MY 3RD ALL-TIME FAVORITE DRUM & BUGLE CORPS:
SANTA CLARA VANGUARD (Santa Clara, California)
First time I ever SAW (not heard) a drum corps was when I was flippin' through channels one day [on TV] (back when I was a teenager) and I saw Santa Clara Vanguard performing their 1999 show "Inventions for a New Millennium" on PBS. I didn't manage to record this show on tape, but I did get "Rhythms at The Edge of Time" by Blue Devils on tape (which I believe was fate).
This is the show that got me into the Vanguard. A truly awe-inspiring corps, Santa Clara Vanguard is one of the few corps that could actually intimidate me (as someone who has marched drum corps) with their power, precision, & power (the three P's???...didn't mean for that to happen but whatever).
Santa Clara Vanguard is another corps that can light a fire in your soul. ...probably while blubbering (hahaha) because their shows are so heartfelt & meaningful while also remaining highly sophisticated & creative.
I've always enjoyed SCV's ability to delight & entertain while also scaring the ever-loving sh!t out of me (pardon the language) with their marching technique. 1998 SCV was a killer corps (visually-speaking), same with '99. Absolutely incredible. It's hard to compare SCV shows/corps from each year because every corps has left such an important impact on the sport itself.
DCI would not be what it is today without SCV. 100%. This is the corps that made other corps better by the quality of their show concepts & overall performances (and how about that percussion; holy smokes). A true inspiration to individual such as myself who went on to march in DCI, Santa Clara Vanguard deserves all of the praise & recognition they have received throughout the years.
I'll ALWAYS look forward to SCV's performances. This is a corps that means something (as the immense quality of their shows can easily illustrate).
So, this one's for Santa Clara Vanguard from Santa Clara, California, U.S.A. My 3rd ALL-TIME FAVORITE DRUM CORPS. THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!!!
ENJOY THE SHOW & REMEMBER:
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DRUM CORPS!!!