Sunday, August 14, 2016

Finals Night Indy 2016 - As BK would say - The Great Event!

Blue Devils B - Open Class Champions take the field first - how exciting for them.!!  What a wonderful program System Blue - is it any wonder the World Class Corps is constantly in it -  I love the saber tosses that look like falling stars during the ballad - really pretty - And the trumpet soloist in a B corps giving you goose bumps - Man - this is just crazy stuff - I saw this at DCI West and I am not sure I would have believed you if you had told me then they would end up winning the Open Class title!  I really like the design on the closing flag too.  Wow - goose bump material!!!!  Way to go "B" Devils!!!

SoundSport and Drumline Battle look like a lot of fun.

World Class Director of the year - Mark Richardson of the Academy!

Great job by the Marines D&B corps as always!!!!!!   When are they going to get a color guard - common Marines it's a new world!!

Boston Crusaders -For some tonight is nearly as exciting as the night in 2000 was for this corps - different yes?  But for a group who spent a lot of the season on the bubble, this has to be a treat!  In their final performance of 2016 - Quixotic - It's still exciting to hear the corps announced!  Nice musical opening statement - Horn line and the sound in general is quite nice - tough their audio just cut out on the vocal story - It's back yay!  Finally all the windmills are spinning :-)  They have some really amazing full horn moments that have to give the live audience goose bumps - Congrats Boston on making finals and putting on a really nice final show!    Final Score:  84.8  12th Place 

The Academy-  The history making night for The Academy - their first finals ever!!!  Congrats - This show exploded and now is probably the show closet to the hearts of many - because of the joy it brings with it's bits of humor -  Can't imagine what this must feel like for these students :-) The stadium is pretty packed already - which is not always the case for the corps this low - that tells you something for sure - A couple kids are already tearing up - And I sobbed through most of Unchained Melody - The audience clearly loved them - Definitely a huge crowd favorite!  So happy for these students - and when they announced Drumcorpse International - I thought the kids would pee themselves they were so shocked - it was like a coronation - Again Well Done Academy from start to finish and probably even better than last night!    Final Score :  86.1   11th Place 

The Crossmen - And they are messing with sound again - I hope this corps can afford to get better working equipment for next year :-) It is just a great show - no way of getting around that - It moves - it's light - it's very colorful - great sound - and a magnificent color guard that is the icing on the cake to this show -  I think that Crossmen and Academy are well matched - Congrats Crossmen on a really great season - you have to be so pleased with the accomplishments  Final Score:  86.975  10th Place
 

Blue Stars   Le Reve'  - It is a very different kind of show - but I guess when you know that Cirque was involved - the show makes way more sense - What I can't get over is this is the last performance - these kids blink - and it is over.  I ooze with respect for these students!  I actually like the way they do their sound check - it is always the same and actually has a bit of design to it - or so it seems :-)  Leave it to those guys/gals in the trenches - The interview that their guard captain did really gave this a new meaning for me - I got a phone call and could not give the show the attention it deserved - but from what I can see it actually looked even better tonight than last night - so Brava!  Way to go Blue Stars!!!  Congrats on a really great season for you as well.   Final Score:  89.05  9th Place

Phantom Regiment- Voices of Promise - They left it on the field - I felt like while I was watching - I was watching a group giving every ounce they had.  The young lady rifle soloist did catch it tonight but she over compensated so much to make sure she caught it - she nearly lost if off the other side of the podium tonight -  But she caught it yay!!!!!!!  Phantom a lovely show - just beautiful - Congrats on a wonderful year and a breath-taking show - next year you might want to up your techno sound a bit so the people at home can really enjoy what you are doing!  Great Job!!!
Final Score:  89.963  8th Place 

Blue Knights - The Great Event is tonight guys - this is it - seemed loose and ready in the tunnel - time to turn it on and turn it up -  Just a mind blowing show - that early in the season I was not getting at all - but now - actually kind of love for what they are really doing - and it is different and out there - but man do they do it well - Congrats BK for an amazing season - lots of drama with scores and placements - but you hung in there!  Excellent!!!!!  Final Score:  90.738   7th Place 

Intermission 

The Cadets  Awakenings - man was that opening impressive - sound and the new French horn things that were played - leave it to George to pull some unexpected stuff - even the violinist's hair is different tonight - Ballad was even a bit more special tonight - I still think as I look at the show - the black uniforms did not help their cause at all - well they left it all on the field - by far the best I have seen them do all season - It really was amazing - no kidding - Final Score:  92.763  6th Place

The Cavaliers  Propaganda - Here we go boys - you are gonna have to really put it out there because Cadets just left it all there - I can barely speak that was so inspiring it literally took my breath away - The passion in these young men - not just for a show - but I have to believe what performing this show has taught them about life - Not sure there are words to describe what I just saw - from the time the guys sing to the very end - it just grows and grows and grows and pretty soon you have to be swept up with it.  Gentlemen you rock!  No matter - you rock  5th place gentlemen - way to go!  Your passion in finals was apparent -  Final Score:  94.025  5th Place 

The Santa Clara Vanguard  and right after that show comes another Force - this is A Force of Nature and completely different than the Cavies - I mean like opposite end of the spectrum in just about every way except the way they perform and love this show!!  Looks like some surprises again tonight for this show?   Man what a beautiful show - I keep saying that right - but it is just so elegant and understated that they make it look so easy - and you know if you are standing in 4th place - there is nothing easy about what they are doing - Remarkable -  Congrats SCV on presenting a typically beautiful and emotional show as you always do!  Congrats to the students too!  Well done!!! and might I add you did this with very little or over used technical help!
Final Score:  95.3  4th Place

Carolinga Crown The relentless pursuit of redemption - should be the full title of this show.  A horn line to blow most off the field - Another outstanding show by the Crown - That horn line just rocks -  and speaking of rocks - That Roxanne was especially naughty tonight ;-)  She really plays that character well no denying that - she is one of the most convincing actresses on the field.  A long and relentless road Crown - now let's see where the crows land!  Congrats on a great season!!
Final Score:   97.088  3rd Place 

The Blue Devils- As Dreams are Made On - The Blue Devils set sea to the ideas of the Tempest and though Concord not on the Bay - pretty close - I always think of them being more "Bay" than SCV - It is a tight fight - let's see what you have tonight - Well - not sure what to say about the Blue Devils - I tend to think that there was a lot more pressure on them than they anticipated - The show though was as tight and solid as they have been all season - It will be interesting to see where it washes out - The ballad was beautiful and the ending is magical - and Tanner - I hope that you had a good run and enjoyed your summer - I am sure your mother is sobbing now.   Congrats on winning the guard caption last night!! Congrats to you Tanner for a wonderful season!    Final Score:  97.250  2nd Place

The Blue Coats   So will this corps end their season Right Side Up?  Here we go - there's to lose - Coats ended Right Side Up - Wow - blew the doors off the place.  The guy that dropped the rifle at the end - move on - that one moment is not going to make a difference - The show was just amazing and innovative - creative - high energy - there were no words it was magic!!!!!!   Bravo Blue Coats - thanks for an incredible incredible season!!!!!! Final Score:  97.650   1st Place 

As you can see - in the end, the scores were very close and very tight.  I think they got the placement right and the scores needed to be this close, because the corps were really this close.  The quality of not only World Class, but also Open class was amazing this year.  Open Class was fun to watch.  Maybe next year they will add Open class to the finals package!

What a night - I can't believe the season is over - It feels like for me it was not long ago I was sitting in San Francisco the weekend of DCI West watching my first Live Stream and got the idea to blog about the season.  I have never done it before - not sure I will do it again - but I thank those of you who read and followed me -  I love drum corps and I think because I was and still am an educator - just a retired one from the public school system - I just become overwhelmed and amazed at what they students do and how talented their staffs have to be to get the students to do what they do.  The level of perfection and achievement these young people reach cannot be measured with a test!  If you made it to Indy you are a winner - a hero - a champion - Anything above that is icing on the cake of life!  Thank you Thank you Thank you for giving me the ride of my life this summer watching you!  Congrats to Boston for not giving up, Congrats to the Academy for making history, and Congrats to the Blue Coats for finally getting what you so deserved!


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