PCMB - 1999 - ThoughtCrime - Music for an Orwellian Era (close-up)

[Blazersenior06]

Top 5 performances by a HS band!!!

[arrowmarcher]

This show actually sounds like the book, weird as that may seem.

[lolcunts]

Here are the musical selections:

Circuits by Cindy McTee

Lex by Michael Daugherty

Red Cape Tango by Michael Daugherty

And their score was 97.00. I think that was the highest scoring BOA show at the time.

[EtherealFlippy]

@lolcunts It actually wasn't. Lassiter scored a 97.55 the year before this. Also in 1995, Center Grove scored a 97.00.

[the9tailedbiju]

I wish our band was this good...

[papajohn5656]

2 years before 9/11 and the PATRIOT Act too - PCMB can see into the future.

[bcbandie4ever]

Just got my mellophone yesterday (first time playing it after 3 years on trumpet). First thing I do. Learn the solo from this show! :D

[dbalash]

How can anyone dislike this show?! :)

[ICUCME9]

That has to be one of the greatest ballads ever, if not the greatest.

[arrowmarcher]

How did they do that color guard thing at the end where they change colors?

[hjoyc14]

@arrowmarcher There were two sets of guard people, as some dropped down, different people ran out in the colors.



[Quacking444]

That was bizarre!!!!!!!! Sooo amazing! I mean PCMB this year could never live up to that! No wonder they won! Wow... that's just... Wow.

Btw: I am a clarinet in pcmb 2010. So ya.

[PersonaPlatyPus]

@Quacking444

I think just about everybody who marches feels the same way about their own bands. I admit I haven't seen your show for this year yet, but judging from the past couple of years, I think you guys still got it.

[scarebear83]

I remember watching this in the stands. It was an awesome performance ^.^

[jontv]

That is some bizarre, conceptual stuff for a marching band show. Who came up with it? I'm guessing someone who was a double-major in modern dance and cultural theory.

[Twowildman21]

@jontv David McGrath, former director of bands there.

[scooterkid002]

@jontv The design was done by a Mr. Alan Spaeth.

[grrttmyfld]

What is the piece that the soloist/ballad based off of?

[scooterkid002]

@grrttmyfld Red Cape Tango by Michael Daugherty

[wilsonkm]

Easily one of the greatest high school band performances ever.

[superspryte]

Funny that I'm watching this show after thinking about what's been happening in China recently...

[trumpetman923]

I've got one word for this show:

DAMN!

I wish our band was that good!!!!

[trumpetogal37]

if someone could tell me the underlying meaning of this show, it'd be great! thanks!

[scooterkid002]

It comes from a variety of books, the biggest influence is 1984 by George Orwell. The big idea behind that book was that a government enforced conformity and that breaking lose will get you killed. In order to insure that no one broke lose they had cameras and microphones everywhere listening, watching everything the citizens do.

[trumpetogal37]

oh wow, that's awesome!! kinda similar to our show theme this past season (avon's). :)

[tsunamipanda05]

It's based on the George Orwell book 1984. Where even thinking differently is against the law, hence Thoughtcrime.

[AWiddit]

@trumpetogal37

I think it's a lot about individual expression and how it can be often oppressed. Not a very light hearted show...

[Meteor2222]

Best show ever marched by High School Marching Band... period. I've seen this show at least 100 times and I still get goosebumps 1 minute from the end.

[tsunamipanda05]

There is only 1 show I think that could even compare to it, and that was Avon High School's MassIVe, but I only really like that one because it's just so damn witty.

[superspryte]

@Meteor2222 I remember I was crying when we finished the show.

[cadet93]

Who was the concept and visual designer of this show brilliant!

[Spinnishness]

... McG left this...

...for us?

talk about a bad career move....

[LuthienMoonLight]

Where are you from? o.O

(I marched with this band after he left by the way, but I'm curious what you mean)

[Spinnishness]

Kell Highschool.

Marrietta, Georgia.

We're playing Lex this year with our show

and he told us to look this up for see how it would sound on a field

Now I know why he is such an ass :D

[sc0ttysk3latal]

ha ha, yeah, that's what I'm saying!

[drumguru718]

this show gives me chills every time i hear it!

[lafhighbandnerd14]

I don't want to be the one to point out small stuff, but at 7:25 some trombone player puts his horn down even though everyone is playing....

BUT AMAZING SHOW. I love the concept, It is so cool to see this! It will be on my mind forever!

[scooterkid002]

He was probably told to in order to avoid hitting the marcher in front of him. It would be a bigger visual flash if he went up, then down.

[sauskelover91]

Amazing!!!

One of if not my favs of all time. Best use of general effect for sure ^_^

[musicloverrmm]

I like their hats :)

[drumzbrotha85]

dang man.

McGrath left them for us..??? wtf lol

[460678]

there were some defining reasons why he left.

[CJAtlanta2]

This is the best use of props and story telling in my opinion. Great show!

[mutualism]

I agree.

[paranoid1367]

at 00:59 you can see some guy trip. I was standing Directly to his left, and I shit a brick when he moved.

In semi-finals at the beginning of the last song, the kid in front of me did't hook his hose back up correctly, and he ended up dragging it around the whole time.

[visualpurple123]

zman5305, I think the first piece is called "Circuit" (not sure of the composer) and the ballad/tango in the middle is called "Red Cape Tango" by Daugherty.

BEST SHOW EVER!

[Nohj111]

I went to Ypsilanti for regionals, and saw PCEP's show for this year. AMAZING!!

[Irishdude828]

My cousin was in PCEP for one year, for the 2004 show The Trainman Cometh, that's some crazy stuff. He needs to send me the DVD of that.

[zman5305]

does anyone know the pieces played in this show?

[460678]

McGrath is a genius...

[NAMELESSJOLLYROGER]

True. Where is he now?

[Twowildman21]

kell high school marietta, georgia

[ShootAndSpin]

PCMB is great. In the early 90's they're one of the main reasons I became interested in drum corps and marching band. They always used to beat our butts at State Finals. The only thing we could beat them in was percussion.....but they pwned everything else. :)

[brian32455]

who is that dork playing the second sax solo?

[Chacro01]

That would be you, brian.

[k8brit]

Great show! :)

[matthewconradcom]

i was watching The Thin Red Line the other night, and I heard "the unanswered question" and I thought of this show. haha. '05

[NAMELESSJOLLYROGER]

I felt the same way watching Sin City...towards the end of the movie I remembered the '97 show. That show was so much fun.

[MAndersonG]

That show makes my eyes tear up! I had so much fun that year! I'd go back in a second!

[evancharles1984]

i used to smack my tuba on that damn scaffold all the time, those first couple sets.

[460678]

this show kicks ass!!!! i cant even begin to explain my thoughts....amazing!

[luckey312]

whabam. killer ending and LOVED the show..

[LuthienMoonLight]

Thank you...thank you..thank you..thank you...

I'm a senior that just graduated from that band program. My last season earlier this fall in 2007 was great but Thoughtcrime is such a legacy...thank you so much

[ascheep]

I was in the band for 3 years and this is the first time I've ever watched '99 multi-cam, thank you for this

[solarflair87]

You're welcome :)

[Spock356]

@ascheep sorry if that got voted down, I accidentally clicked and I think the mouse was over the down button...