2007 SCORES and REVIEWS

AUGUST 11 - DCI FINALS - PASADENA, CA

98.000 - Blue Devils
97.025 - The Cadets
96.350 - The Cavaliers
94.850 - Phantom Regiment
94.175 - Santa Clara Vanguard
94.150 - Carolina Crown
94.050 - Bluecoats
90.275 - Blue Knights
89.100 - Boston Crusaders
86.150 - Colts
85.750 - Glassmen
84.500 - Spirit from JSU

AUGUST 10 - DCI SEMIFINALS - PASADENA, CA

97.300 - Blue Devils
97.250 - The Cadets
96.775 - The Cavaliers
95.400 - Phantom Regiment
94.050 - Santa Clara Vanguard
93.875 - Carolina Crown
93.750 - Bluecoats
90.450 - Blue Knights
89.450 - Boston Crusaders
87.025 - Glassmen
87.000 - Colts
85.500 - Spirit from JSU
---- Top 12 to Finals ----
84.500 - The Academy
84.350 - Blue Stars
81.850 - Madison Scouts
81.600 - Crossmen
79.525 - Pacific Crest

AUGUST 9 - DCI QUARTERFINALS - PASADENA, CA

97.200 - Blue Devils
96.225 - The Cavaliers
94.600 - Phantom Regiment
94.500 - The Cadets
93.700 - Bluecoats
93.325 - Carolina Crown
93.200 - Santa Clara Vanguard
90.200 - Blue Knights
89.350 - Boston Crusaders
87.175 - Glassmen
87.075 - Colts
85.925 - Spirit from JSU
84.975 - The Academy
84.200 - Blue Stars
82.500 - Madison Scouts
82.425 - Crossmen
80.750 - Pacific Crest
---- Top 17 to Semifinals ----
80.100 - Cascades
77.950 - Southwind
77.550 - Troopers
75.200 - Mandarins
73.325 - Pioneer

"Dragon Dance" commenced before the judging began with a relaxing, atmospheric wave of pit sounds washing across the stadium to Joseph Curiale’s “Tea in Chinese Camp.” Curiale’s “Call of the Mountain” and “Shadow and Light” delivered contrasting moods of drama and suspense, inspired by the hopes and travails of the Chinese workers who came to this country for a better life, but who faced hardships as well as opportunity. Shigeru Umebayashi’s percussive “Battle in the Forest” penetrated the confines with a vigorous confrontation of resolve and might, the guard standing their ground and pushing back all attackers. Tan Dun’s “Jubilation” from “Symphony 1997” fêted accomplishments of the Chinese as they found prosperity and a new home, with Chinese dragons dancing across the field and aerial guard fireworks akin to the explosion of fireworks that light up the skies in every Chinese New Year." -- Michael Boo, on DCI.org

AUGUST 5 - MID-CAL TOUR OF CHAMPIONS - CLOVIS, CA

95.800 - The Cadets
95.775 - Blue Devils
93.475 - Bluecoats
90.125 - Blue Knights
86.750 - Glassmen
83.175 - Crossmen
80.975 - Cascades
80.600 - Troopers
77.975 - Mandarins

AUGUST 4 - DCI WEST CHAMPIONSHIP - STANFORD, CA

95.125 - The Cadets
94.825 - Blue Devils
92.075 - Bluecoats
90.675 - Santa Clara Vanguard
88.625 - Blue Knights
84.425 - Glassmen
81.900 - Crossmen
79.875 - Cascades
79.850 - Troopers
77.100 - Mandarins

"The Mandarins were the first corps that we saw. Another big corps for them. They've go big bamboo type sticks that are painted green. that the drum line sometimes winds their way through. The horn line had a number of hits and it was apparent early on what the difference is in August Drum Corps versus June Drum Corps. Mandarins horn line was very crisp compared to what I usually hear early in the season. My only complaint is the horn line needs to be let loose with their power. I always have the feeling that they're being held back." -- bd5times, on bluedevils.org

"Manderins performed first and where i sat, there were alot of fans. Great show, very entertaining. Love the dragons at the end. For a small div. corp..they pack a punch." -- Bdfan, on bluedevils.org

"Much improved from the early season Walnut show. I thought the hornline sounded solid and they were very well rehearsed. They changed the placement of the lime green poles, which was a complete distraction last time I saw them. The hornline played with a wide range of dynamics and had a couple of heroes here and there. Descent balance between the sections, but had some tonal differences between the sections that I do not enjoy." -- Hsreed, via DCP

"I really really enjoyed watching this show! The music is intense from beginning to end. I have seen this show in the early season and let me tell you that they have made wondrous improvements since then. The props they used seemed to be more stable this time and they added bigger and thicker sticks!!! (I actually made that suggestion in my review of their show from the early season, though it’s probably just a conikedink). Many may disagree with my next comment, but they were LOUD and had several big pushes/points throughout their show. They’ve always had odd colors; however, I didn’t mind them. They were very unique. They also had a lot of great visual surprises (not drill) that made me enjoy the show even more!" -- NeutralNovice, on DCP

"Mandarins got the evening started. I’ve seen this show 5 times now, I think. I am surprised that they have not cleaned up more as the season winds to an end. Visually, forms are not always solid – and transitions don’t always seem to be written well. Musically, the show is appealing, but not overly memorable. As usual with Mandarins, the drum features are the highlight of the show. The corps has added a few touches to the end of the show, with a burst of silly string streamers (that comically got all tangled up on one poor guard guy who for whatever reason blindly went about his show without simply giving the stuff a quick brush off – he had a trail 10 feet long following him around for way too long), and some pairs who put on Chinese Dragons. I don’t think the Dragons are used very effectively at all, though, after the first 20 seconds or so. Still, an enjoyable, quality Division I product from Mandarins this summer. I don’t think they’ll make Semis, though, unless they pull off a miracle in the next 5 days." -- TexasPRfan, on DCP

AUGUST 2 - SUMMER MUSIC GAMES - PORTLAND, OR

94.850 - The Cadets
91.700 - Santa Clara Vanguard
89.450 - Blue Knights
84.750 - Glassmen
81.800 - Crossmen
80.350 - Cascades
77.150 - Mandarins

"simply a beautiful show, but you're gonna have to break through that glass ceiling one day. I hope to be there when you do." -- apoch003, on DCP

"I liked the setting sun shining off the orange of the uniforms. The bamboo poles were a nice added visual that don't overtake the field or take away the focus of the corps. Thanks for bringing back the taiko drums. It would be cool to see the entire pit on 10 of those. Or even some bigger sized taikos. My main complaint is that the taikos didn't project into the stands well. Good use of costume changes in the guard. The dragons at the end was a nice touch, but they could have done a little more with them. Instead of two people per dragon, why not 4-5. If you're going to go for it, go for it. I was a good "entire package" moment when they came out to all the drums, china cymbals. When I say "entire Package", I mean when the music fits the visual, and the visual fits the music. Nice pseudo yin/yang ending set.: -- emtbill, on DCP

"Very tasty, as should be expected. The group was polished and healthy, but as been said by other reviewers, not very memorable. I too was concerned as to the use of the poles. I mean, it worked as an element to run around, but it should have had a conclusive gimmick behind why they brought them out at all. They need to wrap this show up with a bow and part of that would be figuring out a finale with the inclusion of a cool idea with the poles." -- rainhead, on DCP

"Strongest concept I've seen from them in awhile, seems like a rebuilding year. Show was doing alright for me until they brought out 2 giant like dragon costumes to run around, totally lost me then." -- PhantomCrown, on DCP

"My father really liked this show. The wife and I didn't. They used the "sticks" during the drum feature for the drums to march through...however, I remember when they did the same idea with bambo sticks a few years ago, and it seemed much more impressive then. They had a good horn sound when standing still at impacts, but technical stuff while moving was pretty muddy. Their drumline had their moments where it was pretty good, but still a lot of dirt throughout." -- SNModdison, on DCP

JULY 31 - THUNDER IN BOISE - BOISE, ID

94.300 - The Cadets
92.100 - Bluecoats
90.900 - Santa Clara Vanguard
88.650 - Blue Knights
84.500 - Glassmen
80.450 - Crossmen
78.200 - Cascades
77.450 - Troopers
75.800 - Mandarins

"Another oriental themed show. While entertaining, this was not very memorable for me. The only part that stood out was the drum break near the end of the show where the guard throws some blue streamers…about the only ‘wow’ reaction from the crowd. My fiancé’s comment at the end was 'why did they bring those big poles (bamboo) out and set them all over the field if they aren’t going to use them?'" -- UItrumpetguy, on DCP

"This was asked by those sitting around us. Anybody know? If first impressions are important, the orange of the uniforms really wasn's a positive way to begin the show." -- mellofan, on DCP

JULY 30 - CORPS ENCORE - OGDEN, UT

93.050 - The Cadets
90.650 - Bluecoats
89.450 - Santa Clara Vanguard
87.950 - Blue Knights
82.550 - Glassmen
80.350 - Crossmen
76.650 - Cascades
75.900 - Troopers
74.550 - Mandarins

JULY 28 - DRUMS ALONG THE ROCKIES - DENVER, CO

91.675 - The Cadets
89.750 - Bluecoats
89.250 - Carolina Crown
88.425 - Santa Clara Vanguard
86.000 - Blue Knights
81.400 - Glassmen
80.425 - The Academy
78.500 - Crossmen
76.250 - Pacific Crest
75.550 - Cascades
73.575 - Troopers
73.150 - Mandarins

Enjoyed the show more than past offerings from them. I do wish they'd play up the taiko drums a lot more. Maybe even roll them onto the field. They feature them musically, but it felt like a missed opportunity to present them visually as well. Speaking of visuals, I really like the look of the corps this year. Orange uniforms look great and distinct, the flags are gorgeous. Didn't really like the guard costumes that start of with different shades of orange. The variations in color didn't work well with each other. Also, I didn't get the point of the bamboo stalks... They never really utilize them in a meaningful way, and moving them can be distracting at times. Not the best playing corps of the night, and at times, probably the worst. They definitely had their moments, but as competitive as the field was, they didn't do much to surpass anyone musically, in my opinion. They did move well, though. Pacing could have been improved." -- Keith_Laubhan, on DCP

"didn't do a lot for me. The guard and battery weaving among the green bamboo poles was a cool visual effect." -- ShortAndFast, on DCP

"to be honest I thought they were a step up from Troopers but judges saw differentley. They had green bamboo sticks everywhere that seemed to fit their show and went with everything. People really enjoyed there drum feature. Hornline was great and really loud for being obviously smaller." -- brassdrumguard, on DCP

"Between the uniforms and some of the flags, their color scheme struck me as less than ideal. While the "bamboo" poles seemed like a good concept, the drill only really utilized them once or twice. Having tall, half-scattered poles of a green just off from the color of the field made for some eye aches. Still, they rocked out the teiko drum section, and did a great job representing their style." -- troon8, on DCP

"Wow. Much improved corps over the last time I saw them in 2005. Uniforms are interesting – not sure if I like them or not. There brass has matured a lot over the last two years – good job staff and members. They are still top heavy for my taste. Solid drum book for where they are at. Didn't remember too much from the color guard – sorry color guard folks. Watch the small girl on the taiko style drums she is great. They really should take out the drill for the 4 people on those drums though. Didn't think that the props added to much to the show. Good show overall. I would have to say that the judges left room for the groups after and they were scored a few points low." -- MnM, on DCP

"Seemed bigger and better than they've been in the past, not a whole lot to say really. It's your typical Mandarins show... drill through the bamboo was cool during the drum feature. Seemed awfully good for a corps that's sitting in, what.. 20th overall?" -- gimpy, on DCP

"Themed show; great teiko drums; what was with the blue and white swirl flags? If you are into the music and theme, great. Clearly everyone is working hard, but pacing of the show as a bit slow for me." -- cardinal_frnch_hrn, on DCP

JULY 26 - STARLITE DRUM-O-RAMA - HUTCHINSON, KS

91.800 - Bluecoats
90.300 - Carolina Crown
79.300 - Crossmen
78.300 - Troopers
78.050 - Cascades
74.350 - Mandarins

JULY 24 - DRUMS ACROSS KANSAS - WICHITA, KS

92.200 - The Cadets
88.550 - Santa Clara Vanguard
81.100 - Blue Stars
79.750 - Spirit from JSU
74.700 - Troopers
73.500 - Mandarins
68.800 - Pioneer

JULY 23 - FESTIVAL OF DRUM CORPS - ENID, OK

91.400 - The Cadets
89.400 - Phantom Regiment
80.600 - Colts
79.950 - Blue Stars
79.350 - The Academy
72.450 - Mandarins

"Unique show with an oriental flair which is what I expect from them. For a small hornline they are putting out some sound. Loved the Tycho(sp?) drums. Lot of props with all the big bambo poles. My ex-dci daughter didn't care for all the props but I thought they were not over the top. The drill down front where parts of the hornline and the battery weave in and out of the poles at break neck speed was cool. Liked the show." -- from DCP

"Favorite shows personally regardless of scores so far: Madison, Crown, Mandarins. Hey I like what I like B-)" -- WWonka, on DCP

"Mandarins again had an unfortunate draw today (all weekend, really). But you know what? They did a better job holding their own & keeping the crowd tonight. The drum features in the closer were particularly more effective - both visually and musically. Had a good part of the crowd jumping to their feet as the show ended." -- TexasPRfan, on DCP

JULY 21 - DCI SOUTHWESTERN CHAMP. - SAN ANTONIO, TX

83.900 - Blue Knights
81.525 - The Academy
81.425 - Colts
81.325 - Glassmen
80.050 - Blue Stars
79.200 - Spirit from JSU
77.750 - Crossmen
76.625 - Madison Scouts
74.825 - Cascades
73.950 - Troopers
73.225 - Southwind
72.775 - Mandarins
71.200 - Revolution
69.075 - Pioneer

"I called this one as I felt that the Mandarins seemed flat today. This is another corps that I personally feel is making strides year in and out, but is in need of an update in their approach to design. I know about the corps lineage and the importance of that to the design and identity of the Mandarins, but I feel like they are playing it safe. The Tiger show was predictable and safe. Well played, marched and spun, but safe. I hope to see them take a chance in the design department. Brassline ws a step up from Pioneer and had some very nice moments." -- wesleyrp, on DCP

"Mandarins clearly had an unlucky draw. The weakness of their brassline was highly exposed going on after the run of Troopers, Southwind, Crossmen and Scouts. Mandarins don't have a bad show - not at all. I like the concept, and they sell it reasonably well. I hope they add more of their trademark intensity to this show over the next 2.5 weeks." -- TexasPRfan, on DCP

JULY 19 - FESTIVAL OF DRUMS - DALLAS, TX

90.400 - Blue Devils
89.550 - The Cadets
87.450 - Phantom Regiment
86.550 - Carolina Crown
83.550 - Blue Knights
80.600 - Colts
76.200 - Crossmen
74.450 - Mandarins
73.250 - Southwind

"They really did not have my attention until the last 1⁄4 of their show. What I do remember is that a smaller hornline than most other div 1’s is really putting out some sound. Solid corps." -- TXMystreaux, on DCP

" I was excited to see Mandarins for the first time this year. I always appreciate what this gutsy little corps has to offer. They carry the "Dragon" Chinese show off quite nicely. You can tell the corps is young, both from body carriage and brass sound and power deficiencies, but I think with 3 more weeks of work, this will be a pretty nice show in Pasadena. I really enjoyed some of the guard silks, and the last flag is quite effective, and introduced very well." -- TexasPRfan, on DCP

"Man, those pole like props stick out. I could tell one of them was supposed to be Bamboo, but I tried watching the corps more than trying to figure out the props. They were the first group not to lose something. A guy from Frontier lost his hat feather, and a Southwind bari lost his shoe. My biggest concern was individual marching technique. It was not uniform, so I think it got in the way of the brass sound. They had ensemble balance issues when the brass was playing loudly. I noticed the guard changed uniforms, twice. Getting rid of the robe was a cool change, but I'm not sure I liked the pants they added on later. Also, I noticed one guard girl was playing pit percussion. I thought it was neat." -- Kadune, on DCP

"If there is a younger-looking corps out there, I would be absolutely floored. Some of the guard and pit looked no more than 14 years old. Could have been me, but someone help me out on whether I was crazy or not. Nothing really memorable sticks out here other than GIANT props, so I guess that's something." -- DallasManUFan, on DCP

" I'm not sure but I think this is the first time they have performed at this show so welcome to North Texas, Mandarins. I've always respected Mandarins and their distinct style. With their new uniform (new to me) and larger size, it was nice to see that they still were able to maintain elements of their traditional style. That being said, I felt there was a lack of energy in their performance. The music was nice and the program was a quality program it just failed to pack some the oomph of most of the other Corps. I get what they are doing with the bamboo - they just need to do more with it to pack a little more GE into the program." -- regiment93, on DCP

JULY 15 - DRUMS ALONG THE PACIFIC - CALABASAS, CA

79.200 - The Academy
75.650 - Pacific Crest
75.150 - Mandarins

JULY 14 - SoCal CLASSIC - LONG BEACH, CA

77.350 - The Academy
74.500 - Pacific Crest
73.800 - Mandarins

"I'm not sure but it seemed to me that Mandarins came out of the gate SWINGING last night. They seemed very aggressive, and the music is REALLY tough. Handled fairly well by a horn line that really can crank out some sound. Guard was pretty good throughout, and I especially enjoyed the big green bamboo poles. They seemed to be more part of the show now. Unfortunately, I was dealing with a few things show coordination wise and wasn't able to fully concentrate on the show, so my memory of things is lacking a tad. Sorry Mandarins." -- Ryan Turner, on DCP

"Interesting change or addition to guard uniforms from the all gold from last time I saw them. I liked the "traditional" robe looking gear worn by them and the flag effects of the guard running through the corps were impressive. The drumwork is much improved over their last show and volume, overall cohesion, and feel of the show was substantially improved. I would say I was a bit surprised by the score received as I thought the placement of 1-2-3 was correct, but I thought PC put on a "relatively" better show than Mandarin (in execution) by about the same level I thought Academy put on vs. PC. The scores did not reflect that, however, What I do think is that Mandarin has, what I feel, to be more substance to their show and therefore, more room to clean, and improve. I'm not exactly sure how the scores have been trending vs. PC (and now vs. Academy for that matter) but I'd think Mandarin has the POTENTIAL to have a higher scoring show than PC if they can get all the elements together. For that matter, either one of them could climb over Academy if they continue the strong work ethic that has obviously been in place over the last 3 weeks, because both shows were seriously improved in that time! I take my hat off to both of you and hope Academy uses the gap that you have closed in the last 3 weeks as motivation to keep striving for their own excellence!" -- Acad Dad, on DCP

"nice guard work in the opener. The guard now starts out the show in shades of orange-colored more traditional asian smocks (?). Very refreshing music. I kept thinking "mandarin oranges" for some reason during their show. Their General Effect is off the charts, and their drum solo was the most entertaining of the evening." -- PeeWee, on DCP

"Nice drill at times - They're going to have to step it up to make semi's again though." -- E-Daddy, on DCP

JULY 1 - KALEIDOSCOPE KLASSIC - MODESTO, CA

69.500 - Mandarins

JUNE 30 - CALIFORNIA STATE OPEN - SUNNYVALE, CA

69.250 - Mandarins

"Mandarins have made great strides with this show in a few short weeks, both cleaning their program and making quite a few changes. The show really picks up momentum in the second half and just keeps building in speed and intensity until the end. Can't wait to see this in August." -- DCIHasBeen, on DCP

"The only division I corps to perform this evening, the Mandarins, took the field with one of their largest line-ups ever and quickly took command with an awesome 11 minutes of straight-ahead drum corps. The Sacramento group had been off to a slow start this season, but don't be fooled with the scores. Their production of Dragon Dance is one of the most creative features in years. The powerful dynamics of Joseph Curiale's Call of the Mountain was captivating and sparked a number of ovations from the stands. Of special note was the vibrant keyboard performance that has to be one of the season's best. Dragon Dance by popular composer Tan Dun brings the show to a close. The percussive arrangement was a fast-paced display of exciting visual work not seen since the Mandarins were division II champs. Guess what? Now, with over twice the number of performers, they still have the magic. They not only brought the Sunnyvale audience to their feet, but left them screaming for more." -- Michael Carlson, DCW Staff

JUNE 29 - WEST COAST SHOWDOWN - ELK GROVE, CA

68.550 - Mandarins

"Great, great, great!!! They are a little bigger, they have more power, they are coming to the field with bigger sticks, and they brought back the taiko drums…what more could you want? I think this was their 3rd or 4th show, so lots of cleaning is needed in all areas. But really a fun show to just sit back and enjoy. The music is fun and engaging and like most years the drill is crazy towards the end, showing off their stamina. I don’t understand the point of the giant fluorescent green bamboo poles in the back left and right of the field. Seems like it would be easier to just leave them off the truck. The dragon is a bit gimmicky. Big pop at the end, definitely the loudest of the night. Score was a bit low for my taste, but it looks like semis is a lock. 2 years in a row a fantastic show by the homers." -- Guizeppe, on DCP

JUNE 23 - CORPS AT THE CREST - WALNUT, CA

79.400- Blue Devils
77.200 - Santa Clara Vanguard
70.500 - The Academy
66.400 - Mandarins
64.650 - Pacific Crest

"Mandarins presented some music I’m familiar with from composer Joe Curiale. I think their strength lies in their music as well, but they aren’t close to the execution of The Academy BUT, they have VERY cool music that once really cleaned up will be quite exciting. Guard to me, as always, is a highlight. Their costumes were a metallic copper color with a beautiful design on it, and it really showed nicely in the stadium. Drill design was ok, with the typical fast ending that was exciting. And yes, I still dig the corps proper uniforms. Very cool." -- Ryan Turner, on DCP

"First thing I noticed - the entire corps is very orange! The colorguard is wearing this orange shiny costume and they are a flag unto themselves. During their bamboo forest piece (approx. 12 bamboo poles placed 5 yards apart), a section of their colorguard uses some bamboo pole props, but I don't think their designer has really figured out what to do with them yet. I had flashbacks to Velvet Knights and giant pencils. High energy level and good flag colors throughout the show. Crowd on hand (very full-sized crowd btw) really liked their Japanese traditional drums on the front sideline. They never seem to march a full size corps though, but their drumline looks full and their hornline is the biggest I've ever seen from them." -- PeeWee, on DCP

"The Mandarins are off to a promising start. Fielding their largest corps ever (49B/18FP/10PP/20G/2DM), the Sacramento, CA contingent needs to get their drum line to the next level if they wish to do further damage in division I. They have a good head start, judging from early-season performance levels. The full battery performed an accelerando in their feature which, though single-stroke, was still quite a feat to deliver cleanly. Taiko drums and bamboo poles provide uniquely Oriental touches to their presentation. Joseph Curiale is the hot composer in DCI this year, and the Mandarins have blended several of his works into their style. Horns are challenged by intricate runs in the moderate-tempo opener. An overamplified pit made it difficult to hear the finer brass details tonight, though." -- Ken Mason, DCW Staff

JUNE 22 - WESTERN CORPS CONNECTION - RIVERSIDE, CA

78.650 - Blue Devils
78.050 - Santa Clara Vanguard
69.550 - The Academy
64.950 - Mandarins
63.850 - Pacific Crest

"i really like the mandarins uniforms! they are very bright gold and orange tops which perfectly contrast the green field. under the lights they shine very nicely. I like their approach of using alot of color. using small amounts of color does not do it for me. in a stadium, you can hardly see it from further than 20 yards away. small detailed things here and there always will go unnoticed in a stadium. end tangent. as usual, they were not fielding an entire corps. honestly i do not remember alot about their show. I am not sure why, I just kept zoning out. im sure we have all had that experience. From what i do remember, their show lost interest to me after the opener. The brass was not as strong as i was expecting considering their previous scores, and the low brass was weak. The drill seemed to be less of a challenge then pacific crest and especially academy. in the second half of the show, they had these weird poll type things which the color guard brought out to the front of the field right behind the pit. at first they were cool cause the guard danced around them, but then they just seemed to get in the way. and the drill seemed like they wanted to involve these big stick things, the only problem is they were in a small front space of the field. What i liked about mandarins was their pit. Very nice writing and complemented the ensemble nicely." -- shaners, on DCP

"I like the orange uniforms under the lights looks clean and gives good read on the drill and spacing. Horn line sounded confident and balanced. Good guard (although you saw that it was still early season lots of drops etc) but they performed and gave a presence to the show. Not sure I like the bamboo forest thing but might look different from up high, Drum feature with the taiko drums added a lot to the show. Mandarins could surprise people if they get it clean soon." -- Blueorigina, on DCP

"First thing I noticed - the entire corps is very orange! The colorguard is wearing this orange shiny costume and they are a flag unto themselves. High energy level and good flag colors throughout the show. They never seem to march a full size corps though." -- Peewee, on DCP

"Mandarins - small and mighty Div 1 rides the crest again." -- thebaritoneguy, on DCP

JUNE 17 - MOONLIGHT CLASSIC - STOCKTON, CA

76.050 - Santa Clara Vanguard
75.550 - Blue Devils
64.300 - Mandarins

perc-photos.com Photo Link Here.

"The visual program is not usually the first thing that impresses me, but the Mandarins look good. I love the way their dark orange uniforms blend with the guards orangish tin foil spandex and that blends with the bamboo props and other woody stuff they have on the field. It all makes for a very organic feel. The other thing I really liked was their bamboo forest. They placed bamboo "trees" on the field about halfway through the show and then marched through and around them, somewhat like the Cavaliers and their ladders a few years ago. However, the bamboo wasn't all standing straight up and some of it was swaying in the wind, so this felt a lot less mechanical than the Cavies show. I could actually imagine being outside in a forest. The music fit the show very well. I really liked this show." -- Abalone, on soundmachine

"Congrats to Vanguard! But lets not overlook the score of the Mandarins. Based on their first two shows, they may very well be being moving up into the "bubble" category, those corps competing for that elusive number 12 slot. The middle of next month may be interesting when the Mandarins leave the west coast and meet some of the other bubble corps out in Texas." -- dcdadx3, on bluedevils.org

"I'd love to see Mandarin in the finals! NorCal!!!" -- flammaster, on bluedevils.org

"Finally a guard with uniforms! And in their copper metallics, they fit nicely with the corps as well. The ballad has some very nice saber work and the kids accomplish everything they are given rather well. One of the cleaner guards for the night and the kids are performing their show. Towards the last third of their show, they bring out poles that stand straight up on their own. Moving in and around these poles and spinning in and around these poles provides for some interesting guard moments. After the guard moves out, the corps does some VERY intricate drill in and around the poles as well. My only gripe with this show is based on personal assumption and not exactly the show itself, but with a title of “Dragon Dance,” I think I was expecting something a little more…well…”dragonish”…….the first half and the end of the show sounded and looked very much like a celebration, jubilation, exaltation, and other words that end with “ation”………there was only one small section about 3⁄4 of the way through that seemed “dragonish” so while it wasn’t a bad show, just not quite what I was expecting." -- Guard Diva, via DCP.

"Very good showing from the other SacTown corps tonight. I'm pretty sure Mandarins are fielding a larger corps this year - sound wise the Mandarins are definitely bigger. The music is themed around dragons and dancing, but can't say the tunes were too memorable. But the Mandarins definitely represented well in terms of techinque and also connected with the crowd." -- mello916, on DCP

"Lot's of cleaning to do, strong drum line, very entertaining show as usual." -- DCIHasBeen, on DCP

JUNE 16 - PRECISION WEST- PLEASANT HILL, CA

75.900 - Blue Devils
75.400 - Santa Clara Vanguard
63.400 - Mandarins

"Good performance...some feet issues...scary moment was the snare line taking a dive while going through the bamboo forest....kinda reminded me of 84 Whitewater finals, just slower. (Snare line going backwards....end guy falls over the poles,,,several follow right after) Didn’t appear like anyone was hurt. I was told the next day by one of the pit that the guard had spotted the poles wrong, for which they apologized to the rest of the corps. Great recovery...show will go far." -- 84BDsop, via DCP

"The corps has been making some great strides since entering D1 and this season could be their best to date. Love the return of some taiko drumming. Hope the bamboo props don't become a problem down the road." -- Wildabeast, on DCP

"Again, another corps that has shown GREAT improvement over the year prior. The music was bold and very fun to listen to. The first thing that came to my mind after the show was, "Awesome, I have another corps to cheer for!" The music really matched their team so the integration of those two were perfect. The only glaring issue that I saw were those tall stick props. They seemed really flimsy and the wind didn't help. They swayed back and forth (because of wind) and became a distraction; however, a solution would be to just get bigger, thicker, sturdier sticks (though I think it's bamboo, so I don't know). Their show is about serpents and dragons, which are prominent in Chinese culture so serpent like movements would have been great. I know there were already some (slithers through the stick props); however, I think I would have liked to see more of that on a larger scale. I think it's a Finals caliber show." -- NeutralNovice, on DCP

"Mandarins have just kept growing and growing......... their marching program has really stepped up in difficulty with props on the field that first the drum line, then the horn line, then both combined marched through at a progressively rapid pace........... 3 or 4 snares bit the dust marching through towards the end of their feature. They seemed ok and finished their show...... Kudos to them. I think they have a legitimate shot at making finals......" -- Richard G, on DCP

MAY 6 - CONCERT at the PAVILION - CONCORD, CA

"Excellent start. Hitting the ground running this year. Don't know if the full corps was there, about 60 with brass and drums, no guard. First half of this show has strong Asian influences in the music. "Jubilation" is there closer, good ending. They were the first corps to put the drums and pit on stage while the brass lined up beneath them, which really helped with the overall acoustics. Do they really need 3 drum majors, it just took some time interchange. Can't wait to see where they end up this year. And I still really like the new unis." -- Guizeppe, on DCP

"Did anyone hear the Mandarins, they sounded great!" -- rosski47, on bluedevils.org

"I liked what the mandarins were puttin down in those vids." -- tubacurt, on DCP