Nope, Blue Knights won both 1999 and 2000.

Yup, BK was tearing it up in 99, 2000.
And I marched there in 2001.
We wanted to win really bad, but MCM had a killer show that year.

I might've accidentally posted this as a private message, and if so I apologize.

MCM also won quite a few times before Blue Knights repeated in 99 and 00. I want to say they won at least 97 & 98, and possibly 96 as well (Atlanta won in 95 I think).

This is all stuff I used to remember when I marched back then: but now, not so much...

MCM did win all 3 of those years like you said.

From what will probably be the finals DVD: Rhythm X for the win!
http://www.vimeo.com/4237318

Rhythm X was on a level of their own with this show; this video doesn't come close to doing the show justice. RCC and MCM were also incredible, and Pulse wasn't too far behind the Top 3.

Great season

I don't want to take anything away from Rhythm X...but honestly, RCC threw down just as well if not better. Rhythm X lost 2 of the 3 captions and still edged out a win (thank you GE judges).

So to say they were on a level of their own is quite a stretch. When those top 3 groups came on, they definitely set themselves a part from anyone else! Props to the top 3 for doing what you do year in and year out!

(and of course to everyone else who attended...it was an amazing week!)

Pulse 2009 - "Breathe":
http://www.vimeo.com/4237897

RCC 2009 - "Totem":
http://www.vimeo.com/4238191

I'm no percussion expert, and there's only so much you can get from a video, but I though RCC was the best of the three videos posted. I haven't seen MCM yet.

TOTALLY agree with you on that. I thought Pulse was definitely a cut above everything below them, and the Top 3 were definitely a huge step up from Pulse (don't get me wrong: I LOVED Pulse's show this year, and I'm excited for their great season and look forward to what they do next year). GREAT Top 3 this year, and anyone of them could've won, IMO (I think they each won a caption: RX = GE, PA = MCM, Vis = RCC).
I do think that Rhythm X had a great show, and from a design stand point it was untouchable. Maybe it's because I saw RCC's show all season, and only saw Rhythm X & Mystique on their finals run. RCC performed super clean, no doubt about it, as did MCM (MCM was STUPID clean from a musical stand point). But I really think Rhythm X had an amazing show concept that they maxed out in every possible way.

Regardless, it was a great year; everyone I saw in all of the various classes were outstanding, and for the first time since I aged-out of WGI in 1999 I ordered some of the DVD's, and bought some of the fan favorites DVD's as well.

I agree with you on show concept. Rhythm X had it going on! And yes, MCM was STUPID clean...pretty remarkable!

Congrats to Pulse as well for such a great season!

After watching all the finals videos several times, I think that any one of those top 3 could have won depending on who was judging.

RCCs quad line was amazing, by far the best. 5 great players with a creative musical and stupid hard book. My hats off to you Sean Vega.

at 2:15 and then at 2:19 in the Rhythm X video, I can't seem to figure out why the crowd goes a bit crazy for those brief moments. Anyone know why?

Snare soloist tosses his stick to a quad drummer, the quad drummer tosses it back to him right before the snare line starts playing together.

Not just that, but the tenor player flips it *behind his back*, down the line of other tenor players, to the snare drummer. It's the tenor player at the end of the line ("front").

^ pretty sweet visual