San Antonio Review

[Rusty]

Obligatory disclaimer up front: this review doesn't include everybody I was able to catch, and I ended up spending way more time in the lot than I had intended (and I have the sunburn to prove it). So I didn't catch nearly as many of the earlier corps as I would have liked. Not gonna happen next year, but that's next year, not this year. So, without further ado...

Genesis As a Sky vet, I freely admit my bias here, but that show gave me goose bumps, particularly the opening hit. Genesis, thank you thank you THANK YOU for your memorial to Sky.

Spirit The "Speakeasy" theme fits them like a glove. And they have some screamers this year in the trumpet line. They're easily a lock for finals. The middle-of-the-pack corps are so outstanding anymore. It's become a cliché, but it is so true that a lot of the units fighting to make the top 12 today could have contended for the top six even ten years ago.

Blue Knights This could be their strongest show in five years. Whoever did the color design on their guard equipment deserves particular praise. This is one of the visually beautiful shows on the field this year.

Troopers A very strong hornline, but the visual program doesn't have the level of difficulty or precision to make finals. However, I think they did a good job of modernizing their classic Western style.

Bluecoats A very strong showing from Bloo. The bleachers used throughout the program seem like the sort of thing Blue Stars should have done in 2011: good props, but mobile. The unis are great, too, but I don't think they're terribly photogenic: they might be a bit better in person than in pictures. Also, they might be the kind of thing the Academy should have considered (sorry, but I still don't like their tuxes).

Cavaliers I'm calling it, right here and now: Madison will end up beating the Cavaliers in August. The visual book, while harder than what the Scouts are doing, lacks the kaleidoscopic look from years past, and is still entirely too dirty. And the horn line has lost the usual power we're used to hearing. The cloaks are actually a really good touch, and bring off the theme really well, but they add visual dirt to an already weak program. Since the departure of Fiedler, the Cavies have just not been the same. At this point, they should be happy if they manage to stay in the top 8.

Madison Scouts While Madison is placing higher than Cavies, I'm actually a bit disappointed by their show, mostly because I'm a dinosaur and just want a vintage mid-90s screamer for their 75th anniversary. All that said, it's great for what it is. This is probably their strongest horn line since '05. One thing I really appreciate is they did in the battery what could have been done with the synths (namely, reproduction of machine gun fire). A great effect, and really quite believable.

Santa Clara Vanguard Hands-down, my favorite show of the evening. The recent visual changes in the backfield are an improvement to an already wonderful show, and were used to wonderful effect in the ballad. I remember thinking, when I saw them on Fan Network in late June: this won't win, but Gail Royer would be proud. However, it looks like Santa Clara might just win their first drum trophy since '04. Overall, I'd say Rennick and J.D. Shaw are well on their way to bringing home a title for SCV in the next few years.

Cadets I'm kind of surprised to say this, but I actually rather like the Cadets this year. When I heard they were playing Medea - amazingly, just one year after SCV - I was pretty underwhelmed. But I really loved the ballad, and the closer really is excellent without trying to channel Star '93. It lacks the emotional connection and overall ballistics of '11, but it's still well worth watching.

Phantom Regiment They sound great and may have the best guard they've had in years (and that includes '08), but whoever thought up the big plastic...witch, I guess?...in the backfield needs to be fired. There were, and are, several ways to get that element across without resorting to a laughable prop that could have easily found a home in a late 1980s VK show. And having the horn line carry the tree/hat rack things while playing strikes me as something approaching cruel and unusual punishment.

Blue Devils It has become painfully obvious that the Blue Devils are playing for the benefit of the judges. The poles, which are everywhere the entire show, were a pointless distraction. The horn line sounds fantastic as usual, but there's no really obvious point at which the corps tries to engage the audience. If it wins, which it probably will, few outside of Concord will really care. However, that's not the show that really angers me...

Carolina Crown From '05-'08, the Cadets seemed hellbent on proving to the world, and especially the fan base, that narration has its place in a drum corps show. It seemed that, as complaints increased, the Cadets just turned up the amps and increased the word count as some form of punishment. Finally, after '08, Hop basically called a truce and brought West Side Story back out in '09 as an exercise in mending fences.

Here's what I find just shocking: where the Cadets finally learned from their mistakes, Crown seems committed to repeating them. They're doubling down on the worst elements of that period of the Cadets, liberally adding pointless, overwrought vocals and narration that only serve to distract from an unbelievable ensemble. I do think narration can work in a drum corps setting (see '07-'08 Bluecoats). But Crown has picked up where the Cadets left off, and have taken the narration to such an absurd level. There were points where I was unable to fully enjoy the percussion or horn line because of some gibberish coming out of the pit or some horribly written dialogue that adds nothing to what is happening on the field. That ballad is beautiful on its own, but it will do nothing to help GE scores if we can't hear it for the narration.

When I watched Crown on Fan Network earlier in the season, I thought, "If they pull the idiotic narration and shut off the synths, the title is theirs to lose." And I still feel that way. When I heard some of the moments in the horn line in the first and second movements, I was truly amazed - I don't think I've heard anything quite that insane, combined with that kind of drill, out of anybody. But at this point, it looks like Crown will again end up in second place. It's just that this time, they'll have done it to themselves.

[shaners]

Thanks

[Fan of the Arts]

Santa Clara Vanguard Hands-down, my favorite show of the evening. The recent visual changes in the backfield are an improvement to an already wonderful show, and were used to wonderful effect in the ballad. I remember thinking, when I saw them on Fan Network in late June: this won't win, but Gail Royer would be proud. [b]However, it looks like Santa Clara might just win their first drum trophy since '04.[/b] Overall, I'd say Rennick and J.D. Shaw are well on their way to bringing home a title for SCV in the next few years.

Cadets I'm kind of surprised to say this, but I actually rather like the Cadets this year. When I heard they were playing Medea - amazingly, just one year after SCV - I was pretty underwhelmed. But I really loved the ballad, and the closer really is excellent without trying to channel Star '93. It lacks the emotional connection and overall ballistics of '11, but it's still well worth watching.

When I watched Crown on Fan Network earlier in the season, I thought, "If they pull the idiotic narration and shut off the synths, the title is theirs to lose." And I still feel that way. When I heard some of the moments in the horn line in the first and second movements, I was truly amazed - I don't think I've heard anything quite that insane, combined with that kind of drill, out of anybody. But at this point, it looks like Crown will again end up in second place. It's just that this time, they'll have done it to themselves.

Thank you for your review. Just a few comments; SCV will be challenged for the percussion caption by Cadets and BD, and since Crown has never won a title, this one is not there's to lose either. It took a couple of viewings but I really like what BD is doing and then add in the Cadets I think Crown, as good as they are, could see themselves in 3rd come Indy.

Irving

Fan of the Arts

[StarOrg]

Here's what I find just shocking: where the Cadets finally learned from their mistakes, Crown seems committed to repeating them. They're doubling down on the worst elements of that period of the Cadets, liberally adding pointless, overwrought vocals and narration that only serve to distract from an unbelievable ensemble. I do think narration can work in a drum corps setting (see '07-'08 Bluecoats). But Crown has picked up where the Cadets left off, and have taken the narration to such an absurd level. There were points where I was unable to fully enjoy the percussion or horn line because of some gibberish coming out of the pit or some horribly written dialogue that adds nothing to what is happening on the field. That ballad is beautiful on its own, but it will do nothing to help GE scores if we can't hear it for the narration.

Could not agree more. I could live with the counting as it may increase the drama in the early sections. It is the cheesy narration in the Ballad that kills me. And your right I am straining to hear the beautiful horns and I all I hear is....."do you love me...".. seriously? The love story could be told without narration.

Nice review by the way. Thanks.

[Rocketman]

I don't know who said in first but, I think it's worth repeating, (cough, cough) SHUT UP AND PLAY!

Thank you for your time and attention.

[Brutus]

Do any of Crown's words mean anything to you? Do you understand what they mean in the context of the show? Also, do you get the Phillip Glass style vocals? Do you think those vocals have anything to do with the type of music they're playing and the theme of the show? Definition of Love by Samuel Johnson? Einstein on the Beach? Bueller? Bueller?