John's Scranton Regional Review

[oldephard]

Thanks for the review John. You made some great points and made me think about some things from another perspective. I am a bit embarrassed to say I didn't get into the stadium until intermission. I always bump into old friends "in the lot" and end up missing part of the show. I'll be sure to watch everyone at Prelims and Finals (ok, that's probably a lie too, but anywho...)

Some thoughts on what I saw & heard.....

Empire - classic Empire show, brought back lots of memories - just maybe lacking that unparalleled Statesmen style and pizzazz I'm used to. Hopefully, they can throw in some smoke and props to spice things up a bit. Maybe they could have the screamers in the pit wear the old style uniform with the red bow ties and long white coat tails? It would be nice to see just one more time, especially on Donny Allen. “City of Angels” was pretty tight, and “Miss Saigon” really took me way back to when they were tearing up the circuit. I also appreciated how they intertwined a little “My Way” into “Rainbow”. They really let you know they were finished with that one. Can’t wait to see what happens at Annapolis with them.

Bucs – I see what you mean about a LOT of content. Holy smokes, they are MOVING right from the get go and never seem to stop. I have to disagree that it is not exciting or entertaining (I think you disagreed with yourself too, no?) That kind of stuff really gets my blood pressure fired up. I thought the second tune with the trumpet features doing all the flutter tonguing and jazz style was really fun. And holy Mellophones Batman! They were a show in and of themselves. What is the name of the slower tune they do? It sounds familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. Great job building it up slowly and then letting you have it at the end. I’m with you on the closer, it was BTTW the whole way. Not sure how much cleaner they can get by Finals, but I’m sure they will be fired up and ready.

Hurcs – tough draw, but they did a respectable job none the less. This show just doesn’t seem to grab me like the last few years. I’m sure being down in membership doesn’t help. There is certainly no lack of effort on the performers’ part though. I agree the battery is leading the way. Hope they finish a strong and mighty power like they always do.

Cadets 2 – This corps gets stronger every time I see them. They come off the line and let you have it with a really strong full corps sound. They keep that sound going through most of the program, although when the drill really picks up, there are still some individuals struggling a bit. Looked like most of the holes are filled, although the new people don’t know the whole show yet. I’m sure this will be taken care of this coming weekend. Once they add all those low brass, look out. They are going to sound like they went through puberty at Annapolis. I could see this corps moving up a spot or two from where they are right now in the standings. I actually had them third at this show.

Cabs – Not really your father’s Cabs, but mostly in a good way. They still look like the Cabs and they still have that sound they are known for. Just not with traditional Cabs tunes. I’m sure they can still pay homage to the past once in a while, and even in this show, you hear that unmistakable Caballero sound in Bolero (and Paint It Black, for that matter). Cabs are in a unique spot this season. I don’t think anyone but Cadets 2 can catch up to them, and that will be a real stretch for C2. They could, however, play spoiler to either Minnesota or Bucs if they really turn it on and pull off their very best show possible. I think Minnesota might be more likely, as the Bucs have faced off and beat the Cabs several times this season. A lot will depend on what score Cabs can put up next weekend. Not only does this affect their seeding, it affects what everyone is thinking the week leading up to Finals. I know it shouldn’t affect the judges, but they are only human and they are drum corps fans too. Should be interesting, in any case.

I really can’t remember the last time we had so many real battles across the board. Two or three corps battling it out at the top and four or five corps battling to get into Finals. Very few spots, if any are set in stone at this point. This will definitely be the most exciting Prelims and Finals in several years. Can’t wait to see it happen.

[N.E. Brigand]

I started going gray my last year with a band I worked with for several years when they had a bad Senior Class. I know it can happen.

That reminds me of my senior class in high school, twenty-three years ago: there were some weird personality issues, with people who seemed to go out of their way to make others miserable (not just in band), and I specifically remember overhearing one of our directors tell the other at the end of the season that the next year would bring "addition by subtraction".

[Kamarag]

"addition by subtraction".

That's always been one of my favorite phrases.

[Jerseyboy]

thought you could not add members at the end of the season ?

( old Bushwackers rule ) .

is it right to be able to add 6 tuba's , 12 brass , for the last two weeks of shows ?

when members of other corps are busting all season long ?

[Kamarag]

thought you could not add members at the end of the season ?

( old Bushwackers rule ) .

is it right to be able to add 6 tuba's , 12 brass , for the last two weeks of shows ?

when members of other corps are busting all season long ?

Please. Plenty of corps have added members late in the year, particularly the last ten years I've been actively watching. If C2 wants to hold or fill spots, that's their business. Heck, they weren't even the only corps doing it in Scranton. Even Cabs were working in a tuba player. Anyone remember the year not too long ago when Statesmen barely had a pit until after DCI? Or many past Bush years where they fill 20 holes over the course of the season?

I'd be far more concerned about members jumping corps mid-season than I ever would be about filling blanks.

Edited August 21, 2013 by Kamarag

[DCAfan85]

Cabs have been working in that tuba player ever since Lewisburg when I found out they actually had 10 not the 7 or 8 that marched then

[knightsbari]

Bucs – . What is the name of the slower tune they do? It sounds familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.

The slower song is. Chevaliers de Sangreal from The Da Vinci Code by Hans Zimmer

[Jeff Ream]

That's always been one of my favorite phrases.

mine too. or it's cousin..."hey, that part you USED to play there....

[burdettsky]

John, I totally get the age-old derived acheivement argument. This, basically answers my question of how two people sitting so close could feel things so vastly different. Simply put, most of your review are what they are, critical at times but usually pretty close to the vest. I usually go to a show and try to take in the performance, which is why I think our comments are what they are. You can recognize what Cadets2 is trying to do, while I had a hard time with the multitude of things they weren't doing. And whether you know me or not, this is a genuine response, your comments do make perfect sense to me now.

Thanks for the reply, not that I necessarily deserved one, but it made a lot of sense to me.

I totally understand where you are coming from, and why you'd think Cadets2 should have been further down. The difference for me, and likely the judges as well (just looking at the recap gives the clue) is a matter of derived achievement. Is Fusion "cleaner"? Yes, they likely are. But the program they are performing is not nearly as demanding as Cadets2. In turn, Cadets2 may not be as clean as Fusion (or Statesmen, for that matter), but they are achieving their far more demanding program at a high enough level to get credit.

That's why I have them up, and why the judges did too (except the visual ensemble judge, who thought Statesmen were the bees' knees for whatever reason). Now, we can argue the merits of derived achievement of you want to, but that's how the system works.

[BigW]

thought you could not add members at the end of the season ?

( old Bushwackers rule ) .

is it right to be able to add 6 tuba's , 12 brass , for the last two weeks of shows ?

when members of other corps are busting all season long ?

With modern drill, no matter how knowledgeable the cats are, the disadvantages could outweigh the advantages. It's not like it was even in 1985 at WCU when the folks coming off DCA and DCI tour would show up at camp for the last day before college or whatnot and learn the whole show that took everyone else 3 days.

Somehow, the piper will get paid in the performance area.

I guess one could say, the pool is really big, the water's warm, jump right in, and if the pool's a bit too deep for yah where the rest of us have been swimmin' all summer....