Good evening and welcome to tonight's live blog of the 2019 Drum Corps International Orlando regional! My name is Kevin Gamin, Managing News Editor of Drum Corps Planet, and I will be your host for tonight's live coverage of the show. As you may have heard, the Orlando regional is now a standstill performance due to the inclement weather which has plagued the Orlando area throughout the afternoon and evening. Fortunately, we're still going to get great performances by all of the scheduled groups tonight, starting with Impact of Orlando at 8:50 PM Eastern. I will be posting my live commentary throughout the evening, so stay tuned!

Well, it looks like we've had another schedule change.  The SoundSport groups are not performing tonight and we are going right into our Open Class participant, Heat Wave from Cape Coral, Florida! Heat Wave's show is entitled "Nature Boy".

Not wasting time, the corps gets right into their show. Like the title indicates, the opener features a fanfare based off of the classic song Nature Boy.

No pit on the field, so the next segment opens with the field percussion featured.

I'm feeling for the horns right now. They've had their horns up in playing position the entire percussion feature. THE GAINZ, however!

Percussion still playing. I'm beginning to wonder if the brass is still learning the music for this part of the show.

Now the horns are in, performing a ballad of Coldplay's Fix You.

Nice call and answer mello duet on the melody. There's definitely something missing without the front ensemble, but this also gives the brass a great chance to shine.

And with the ballad over, so is their performance. Hopefully, we'll get a chance to check out the full performance at some point in the season.

Our first World Class performance of the evening is Jersey Surf from Camden County, New Jersey! Here is their 2019 show info:

• Show Title: Fantasea
• Music Repertoire:
  • "Oceans" by Goff Richards
  • "Op. 28: The Sea, Fantasy in E Major for Orchestra" by Alexander Glazunov
  • "Moses & Marco Polo Suite: Main Theme (From Marco Polo)" by Ennio Morricone
  • "Aurora Awakes" by John Mackey
  • "The Legend of Atlan (from Aquaman)" by Rubert Gregson-Williams
  • "He Commands the Sea (from Aquaman)" by Rubert Gregson-Williams

The corps is looking quite aquatic for their show theme, with a lot of light blue at the top of their uniform, fading to dark blue down the pants, just like how the water would get darker the deeper one goes.

Nice Under The Sea solo leading into a small brass ensemble. Very Jersey Surf opening to the show.

Again, no front ensemble, so the opening is brass only. Still, a great sound and arrangement to start the show.

Surf now plays Pure Imagination. I am assuming this is not part of their show but an encore tune which calls back to their Bridgemania show back in 2012.

Percussion is setting up to play, so we're going to get a full ensemble selection next.

Ahh, this is the La Mer section of their show. Nice opening statement. Unfortunately, I don't know the other selections of their show, so I can't say what the next piece is, but the corps has a great sound.

Somebody actually yelled "OH MY GOD!" after the cutoff. :D

The nice thing about Surf's arrangements is they hold up with just brass and marching percussion. It makes you want to hear what the full ensemble sounds like. Unfortunately, that's not an option tonight.

Corps relaxes and lays into a nice swing groove with a baritone trio to start. I don't recognize the song, but it has to be another encore tune. The corps is having fun with this one.

It will be interesting to see how many of tonight's corps play encore tunes as opposed to show music, especially if they're not going to bring out the front ensemble. It just makes to go with music meant for standstill situations like tonight.

Our next performing corps is Music City from Nashville, Tennessee. Here is their 2019 show info:

• Show Title: Of Mice & Music

I hear this show is very...cheesy...

Looks like we have a trombone choir at some point during this performance...oh, as in right at the start!

Nice pop tune to start the performance. I know it but I can't remember the title. By the way, the yellow cheese drum slips really stand out visually, even during a standstill.

Trombones up front and center for a feature. Nice ensemble sound!

Horns that aren't playing just worked the crowd before they went into full park and bark mode

Killer trombone soloist during the finish of this song! 

Trombones switch to baris. Baritone duet opens the next selection, joined by mello section. Great sound from the horns tonight.

Mello are set up in front of the rest of the ensemble, so they are ripping face in a good way.

And, of course, Music City pays tribute to their home with Tennessee Waltz. Lush sound from the brass on this piece.

Next on the field is Spirit of Atlanta from Atlanta, Georgia. Here is their 2019 show info:

• Show Title: Neon Underground
• Music Repertoire:
  • "Krump" by Scott McAllister
  • "You and Me" by Eliza Doolittle
  • "Attraction" by Emmanuel Sejourne
  • "Color Wheel" by Arch Echo
• Description:  "By opening a new door, we can be drawn into a mysterious and exciting experience, a Neon Underground. Strangers move together and apart. They dance in the dark, creating curiosity and intrigue. The ritual is engaging, the crowd is diverse and carefree. The club scene takes us from small inviting groups to feverish crowds to explosions of energy and chaos. It’s more than an underground party: It’s a glorious adventure of sight and sound. The music drives movement and dictates interactions. Private moments are shared even in this unconventional and large crowd. Dancers find one partner and share intimate moments. As the music slows, life slows with it. Lingering dances become captivating. When the music picks up, the crowd blends together again in a bouncing blast of colorful neon. As the music ends, it’s time to leave this electrifying world behind and return to reality."

I'm disappointed because I won't see how Spirit changes uniforms throughout their show. We will, however, get Let It Be Me and Georgia On My Mind tonight, so far tradeoff!

First close up of the night on the multi-cam, giving the drum line some love. The corps is currently playing Krump, which I actually know from Blue Devils B's show back in 2011.

I keep hearing rhythmic clapping during Krump. Turns out the guard is in the stadium, standing off to one side, and they're clapping as part of the performance.

Next selection is also up tempo like Krump but I don't recognize it. I'm assuming it's part of Neon Underground since it has a similar feel.

Close up of the trumpets. Are they standing in a modified 3rd position? I approve.

Salvation is Created. A classic Spirit of Atlanta piece, almost a corps song in its own right at this point.

Now Let It Be Me. Strange to hear this on non-G horns as that's the arrangement I'm used to hearing and performing. This arrangement sounds so warm and full. Horns really do justice to it.

Only one song left, and you know this will blow the stands down. Georgia, Georgia...This arrangement stays true to the original Jim Ott version the corps made famous, complete with opening soloist. Horns really let loose with sound at the end. Great finish to the performance!

Spirit bass line decides to leave the field old school with full bass cadence. I approve.

Next on the field is Phantom Regiment from Rockford, Illinois. Here is their 2019 show info:

• Show Title: I Am Joan
• Music Repertoire:
  • "Carmina Burana" by Carl Orff
  • "Audivi Media Nocte" by Oliver Waespi
  • "Zohar" by Jonathan Leshnoff
  • "Fire of Eternal Glory" by Dmitri Shostakovich
  • "Lady McBeth of Mtsensk" by Dmitri Shostakovich
  • "Vox Populi" by 30 Seconds to Mars
  • "Unleashed" by Two Steps from Hell
• Description: "In a time when the world needed someone to stand up, hers was the voice that ignited change. The 2019 Phantom Regiment celebrates bold, empowered women and the spirit of revolution through the lens of Joan of Arc, one of the world’s most prolific independent women. Sometimes when you are willing to stand alone, the whole world will listen."

Funny moment where the announcer called Claire Wilcox's name as DM, but she wasn't the one up on the podium.

Before starting the performance, drum line does a quick warm-up exercise to get the chops up to snuff.

Hornline's turn. Pitch bending exercises with crescendos and decrescendos. I know I'm not the only horn player who's enjoying this.

Seriously, drum corps is the only activity I know of where we get excited about horn exercises because they get loud.

Lord's Prayer, selection from 2003 which is now an encore tune. A chance for the horns to just push air through those instruments.

And now Sanctus, also from 2003, and also another chance for the horns to unleash.

Of course, you can't have a retreat performance without Amazing Grace.

By the way, the baton pull out of the collar by the conductor got as much applause as some of the music.

Now, time for some show music. But first, Claire does HER baton pull.

I like this. They're doing Vox Populi. Without the front ensemble and electronics, we can hear the members sing loud and clear.

Announcer just announced the corps off, but looks like we get one more piece before Phantom leaves the field. Small brass ensemble is up front and it's Elsa's!

Next on the field is the Boston Crusaders from Boston, Massachusetts. Here is their 2019 show info:

• Show Title: Goliath
• Music Repertoire:
  • "Enough of Our Machines" by Son Lux
  • "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears for Fears
  • "On The Shoulders of Giants" by Peter Graham
  • "Giant Steps" by John Coltrane
  • "My Shot" by Lin-Manuel Miranda
  • "Fanfare for Rocky" by Bill Conti
  • "Once Upon a Castle" by Michael Daugherty
• Description: "The Biblical account of David and Goliath is a classic lesson of courage, wisdom, and perseverance. Today, the phrase 'David and Goliath' refers to an underdog scenario; a competition where a smaller, weaker opponent faces a much larger and stronger adversary. Through careful planning and enormous human will, the 'David' character finally defies overwhelming odds to emerge victorious. The Boston Crusaders display and develop the inherent drama and emotion of this underdog story. Drawing on familiar themes from literature and film, contrast and scale literally and figuratively set the stage for this epic portrayal. The 2019 production delivers a powerful combination of variety and conceptual continuity while guiding viewers through the life-long process of innocence, preparation, and conflict to arrive at the ultimate moment of truth."

This is also the first time I've spelled "Massachusetts" correctly without the aid of spell check. It took me nearly 45 years to get to that point.

Nice gesture - Phantom members staying to listen to Boston's performance.

TINY tuba player in Boston's horn line. It's not the size of the dog in the fight, however.

Horn line UNLEASHES with sound during this opening section, really filling the stadium. Crowd definitely approves.

Game of Thrones theme. Very subdued to start, very controlled sound from the horns, but you can feel that they're ready to go full out when the time comes.

Drum line is putting on their instruments, with a bari soloist coming out of the line. It's an arrangement of With A Little Help From My Friends (Joe Cocker version). Nice encore piece. Final chord is loud and BAC proud.

Of course, you can't have a Boston performance without Conquest! Crowd shows their approval on the opening fanfare. We have grunts in the crowd at the appropriate point, too!

Our final performing corps of the evening is Carolina Crown from Fort Mill, South Carolina. Here is their 2019 show info:

• Show Title: "Beneath the Surface"
• Music Repertoire:
  • "Dark Clouds (from Temen Oblak)" by Christopher Tin
  • "Frolic (from Rabbit and Rogue)" by Danny Elfman
  • "Gabriel's Oboe" by Ennio Morricone
  • "Bucimis Traditional Folk Dance" by The Swingles Feat. Trichy Sankaran

As with previous DCI Orlando performances, Crown will feature the Liberty Voices a cappella vocal group. There's some serious magic when these two ensembles join together.

To start, however, Crown opens with their show opener, which is a brass and percussion master class.

By the way, Christopher Tin, the composer of Crown's opener, Dark Clouds, also composed the themes for the video games Civilization IV and Civilization VI.

Flugelhorn duet for Gabriel's Oboe is just gorgeous and is reason alone to enjoy this show.

Some of the percussion remove their equipment and the tubas join the bass line. Time to rock out on Bucimis Traditional Folk Dance, a great closer that gets the corps and the crowd pumped.

Nice staging of the trumpet soloists with the snares and tenors. Even with a standstill, Crown knows how to make it interesting visually.

And how often do we see Crown go into park and blow mode? With this horn line, that's an extra special treat.

Liberty Voices now joins Crown on the field. Very nice arrangement of Proud To Be An American.

I'm actually a little jealous of Liberty Voices. They have that Crown hornline pumping sound right behind them.

"Sometimes I feel like a motherless child..." Colts used this as their intro last season and it's weird to hear it now.

After getting featured on their own, Liberty Voices are joined by the Crown hornlike one more time for the big closer.

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Not the show we were hoping for tonight, but we got some great performances from each corps regardless. Let's hope that tomorrow's live stream of DCI Menomonie has better weather! I'll be on that live blog as well so I'll see you then!