June 24, 1998, Spartanburg, SC

Division 1
Cadets of Bergen County..77.2
Crossmen.................69.9
Magic of Orlando.........66.3
Carolina Crown...........66.0
Spirit of Atlanta........61.4

Division 2
Volunteers...............47.7

Thanks to Jamison Eige for emailing us these scores!

Review - June 24, 1998, Spartanburg, SC

Thanks to Jamison Eige for emailing us this review!


Editorial notes:

To start things off I will have to admit that I thought that the show started at 7:30 and I missed the first 2 corps. So I won't be able to comment on the Volunteers or the Spirit of Atlanta. I will say that everyone around me seemed to all say that Spirit was very loud and entertaining.

Division 1

5th Place-Spirit of Atlanta...61.4
Missed this corps...

4th Place-Carolina Crown...66.0
The 1998 edition of the Carolina Crown is presented with the corps in purple uniforms and the color guard in sky blue flowing outfits. I could do without the yelling and beating of sticks from the drumline at the beginning...oh well, at least they were excited. The corps currently has 56 brass, 31 percussion, 34 guard, and 1 drum major. The corps starts with a spinning drill move which puts the corps into a large block spread across the field. The colorguard is on center stage and performs well for so early in the season. The brass section has a few control problems as the show starts, however I noticed that the brass seemed to improve as the show went along. I believe the hornline will clean up nicely and add a lot to this great show. It seemed that the music was written for a lot of exposure in the various brass sections, therefore all of the performers will have to be on their best to make the show work. The drum line was pretty clean for most of the show and will place well this year. I must note that the "pit" had some nice keyboard work. All in all this is one of the most enjoyable shows I have seen from the Carolina Crown and should provide them with a challenge to clean and perform. I do believe it can take them to the top 12 if they work hard.

3rd Place-Magic of Orlando...66.3
I saw a thread about them needing new uniforms and I have to say that they look pretty good from the stands...just don't look at them up close. The corps is dressed in Purple uniforms with black pants. The guard is in red outfits which really stand out on the field. The corps currently has 61 brass, 31 percussion, 28 guard, and 2 drum majors. The corps sound is really good. The marching seemed to have a few phasing problems and stood out mostly during the drum solo where the corps is marching all over the field and is pretty dirty. I do have to say that this corps has a lot of energy and conveyed it well to the audience. All in all a fun show which should make them competitive this year.

2nd place-Crossmen...69.9
The corps is marching in black uniforms with the red Crossmen cross on their chest. The guard is in black pants with turquoise tops which match the turquoise drums. They really stand out well against the black corps unis. They currently have on the field 51 brass, 31 percussion, 36 guard, and 2 drum majors. Their opening statement is a loud "park and blow" which was in your face. The guard had some nice flag work which looked pretty clean and well executed. During the show the corps had 3 cymbal players pick up toms which gave them 7 tenors on the field. at this time the drum line is split up and plays some parts together. I must make note that this drum line played the least out of anyone tonight. Too much down time. I would guess that their was at least a period of 2-3 minutes in which the drums didn't play a note. It's hard to make a mistake when they aren't playing. On the other side when the drums are down the brass section is making beautiful music using different dynamics and performing well. Their are a few screamers in this group who can really play the soprano well. I found myself tapping my toe to this show unconsciously and really enjoyed the jazz. The horn line still appears to have some holes to fill and anyone who joined this corps should really enjoy performing this show. I must send kudos to the pit once again, as they seemed to get the award for the most energetic group of the night. I must end by saying that I like the Crossmen LOUD and this show, although performed well, is just too soft for me.

1st place-Cadets of Bergen County...77.2
The cadets are dressed in their traditional uniforms with the guard dressed in a striking red outfit. They currently have on the field 64 brass, 25 percussion, 34 guard, and 2 drum majors. I did notice one tenor hole in the drum line. The corps enters the field in a regimented block which breaks into a free form to their spots in which the members practice horn angles, marching style, etc. There is no warm-up and the corps is off to the races... The show is a typical fast paced moving drill with many pass-throughs. The brass section seems to be having some control problems with the hard drill moves which I'm sure will be worked out in due time. The drum line appeared to play very well. they were balanced and seemed to lend well to the music. Nice bass drum line! During one part of the show the corps plays the scales they have become known for, at a fast pace with stops of silent drill in between. This is very hard and seemed to be performed pretty well. Close to the end the drum line spreads itself from 10 to 10 across the back hash and the corps forms an arc and simply sounds beautiful.

From here it is all brought back in for a typical fast paced suspenseful ending with multiple pass throughs in the drill and ending in a huge X across the field. All in all a great show which definitely has the possibility of being a winner. Clean it up and they are a contender! Tonight they were definitely the crowd favorite.

As I walked to the car it began to sprinkle...Tonight the drum corps gods smiled upon us. A great show with lots of talent. I saw the Oswego IL DCM show last week and can tell you all that drum corps 1998 is going to be a treat for you all. Get to a show soon!

Thanks for the read...comments welcome!


Review - June 24, 1998, Spartanburg, SC

Thanks to Daniel D. Reeves for emailing us this review!


Editorial notes:

Well, folks....drum corps has begun again in the Southeast and it looks to be an interesting year. I had the pleasure of attending two shows, the first being in Columbia, SC on the 20th and the next one in Spartanburg. I would've posted a review for the Columbia show, but I decided that my role in the "judging" of that show would have made it inappropriate. But I was just a fan in Spartanburg, so here it goes...

The venue: This is now the second year that I have attended this show in Spartanburg. The stadium is great for a small drum corps show and the weather threatened all night, but didn't drop any rain until the corps were about to leave the field following retreat. There was no website for the show. There was no one answering the phone for the show the last couple of days when I called, just an answering machine that had a recording so rushed I had to call long distance four times to write all the directions down. They once again misled all of us by stating the show is in Spartanburg....it wasn't, it was in Boiling Springs. The program had an incomplete schedule, causing a mass exodus after Carolina Crown had performed because nobody wrote anything about the finale following the last performance. And the announcer sounded sleepy. And the tickets were overpriced--$17 for a late June show with 6 corps? Needless to say, they could've done a better job. However, everything else went smoothly.

And now the review. Please understand that my specialty is in brass, so that's why my scores are the way they are.

Volunteers, Div II, Score 47.7 (my score 50.0)-- Ah, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. A state in the union that has gone a long time without a representative in DCI now has a corps to call it's own. Great kids, but they're just starting out, most of them unfamiliar with drum corps. So what should they play? Let's see...how about something fun that the crowd can get into? No? Maybe some old drum corps standards that will get a warm response from the paying customers? No? How about Chichester Psalms and selections from Mass, complete with interpretive dance that is totally over their heads? Well, the designers said "oh yes." And that's what I watched. And I was mortified for those kids, especially when they finished their show and there was 4 seconds of dead silence as the drum major turned and saluted and then there was some scattered applause. Well, so much for giving the kids a great vehicle. The kids are trying. They are trying really hard. From an execution standpoint, the brass line struggles quite a bit, probably because of the varying talent level among them. Some were pretty strong players and others appeared to be marching to take a spot in the drill. Unfortunately, this leads to a varying interpretation of what intonation and phrasing is. A large amount of phasing occurred throughout as the percussion and brass sections duked it out for proper tempo. Some listening and breathing exercises are in order. They could probably stand to practice some chorales together, too. And of course, they could stand to project a tad more.

Percussion seemed okay considering the level they're at. But I don't know drums.

The guard was painful to watch, because these girls have not been taught the mechanics of the dance and clearly didn't understand what they were doing. I didn't understand what they were doing. My friend didn't understand what they were doing. They swayed, gestured, posed....but looked terribly awkward, off-balance, and ungraceful. Again, this was a program that was waaaaaaaay to ambitious for the corps size and talent level. These kids are being taught how to run before they can walk. On the bright side, their marching forms were relatively solid and most of them displayed adequate posture. It's also great to see such a solid Div III size corps as far as numbers are concerned.

Spirit of Atlanta, Div I, Score 61.4 (my score 62.0)-- Spirit! Georgia on My Mind, My Friend, Way Down Upon the Suwanee River, Summertime, Sweet Georgia Brown....ya gotta love it. They are rebounding phenomenally well from just 2 years ago when they struggled to finish in 23rd. Look at 'em now! They will make Semifinals in Orlando again easily, and will probably finish 14th or so. They have about 30 more members than last year--that's right, they're a full Div I corps again! Makes an old corps fan happy. And back with them old Southern tunes that really involved the crowd and got the blood pumping again. It was sweet, it resonated, and they brightened the field up just by being there.

Brass: Some great color in the brass overall, but a little blatty on the lower end. The sops are quite good. Again, motion seemed to cause some problems and the horns were way too restrained during a very upbeat version of Sweet Georgia Brown....the arrangement just begged for some of that old Spirit sound

Percussion: They have a great drum book to perform, and it was well highlighted with a great drum break near the end of the show. The entire battery showed a top 12 level of maturity and played with good control.

Guard: They look good. The work? No, I was referring to the ladies. Actually, the work itself is incomplete and very dirty compared to the rest of the corps. The visual program overall is coming along well and the forms are starting to look nice.

Magic of Orlando, Div I, Score 66.3 (my score 68.8)--What a turn this corps has taken in the last two years. The only thing about Magic that hasn't changed is the wacky guard uniforms, which they went with a '20s look this year. The rest of the corps has undergone a complete transformation in regards to musical selection and entertainment value and believe me, its a good thing! These guys are going out of their way to please us and they now have a staff that is using their talents to promote their kids as opposed to using them as pawns to spread their "art." The Magic presented a great jazz show comprised of God Bless the Child, St. Louis Woman, Willow Weep for Me, and House of the Rising Sun. That last number is a growling, powerful arrangement, but lacks the tension and moodiness that would make it work. With some more volume and a better-conveyed, in your face attitude, this could be a great closer.

Brass: This is becoming the feature of the corps and they are being trained incredibly well in regards to control, listening, tone color, and volume by their brass staff. Their sound is based largely on the lower brass, and it is a special sound that is unique now to Magic. They had a great "blow your face off" part at the beginning of the show when the drum major turned and literally asked the audience how loud they'd like it. When he got his answer, he turned around, gave a wild gesture to the corps and they shook the stadium with a wall of sound. Great stuff. I really couldn't find much wrong...they are doing quite well for June. Could stand your standard July and August cleaning, but once refined, the brass line will place about 2 placements above the rest of the corps at least.

Percussion: Great syncopated hits during the drum break. Again some solid writing, but a little dirty in parts.

Guard: Quite filthy. Needs a serious cleaning and is causing come of their visual GE gaffes in the scoring. And they aren't doing terribly hard stuff, either. Well, give 'em time.

Crossmen, Div I, Score 69.9 (my score 68.3)--I had Magic beating these guys because I'm a brass man. More notes about that in the Brass section. This show is quite entertaining and the program flows more seamless than the previous year, where each of the three songs were mini-shows in and of themselves. This show is more rhythmic, more sophisticated, yet retains the same entertainment and excitement that made the 97 Crossmen so special. First Circle just builds and builds with excitement, using musical tension and that rhythm machine the Crossmen have to bring the crowd to their feet. This is yet another special year for the Crossguys. As they continue to clean, I expect their score to balloon like last year, around late July. Look for the cool t-shirts at the souvie booth--they have Kyle from South Park in a Crossmen uniform.

Brass: With the Crossmen drum line and color guard, the brass line has a lot to live up to and to a point, they make the grade. They have good inflections, tone color, and emote quite well; they are great showpeople. But the sops just don't project. I keep thinking that their numbers are off, but a quick count just drives home the point. On top of that, the sound that they do put out doesn't have the blend and balance that is required in a top six corps. These guys have to open it up a little more. Perhaps the brass staff is keeping them restrained until they develop a little more control, but geez...who wants to watch that?

Percussion: Absolutely phenomenal writing. Damn good performance. Great utilization of alternative percussion instruments, especially those booming black Pearls on the sidelines.

Guard: They haven't lost a step from last year. Very precise for the early season, but the work is obviously incomplete and they didn't have any gee-whiz impacts like the ones I remember from last year.

Cadets of Bergen County, Div I, Score 77.2 (my score 75.1)--This is a juggernaut of a show. The Stonehenge music fits the Cadets like a glove and they continue to amaze with the fast paced music and the mind boggling drill. I will say, though, that it isn't as hard as last year, but last year seemed to be more of a technical display than a musical show, whereas this year's music is very intricate, filled with nuance and artistry (and I mean that in a good way!). The show is rich and rewarding, but doesn't have any hummable tunes...hehehe, did you expect any? But seriously, these guys are gamers and are tooling up for another fight at the very top. This is the highest score nationwide at this time.

Brass: The Cadets' achilles heel. But not because the members are so talented, it's just because they have not yet become fully accustomed to marching a Cadet drill whilst playing 32nd note runs. This was reflected in their brass score. As they continue to develop as athletes and develop more control of their breathing, this will be a GREAT year for their brass section.

Percussion: Scary good. Phenomenal for June. Yipes.

Guard: Artsy fartsy. But to make the old-timers happy, they use a lot more equipment work and less dance than you might be thinking this year. Their rifle line is hitting triples and quads pretty cleanly and there's a lot of poise during the dancing parts.

Carolina Crown, Div I, Score 66.0 (my score 66.7)--I was gritting my teeth when I saw them in Columbia, because they did not have the performance savvy that was needed to pull off their show. It drolled on, it looked awkward, and it smacked of pointy-headed designing. But tonight was very different. The opener reminded me of 1985 SCV, only not as good. However, when they went into Armenian Dances, the arrangement and the performance by the guard fused into a giddy, light-hearted romp that was a joy to watch, some scattered giggles even came from the crowd. Praise Jerusalem is still a little of a letdown, but the horns showed some power in the late going, and it ended a much more successful show than their debut. The brass line is almost completely filled, as opposed to last year when they came out with 45 horns.

Brass: Not bad, for Crown. Again, some lack of control and blats in the lower brass and bad accents and tonguing all around, but they play well as a unit. They emote quite well during Armenian Dances.

Percussion: Surprisingly good. Don't remember much else.

Guard: Well, they're saving money on uniforms again, picture last year's uni dipped in blue dye. No dumb costume changes, just solid work. The dance portion is hideously dirty, but its June.

All said and done, a good show, from the perspective of the performances. This is going to be a very entertaining year for drum corps. Can't wait to see these guys in August! Woohoo! Seeya in Orlando.


June 24, 1998, Lima, OH

Blue Knights.............70.1
Pioneer..................57.3
Kiwanis Kavaliers........56.4
Cincinnati Glory.........45.9
Gen. Butler Vagabonds....40.1
Marion Cadets............34.7
Phantom Legion...........Did not perform

Thanks to Scott Heer for emailing us these scores!

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