in a long while (they didn't just put a bunch of licks together...it
was truly original in concept), marching was crisper than I've seen
from them and certainly on a par with Bucs. Guard was right there, no
obvious difficulties. Total thing: Badass. WORTHY.
(My comment to the Purple Lancer guys: "Cabs are in trouble!"...that
from a pretty much "homie" Hawthorne fan. Here they come...)
Cabs made the grab for the ring and came up short. Sounded like the
show tore twice (this is when different musical elements don't line-up
and you hear it get "off"...staff-wise this is the ultimate "ugh" and
AFAIC, you're dead when it happens to any great degree. TOUGH thing
to get consistent, time-wise, 'specially with the pace of modern
programs). Talked with Frank Gerris the day before and he *said* they
were young...anyhoo...horns sounded good and got stronger as the show
progressed...drums, and I LOVE the way these guys sound, were a bit
fuzzy at times and the guard looked tight and *good* for the most
part. Still, though, it looked like they'd drop a place or maybe two.
(Without a doubt will be WORTHY next year, 'cause they're the CABS,
dammit!).
(Performance order sometimes helps the judges to make those tough
calls...'cause you can see the main players head-to-head. In this
case, Hurc's, then MBI, then Cabs...Cabs needed to step up and,
instead, got tripped-up!).
Empire was ELECTRIC! Sentiment aside (the *Rochester Quotient*) the
show simply cooks, but, then again, I can't remember a show from them
that doesn't do just that! Horns were out there in orbit, and with
Joe Pero adding-in from the sideline the sound was unmatched. Drums
were aggressive and strong. Visual looked very good, I love their
marching style and they perform it to a high degree. Great show.
WORTHY.
...then...
Buccaneers were programmed to win...and I guess that's the name of the
game, eh? Strong in every caption, drums fuzzed some and *still* won
high drums. Horns were powerful and accurate. Guard was on it. And
marching was generally nailed...so much so, that a couple of weaker
performers stuck-out at times, which is what you get when *everything*
else is on the dime. Due to the spread going in, I didn't see them
being overtaken and that came to pass. Definitely WORTHY.
...so...
Retreat was a TREAT! Wow, you hear 'bout all the controversial
finishes of the past, some legendary; I can't help but think this one
will be in that archive. (I think commonality of emotion in large
groups is a phenomenon worthy of a PHD paper or two...or three!) When
the Cabs score was announced you could not only *hear* the exhale, you
could *feel* it. ("...but, where's MBI?")
The radical change when the Hurcs number came out was *incredible*,
giddy? (And, underlaying it all, "Here comes Minnesota, eh?").
THEN, when the Statesmen's score came over the PA...chaos! '66 Legion
Nats! Boos! Cheers! WOW! And STILL, where's Minnesota?!
Here it comes...and yes, Minnesota Brass Inc. is in second place by a
large spread...holy Viking, Batman! The crowd, as fickle things go,
has warmed up appreciably...could that be the Bucs' fans? Heh, of
course!
In a parallel universe maybe Bucs mightuv' lost, but not Sunday nite.
As the different corps filed out (or not!) one thing could be
discerned; they were all happy to be there and respectful of their
competitors...sure, there was disappointment, but there always is and
always will be.
The story here, IMO, is validation of a great and consistent program
in MBI (not taking anything away from the long-time DCA powers, much
less Reading), and a governing body that provided the platform from
which change of this magnitude can occur...DCA. Here's to y'all.
I got all I came for and more!
cg
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