I marched Star that year. On Finals night, I volunteered to be the "horn guard" outside the stadium...even from there I heard what happened...and the gasps. When BD came out and huddled up, he walked over to the curb and sat down alone for a while. We had watched him kill it all season...we loved that chart and the solos/duets...
I wasn’t there but in HS band we played Les Mis. I know I know not drum corps but same kind of thing, the soloist blew it at our championships. I felt terrible for him and same thing he nailed it all yr. The following year though he got his redemption. He was alone after the show for a while.All that aside one of the great ballads oat.
Ehh. I really don't sadly, according to a few that marched with him, he was full of himself, never practiced the note, and did drugs... now I'm pretty sure he's been arrested for something like tax fraud.
PC Guy I think that tends to happen when young people get a killer solo like that they think they can hit it time until they mess when it’s most important trust I was the same and I’m happy that I learned from that mistake.
Yeah, I was there. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. THEN, they had to play the second half of the show. It was the most awkward thing ever.
I was there. He tried a few times to hit the note and kept butchering it. The collective gasps were deafening. I felt bad for the corps if not for him after what I have read about him.
I miss when DCI numbers were not motif snippets for winterguard show-style vignettes, but complete musical forms, or at least more complete than they seem to be now.
I admit - I'm a sucker for a sappy ballad like this. Blue Devils and Madison were especially good with them. Today's drum corps is off the charts in terms of technical achievement. But it is very, very rare that I get that lump-in-the-throat feeling I get with this. Really miss the lush G bugle sound.
Well said. It's funny, because by this time a lot of the musical establishment was starting to really talk trash about the G horns, construction quality / intonation, etc. And then we know what happened in 2000. Anyway, I agree with you... the G horns have a depth and presence that you just can't get any other way.
Chris Stewart I'm a current gen drum corps fan being only 18. However I love the Blue Devils and often find myself looking back on their old shows and just fall in love with them. While I'm not going to comment on if G bugles should or shouldn't be in Drum corps I will admit it is almost unthinkable to imagine this being played by anything other then bugles. But you are most certainly right when you say you get that stuck in your throat feeling.
There’s always at least one person who has to shit on a positive comment. Yes, everyone and their mother knows what happened on Finals night. Tell me you’ve never blew chunks out of your horn once or twice? And I’m willing to bet you’ve never played something as demanding and exposed as what he had to do night after night. Give the man a break. He’s earned at least that after decades of ridicule.
Way back in high school, my band director only had the semi-finals tapes from 1989, so this is the only performance I ever knew of for years. The first time I heard him hit that high note, my jaw dropped. Such an amazingly talented player. It's really too bad that DCI didn't believe in "revisionist history" as far as the finals tapes were concerned back then. Today, they edit stuff all the time, putting in stuff from semi's, etc. I just feel so bad for that dude.
The closest to the classic BD in recent years for me is 2011.. Maybe 2007 had a couple moments too. But I do miss this sound. Fuck the rings, bring back the soul!
You can tell how much harder it was for pitch and intonation with these G bugles here. It was a struggle to get that solo out. And as fate would have it, impossible on finals night.
Donovan....no disrespect to you, my friend, but the "Golden Age of Drum Corps." was the decade of the 1960's. The '80's were GREAT, no doubt!! I was on the "Garfield" Cadets percussion staff 1982, '83 and '84 and have been teaching for 45 years. The '80's WERE AWESOME...but....not the Golden Age.....BTW, I marched with Wayne Downey in 1968 in a local Long Island Drum & Bugle Corps, The Smithtown Freelancers, after my corps, the Babylon Islander broke up. I marched in the snare line...then in 1970, '71, '72, '73 marched in the snare line of the power house of Brooklyn, St. Rita's Brassmen. I've got a bio that wouldn't fit here. Hope you too have enjoyed the Drum Corps experience!!
finalgodzilla first of all, it’s a running joke that they’re “hoodlums” so simmu down! There is no disrespect. We all marched together. We were and remain great friends. Blue Devils are family forever💙💙💙
The final duet is beautiful now but i seem to remember a story where the left soloist was being harassed by law officials and that really effected his playing. This is the definitive version of this tune!
omg..."keyboard cat"? that's hysterical...if you know what really went down that night and after the show...you gotta understand....no....not going to comment...it's more of a wives tale now...you can watch / hear the chum on Finals night, that's a fact ...you'll here it on the Finals tape but the Semis recording is preferred. I can't watch the tape w/o feeling really awkward. There's another legend about a chick-sop-soloist at Garfield ...early 80s? She got stung by a bee right on her lower lip before gate-time and she f-----up bad. 83?
That's SO funny that Timmy Meehan fracked more notes on this version than Dan Halpern :-) Dan's solo was a little harsh sounding, but otherwise perfect.
Umm, Timmy played pretty clean, the 1st duet is John and curly hair dude, sounds like they both chipped some notes, that duet was definitely better on finals night.
Austin Leonard the story I heard was that the horn line smashes that guy's sop, beat his ass, and put him out on the side of the road miiiiiiiiiiiiles away from home.
After reading all the replies to this post, it amazes me what people can believe from sources outside of this organization. I aged out of BD in 88, just one year before this performance. I NEVER saw any member that performed while being high as a kite. I'm not saying that some members didn't have a little "fun" during they're off-the-field time but as far as the Corps being plastered as a whole section ON FINALS WEEK?, I don't see it. Wayne, Jack, Steven, Mike Moxley and the other instructors would never put up with this behavior knowing that it would jeopardize the scores. Those that believe these stories highly under estimate the professionalism and work ethics of these Corps (not just BD). Did the Blue Devils party real hard on their own time? HELL YEA. I was there. I partied with them. But they know when its time to go to work and they know what they have to do. And the entire sop line being shit faced for FINALS? Nope. I don't see it. As far as the beating and leaving the soloist ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, FAR FROM HOME? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Staff would never allow that. The Blue Devils, as all other Corps., are a tight group of brothers and sisters and would not treat another member that way because he "blew it". NOW... If you INTENTIONALLY DO SOMETHING TO DISGRACE THE CORPS. Thats a whole other story. STAFF would get involved and make the decision about the perps future with the Corps and I can assure you that it would NOT include leaving the member on the side of the road to walk home, THOUSANDS of miles. That is extremely dangerous and would open up a serious law-suit from his family. I had lots of friends who were still there and their versions of what really happened were not the way people imagine. So. DON'T believe everything you hear.
Trumpet player on the left uses a 12 fingering. And trumpet player on the right uses a 123 fingering. (Unless my eyes are tricking me) Probably for tuning purposes and seeing the gloves just slowly slide down for the final note is just ...satisfying.
Jack Meehan's book, "Space Music", devotes a paragraph appropriately clarifing the back story behind this solo/duet mishap on finals night. Jack Meehan was the brass guru who took over calming down and rebuilding the hornline into an amazing horn dynasty for the next 11 years, arguably the BD hornline's golden era. (His son John took over as Caption Chair in the 2000's) He felt that the solo was too risky and over exposed for the talented yet inexperienced young man, putting too much pressure on him for one moment of the show. But his caution was overrriden by the ego of the horn caption chair who thought otherwise. So ultimately it set the stage for failure to eventually happen - all the pressure on this one individual's shoulders finals night, missing the ridiculously high note and technically difficult descending intervallic passage that followed. Too bad for the young man who deserved to have a more positive experience that night, instead of feeling like he let down the corps.😢
I'm going to be honest here. There are always going to be rumors and allegations, but the truth is that he was playing an extremely challenging peice with a G6 on a G Bugle! that is Arturo Sandoval type stuff. He just had too much pressure and was playing an extremely challenging peice on an inefficient horn. I wish I could get even close to playing that piece! He is an amazing player that had a little mistake. That didn't change who he was and I hope he understood that. He did a great job in the semifinals though. I wish the best upon him.
the guy who chummed finals night in 89 is a crooked attorney? that IS interesting.... Eric Lozaga thx for posting the link i saw it a few months ago and fans/friends/alumni from both teams (Blue/Red) have been asking me to post this link or actually read it and do a review or podcast or some s--- Ultimate cringe moment for all of DCI...but if you marched out West, its either upsetting, nervewracking, embarassing hysterical, awful...a reason to get drunk...or in my case all of the above....and f--- that guy. I ain't perfect and my record ain't spotless...but I never fracked at DCI and my petty drunk-in-public type charges aren't exactly "newsworthy" dude shoulda stayed in MB. This is a person and I moment we could do w/o...but we can't act like it never happened either...so if there's BD/SCV party goin down and someone throws in the legacy collection...it's only a matter of time til someone says "lets watch the f--- up from 89!" Then 30 ppl agree. *groan* *eye-roll*
conceptually for it's time, playing a complete chart was normal..sounds great even with a fluffed note here and there.See what Miles says about mistakes while performing
I think the 3-valves were phased in, I think DCI allowed one section per year or something??? I was at DCI 1990 and I'm pretty sure the Soprano's for BD at least were 3-Valve Kanstuls, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I am ;-)
Iain Parkinson I believe you are correct based on an article I just read. Three valves were approved at the January 1990 rules conference and there was a requirement to phase them in over three years but I didn't see any specifics. In 92 we still had 2 valve lead baritones but we were all three valve by 94. That same article also mentioned that Star had the same two valve set for their entire existence so you can see what a disadvantage it was haha.
I've always felt that this was just a poor choice of music...even in this, the "clean" version there is some fracking and obvious straining to hit a lot of the notes...and these guys aren't shabby musicians! Something is inherently bad about the composition of the solos.
I cannot believe what I’m about to say about a Blue Devils performance; gack, that was absolutely horrible I expect so much better from the BD. The chart was boring. The soloists cracked and out of tune. The whole performance was lack-luster. As I said, in my almost 50 years in drum corps I thought I’d never say anything negative about the Blue Devils.
I marched Star that year. On Finals night, I volunteered to be the "horn guard" outside the stadium...even from there I heard what happened...and the gasps. When BD came out and huddled up, he walked over to the curb and sat down alone for a while. We had watched him kill it all season...we loved that chart and the solos/duets...
Keith is telling the truth- the hack, then the gasp….it was sad because that guy was rock solid all season.
I wasn’t there but in HS band we played Les Mis. I know I know not drum corps but same kind of thing, the soloist blew it at our championships. I felt terrible for him and same thing he nailed it all yr. The following year though he got his redemption. He was alone after the show for a while.All that aside one of the great ballads oat.
The Finals performance broke my heart....There was a loud *gasp* from the crowd. I felt so bad for the kid.
Ehh. I really don't sadly, according to a few that marched with him, he was full of himself, never practiced the note, and did drugs... now I'm pretty sure he's been arrested for something like tax fraud.
PC Guy I think that tends to happen when young people get a killer solo like that they think they can hit it time until they mess when it’s most important trust I was the same and I’m happy that I learned from that mistake.
Yeah, I was there. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. THEN, they had to play the second half of the show. It was the most awkward thing ever.
I was there. He tried a few times to hit the note and kept butchering it. The collective gasps were deafening. I felt bad for the corps if not for him after what I have read about him.
It was painful to watch...right up there with the Cadets pile up in Whitewater Finals in 1984.
I miss when DCI numbers were not motif snippets for winterguard show-style vignettes, but complete musical forms, or at least more complete than they seem to be now.
I admit - I'm a sucker for a sappy ballad like this. Blue Devils and Madison were especially good with them.
Today's drum corps is off the charts in terms of technical achievement. But it is very, very rare that I get that lump-in-the-throat feeling I get with this. Really miss the lush G bugle sound.
Well said. It's funny, because by this time a lot of the musical establishment was starting to really talk trash about the G horns, construction quality / intonation, etc. And then we know what happened in 2000. Anyway, I agree with you... the G horns have a depth and presence that you just can't get any other way.
Chris Stewart I'm a current gen drum corps fan being only 18. However I love the Blue Devils and often find myself looking back on their old shows and just fall in love with them. While I'm not going to comment on if G bugles should or shouldn't be in Drum corps I will admit it is almost unthinkable to imagine this being played by anything other then bugles. But you are most certainly right when you say you get that stuck in your throat feeling.
AMEN...to what you said, Chris!!!!!!!!!!
Wait until you hear the SCV ‘18 ballad.
They don't get the same sound with the Bb horns. Doesn't sound as loud as it used to! LOL
Fuck….this is how this should be remembered. I remember making fun of the finals performance back in the day but now it gives me chills in a good way.
That ending part of the duet absolutely PHENOMENAL control up there and just beautiful sound
He. He. Hehehe. Did you watch finals?
@@sammyhudman can YOU do that?
There’s always at least one person who has to shit on a positive comment. Yes, everyone and their mother knows what happened on Finals night. Tell me you’ve never blew chunks out of your horn once or twice? And I’m willing to bet you’ve never played something as demanding and exposed as what he had to do night after night. Give the man a break. He’s earned at least that after decades of ridicule.
Thanks for uploading this. This guy deserves this performance to be heard
He later got arrested for embezzling $850k lol
tapper7.com/theyre-payin-for-it-you-eat-it-another-war-story-from-the-front-lines-dci/
Man I agree.
Way back in high school, my band director only had the semi-finals tapes from 1989, so this is the only performance I ever knew of for years. The first time I heard him hit that high note, my jaw dropped. Such an amazingly talented player. It's really too bad that DCI didn't believe in "revisionist history" as far as the finals tapes were concerned back then. Today, they edit stuff all the time, putting in stuff from semi's, etc. I just feel so bad for that dude.
Dude had balls of steel…a solo that carried way to much expectations on young shoulders .
I miss this era of drum corps and BD so much. And the guard has so much restraint and yet pure emotion.
The closest to the classic BD in recent years for me is 2011.. Maybe 2007 had a couple moments too. But I do miss this sound. Fuck the rings, bring back the soul!
Classic Downey BD sound. Sweet, beautiful. Beautiful.
Yeah man
damn, still such a beautiful ballad and duet after all these years
You can tell how much harder it was for pitch and intonation with these G bugles here. It was a struggle to get that solo out. And as fate would have it, impossible on finals night.
BD 1989 Semis will always be my favorite DCI Musical arrangement. Love this ballad
You at the end of if we were in love if you didn't have sweats of drops of sweat breaking out on your forehead there was something wrong with you!!
Crazy to think I’ve watched this video multiple times over the past 5-6 years and love it the exact same every time. One hell of a performance.
I was reading the comments and couldn't see what was so great about the ballad.
Then I got to the end and choked up a little.
This is so beautiful.
My favorite year!!! My dad played 4th bass!
This is the golden age of DCI
😎
Donovan....no disrespect to you, my friend, but the "Golden Age of Drum Corps." was the decade of the 1960's. The '80's were GREAT, no doubt!! I was on the "Garfield" Cadets percussion staff 1982, '83 and '84 and have been teaching for 45 years. The '80's WERE AWESOME...but....not the Golden Age.....BTW, I marched with Wayne Downey in 1968 in a local Long Island Drum & Bugle Corps, The Smithtown Freelancers, after my corps, the Babylon Islander broke up. I marched in the snare line...then in 1970, '71, '72, '73 marched in the snare line of the power house of Brooklyn, St. Rita's Brassmen. I've got a bio that wouldn't fit here. Hope you too have enjoyed the Drum Corps experience!!
Donovan, “golden age”?.....we’re not relics! Hehehe. Your dad was a hoodlum!😬 PS. my husband was a snare and I was in the guard😊💙💙💙.
finalgodzilla first of all, it’s a running joke that they’re “hoodlums” so simmu down! There is no disrespect. We all marched together. We were and remain great friends. Blue Devils are family forever💙💙💙
Absolutely
Thanks for posting, I have always wondered what that solo sounded like on every night except finals. Still feel bad for that guy!!
Yup. Semifinals! 😁 Dude had chops and one mistake in the finals won’t take that away! 👏🏼👏🏼
My band teacher was in this show, playing mallets I believe. We watch it every year in band class as a cautionary lesson
The final duet is beautiful now but i seem to remember a story where the left soloist was being harassed by law officials and that really effected his playing. This is the definitive version of this tune!
I don't know i'd like to remember that gentlemen in Prelims mode where he sounded great. Maybe later if i get brave...
omg..."keyboard cat"? that's hysterical...if you know what really went down that night and after the show...you gotta understand....no....not going to comment...it's more of a wives tale now...you can watch / hear the chum on Finals night, that's a fact ...you'll here it on the Finals tape but the Semis recording is preferred. I can't watch the tape w/o feeling really awkward. There's another legend about a chick-sop-soloist at Garfield ...early 80s? She got stung by a bee right on her lower lip before gate-time and she f-----up bad. 83?
Wow, ok lay that one to rest. Thanks!
@@Tapper7 1986
Wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actual marching and melody.
No unnecessary synths and artificial amplification.
Miss this.
those older g bugles were so much louder than the Bb horns they use noe
@@sceu25 bore size...
That's SO funny that Timmy Meehan fracked more notes on this version than Dan Halpern :-) Dan's solo was a little harsh sounding, but otherwise perfect.
The irony is the gliss to that last note and the last note were better on finals night -- after The Frack -- than here.
Umm, Timmy played pretty clean, the 1st duet is John and curly hair dude, sounds like they both chipped some notes, that duet was definitely better on finals night.
so pretty!! Love this!!
fantastic!!
Beautiful
Great!
The senior sopranos were all very very high during this performance
they actually were all high as sh** and the one guy didn't get high on finals night that's why his solo was frack city. XD
From what I hear from my old head band directors, 80's BD was drug corps, not drum corps.
Austin Leonard the story I heard was that the horn line smashes that guy's sop, beat his ass, and put him out on the side of the road miiiiiiiiiiiiles away from home.
After reading all the replies to this post, it amazes me what people can believe from sources outside of this organization. I aged out of BD in 88, just one year before this performance. I NEVER saw any member that performed while being high as a kite. I'm not saying that some members didn't have a little "fun" during they're off-the-field time but as far as the Corps being plastered as a whole section ON FINALS WEEK?, I don't see it. Wayne, Jack, Steven, Mike Moxley and the other instructors would never put up with this behavior knowing that it would jeopardize the scores. Those that believe these stories highly under estimate the professionalism and work ethics of these Corps (not just BD). Did the Blue Devils party real hard on their own time? HELL YEA. I was there. I partied with them. But they know when its time to go to work and they know what they have to do. And the entire sop line being shit faced for FINALS? Nope. I don't see it. As far as the beating and leaving the soloist ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, FAR FROM HOME? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Staff would never allow that. The Blue Devils, as all other Corps., are a tight group of brothers and sisters and would not treat another member that way because he "blew it". NOW... If you INTENTIONALLY DO SOMETHING TO DISGRACE THE CORPS. Thats a whole other story. STAFF would get involved and make the decision about the perps future with the Corps and I can assure you that it would NOT include leaving the member on the side of the road to walk home, THOUSANDS of miles. That is extremely dangerous and would open up a serious law-suit from his family. I had lots of friends who were still there and their versions of what really happened were not the way people imagine. So. DON'T believe everything you hear.
cannondaleman1 its only a game why you have to be mad
I was very impressed
Before park and bark, there was this. Beautiful!
The most exposed solo in DCI history. Hat tipped. Knee taken
Where's The 1989 Cavaliers? Love that circle formation...
All I got to say is I choked way more than he ever did on the field, he did awesome. Wish he didn’t choke as a lawyer, but we all make mistakes
Hey re run you actually did it. I just saw this congrats.
love that alternate 123 in the end
What
Trumpet player on the left uses a 12 fingering. And trumpet player on the right uses a 123 fingering. (Unless my eyes are tricking me) Probably for tuning purposes and seeing the gloves just slowly slide down for the final note is just ...satisfying.
@@SuperXxMarcosxX Your eyes are definitely tricking you, because these are two valved Soprano Bugles in G.
@@sceu25 wow this whole time...
2:21
I wish I had a recording of this from Allentown 1989. If you think THIS sounds good...
Does anyone know where I can find the duet or soloist sheet music because it's hard figuring this out
❤
Finals was better. ;)
LoL. Chris, I miss marching with you. Hope all is well.
I agree 1000%
😲
only reason this video is on the internet is because of trumpet in finals lmao
Soprano Bugle
I see that you’re a Boston fan
That's a dick thing to say. Dick.
Jack Meehan's book, "Space Music", devotes a paragraph appropriately clarifing the back story behind this solo/duet mishap on finals night. Jack Meehan was the brass guru who took over calming down and rebuilding the hornline into an amazing horn dynasty for the next 11 years, arguably the BD hornline's golden era. (His son John took over as Caption Chair in the 2000's) He felt that the solo was too risky and over exposed for the talented yet inexperienced young man, putting too much pressure on him for one moment of the show. But his caution was overrriden by the ego of the horn caption chair who thought otherwise. So ultimately it set the stage for failure to eventually happen - all the pressure on this one individual's shoulders finals night, missing the ridiculously high note and technically difficult descending intervallic passage that followed. Too bad for the young man who deserved to have a more positive experience that night, instead of feeling like he let down the corps.😢
Finalのソロミスが悔やまれる……
Back whem DCI didnt need to be amplified whem true talent and sound blew your face off nowadays its all amplified so the sound isnt the same anymore
I'm going to be honest here. There are always going to be rumors and allegations, but the truth is that he was playing an extremely challenging peice with a G6 on a G Bugle! that is Arturo Sandoval type stuff. He just had too much pressure and was playing an extremely challenging peice on an inefficient horn. I wish I could get even close to playing that piece! He is an amazing player that had a little mistake. That didn't change who he was and I hope he understood that. He did a great job in the semifinals though. I wish the best upon him.
the good ending
The soloist on the right at 0:17 looks like jack black
My teacher mr.belfry told me it was him the one who supposedly faild the notes. IDK
Antonio Rodriguez 🧢
What’s crazy is the prelims was even better than this.
Is this the infamous solo "fail"?
No. Finals night is the not so good one. Semis was good.
Aight thanks.
That wasn't even the biggest fail.. this was his biggest fail. www.mercurynews.com/ci_23468032/san-jose-attorney-sentenced-prison-embezzling-860-000
Eric Lozaga Wow. It's always interesting how many paths people follow after drum corps, but I would've never expected one like this.
the guy who chummed finals night in 89 is a crooked attorney? that IS interesting.... Eric Lozaga thx for posting the link i saw it a few months ago and fans/friends/alumni from both teams (Blue/Red) have been asking me to post this link or actually read it and do a review or podcast or some s---
Ultimate cringe moment for all of DCI...but if you marched out West, its either upsetting, nervewracking, embarassing hysterical, awful...a reason to get drunk...or in my case all of the above....and f--- that guy. I ain't perfect and my record ain't spotless...but I never fracked at DCI and my petty drunk-in-public type charges aren't exactly "newsworthy" dude shoulda stayed in MB. This is a person and I moment we could do w/o...but we can't act like it never happened either...so if there's BD/SCV party goin down and someone throws in the legacy collection...it's only a matter of time til someone says "lets watch the f--- up from 89!" Then 30 ppl agree. *groan* *eye-roll*
No finals lollll RIP
conceptually for it's time, playing a complete chart was normal..sounds great even with a fluffed note here and there.See what Miles says about mistakes while performing
3 minutes of the Best DCI in my opinion. 2:25 reminds me of John Harner's solo on Send in the Clowns. th-cam.com/video/veKsxNFatYo/w-d-xo.htmlm50s
Are these three-valved?
Nope. 2 valve G bugles as God intended. I think ,the first year for 3 valve was 91. We had threes when I marched in 92.
I think the 3-valves were phased in, I think DCI allowed one section per year or something??? I was at DCI 1990 and I'm pretty sure the Soprano's for BD at least were 3-Valve Kanstuls, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I am ;-)
PS, how good is that Trill!
Iain Parkinson I believe you are correct based on an article I just read. Three valves were approved at the January 1990 rules conference and there was a requirement to phase them in over three years but I didn't see any specifics. In 92 we still had 2 valve lead baritones but we were all three valve by 94.
That same article also mentioned that Star had the same two valve set for their entire existence so you can see what a disadvantage it was haha.
Iain Parkinson it makes me want to put my horn away and give up 😊
Not so sure about the trumpet solos....
I've always felt that this was just a poor choice of music...even in this, the "clean" version there is some fracking and obvious straining to hit a lot of the notes...and these guys aren't shabby musicians! Something is inherently bad about the composition of the solos.
John S many of the jumps are 6ths and 7ths which are hard anyway but they are in the stratosphere which is what made it so difficult
When Drum Corps cared enough to actually be melodic! Don't @ me, lol.
I cannot believe what I’m about to say about a Blue Devils performance; gack, that was absolutely horrible I expect so much better from the BD. The chart was boring. The soloists cracked and out of tune. The whole performance was lack-luster. As I said, in my almost 50 years in drum corps I thought I’d never say anything negative about the Blue Devils.