2017 DCI Eastern ClassicAug 4, 2017 by Michael Gilley
Relive Friday Night Of The 2017 DCI Eastern Classic
Relive Friday Night Of The 2017 DCI Eastern Classic
Follow along all the action from the 2017 DCI Eastern Classic in Allentown as we live blog about the performances.
We are watching the DCI Eastern Classic and live blogging the performances as they happen! Make sure you refresh your screen every so often to see our comments.
6:30 p.m. National Anthem
6:40 p.m. The Company -- Chesterfield, England
Welcome to the U.S.! It's awesome to see the marching arts are alive and thriving over seas. Congratulations to the performers, instructional staff, admin team, and the volunteers who have made The Company's trip a reality. These guys move and play really well. And the color guard was beautiful to watch. I can only imagine the jet-lag and travel exhaustion they are dealing with but they powered through.
6:57 p.m. Pioneer -- Milwaukee, WI
Love the playfulness of Pioneer's show. The juggling rifle solo showcasing individual talents of their guard. Their vocalist has to be one of DCI's bright spots. That is a massive drumline! Great to see so many opportunities for members to march and perform. The color change for the guard with so much red and the print of the poster is beautiful.
7:14 p.m. Spirit of Atlanta -- Atlanta, GA
Love the hurricane like drill to start the show. Great 45-angle toss from the flags! Spirit's guard has such a impact on color with the combination of uniforms and flags. Big and bold with the purple to the fire-like combination of the red and yellows. These new uniforms are really smart. The clean separation around the ankles allow for easier readability of the feet timing.
7:31 p.m. Pacific Crest -- Diamond Bar, CA
Looks like the stadium is having power issues for the electronics. Power restored! What an opening statement from Crest and their guard. Their fundamentals of movement are great. Very smooth with little bouncing. Well done on the ensemble timing with the sabre catch on top of the prop. Love the drill transition from the drum break to the jam session. Great integration of the flags. Appreciate the texturing and layering with the color guard during the ballad hit. Really enjoyed the closing drill into the last hold. Great job tonight Pacific Crest.
7:48 p.m. Colts -- Dubuque, IA
Really creative to see how the brain prop is revealed in conjunction with the color guard in black/white opposing the rest of the corps. Love the split flags in the opener. Wonderful sounds from the trombone soloist. Interesting to see how the drill starts very linear and square during the opener. Then as the drill shifts to side 2, the drill gets much more organic and softer. The percussion section is really having a strong performance tonight and the energy of that ending shows it. This show is really fun to see and very accessible.
8:05 p.m. Mandarins -- Sacramento, CA
One of the most impressive corps all year long have been the Mandarins. Let's see how they handle the Allentown spotlights! What an incredible opening build! The lines of ink drill, guard costuming, flag staging, and music. Did you catch the face at the end of the opener? A little frightening. Integration of the props, staging of the guard, and ensemble staging between brass/battery for the ballad hit is very smart. Big change on the delivery of the tarp to the middle of the field during the drum solo. One solid piece instead of being separated. What a great moment for the flags on the tarp to kick start the ending. And a new fly-over! Wow. Mandarin's are fighting for a finals spots and they certainly delivered a performance of a life-time tonight!
8:22 p.m. Troopers -- Casper, WY
If you like old school drum corps trumpet solos...you'll love the beginning of Troopers. Great ensemble jazz run movement for the hornline during the drum solo. The expansion and contraction of their drill is fun to watch. Drumline is having a great ensemble night with the front ensemble. The timing between the horns and drum major during that ballad hit was magnificent tonight. Really appreciate the ending as an old school style of drum corps.
8:39 p.m. Intermission (17 minutes)
8:56 p.m. Blue Stars -- La Crosse, WI
Welcome back everybody! Blue Stars you may take the field for competition. One of the best looking drum corps in DCI. Blue Stars uniforms are beautiful. Want to see a corps running? You better check these guys out. They are booking it throughout the opener. Such a simple yet clever way to use the props with the mellophones leaning on them while playing. This might be one of the most musically expressive bass lines in DCI. Wonderful shaping. Appreciate the use of the props to signify the changing of eras. So many colors from the guard during the ballad impact. Great body work from the hornline as well. Great use of body visuals to take the audience's eyes to the back prop. Amazing ensemble rifle toss during the drum solo! Blue Stars may have some the most impressive drill this year.
9:13 p.m. Phantom Regiment -- Rockford, IL
Even coming onto the field, the Regiment guard is setting the mood for a great performance. Love the textures from the front ensemble. The interweaving of the guard into every portion of the corps is brilliant. Ok front ensemble, you're definitely catching folks attention with that run. Well done! This red flag ensemble moment is unbelievable! That drum solo has so much velocity. The tempos are ridiculous. What a beautiful moment in the ballad for the color guard. Complete field coverage! Something warms the heart seeing the Phantom Regiment do a company front with their traditional halt. Have to love it!
9:30 p.m. Bluecoats -- Canton, OH
Love the idea of having supporting chords played from beneath the props during the trumpet solo. That opening jam is something to behold. Absolutely sensory overload. Tenors integrating the hats into they break is very clever. Wonderful supporting sounds from the pit during the solo at the beginning of the ballad. You may not notice but if you listen closely the battery is playing underneath the stage during the ballad hit. Talk about having a variety of sounds from the brass by using different instruments like the trombone and piccolo trumpet. The energy it takes to perform that ending is unreal. So much velocity from the drill and sound from the horns. Just unbelievable.
9:47 p.m. Blue Devils -- Concord, CA
As a former snare drummer the idea they start this way just makes me smile. The haunting echoes of Night In Tunisia are beautiful. The rifle work is mesmerizing. The hornline members ability to be so clean with their body movements is astonishing. Professional level soloists throughout the corps. The ballad has to be one of the most impressive moments this year. Such a wonderful display of drum corps. Trumpets eat your heart out followed by trombone in your face! What a powerful ending. Unbelievable individual performance mixed to provide us with an unreal ensemble.
10:21 p.m. Scores Announced
How to Watch
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6:30 p.m. National Anthem
6:40 p.m. The Company -- Chesterfield, England
Welcome to the U.S.! It's awesome to see the marching arts are alive and thriving over seas. Congratulations to the performers, instructional staff, admin team, and the volunteers who have made The Company's trip a reality. These guys move and play really well. And the color guard was beautiful to watch. I can only imagine the jet-lag and travel exhaustion they are dealing with but they powered through.
6:57 p.m. Pioneer -- Milwaukee, WI
Love the playfulness of Pioneer's show. The juggling rifle solo showcasing individual talents of their guard. Their vocalist has to be one of DCI's bright spots. That is a massive drumline! Great to see so many opportunities for members to march and perform. The color change for the guard with so much red and the print of the poster is beautiful.
7:14 p.m. Spirit of Atlanta -- Atlanta, GA
Love the hurricane like drill to start the show. Great 45-angle toss from the flags! Spirit's guard has such a impact on color with the combination of uniforms and flags. Big and bold with the purple to the fire-like combination of the red and yellows. These new uniforms are really smart. The clean separation around the ankles allow for easier readability of the feet timing.
7:31 p.m. Pacific Crest -- Diamond Bar, CA
Looks like the stadium is having power issues for the electronics. Power restored! What an opening statement from Crest and their guard. Their fundamentals of movement are great. Very smooth with little bouncing. Well done on the ensemble timing with the sabre catch on top of the prop. Love the drill transition from the drum break to the jam session. Great integration of the flags. Appreciate the texturing and layering with the color guard during the ballad hit. Really enjoyed the closing drill into the last hold. Great job tonight Pacific Crest.
7:48 p.m. Colts -- Dubuque, IA
Really creative to see how the brain prop is revealed in conjunction with the color guard in black/white opposing the rest of the corps. Love the split flags in the opener. Wonderful sounds from the trombone soloist. Interesting to see how the drill starts very linear and square during the opener. Then as the drill shifts to side 2, the drill gets much more organic and softer. The percussion section is really having a strong performance tonight and the energy of that ending shows it. This show is really fun to see and very accessible.
8:05 p.m. Mandarins -- Sacramento, CA
One of the most impressive corps all year long have been the Mandarins. Let's see how they handle the Allentown spotlights! What an incredible opening build! The lines of ink drill, guard costuming, flag staging, and music. Did you catch the face at the end of the opener? A little frightening. Integration of the props, staging of the guard, and ensemble staging between brass/battery for the ballad hit is very smart. Big change on the delivery of the tarp to the middle of the field during the drum solo. One solid piece instead of being separated. What a great moment for the flags on the tarp to kick start the ending. And a new fly-over! Wow. Mandarin's are fighting for a finals spots and they certainly delivered a performance of a life-time tonight!
8:22 p.m. Troopers -- Casper, WY
If you like old school drum corps trumpet solos...you'll love the beginning of Troopers. Great ensemble jazz run movement for the hornline during the drum solo. The expansion and contraction of their drill is fun to watch. Drumline is having a great ensemble night with the front ensemble. The timing between the horns and drum major during that ballad hit was magnificent tonight. Really appreciate the ending as an old school style of drum corps.
8:39 p.m. Intermission (17 minutes)
8:56 p.m. Blue Stars -- La Crosse, WI
Welcome back everybody! Blue Stars you may take the field for competition. One of the best looking drum corps in DCI. Blue Stars uniforms are beautiful. Want to see a corps running? You better check these guys out. They are booking it throughout the opener. Such a simple yet clever way to use the props with the mellophones leaning on them while playing. This might be one of the most musically expressive bass lines in DCI. Wonderful shaping. Appreciate the use of the props to signify the changing of eras. So many colors from the guard during the ballad impact. Great body work from the hornline as well. Great use of body visuals to take the audience's eyes to the back prop. Amazing ensemble rifle toss during the drum solo! Blue Stars may have some the most impressive drill this year.
9:13 p.m. Phantom Regiment -- Rockford, IL
Even coming onto the field, the Regiment guard is setting the mood for a great performance. Love the textures from the front ensemble. The interweaving of the guard into every portion of the corps is brilliant. Ok front ensemble, you're definitely catching folks attention with that run. Well done! This red flag ensemble moment is unbelievable! That drum solo has so much velocity. The tempos are ridiculous. What a beautiful moment in the ballad for the color guard. Complete field coverage! Something warms the heart seeing the Phantom Regiment do a company front with their traditional halt. Have to love it!
9:30 p.m. Bluecoats -- Canton, OH
Love the idea of having supporting chords played from beneath the props during the trumpet solo. That opening jam is something to behold. Absolutely sensory overload. Tenors integrating the hats into they break is very clever. Wonderful supporting sounds from the pit during the solo at the beginning of the ballad. You may not notice but if you listen closely the battery is playing underneath the stage during the ballad hit. Talk about having a variety of sounds from the brass by using different instruments like the trombone and piccolo trumpet. The energy it takes to perform that ending is unreal. So much velocity from the drill and sound from the horns. Just unbelievable.
9:47 p.m. Blue Devils -- Concord, CA
As a former snare drummer the idea they start this way just makes me smile. The haunting echoes of Night In Tunisia are beautiful. The rifle work is mesmerizing. The hornline members ability to be so clean with their body movements is astonishing. Professional level soloists throughout the corps. The ballad has to be one of the most impressive moments this year. Such a wonderful display of drum corps. Trumpets eat your heart out followed by trombone in your face! What a powerful ending. Unbelievable individual performance mixed to provide us with an unreal ensemble.
10:21 p.m. Scores Announced
How to Watch
ON TV: Available on Roku and Apple TV 4 -- download the FloSports app now.STREAMING: Only on FloMarching with a PRO subscription. A yearly PRO subscription provides access to ALL FloSports sites. Join Now
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