Blue Stars: The Blue World -Ouch. I like the concept of what they’re going for, but as of right now, it seems like a stretch. There were a lot of obvious mishaps and gaps. The music was decent. I just hope they keep working hard, & I can’t wait to see this show develop by the time I see it in Lucas Oil.

Phantom Regiment: Turandot - When I heard the music a week ago, I was a little skeptical. But as I obsessively listened to it for a week straight (like I do during DCI season), it grew on me. I could just picture what they were going to do with the drill, & they did not let me down. Wow. They’re very prepared at this point in the season, especially visually. There’s a reason why they’re my favorite corps. There’s just so much passion. I’m looking forward to seeing this show live at the Show of Shows and at World Championships.

Carolina Crown: For the Common Good - Don’t get me started with those guard uniforms. I’m pretty impressed at how fast these guys can move. While it’s still not very clean at this moment, they’re only going to get better. You can definitely tell these guys got best brass last year. Man, I love their sound. Those mellos can seriously do some work. The choice in music is pretty decent, I just think it got repetitive after a while, especially with the whistles. I think they could have done more with the music.

The Cavaliers: 15 Minutes of Fame- This show is a huge disappointment to me. I don’t even want to give them the benefit of the doubt because the season just started. When I heard the music selection a few weeks ago, I was pumped. They picked some awesome repertoire, but I really don’t like what they did with it. What happened with The Cavaliers’ fast-paced drill and bold screaming sound? It was a great let-down to me and many drum corps enthusiasts I know. Maybe it’ll be better when they have their whole show learned, but I’m not pleased at all with what they have now. I don’t like the direction they went. Come on, guys.

The Cadets: 12.25 -Seriously, I still think this whole show is pretty stupid. The music is repetitive and boring, mostly the first movement. I do like the jazzy section they have, though. Leave it to The Cadets to take any show and work the hell out of it. I love their battery, pretty much the whole percussion book in general. Their guard was damn good, too. We’ll see how I feel about this show in a few weeks. But as the hype of this show goes down, I highly doubt they will be on top in August.

Bluecoats: Unmasqued -I’m pretty damn impressed. I usually like the Bluecoats and their style. I feel like this show has some of the same energy as when they performed Metropolis: The Future is Now, which I love. I enjoy the dark sounding music and the whole concept in general. This corps is going to do great this year, but I think everyone can see that. You can’t go wrong with Phantom of the Opera. Did anyone else notice the person who lost a shoe, or the guy marching without an instrument? I love this show.