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The Sound Machine Archive Presents
2002 Drum Corps International
Show Reviews
As posted to R.A.M.D. and submitted to Sound Machine
Page Three of Reviews
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Friday June 28
Cheney, WA (DCI Pacific) U can flame me like crazy for these simplified reviews/opinions, but I'm tired and wanna go to bed: SCV: interesting music and drill; however, the program was not entertaining and that is hard for me to say because SCV's show design has been my favorite for the last 5 years of any corps in DCI. But the program lacks the variety and the showmanship. There is no section for the members to cut loose in; it is all very straighforward and just plain. Thought the guard looked great. Horns have some strong moments, but have much further to go with developing their sound while moving. The drumline was a bit dissapointing tonight. Snares had a very thin sound with no body; I give them the benefit of the doubt since it was almost pouring rain all night tonight. It was coming down its hardest while SCV performed. I have a feeling SCV will fall out of one of the top three spots this summer unless there are major rewrites to draw some interest from the observer. This was the only Div. I corps not to receive a standing ovation! Hmmm. Scouts: typical. I had not seen Madison in a few years, but watching Madison is kind of like riding a bike: you never really forget how it all works. Very entertaining, huge sound from the brass. Overblown most of the time, but I'm sure that is the sound they like back in the Midwest. Guard looked pretty sloppy, but had the impact points all worked out for some great pops. I was very impressed with the drumline. Each section was featured superbly, way to go bass drums: top notch! Drill has the energy, demand and interest but I can't get over the marching technique. I'm a straight leg, stand up tall kinda guy. Not really what Madison seems to have going on so I can't really comment on their technique. Drill was as dirty as anyone else. Should be a great treat for their home show, the second week of August . . . geesh, that must be cool. Cascades: Division I has arrived in the Pacific Northwest. The Cascades more than hold their own with these two perennial finalists. In fact, I dare any one to say that any other corps has a more sophisticated program in DCI this year. Not only is there an incredible amount of sophistication, but there is an enormous amount of fun coming from the members. The corps is small for DCI Finals, but the energy is more than adequete for a Saturday night performance. 56 horns are blowin' hard; some hype at the end of the opener and closer lead to many missed releases from the soprano section. You can hear the feet in the sound when the demand in the drill intensifies. Drill is daring but messy now. Guard needs to contribute more to the impact points, and the percussion 9.5.5 could beef of the volume and sell their program a bit more. The snares had some poor entrances tonight in the rain. By looking at a lot of internet polls/predictions it shows me peoples misperception this year. The Cascades are not here to see how they measure up against the top 12, they believe they are top 12. The program is very exciting, the modifications to the uniforms give Seattle a more signature look, and the talent is strong enough to knock off some top 12 status corps. Heck a 68 out of the gate! Thats only 2 points or something behind Madison in their first performance as a Division 1 corps. I bet in two weeks they pass Madison! Adios! Greetings all -- I went to this show starved for drum corps, desperate enough to drive six hours for a five-corps show. I thought I was crazy; after all, is it really worth it to spend that kind of money to see five corps? For someone who's used to a lot more in the Midwest? Any doubts I had about small shows are now laid to rest. It was ABSOLUTELY worth it. Cheney was overcast all day, with intermittent rainfall during the day. I made it to the show site in time for Santa Clara's clinic, which was forced inside about a half-hour after starting. Imagine putting about 65 brass inside a long, low-ceiling warehouse with a ringing time of several seconds. Every time the contras played a note, I had to check the calendar to see when it ended. :) A low brass player's dream... Anyway, on to the show... The show was delayed 20 minutes for the rain to let up, which it did, and the first two corps marched on a wet field with dry skies. NORTHWEST VENTURE (exh.) (Chill factor: 1) 20 brass/12 perc./7 guard-color guard As a former senior corps vet myself, it was nice to see this group come out and do their show. The corps played in a concert arc on the field with the guard in front. They have some strong players, especially in the sop section, but have issues with unsupported notes. I would like to see this show later in the season when the corps is more familiar with it. I guess I should mention my "chill factor" score. Quite simply, it's the number of times I got goosebumps or chills that I could feel. Thus, the bigger the score, the better. NWV's chill came at the end of their ballad with one of their guard members doing a flag solo behind the arc. Very neat moment, even for a show with no drill! OREGON CRUSADERS (DIII, 46.50) (Chill Factor: 0) I have to admit that I stopped counting carefully for the larger corps, so I'll just estimate their numbers. I can blame the rain, which was heavier during the intermission, and let up just before the Cascades started their show. It returned in the middle of their show and got Santa Clara pretty bad, but subsided for the most part during Madison. SEATTLE CASCADES (68.05) (Chill factor: I lost count!) This is also a very interesting show drill-wise. If I had my choice of one show to see over again, the Cascades would have gotten the nod over the others. I will now join those on the bandwagon for Cascades for top 12. If there are 12 shows in the country better than this one, then this will be the most exciting #13 in history (except maybe the '97 Colts...but I digress again...) DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW! SANTA CLARA VANGUARD (74.85) (Chill factor: 2) MADISON SCOUTS (70.70) (Chill factor: 6 (wind-aided) ) All in all, a show worth seeing again. However, next time I won't try driving home right afterwards. Driving blind through the rain in northern Idaho is no fun...I gave up about 30 miles past Coeur d'Alene and waited until dawn where I could actually see all the unmarked turns... :) Peace all! |
Lansdale, PA (DCI Atlantic) Cadets, Spirit Clear Winners in Lansdale LANSDALE, Pa. -- The Cadets further solidified their claim as a legitimate contender for a ninth Drum Corps International championship while putting nearly two-and-a-half points between themselves and the second-place Blue Devils in winning thr Music in Motion: Lansdale Edition Championship Friday night at North Penn High School -- a show put on, in part, by the Cadets sponsoring organization Youth Education in the Arts. Their winning score of 82.00 was the second-highest score of the season to date, while the Devils were still unable to crack the 80-point barrier -- finishing second at 79.60. In addition to the Cadets, Spirit of Jacksonville State University was the other big winner of the night -- beating new rival Carolina Crown, 71.20 to 70.60 for fourth, and further establishing themselves as legitimate player in the race for a DCI finals' spot. The "Great White North's" hope -- Canada's Kiwanis Kavaliers -- also may have taken a big step at getting into semifinals' contention by finally cracking the 60-point barrier with some room to spare with their sixth-place score of 62.45. In Division II/III, Jersey Surf defeated the real "hometown corps" Lehigh Valley Knights, 62.55 to 55.55, despite still having two songs to go before completing their "Our Side of the Story" program. Typically the outcome is in doubt when the Cadets and the Blue Devils compete -- but that wasn't the case on this night. The Cadets (2DM-36CG-64B-33P) were the clear favorites of both the judges and the crowd alike with their "An American Revival" program, which has the perfect flavor during a summer where the country is at war again. All units are very strong, with the brass and percussion having impeccable balance, and the 1940s-clad color guard getting closer to achieving April Gilligan-driven excellence. While the show has drawn comparison to the Cadets' 1995 version -- which ironically finished second at finals to the Cavaliers, who they are chasing again this year -- this show very much has its own identity, with the exception of repeat flag raising at Iwo Jima pose to bring it its dramatic climax. The show opens the march-like tempos of "Time Square from 'On the Town'/Fancy Free," which the corps proper in full ranks which pass through one-another, and then back again. The song resolves with a full block impact, with the guard interspersed and spinning throughout the form. Following the impact, the tempos pick up, with the drill -- which features numerous rotating wheels -- having the complimentary feel. The large percussion (9S-6T-5B-12PP) is featured in the number, with the pit providing the right "New York" feel throughout, and the battery laying down some tight six-stroke rolls during the climax. "The Place Where Dreams Come True from 'Field of Dreams'" is another haunting and yet gorgeous Cadets' ballad -- that even has comic relief as the men of the color guard change from their '40s "street clothes" into their army khakis at the sides of the production. The number features some great multi-meter segments, with the lush brass staged in front while the battery picks up a military double-time cadence in the back -- no doubt symbolizing the beauty of home while the beat of the war draws nearer. The selection climaxes with the formation of the first of two American flag drills in the production. The soldiers get their chance to blow off steam from the war while dancing the night away with their pretty lady friends on top of the 10 black boxes during "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" -- which is just plain fun. The number starts with the corps proper providing the right visual feel during a follow-the-leader high-stepping prance to the tempo. That's really about the only memorable drill from the number, which has the feel and look of the old drum corps concert numbers. In fact, it reminds me of the one number the Bridgemen did with dancing guard on elevated tables. The battery, which saw the six tenor drummers come to the pit to play trap sets and lay down the right dancehall feel, is featured in the middle -- particularly the snares, which crisply perform a difficult sequence pf tap-rolls, to singles, back to a tap rolls. The battery feature and number in general -- which concludes with the horns wandering to as close to the front sideline as they can get for a triple forte' ending -- has a lot of the same feel as "Moondance" from last year. The Cadets hadn't completed their "New York Memories/America the Beautiful" closer at their DeSales pre-season camp three weeks ago upon my last viewing, but it really adds the perfect climax to the show -- like the fireworks on the Fourth of July. It features the fast-paced Cadets' drills of old -- which is excentuated as the performers move quickly forward and backward in their off-white pants and white shoes against the green field. The contrast is striking, particularly since most corps have opted for the dark pants and shoes to hide some of their visual dirt. In addition to the fast pace, the drill features a full corps block slide from left-to-right which resembles the Blue Devils' sliding "tank" boxes of last year -- only with the full corps -- and a climatic American flag to dramatic company front with the appropriate patriotic music. The rifles, which are of course are the military men in their khakis, are steller during the number -- with crisp high tosses and spins throughout. The show had the crowd going wild, and is reminiscent of an earlier time in drum corps when recognizable music and ultimate showmanship produced champions. From all accounts, the Cavaliers and the Cadets appear to be the appropriate contrasting rivals this year -- with reviews indicating the Cavaliers have created music to support their visual package, and the Cadets created the right choreography to support a wonderfully-crafted show. We shall see who wins in Madison come August. That's not to say that anyone can count out the Blue Devils (2DM-62B-27P-40CG) and their show "Jazz -- Music Made in America" just yet. The Devils aren't used to being shutout of the "winner's circle" in June, and aren't used to marching at least four brass holes like they did Friday night. But this show is reminiscent of the Cadets June show in Clifton last year, which cleaned up nicely to make them a major player by August. It's got all the elements -- including possibly the most demanding drill of the night -- a surprise for BD. Besides, the staff may be learning from last year when the Devils came out of the blocks with a show that was mid-summer clean, only to swoon in the late summer heat. In fact, the Cadets and the Devils -- who finished last year in a tie -- appeared to have traded roles from my viewing of them in Clifton last year, when the Devils beat the Cadets by over two points (81.80 to 79.70) on that night. After the absolute best field warm-up in drum corps -- with "Ditty" sounding great -- the Devils set up in a circular opening set to "Ragtime/Maple Leaf Rag -- From the Music Ragtime," which began with only a few musicians playing as the corps began to move. The guard provided wonderful "ragtime" support with work in their multi-colored outfits, complete with red derbies. The corps proper then got into the act on the big turnaround for a full impact. The number continued with many running circular pattern visually. The battery (9S-5T-6B-with the perc. also having 8PP) also took up brushes to support with the right texture. "I Got Rhythm/Fascinating Rhythm" begins with a great trumpet soloist into a slow intro, which inventually melds into the big hit on the "I Got Rhythm" melody. The song itself is real funked-up version of the Gershwin classic, with a walking bass line that lays down the right beat. This song is where the first signs of a little un-Devil like dirt were audible in a raspier sound from a few horns that stuck out. There is a percussion feature that finds the snares and toms taking turns marching to the mounted drum sets at the front sideline and jamming. It appears as if the Devil creative team wanted to take the Cadets' 2000 mounted tom solo to the next level -- including more players getting into the act, while also giving them suspended cymbals to play along with the toms. Visually, there are wheels everywhere while the percussion does its thing. The selection also features the best screetch solists of the night. It's been well documented how the long-haired women of the color guard add to the performance of the "The House of the Rising Sun" -- spinning their long hair like another piece of guard equipment. The crowd loves it, and it fits the bluesy selection perfectly. Once again, the bass line carries the beat with the right groove, and the selection resolves to a fullout standstill, with red/purple flags interspersed and spinning wildly to the big full sound. The crowd buzzed as the Devils melded nicely into "Channel One Suite." It sure is a BD classic, and this year's version is no different. The drill during the selection is expansive -- and features a full block which slides from right-to left across the middle of the field. The battery is at its finest in this number with some big, exposed unison accents -- as fans have come to expect from the Devils. The crowd gave the corps a rousing standing ovation upon the corps' finish, which will probably be tweaked considerably come August. Upon viewing the Devils and the Cadets back-to-back, it should be noted that the Devils have every bit as much talent as the Cadets, and their show has as much demand -- possibly more. But the Cadets have the big edge in showmanship and projection, and the design team of the Cadets put goether a production that flows much better together. Much like the Cadets' "Jaxtaperformance" show last year, the Devils are trying to tie together several different styles of music -- in their case, all jazz -- into one nice, neat, tidy package. Each element works well on its own, but as a whole seems to lack flow right now -- with the exception of House of the Rising Sun" into "Channel One Suite." But the Devils staff certainly knows how to tweak their shows and make them champions and they will no doubt find a way over the next month-and-a-half to have their corps in the hunt. This was the Crossmen (2DM-62B-31P-36CG) "home show" -- as close to "home" as they appear to get -- and there was great anticipation as they went on last for their "The Signature Series" show of modern day jazz styles. Unfortunately, as is sometimes the case when a group is coming off a tiresome stretch of performances and following two of the drum corps "giants" in the order of appearance, the performance felt a little "flat" -- particularly given the big scores and energy it has had thus far. The result, a regression in score from the night before -- going from 77.40 to 76.20 -- and a widening of the spread between themselves and Blue Devils -- from 2.5 two night before to nearly 3.5 on this night. But make no mistake, the Crossmen have one of their best total packages in years -- probably since 1992 -- and will figure in the race for the top six this season with a show that seems to have it all -- perfect musical blend and both musical and visual challenge, with plenty of GE. Unfortunately, the demands being places on the corps from the start of Pat Metheny's "Heat of the Day" may be the very thing that took its toll on the performers tonight. The opening drill alone with the brass entering from the right corner of the field, and then racing through pass throughs as they work their way to the front of the field, followed by a dizzying number of notes by the high brass, tend to take their toll on a unit over the course of the season. The X-men have elected to stay true to the Methany "Heat of the Day" number, and it is hot -- no, make that real hot. But the brass sounded a little tired as it resolved to a full corps block for the leg parting lean back "park and play" intial statement. Oh, it was still plenty good -- but not great on this night, particularly following the Cadets and Devils. The drill in the opening also features a big brass block moving from right to left, as the battery (9S-4T-5B-3C-with perc. also having 10PP) passes through quickly the opposite direction. The guard, which is costumed in all red outfits, performs demanding work throughout and continues the excellence of Crossmen guards of recent years. The end of the opening features running visual forms that are indeed reminscent of the end of Star of Indiana's 1990 show. The "Candle in the Wind" ballad opened with the corps proper providing an effective body shaping ripple over its block form. The song works well with the show, and the shimmering long silver poles used by the guard -- which are actually covered PVC pipes -- compliment the new shimmering silver sashes across the front of the corps propers' uniforms, and look dazzling under the lights. Once again, the fatigue of the corps was shown as the backfield trumpet soloist cracked his attempt at an upper octave screetch near the end of the number. "Strawberry Soup" begins with a spread form that moves quickly as the battery works it way through from the backfield to the front, laying down a groove with brushes on both the snares and tenors. The guard reveals a yellow/orange top to go with its red pants for this number, which is another good arrangement of what's fast becoming a drum corps favorite. Both the trumpet line and percussion are featured in this number -- which continues to feature fast-paced drill. Once again, the corps musical projection appeared tired, and that translated to some sluggish feet too. That said, this corps will build endurance over the course of a long season, and if this show is cleaned and executed well come Madison -- watch the Crossmen climb the ranks. How high will they go? Based on their scores already, fourth might be a realistic goal. Spirit (2DM-64B-32P-24CG) has only one number in mind right now -- and that's 12. Oh, they'd be happy with anything above that too, but right now the goal is clearly to make it back into the DCI Finals -- and this corps has all the maturity and the vehicle to accomplish that, in spite of what looks to be one of the most competitive races for the final spots in years. It would be great to have Spirit back in -- wearing those baby blue uniforms, which now have just hint of teal -- although the "Darkness Into Light" program certainly doesn't have the "old Spirit" feel. The creative staff clearly made the decision to play the contemporary drum corps game with its program built around the third movement of "Easter Symphony." While it's musically a far cry from "Georgia On My Mind" or "Let It Be Me" -- or even last year's "Ghost Train" program -- its enjoyable in its own modern kind of way. After a field warm-up, which includes the trademark Spirit bass drum lick, the corps proper sets up in a large block form with the guard -- clad in gorgeous purple velvet uniforms and masks with gold accents -- in a tight circle in the middle. The show starts with a Glassmen-like squart sequence as the corps articulates its opening notes. The maturity of this corps is obvious throughout the opening moments, which resolves from a big wedge to a full block and a big impact -- the guard, spinning pretty blue, purple and blood red silks with golds accents to match both the mood and the guard uniforms. The moment received the first big crowd response of the evening. Of particular note in the brass early was the quality and clarity of the high brass. The percussion (7S-4T-5B-5C-11PP) was also featured in the opening movement, with some crisp-sounding unison Huertas by the battery on its move forward. Once it settles into its actual feature, the cymbal section -- and it is great to see marching cymbals -- does some effective "head choppers." The drill is spread and effective during the percussion break, with the brass re-entering to dissonent chords. The opener climaxes with an exciting big rotating wedge that moves from right to left as it comes forward. Pod drill opens the ballad, while the corps proper does the appropriate leaning and body-shaping. The ballad depicts the fight between dispair and the journey to the light of heaven, and includes some beautiful sabre work by the guard. The equipment work seemed perfectly choreographed to the music -- and featured only one drop in obvious view. The selection concludes with the corps marching double-time to the backfield, before moving into a big arc for its re-entry. The silks during this selection are now maroon, red and orange with the gold accents -- signifying the move from darkness to light. The units' uniforms have also added some lighter colors -- eventually unveiling yellow and orange tank-tops for the final number, which depicts the victory of life over death. In that final selection, there are several meshes in a big block formation, also meshing while marching backwards. The number also features a big block ripple lunge, that is reminiscent of a similar effect near the end of Boston's 2000 classic. The selection also features some big unison high drumming in the battery, and the guard now spinning shimmering gold, yello and orange flags to symbolize the jouney to the light. While none of the music was recognizble, it was performed confidently and projected the proper emotion to depict the theme. Projection of that theme -- along with continued cleanliness -- with ultimately determine whether "Darkness Into Light" sees the light of finals night. Carolina Crown (2DM-58B-30P-26CG) had been trading victories with Spirit, and could be doing that all season with its "Greek Mythology, Stories of Gods and Heroes" program. Unfortunately for Crown, first impressions are worth something, and the first impression that draws everyone's attention is the yellow and peach toga skirts worn by the color guard -- which includes several men. While the wonderful colors chosen by Spirit for its guard not only enhances its show, but are vital to its portrayal, the colors chosen by Crown's creative team for its guard seem inappropriate for its performance of a show about Greek gods and goddesses. That's not to say that this unit is not talented. In fact, it's very good, and so is the corps proper which seems more advanced with this year's show than it was last year at this time. The problem is that any little edge could mean the difference to Spirit or Crown going to finals -- and Spirit has a clear edge in the color department. Like the Crossmen, Carolina Crown seemed to be a bit "off" on this night, particularly in the guard where there were a lot of uncharacteristic drops. It might have because the corps was the first on after the scheduled intermission and running late getting to the gate for its performance time -- just like Quarterfinals in Buffalo last season -- with the announcer asking the judges if they were ready as the corps was making its way onto the field. The corps certainly looked to cut short its warm-up time. If it was running late again, this corps could certainly use a better manager to make sure it runs on time. It got away with its major timing penalty last year at Quarterfinals, but it might be so lucky this year with the competition being so intense. Still, its "Zeus" opening by Samuel Barber is done well -- from the loud explosive crash in the pit, to the high backfield drumming by the battery (8S-4T-5B-3C-and 10 PP in the perc.), to the spread drill which compresses down into a big revloving wedge for the triumphant opening statement. Throughout the opener, the Paul Rennick battery is its normal tight self -- with the book written perfectly to exentuate the music. There are also high rifle and sabre tosses throughout the opener -- with some aforementioned misses tonight. They eventually pulled out lightening bolt equipment to spin, which is certainly appropriate in the thunderous power of "Zeus." The duel mellophone solos are also well done. "Eros" is the beautiful song depicting passion and is complete with guard equipment that includes bows, and beautiful shimmering yellow silks. There continues to be high sabre tosses, but they are not performed well a this point. A highlight of the number is when the corps proper moves forward and cuts loose with an excerpts from "When a Man Loves a Woman." Following that, there is a progression of sabre toss down the line that is done very well, bringing the song to a close. "Icarus" includes a pretty trumpet solist, and the guard changing to pale blue silks -- no doubt depicting the blue skies of flight. The rest of the brass provide wonderful support to the soloist, and gradually join a big forward-moving arc for the big slow impact. The battery begins effective double-time work in the multi-meter segment towards the end. As one might expect during "Medusa," the guard makes use of snakes up front -- although in its hands and not its hair. It has also changed to gold and orange flags in this number, which features lots of fast-paced curved forms. There's also a nicely performed unison rifle toss in this selection, which resolves with some nice unison hits by the musical segments as they gradually form a tightly-compress box for the climax. This show has a readable theme, some nice moments, and all the elements to get Crown back to finals this year. However, performance and projection will be everything for this corps in its bid to stay in the top 12. It did not "sell" its show as well as Spirit on this night. There was much talk about the merger of the Tampa Bay Thunder into Canada's Kiwanis Kavaliers' to form a nearly full corps (1DM-50B-37P-24CG) that was going to do a full DCI tour schedule this year -- giving the organization hopes of improving upon its last-place finish at Quarterfinals last year. While the performers appear young in some spots, and not as mature as the other Division I corps in this show, it would appear as if that effort is paying dividends -- already recording scores it didn't reach until a month later last year. With all that additional time to clean and enhance its "Hall of Justice" show of music from superhero movies and television series', the Kavaliers could be in the running for the final semifinals' spot in Madison. One concern to their run might be that their all black uniforms, including hoods and black mesh masks with gold accents, could hurt their performances in the summer daylight -- which will be the case at Quarterfinals at Madison. After all, black absorbs the sunlight and with these uniforms, these's very little place for that heat to go and allow the members to breath. Another concern was that this corps reported a full 135 members in the pre-season, but it only had 112 by my count on this night. That's still larger than Kiwanis has been in some time, but still several away from being "full." There were numerous holes in the block formations among the brass, although the percussion section was obviously full as one of the largest in DCI (10S-6T-5B-5C-11PP). The guard enters the field with long black capes, with gold interiors in the hoods, and they use those capes as the appropriate bat wings for the start of the "Batman" opener -- eventually turning around to unveil the gold silk inside those capes. Visually, the corps opens with four rotating blocks in a diamond formation. The brass has some moments of clarity in the opener, although the high brass particularly seemed rough during some of the passages on the move. Marching technique and carriage are a real issue with this corps -- particularly among the brass where there were several people out of step and having a hard time holding their horn up in proper playing position. The guard changes to red silkes with blue spider-like accents to support "Spiderman," which includes some nicely done full impacts. There are other spider references thoughout the number, which climaxes with a Phantom-like sliding wedge. The 10 snares also put their talents on display in the tune and appear to be a strength for the corps. "Flash Gordon" was next, with the guard spinning lightening bolts as expected -- unfortunately also dropping several. Musically, it was pretty true to the Queen song. There was a nice baritone solo in the selection, which featured some real intonation problems at the end. The program also said "Flash Gordon" was next again, but it truthfully sounded more like "Johnny Quest." Regardless, there was a nice percussion feature in it that once again showcasing the snares, along with the six tenors this time. The Yamaha drums match the corps perfectly, with black shells and gold hardware. During the feature, the corps did a well-received backfield ape walk, that looks good with the all black uniforms. The guard spun shimmering purple flags during this number, and kept them as the unit moved to "Superman." It makes you wonder if there's going to be another flag change forthcoming. While the music is recognizable, the whole closer is pretty dirty at this stage. The company fronts only resemble straight lines, with at least eight brass holes evident. There is an effective curvalinear follow-the-leader drill later in the selection, but the pass through drill into another company front that brings the show to its climax needs quite a bit of cleaning. Still, since Kiwanis is out this early, there is plenty of time to do that cleaning. Jersey Surf (1DM-29B-29P-20CG) was making just its second performance of its "West Side Story" "Out Side of the Story" show, and it very much appears to be a work in progress. The corps appears smaller this year, with at least three brass holes right now, and was tentative in performing its show, which apparently isn't done. Its design team will need to work fast and get it on the field if it wants to seriously contend for making it back to what appears to be a highly competitive race for the Division II finals this year. Of special note to this show is the fact that Surf has joined a number of corps who have positioned their pit equipment on the field -- in Jersey Surf's case on the right side of the field from the 50-yard line over. It was actually a bit distracting and limited the corps visually to one side of the field -- for the most part. "Dance at the Gym" opens the show with the corps proper in a free form funk dance to the percussive (7S-2T-4B-4C-12PP) rhythms, with the guard in all black jazz outfits. The brass entered tentatively in a large arc. That was followed by the corps running to a big block for its opening statement, which was well received. "Prologue" was jazzy and sycopated as one would expect -- with the guard making use of shimmering gold flags. The selection is well-performed for the most part, with the exception of a wedge that came forward and the baritone point missed his spot, and then slid a few steps over after the completion of the song. The selection also featured a parade sequence led by the cadence of the battery, and some well-executed high rifle tosses. "I Feel Pretty" was "pretty nice" -- particularly the five mellophone solists in the front. The brass did, however, have some stray notes and players who "stuck out" -- as one would expect in early performances. "Cool" had some "cool" rhythms on the drums while the brass did some more free form dance. The guard work apparently is not finished to this song, since the members stood with lacrosse sticks, hockey sticks, tennis racquets and baseball bats, but never spun them. The snare work in this song was pretty tight for this time a year -- with that unit clearly leading the battery, which continues to play on its beautiful royal blue Premier drums. Visually, the brass circles the different pit equipment at times during the number in an attempt to use the other side of the field. While the crowd received the number well, it didn't know it was applauding the end of the show, since it expected "Mambo/Rumble" and "America" to come. Surf had been making some strides, despite being a weekend corps, over the past several years, but appears to be a bit behind in its progress this year. It still could be a very good show when it's finished and polished for Madison. As one would expect with a Division III corps at this time of year, Lehigh Valley Knights (1DM-10CG-21B-23P) appear a bit immature and ragged at this time of year with their "Reflections of Earth" show, which sounded like the music of Disney's Millenium Celebration. That said, the Raiders also looked that way this time of year last season upon viewing them in Clifton, and yet they ended up nearly winning the DCI Division III title. Lehigh Valley Knights actually outscored what the Raiders had on that night (55.55 to 53.55), so fans should expect them to be in the hunt for a D-III finals spot in Madison. On a personal note, is great to see another active Pennsylvania junior corps -- particularly one from Allentown, which of course has been a hotbed of the junior Eastern activity through the years. It's too bad that the Lehigh Valley Knights had their birth timed with the DCI Eastern Championships moving to Philly for a three-year hiatus. That move probably didn't help the recruiting efforts. A couple general thoughts on this corps was that there was good aggression shown by the performers -- particularly handling some of the running segments in the drill. The backfield finger cymbal work in the tenors was well-received in the ballad, although that's where the corps suffers worse from its immaturity in the brass with its lack of control. There were several horn players holding over through releases. There was also a segment using oriental percussion during the ballad, and some nice work by the guard on sabres. The baritone solo at the end was also well-received. The third selection begins with a high sabre toss that needs some work, although it featured the most agressive and highest quality work by the percussion (5S-3T-5B-10PP). The unit eventually moves into a percussion feature, which is supported by brass members providing "thunder" accents on seven mounted toms in the pit. The snare feature was handled relatively well for this time of the year and a Division III corps. The closer featured some pretty pastel green, purple and pink silks, and a well-executed toss at the end. While the brass lost its stamina as the show went on, and appears to still be missing five members based on the holes viewed in the company front, this corps has great potential to vie for one of those D-III finals' spots and make 2002 a breakout year. Some general observations on the show was that it was a well-run and well-attended early season event. It ran on-time throughout, with a crowd that appeared to nearly fill up the entire home side of the bleachers. North Penn High Stadium is a good venue -- just off one of the exits of the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, with a large parking lot. The full corps retreat "new" arrangement of "America/Oh Canada" wasn't much different than the old -- only probably softer right now because the corps' still don't know it. While the Cadets victory concert was well-received -- opening with the brass-only "Cadillac in the Skies" and an edited version of "Rocky Point Holiday" before the full corps performed "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" where the brass and drums pushed all the way up to the front of the bleachers -- it would have been nice to hear the corps play its complete show again. That's the way victory concerts used to be, but a lot has changed in drum corps since then, hasn't it? Mike Ferlazzo |
Thursday June 27
Herndon, VA (DCI Atlantic) In this lengthy review: why premium seats aren't always, the resulting ethical dilemma, and why two porta-johns for a couple thousand people just aren't enough. Plus some thoughts on some drum corps. THE WEATHER: Thunderstorms from around 5:30 to 6:30 cooled off the East Coast, probably gladdening the hearts of corps members who have been rehearsing in this very warm weather. However, it had an effect on the field conditions, thus having an effect on the seating conditions (see below.) THE VENUE: Old wooden bleachers, quite a few of them, but I was a little nervous about my three year old. The show didn't get started until 8 PM due to the rain, and when it did, the announcer noted that "due to the inclement weather" the corps were playing ten yards to the left. This left the premium seating ($18 vs. 15 and 10) not so premium, as those who thought they'd be inside the 40 on the right side of the 50 suddenly found themselves outside the 40. The inclement weather really wasn't that big a deal - the rain wasn't that hard, it's just that the field was in awful shape. It was one of those deals where either soccer or track had used the football field in the spring, and they hadn't resodded early enough or at all, meaning there was this huge hole right about what would have been the ten yard line on the right side. Well, they solved it by moving the field over ten yards. This development leads to: THE ETHICAL DILEMMA: I had arrived at 6:40 and bought two "reserved" seats for my son and I, just outside the 40, low, on the right side. When they bumped the corps over, I now found myself very low between the 25 and 30. Lousy seats. I had happened to notice earlier that there were very few people sitting low on the opposite side, which now was primo territory. So after the first corps, I availed myself of two of those seats, resolving to myself that I would certainly move if somebody arrived with those ticket numbers. No one did, and I sat at what was about the 45 and got great sound. The question for you: was this ethical on my part? After all, the people who paid for premium seats didn't get to move to better seats. Did I pay for the seats I was assigned and was I obligated to sit in those two seats and those alone? Or should I have been able, especially considering the change in the corps location relative to me, to creatively handle the situation as long as I didn't infringe on anyone else? Reply and let me know; I can certainly handle either answer. Oh yeah, there were some drum corps shows. LEHIGH VALLEY KNIGHTS: Debut show for this young corps, playing challenging music which has the double whammy of being familiar to many drum corps fans, being music also played in the "We are the Future" show of Cadets 2000 fame. Inspiring to see such young kids playing drum corps. They certainly are the future. Met Chris Maher of corpreps.com; he pointed out his fourteen-year old son to me as they passed on retreat. 2nd Div II/III: 55.45 MAGIC OF ORLANDO: Someone reviewing this corps' show earlier said that they weren't that impressed with it, given the staff that Magic was fielding. I couldn't disagree more. Of course, Magic doesn't sound like BD yet and doesn't march like Cadets. They shouldn't be. They're just back fielding a corps. In fact, what Sacktig, Gino and company are doing is tremendous; they are refusing to give the corps more than they can handle. The brass is not overplaying, the visual is clean, but the kids don't have to run around, and they are getting a great foundation for the future. They don't need to be the Cadets yet. They're in Division II. Watch out in two or three years; with this foundation, they'll be tremendous. The show itself has a lot of good impact points, but it's not finals material. Nevertheless, for where it will be placed in the context of shows, it is extremely satisfying. The guard does some good work too which should not be overlooked with the proficiency of the horn line. 1st Div II/III: 77.60 KIWANIS KAVALIERS: The masks that the corps wear (really sort of visors over the eyes of the corps (and I think the guard as well) makes the corps look imposing as all get out. I think that's the first time I've used "imposing" and "Kiwanis Kavaliers" in the same paragraph. I really like their show idea of superheroes. They perform it pretty well; when the horns have to play melody lines instead of impact points they sound a little thin, but hey. Recognizable music and the look make this a show I want to see again if I can. 5th Div. I: 59.65 SPIRIT OF JSU: I saw this from the side, since I had to take my three-year-old son to the bathroom, and he wasn't about to wait in line for the two porta-johns, so I had to run and find my way into the school and use a bathroom inside. By the time we got back, Spirit was playing. Even from the side, I could tell this is not a finals show this year. They play and march and spin well enough, but that's all. It is simply not a memorable show by any stretch of the imagination. But this should not take anything away from the perfomers - again, I think they're playing well enough. They just need a better vehicle. As Crown adds, they'll pull away. Fourth Div. I - 69.30 CAROLINA CROWN: I have been critical in the past of Crown's show design. Granted, I was low, but I like them much better this year. The guard unis and flags work really well together color wise, the mythology props (Zeus's lightning bolts, Cupid's arrows, the Medusa snakes) work also, and the music, including Samuel Barber's Medea, are appropriate and well played. A couple beefs. One: during the ballad, when the brass forms an aisle, and the men in the guard kind of leap their way through it to where the rest of the guard is, then duck behind a screen for no particular reason, it doesn't work. I have to assume there's something more there. Second, I wish they would do something more with a Medusa motif in the closer. Some of the guard carries some pretty realistic looking snakes which I suppose are supposed to be reminiscent of Medusa. How about some big serpent flags? I hear from Chris there are more props coming (ugh). 3rd Div. I: 70.65 CROSSMEN: Watch out Phantom and Glassmen. This show is much more demanding visually and musically wise than last year's seventh place offering, and it's also better executed. The key will be this: can the Crossmen get the opener, "Heat of the Day," to groove effortlessly and consistently by finals week? If so, then look for them possibly to debut the TV broadcast. Of course, I haven't seen either Phantom or Glassmen, but Crossmen look great and deserve the scores they're getting. Some phasing problems tonight in "Heat of the Day:" again, this will be key. Bones are marching what I believe is the only flugelhorn section in DCI this year: five horns which have some very tasty but extremely exposed parts, including the opening soli in both the opener and the ballad. They were a little bit tentative tonight: they need to be spit-clean. The program as a whole is enormously satisfying. The horn line packs a wallop - those who say they cover the drums too much at times are right I believe. The guard is very aggressive and use these great ten-foot poles in the balllad: when they spin them at the push, the reflections from the lights make this wonderful effect. Strawberry Soup works. Ten years after I marched, my heart still goes faster when they take the field; and it's especially great to see them doing so well this year and over the past few. Second Div. I: 77.40 CADETS: You know, the '40s style dresses and suits are so classy on the guard. They really do look and dance like the cast of a Broadway musical. This show is excellent and works on a story level so well. Church-like silence from the crowd at the end of the ballad, when the boys have changed into soldiers ready for war. Everybody loves the jitterbug. The percussion and the brass play so clean and loud during "Boogie Woogie Bugle." The finale is all one could ask for. Unfortunately, I believe no one can catch Cavaliers this year, but this will be a Cadets show to remember nonetheless. They are all that and a piece of apple pie, and that's before the changes. 1st Div. I: 81.50 Full retreat with America/O Canada - new arrangement with a little more frilly stuff thrown in for mellophones; everyone sounded a little tentative. No encore by Cadets "due to the late hour." Some boos. To be expected. It was about an hour later than people had planned. May be the only show I can attend this year. Heck. It really sounds and looks like it's shaping up to be a great one. I can dream - and live vicariously through the Internet. Chip Frontz First there was a rain delay for an hour. Spirit performed the National Anthem. Very mature sound for them at this point in the season, Really set the stage for a great evening. The Old Guard opened with some patriotic music. They performed a great deal of high mark-time and 'old school' drill. They were very entertaining to watch and extremely proficient. I am not a fan of Drum and Fife... but they were a nice addition to the show. Division II/III Lehigh Valley Knights debuted tonight. Heard bits and pieces of their warm up. Drumline sounds very mature (as does the monstrous pit), they are definitely improved over last season. On the field the corps is tackling a program that is very difficult, but written smartly. There were a great deal on collisions and missed attacks/releases, but as they get a few more shows under their belt, those will quickly disappear. The three backdrops (which 2 fell due to wind) shrink down the field in a way to maximize the corps size. There are a lot of smart things happening design wise. The colorguard uniforms really stand out from the corps, match the show and are beautiful! This corps is well on it's way to a II/III Semifinalist showing. Magic of Orlando. This show has a great deal of emotional impacts. The brass have a presence that most aren't used to hearing from a Division II corps this early in the season. Magic is performing extremely well, but the emotional impacts that are built in aren't reaching full potential yet. This is a good thing, as the corps is cleaning very nicely, all parts of the show are well designed, so once the membership really start understanding their performance... it will carry. Magic definitely has a shot at not only the Division II crown, but also Semifinals. Magic won't be able to walk away with that title, as there are several strong showings in Division II this year, including a VERY hungry Capital Regiment. Division I Kiwanis Kavaliers. The corps added their superhero black hoods tonight. This corps is TOOOOOOO black. The corps is in black, with black hoods and black guard outfits. Considering that only small portions of this show are 'dark' the uniforms really stick out as misplaced. Even the guard in a brighter color would help this show a great bit. The gold in the uniforms is nice, but not enough. This show is very nice. I never thought stringing together a ton of cartoon superhero themes (and a great use of the Batman Forever theme to start the show into the SUPERFRIENDS theme), but this show is great. The corps runs out of gas about 3/4 of the way through, but once they build their tour chops, this corps has the potential to a return to Semifinals. My one design complaint is that the last minute of the show (while scored nicely) is VERY anticlimactic. The corps builds into the main title from Danny Elfman's Batman score.. impacts greatly and then throws in a new theme and a recap... my suggestion is to take the Batman theme and drive it home ala 92 Magic. Maybe even bring the capes out for the ending. The Merger with Tampa bay was a VERY good idea... may have even saved KK! Spirit. Ok, I really REALLY want to like this show. The ballad is hauntingly beautiful, the guard uniform is my favorite from any corps the last 10 years or so, the guard is drastically improved over last year (as is the design), the drumline is incredibly good, the brass have a dark presence we haven't heard since maybe Petroushka... but... the show doesn't have all the highs and lows I have expected from a Top 12 contender. If this show had a little more variety (as the opener and closer present the same ideas with variations in music) it would maximize the potential. Right now the corps is in a STONG suit for a return for the Top 12... but the design of other corps may hold them back. I just hope there are some rewrites in suit to bring out the talented musical level that the performers of Spirit have. Crown. I may be an alumni, but I can still watch my corps with an open mind. What I like: Opening into Fanfare (esp once the horns can double their volume on impact), Drill design overall, Javelin, One Day I'll Fly Away, guard color choice, Best hornline for Crown ever, and possibly the best drumline (but definitely best drum book). What I think has the potential to be great: Medusa once it's given more of a powerful ending and the dynamics are stretched in both directions. What I am not fond of: The opener... there have been some changes to it since last week, and the level of performance is very strong, but doesn't seem to carry across the ZEUS theme. Now the lightning bolt "rifles" are very cool. I just keep thinking that maybe Stormworks or something would be a strong music selection. The 2nd Essay, while dark and brooding, doesn't have the rhythmic drive that I think Zeus needs. The rest of the music selection is great for the show. I may be the only one that likes the When a Man Loves a Woman section, but you HAVE to follow the main guard member and the love scene between 2 guard members to understand. Can't wait to see the props that help add to the theme. The guys in the guard in Togas didn't bother me, but the 2 that had the full tank top did look like they were wearing dresses... that isn't effective. Crown will definitely end their season with a higher score than last season. Crossmen. Well you guys one a new fan. My best friend (who thinks the height of entertainment is 3 days of NASCAR) couldn't sit still during this show. He was shocked when Cadets won. His thoughts 'well Cadets are showy, but doesn't work, ya know? But Crossmen, they are shoving this show down your throat! it Rocks!'. Crossmen finally have a top 4 Drill. Every section is performing at their highest level ever. This show from start to finish is designed with the audience in mind, with sophistication. My only complaint is the beginning of 'Candle' was really rough with the brass... maybe some new thoughts there. Poles during that number were very effective.. never thought they could be that nice during a BALLAD! Drumline kicks major tail and the guard is just WOW. Strawberry Soup IS the best arrangement of this piece ever... This show has the potential to really throw down some scores.. once they clean, Cadets may not be the Top YEA! corps anymore. Cadets. I hate to say it.. where are the props? From the start of this show they were needed. The ballad and Boogie Woogie are very nicely arranged and effective, but On the Town and the Closer need some rewrites. There were some nice moments in the 'story'. The use of male guard members (ala 95) was very nice and brought the story across. The guard has to be their most talented ever. Not sure if they were using show flags tonight or not... solid blue, solid red? The drumline wants their title again this year and the brass are very strong (not as strong as the last 2 years, but very nice). For the first time in years, the drill didn't grab me (Unlike Crossmen, who are moving more like Cadets then the Cadets). The New York Memories section doesn't really build and grab me like the Land Race did in 95 (and same with On the Town versus the Reivers). The Iwo Jima pose and the rifle drop spins are no where near as well staged as they were in 1995. Seems like they were thrown in as a memory rather than a new idea. This show just doesn't grab me yet, and I think it will. I am not always the biggest Cadets fan, and it usually takes many viewings before I like them (except 92, 96 and 2000)... so I will be anxious to see where they go. The potential for a title is there... moreso from performance than design. Don't think Cadets will be any lower than 3rd or a slight chance at 4th. Cadets 81.50 (First viewing) We all know this show will be in contention for the Gold in August; the question is can the Gold medallist this year win just from winning the GE caption? Crossmen 77.40 (First viewing) You know I hate making any type of predictions in the month of June but look for the Crossmen to do really well in August (what does that mean? The elite group). Carolina Crown 70.65 (First viewing) Spirit 69.30 (First viewing) Kiwanis Kavaliers 59.65 (First viewing) Irving |
Bloomington/Normal, IL (DCI/DCM) Troopers: Pioneer: Southwind: Colts: Blue Knights: Bluecoats: Phantom Regiment: Glassmen: Cavaliers: ***** Got back from Normal last night, too tired to write a review, so I'm doing it this morning from what all I can remember. I was seated between the 30 and 35 on the audience right (field left) part of the stands. Also, I marched 5 years with the Colts, so I will try to be objective. 1. Pioneer - Sorry, I was watching Colts warm up, missed the show 2. Colts - Looks like a young corps, some basic "ticks". I really enjoyed the show, but that could just be because I marched there. Truthfully, I don't remember too much from the show. There weren't really any real "stand out" moments, but the whole thing was pretty enjoyable. The guard is really good, the brass is decent, although they need to work on intonation (who doesn't, it's still June), and I don't feel that I'm qualified to comment on the drumline. Overall though, a fairly enjoyable show. I can't wait to see them a few more times, and get some more specifics into my head. 3. Cavaliers - WOW! Every year (in recent years) that I've seen Cavies, I've felt that there's no way that they can top the drill the next year, but they always find a way to do it. What supercomputer worked out their drill? The drumline is amazing, hornline very good, but didn't notice too much of the guard. Being a brass person, I find my eyes drawn back to the hornline and drumline. If they can keep from peaking too early, they stand a very good chance of taking the 3-peat. (Also, my wife's favorite show of the night) 4. Troopers - Sucks to have to follow Cavies, but the troopers did well. They look like they've improved over the past few years. It looks like a young corps, but if the young ones stick around a while, they should keep improving every year. My only complaint was that they moved into formation for a sunburst, then went elsewhere. Maybe they'll put the whole thing in later, or maybe they're just teasing us, not sure. 5. Blue Knights - Hmmm....a bit too artistic for my tastes. Now, you can call me an old fart (sarcasm, I've been aged out all of two years now) but I didn't get much of BK's show. The last part was trying too hard to be Cavies, and not doing so well at it. The judges might like it, but anyone who doesn't have a masters degree in some sort of music related major, will have a hard time "getting it", and a drum corps show shouldn't be that hard to get. Gotta go to work in a few minutes, here's quick impressions of the rest, I'll finish up my review later this evening... 6. Phantom Regiment - Good sound, not so good marching. 7. Southwind - Nice show, very entertaining, but a bit sloppy. 8. Bluecoats - Wierd at first, finally broke out the good jazz near the end...and what was with the color guard girl spanking the soloist? 9. Glassmen - Good sound, good drill....boring, but more interesting than BK. They try a "park-and-blow" but it just looks and sounds wierd. I'll be back with more first impressions later this evening. Scott Lawson Still get a smile out of this city's name..... Anyway, it was a great night. Nice crowd on hand to see some great performances. Pioneer (1st viewing this season) - My enjoyment was distracted somewhat by seating problems. Some people just can't seem to find their right seats and have the balls to act amazed that you're asking them to get out of yours. Note to show organizers - if you are going to hire ushers, train them as well (rant off). Anyway back to Pioneer, liked their sound better than last year. Still not sure how I feel about the 18" high benches they use in their drill. Thought one of the horn line members almost tripped stepping off one of them. Colts - (1st viewing) Liked the show, liked the sound. Colts are a definite contender for finals. Cavies - (1st viewing) - In a nutshell - great drill, forgettable music. It's a very enjoyable show. They do some great drill moves, BUT RARELY WHILE PLAYING. It's more of the Dah! Dah! Dah! - scramble all over the field - Dah! Dah! Dah! It's good eye candy, but it doesn't do much for the ears. Can't imagine listening to this show without seeing the drill (could take the so-called boring title from the Glassmen). They are performing a clean show for what it is, but in my opinion it's all flash will very little substance (if that makes any sense). Fail to see what merits the point spread. Troopers (1st viewing) - Would love to see these guys doing better. Sound was ok, but it didn't grab me. Drill leaves a lot to be desired (design not execution). Didn't help to follow the Cavies. Blue Knights (3rd viewing) - This show continues to grow on me. It is a very dark show both visually and musically - but that's fine with me. Still some cleaning to do. I would take some of the single knee drops the horn line is doing out of the opener. Looks sloppy and adds very little to the show. Love the split contra section up front for the park & blow. Phantom (3rd viewing) - Love these guys, love the show. A show where you can let the music wash over you. Last night was the best I've seen them so far this year, but they still have a lot of cleaning yet to do. Southwind (2nd viewing) - Show has great potential, like the sound. 7 weeks to get straightened out and cleaned up in order to make a run for finals. Blue Coats (1st viewing) - These guys are having a blast. This year's show seems to continue to build off of last year’s show. Guard continues to be a focal point. Looking forward to seeing this show again. Glassmen (2nd viewing) - Liked the show better than when I saw them in Oswego. They are clean and putting on a good show. The style of the show makes me think of the Cavies. Play a few notes and scramble like crazy. Music is not my favorite, but it's still better than what the Cavies are playing. It was a great night for a very good early season show. I was in the top row of the stadium on the 40 to the left of center. The buzz of the elecric lights were somewhat of a distraction. I understand we need lights, but can't they get them in tune? Pioneer-- Their drumline is way ahead of Horns and Guard at this point. In the middle of the show, 3 of the cymbal players pick up quads (with snares)-- and the insuing drum solo is pretty solid. They use the pit as a back field frame for their corps-- this helps cut down the field a little bit and works well visually-- and the sound was not badly compromised-- accept for the marimbas. The marimba sound was lost because of the staging. This group marches really easy drill, which is what they should be doing-- it allows the small horn line to really concentrate on projecting sound to the box. I enjoyed their performance-- I liked the horn and drum arrangements. Colts--well ballanced horn line. Excellent uniforms and colors in the guard. The visual package is very classy. A very pleasing corps to watch. But the drums are a wreck. To be fair, it seemed like one snare drummer was very new, and did not know the book cold (he was out of step several times). The tenors and basses were pretty much absent from my hearing-- and the snares were just gross. Most of the rolls they played sounded like an old man clearing his throat. I watched the show with my pregnate friend (a Bluecoats alum)-- upon hearing the drum solo she said, "That was so bad, the baby kicked." Cavies-- I don't know why they were on so early. I was very impressed by them, overall. For the first half of the show, I couldn't believe how good the horn line sounded. All the attacks and intonation were right on. The sop trio in the opener was nails. I don't agree that the cavies are peeking to soon, basically, because the drum line isn't clean. They are playing a ton of notes, a lot of exposed passages-- and their snare feature hit perfectly. But there was a lot of fuzzy stuff flying out there-- they have a lot of work to do--the bluecoats, glassmen, and blueknights all had cleaner drum shows than they did tonight. I think the cavies colorguard is super (not only are they flaming-- they are on fire!)-- they're uniforms looked like regalia from the movie Tron-- the drill is great, but its so ambitious (lots of running in the horns) that horn quality is compromised in the 2nd half of the show, because the horn players just can't catch their breath. It's a fun show with a ton of visual GE. Troopers--tough for them to follow the cavies. Their show isn't done. The colorgaurd is just holding a flag for the last few minutes, and the whole corps parks and barks for the closer. They have five snares, and it sounds like they should have three. I noticed some nice stuff from the bass drums. Nice pit writing. The Troopers get the award for the loudest contra player-- man is that guy loud-- and it doesn't usually sound that bad-- it's just out of ballance because of the small horn line-- way to go contra man! Blue Knights-- The opener is good-- the closer is great-- but the middle 8 minutes of the show lost me. The drum writing did not complement the horns--and I didn't really understand what the horns were supposed to be playing. My friend said they were the cleanest drumline to that point in the program, and I agree. I liked the way they integrated the pit into the drill-- their tenor line was the best of the evening-- best exposed writing and execution-- the snares were solid. I didn't really like the guard unis--from where I was sitting it looked like sheer full-body panty hose pulled over their skivies-- and I don't really want to see johny drum corps' panty line, thank you. I thought the Barber closer was great, but middle part of the show is uncomprehensible musically. Phantom-- classic Phantom show-- Shostokovic-- big full sound-- classic Phantom drill. I think the show is good, not great. I thought the snare sound is a big negative-- they didn't seem to be tuned well-- and way to wet sounding (too much much snare resonance)-- it made an already questionable line sound really bad. I didn't understand how they could have beaten the Blue Coats tonight. I'm a drum oriented listener, but it shouldn't have even been close on the drum sheets IMO. Southwind-- they have had a major style change since I last saw them. Their whole package is in the Bluedevils style-- their unis-- marching style-- even the horn and drum arrangements--gaurd uniforms and routine--all are very reminicent of the Blue Devils style of recent years. I don't know this for a fact, but I wouldn't be suprised if they have a lot of Devs vets on staff. I've always said southwind has very good quality arrangments and a good visual program-- and good creative design and cohesion. Well, last night, they made me eat my words. The opener is derived from J. S. Bach and its ok. Next, they play a section of 1812 Oveture. (The tamborine solo in the pit is a great nuance-- very well executed). I didn't understand what their creative staff was thinking. The drill for it is bad-- the drum solo is not that badly played, but it is just badly put together. Then they have a really nice closer. This show is not up to snuff as far as design cohesion-- it doesn't have a theme--there are some great moments but I was not pleased with the creative aspect overall. Blue Coats-- Urban Dances-- Best designed show of the evening. Good sounding hornline-- probably the best technical drumline they've had. The visual design is great-- the theme is intriquing. The horns are playing very melodic stuff very well. I thought they would surely beat Phantom tonight, but the judges didn't have it even close. You know what it is, I guarantee on finals night the Blue Coats will be rated higher than Phantom. Right now, the judges are being cautious. They are well aware of the scores from previous nights, and always judge in relation to those numbers. So in essence, the judges take all season to try to get the placements right, and by finals night, they've usually got it pretty close. It won't be long before the judges figure out that the coats should be ahead of Phantom. I wouldn't be suprized if they finish ahead of the Glassmen, too. The 10 point spread between Cavies and Bluecoats is a sick joke. I think this show has the potential to be top 6-- and truly, a lot of that potential is already being realized. Their drum line is clearly superior to Phantom's in execution-- probably comparable to the blue knights and just behind Glassmen in execution. Their horns are very solid-- they have a great sop soloist-- and play very entertaining stuff. Great pit writing--the creative package is top shelf. Great show! Glassmen-- I couldn't believe how good their drum line is. They are playing on mylar-- and the diddles just crack up to the box. All the tap roll stuff sounds great on mylar-- especially back field. The problem with kevlar is that you lose back field presence. On mylar, the croud can hear every diddle. And wow the roll speed is just fab. I think this show is alot like Phantom-- its solid, but unremarkable-- the Glassmen are just alot cleaner than Phantom at this point. The horns sound solid, ballanced-- much like Phantom. The drill is reasonably difficult but not as flashy as the Cavies. I think GE is going to hurt the Glassmen in the long run, but as far as execution goes, they are second to none. Final note-- the corps were played on by an 'all star' drum line-- that's a terrible idea-- the whole cadence sounded sick and unclean-- by the end of it-- the drummers were'nt even trying to keep it together-- it was ugly-- stop it. |
Tuesday June 25
Winston-Salem, NC (DCI Atlantic) First off, I can't begin to tell you all what an absolutely amazing show this was!!! Kudos to the show director and everyone involved with it! Such a very well run and put together show! The night couldn't have been better probably around the low 80's with a VERY nice wind blowing. We had about 17 drops of rain fall, but nothing came of it. Stadium could have been filled more, but it was a very appreciative audience. Magic - Soooo glad to see them back! Magic's mega-staff has put together a great show. Seemed more 'on' than in Orlando. My only complaint is the male guard members uni's. Quite unflattering. Great horn sound. Some wild drill in the closer. Kiwanis - They are back to ready to reclaim their DCI status! The merge with Tampa Bay appears to have been a great thing they have doubled, possibly tripled in size from last year. They have an enormous percussion section (think I counted 12S, 5T, 5B). Horn sound is leaps and bounds better than last year. Show could use some color. Like someone is saying about Blue Knights it's all black. Guard uni's are completely black with gold plastic chains around the waste. They didn't wear shako's tonight. They didn't wear them in Orlando either, I thought it was because of the weather, but apparently not. Mayhaps they didn't have enough because of the size??? Crown - Yes, what everyone is saying about the guard is true. But oh well, what's done is done. Show doesn't seem to go anywhere. As a review from Columbia said, the concept doesn't really work. Nice horn sound, but the show just leaves you feeling flat. They are going to be dueling with Sprit the entire season, I believe. Spirit - I very much enjoy this show! Fantastic sounding hornline, great releases throughout the entire show. Great hornline visuals. Just an all out treat. Music isn't all that astounding, but it is performed very well. I believe we will be seeing them Saturday night in Madison. Crossmen - WOW! Drill never stops! Crowd loved this show! Fantastic guard! Best moment is in the ballad and the guard uses this 8' tall poles that are shiny silver the effect when they spin those is simply beautiful! They are after that Top 6 spot this year. The Strawberry Soup arrangement is alright, I prefer Madison or BD, but I think it will grow on me. It seemed a bit slow, but maybe I'm just used to '93. Blue Devils - I soooo want to love this show. It leaves me feeling like last year though something is missing. Love the Ragtime opener! Soloists were much better than Orlando. Trumpets using the pedal tone is fantastic in House of the Rising Sun. Most effective use of long hair also belongs to the guard. ; ) Great stuff, but without some changes I don't see it overcoming Cadets and Cavies. Cadets - WHOA! Absolutely brought the house down! Numerous standing O's. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy is going to be one of those classic drum corps moments! Crowd absolutely adored them! I just can't say enough great things about this show!!! Reatreat - Blue Devils played the corps on. Cadets didn't have enough time to get into the retreat line that happened in Orlando too. At any rate, I don't like the new America/O Canada. It sounded great, but it just lacks the intensity of the old. Cadets Encore - Holy Jesus!!! They started off with Cadillac of the Sky how I love that. Then the Drum Major said "Rocky, all the way up". The ooh's and ahh's started and then it started crowd (stadium was still full) loved it! They closed with Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. Sweet Mary, mother of Jesus!!! Talk about balls to the wall! Near the end the hornline moved up out of formation to about 5 feet from the stands. I was front row on the 50 and I gotta tell you, I've never heard anything like that before. It beats being in the middle of BD for F Tuning by a longshot!!! Again, thanks to the show director and all the corps! The absolute best show I have EVER seen! Also, thanks to the audience half of the experience depends upon them and they were great, very appreciative. [sigh] I love summer. Brandon =] This review will be brief since many of the corps were the ones I saw last night, so read my Columbia review first and then read this for comparison. My seats were on the 40 yd line about halfway up. Not great seats but not bad either. I want to start out by saying, I hate Bowman Gray Stadium. I wish they'd move this show over to Wake Forest. The field is too far away from the stands. Anyways....it was a very hot hot day! I watched Blue Devils rehearse earlier in the day and I got sunburned in the stands. The metal bleachers were so hot I had to leave. BD never took a waterbreak the entire hour i watched them! On a day that hot when i was with Crown, we'd get water every 15 minutes. They worked alot on the section of the show that tore the night before. BD is fun to watch rehearse. The show... Magic: Kiwanis: Spirit: Crown: Intermission Blue Devils: Cadets: Victory concert: That's all from NC! Till Charlotte....ciao! |
Lima, OH (DCM) It's late , so this will consist largely of sentence fragments. No scores here, you can find those elsewhere. Suffice to say that DCM used a 4-judge system, and Bluecoats ended up 0.2 behind Glassmen. Uh-oh. Show was delayed 30 minutes due to rain. Storms in the area throughout the day, light drizzle from 5pm to about 8pm. Smaller than usual crowd as a result, full stands pretty much from 40 to 40, scattered beyond that. SCENIC CITY MARION CADETS CAPITAL REGIMENT BLUE KNIGHTS TROOPERS BLUECOATS GLASSMEN Enough for now. Bed beckons. I arrived in Lima last night on the heels of a thunderstorm but decided to brave the lingering rain anyway. I donned my poncho and my brand new Blue Knights hat courtesy of the souvie stand and made my way into the stadium. I watched a small group of colorguard practicing rifle work in the concourse while I waited for the show to start. I arrived early since I hadn't bought tickets in advance. The colorguard turned out to be Scenic City's. At 7:25 I made my way to my seat. 4 rows up, dead nuts on the 50 yard line. This was gonna be sweet They announced a half hour delay to allow the rain to diminish and to allow the corps adequate time to warm up. Apparently some had difficulty finding the stadium (glad I wasn't the only one!!). Rather than go back inside I braved the light rain for the half hour wait. Someone must have had access to the weather channel because the rain stopped just a little before 8:00. Show time! Scenic City - 44.60: This was my first time ever seeing this corps. I was impressed! The show is very well written. It's definitely an appropriate vehicle for a corps of this caliber and size. The two things that stuck out at me were an ungodly number of solos (a dozen at least! or so it seemed...) and the colorguard work. There were a few dance elements incorporated into the show that didn't really seem to work. But, you've gotta learn somewhere I guess There was also a section where the entire colorguard seemed to be lost and looking to each other for direction. I don't know if it was a newly added section or not. But, it's early, they'll learn it, but most importantly they looked like they were having a blast out there! And that's what it's really all about. The ending caught me a little off guard. It seemed like they were building up for something but got there too soon. It was over and I was thinking, huh? Marion Glory Cadets - 40.90: I've read previously some commentary about their show design so I tried to keep an open mind going into their performance. Unfortunately, I have to concur with the previous opinions. As perfectly as Scenic City's show was designed, this show is not. The choice of selections requires a powerful, deep hornline. Maybe powerful isn't an absolute must but the musical parts require a depth that cannot be achieved with only 1 or 2 horns on a part. As a result, even if the corps can achieve volume, they don't achieve the power that is inherently a part of the music. Also, unfortunately, I don't think this is a problem that can be entirely fixed with learning. They just don't have the guns to pull it off. Don't worry, I won't leave you all in despair! The kids are doing their best with what they have been given and I admire them a lot for that. By the end of the season I think they will be performing it well, but it won't come anywhere close to achieving the kind of effect they could have achieved with a different program. Capital Regiment - 54.60: This is a strong young corps with a wonderful show. I can't wait to see them from up top, but from down in the 4th row it looks like they have good movement and field coverage. The feet need some work (but whose don't?). I'm really digging there music as well. There's a wonderful melody in the latter part of the program that stuck in my head until it was jarred loose by the Denver Black Knights.... er, Blue Knights. But more on that in a second. I really like Capital Regiment's show this year and can't wait to see how they stack up against the rest of Div II. They've got a program that can take them places, but they still have execution issues to fix. Blue Knights - 64.60: Let's all get on the same page here. Blue Knights does not equal Madison Scouts. Blue Knights does not equal The Cadets. Why are people flaming them for not being like someone else? Maybe it's because they are like someone else. They used to be called The Cadets of the Rockies (or something like that), but after watching this show let me tell you a new Star has been born in the west. No wonder they are stirring up so much controversy! This is a dark, menacing show. Almost a reincarnation of Star's '93 program. From the drum major's snarl at the press box just after his ready salute to the final jabbing chord, there is nothing "nice" about this production! They have a beautiful ballad anchoring a sea of chaos (not necessarily a bad chaos). Time will tell if this will be a good thing. If they can harness that chaos and control it to the point where they have "precision mayhem" a la '93 Star and '95 BD, then this show can do some damage come August. BTW - Just to be clear on this, I loved it! Troopers - 47.60: Let me pull out the Madison Mantra.... "They were robbed!" I mean, come on. If you're gonna fight for anyone it should be America's Corps, right? Everyone loves the Troopers! I honestly expected their score to be higher although once they add drill and colorguard work to the final 2 minutes of their program I'm sure they will shoot up the score sheet. I really really liked this show. For a smallish horn line they were most definitely loudish! I'm not attuned to pick up the nuances of ensemble play but from my vantage point I thought they sounded awesome. The music sounded vaguely familiar. Turns out it's because the Glassmen are doing the same stuff. A positive of the Trooper's over the Glassmen.... they give you a chord that you can become emotionally attached to. BK and the Glassmen have been and were again tonight the biggest violators of my chord principle. I like short jabbing chords depending how they are written, but don't jab for the heck of it. Hold it long enough for me to love it! Especially at the ends of songs and shows. Anyway, overall I thought the Troopers did an outstanding job considering this was their first competition of the season. Bluecoats - 70.20: Dare I say, en fuego? These guys were smokin' last night! And they finished their drill! The last 30 seconds was worth the wait. I was waiting for the mark time they had been doing at the end of their show when they suddenly split at the 50 and peeled off to towards the endzone. This is some flying drill. After doing what looked like a spiral on each of the 35's (remember I'm sitting practically at field level) they come back together in a box like formation at midfield for that last sweet blast from the hornline. This show has grown on me exponentially each time I've seen it! Their biggest issue is going to be cleanliness. I saw lots and lots of foot phasing issues. Even during the relatively slower and easier ballad. We'll see if they can clean it up enough to move up from last years 8th place finish. Unfortunately for them, competition is much much fiercer this year than last! Glassmen - 70.40: I was kind of surprised by the score. Even though the Bluecoats were on I didn't think the Glassmen were that far off. Or maybe that's exactly why the score was that close. While the Bluecoats have improved immensely each of the 3 times I've seen them, the Glassmen seem to be virtually the same. They opened their show on fire as well. I love their opening statement and opening piece. They were not the loudest corps of the night but produced probably the best overall sound in terms of control, depth, and texture that I have heard all year outside of the Cavaliers! Wonderfully warm and lush. But that cooled somewhat in the ballad and closer where I noticed some phasing in the brass parts. The battery was once again tearing up the field. They are rock solid! I also saw some foot phasing but not to the extent that I saw in the Bluecoats. I assumed that execution would keep them well out in front, but it appears that tides are shifting in the GE department. I think there is some work to be done in the closer musically. There's a great theme in there, but the piece loses focus quickly after the opening statement and just kind of treads water until the end. |
Monday June 24
Columbia, SC (DCI Atlantic) OK rule one, I don't give flowery, tree hugging, "Can't we all get along" reviews. I call it like I see it. There's the good, the bad and the ugly following. Please bear with me, these are my opinions and observations, no flaming, especially if you haven't been to a show yet. DIV IIMagic (70.25) Bigger than I was expecting. Hate the new uni's, they look like another clone from the Cessario collection. Nice horn sound. Drill fits the music. The music is good and has some nice moments, too bad there's note a hummable phrase in the show. If there was one, it was lost in the shuffle. Guard was good, not many drops. Big finnish to the show, great drill and the horn line lets go a bit. Not going to make finals but has a nice chance at DIV II title and Semi's if they declare for DIV I next year. Nice to have them back. DIV I
Spirit (66.69) Crown (68.45) Crossmen (74.15) Blue Devils (78.00) Cadets (79.55) Cavaliers (81.45) Best souvie: Spirit T-shirt. reads "No Amplification Required" the 2nd A is the Delta. Can't wait to see what happens at the 1st regional. Travis Rogers Just got home from Columbia Show.........he is my review (short because it is 1:30am!) Magic of Orlando: Nice to have them back. Not exactly your typical Divsion II corps (size). Nice drill and music book. Lots of work needed, but it's early. Enjoyable show. Spirit: First of all we talked with some of the staff before the show. They had problems today. Yesterday was a free day. Today they made several changes to the show. However, because of weather they only got to run the changes once. Then the storm kept them from leaving their housing site on time so they were late arriving at the contest site. Knowing all this - they did very well. If you didn't know all this you would have been disappointed. The show has good possibilites. Difficult drill. I'm afraid the music needs some more variety, in my opinion. There are tempo changes but it is still one movement of one Holsinger piece. I don't think in the long run it is going to hurt them. The guard outfits are really nice against the blue corps uniforms. The ending needs a bigger push. Can't wait to see how this show developes. Carolina Crown: After Spirit out scored them in Orlando EVERYONE knew that the judges were not going to allow Spirit to do it in South Carolina! However, let's be fair.....Crown was better than Spirit tonight. The mythology show has it's moments. But not all of them are good moments. In the middle of the show they go into a jazz mode, complete with physical movements. IT DOES NOT FIT WITH THE SHOW! if you are going to do a theme show, then stick to the theme. All in all a good performance. One suggestion: get rid of the guard uniforms, at least for the guys. Some of the guys look like they are in togas, but a couple are plainly in dresses. CHANGE, please. Crossmen: WOW! What a show. If you like Jazz, you'll LOVE Crossmen. The Methany opening is very dynamic. I didn't think I was going to like them doing Strawberry Soup. WRONG..nice job. This may be one of the loudest and well balanced hornlines they have had in recent years. The Guard was their usual - very good. Blue Devils: A big disappointment. It is a good show and performed well. It just isn't Blue Devils quality. The music book is very "choppy". I don't know how else to describe it. It is like the arranger didn't want anyone to get to comfortable with the familiar music. No worry... you really have to pay close attention to recognize the familiar stuff. Many, many corps would die to be this good. But it's not up to Blue Devils standards. I expect to see and hear some major changes with this show. If not, they may be looking at a 5th-6th place finish in Madison, if not lower. Cadets: READ MY WORDS CAREFULLY - Finally someone has put together a show that is very technical and has great crowd appeal. I have always like the Cadets, but not been one of their biggest fans. This year I am their biggest. Great music book. Wonderful emotion in the arrangements. The drill is typical Cadets and the guard is terrific, as usual. Do not miss this show. If you don't find youreself standing at the end of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy then you need to check for a pulse! Cavaliers: What a wonderful symphonic sound. They are not the loudest corps on the field, but they are the most balanced and musical right now. The drill will blow your mind. And near the end there is a jab at SCV's New Era, Cavies style. At this point I would bet the house on this being your DCI champs in August. Time will tell. I went to the Columbia, SC show last night. 1st one of the season for me. What made me 10,000,000x more excited was a message on my answering maching when I got home. I GOT TICKETS FOR MADISON! And they're in section D & F! DAMN GOOD SEATS! I can't freakin wait. Now just have to figure out how I'm gonna hitchhike to Wisconsin from Georgia. Anyway....... MAGIC OF ORLANDO SPIRIT CAROLINA CROWN CROSSMEN BLUE DEVILS CADETS CAVALIERS Was at the Columbia show last night at Irmo HS. Here's a review: General: Magic: Spirit: Crown: Crossmen: Cadets: Cavies: Scores: Brass: Cavies Note: Irmo High School needs to re-number the seats in the stadium… the numbers are worn off and the average American butt has gotten bigger. The New International Building Code states that audience members should receive at least 24 inches (previously 18 inches). I was required to sit in the isle… a hazard… because my seat was between two +300 lb fans. I left before the scores were announced, because I don’t care, and I decided to wait 24 hours and collect my thoughts on the spectacle I witnessed. I went to the show with several predetermined ideas based on what I’ve observed over the past 11 years of DCI. A) Crown would have a weak horn line. I left the stadium in shame. I’m glad Magic is back. It is possible that they will be the first Division 2 corps to ever make finals. Spirit of Atlanta was solid and I would love to see them in the top 12. Crown had a Great Hornline. I couldn’t believe it…. it’s June and they are playing like they usually do in August. I don’t think they’re guard is staged well in the ballad… and there was a great deal of work not on the field. They do look like fairies. I think I would have taken a different approach to the show…. maybe centered it around the Greek stage and used masks like the Greeks did, instead of those togas… remember PR 1998 …yep! Right now there is no storyline …but the "When a Man Loves a Woman" park and bark in a heart shape was cute. Crossmen are right on! Uniforms look 10 times better I can’t believe they are playing Heat of the Day… a WGI Percussion Standard… that takes so much control for a brass player to tongue like that. I left the stadium whistling Strawberry Soup… if that means anything. Cadets are great this year. I haven’t cared for them since 96… but they really captured my heart tonight. I liked the ending with the West Side Story and Appalachian Spring themes. Bugle Boy is only lacking one thing… a running bass drum solo like 95… if they put that in… it’s over. Oh yea… they are SO FREAKIN LOUD! Cavaliers…. if I was going to do a show about the frameworks of Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm, I would pick a simple theme that the crowd could remember… this show is just not as accessible as the last 2 years… Don’t get me wrong, it’s a visual feast… but not a total package yet. The Hornline is beautiful though… the Harmony section was the most awesome brass experience I’ve ever enjoyed. The way they move the sound around the field is unreal. Every section is great, but right now it’s like a rubiks cube that you just can’t get, as an audience member. The Cavaliers understand something that the other corps just don’t get….. "People hear with their eyes." Blue Devils…. hell froze over last night… I enjoyed BD. Yea it needs work, but for the first time that I can remember, the Devils have a decent drill program...not the etch-a-sketch I’m use to seeing from them. I was digging the Hoochie Mamas with the Hair, the Ragtime was great, the Gershwin was a bit cannibalized, but Channel One was sweet. I like the Drumline playing in and out of the set up front. Only 7 pit members! The only thing I had an issue with was the ghetto guard outfits… but I’ve come to expect that from them. If you want to look like Fantasia Winterguard… look like Fantasia Winterguard. For the first time ever at a drum corps event, every corps made me smile at least once during their performance. I think that’s a good sign of things to come. Well, my 2100 mile journey to Indiana and back ...Columbia, to Winston Salem to home as finally ended, so I will start with my thoughts. Columbia Magic: Spirit: Crown: Crossmen: Cadets: Cavaliers: Blue Devils: The placements were all correct tonight except I feel Spirit should have beaten Crown. Cavies did deserve the nod over Cadets due to cleanliness although Cadets had the Crowd. Overall, it was a great show. America/O Canada is different and not as loud. Kinda disappointed, but it's a more beautiful arrangement. Cavies victory concert included the opener from the show, Lento from their 98 show, Brickhouse which was fun, and Semper Paratus/Over the Rainbow Medley. STILL they did not open up and peel away my face. Not sure why they hold back. I'm writing this review 3 or 4 days late. I wouldn't even call it a review, just brief observations, since I have forgotten most of what I was going to say anyhow. I have also forgotten a lot about the shows too. Oh well, here goes. (SCROLL DOWN FOR PICS) Magic: Spirit: Crown: Crossmen: Cadets: Blue Devils: Cavaliers: Finale: Kevin Jay Smith |
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