Denton Show - Drums of (Soggy) Thunder

[TexasPRfan]

Well, we got extremely lucky in Denton last night and were treated to an excellent show during a steady mist that never turned to rain or severe weather. I don't know that I ever remember seeing a Texas drum corps crowd in sweatshirt hoodies in July! It was 69 degrees by the time the show was over.

On to the show, with a brief review as I'm pressed for time. Note, I missed Pioneer. Tough to get all the way up to Denton during rush hour... Had great seats near the top of this stadium (which is right on top of the field), right on the 50.

Cascades - I thought Cascades had an off night tonight. I enjoy their show very much, but they were much stronger in Denver. You would think a Seattle area corps would be the last corps to be put off their game by damp, grey weather, but in any event the hornline didn't bring the same execution and volume that they did in Denver. I hope to see a nice bounce back by Cascades in San Antonio tomorrow.

Academy - Academy also did not seem nearly as strong or energetic as they were in Denver. Visually they are starting to clean up a bit more, but the hornline sounded a bit more ragged, with individual voices sticking out. I would not have had them above Pacific Crest nor tied with OC.

Jersey Surf - I'm struggling to remember many specifics from this "Pay it Forward" show. Like Mandarins, it felt a bit like a forced theme for the sake of having a theme. The hornline has some power, though there were some points where there were some roughness to their sound and individuals sticking out at almost a laser-like level. The Unis look very nice on the field. As they slowly put plumes in members hats throughout the show, I noticed one hornline member by show's end still doesn't have a plume. I wonder if that was an accident last night?

Mandarins - Mandarins brought a stronger brass performance tonight. I wasn't on the field like the judge, but its hard to see how Academy beat them in brass. I still don't care for the theme and particularly the narration in this show. It feels like a theme for a theme's sake, very forced. And the narration is cheesy, obvious and un-necessary.

Oregon Crusaders - One of my favorite shows of the summer. OC was not at the top of their game last night from a brass perspective in particular. Odd that both Northwest corps struggled in weather not unlike that which their kids see for more than half the year. I still love the program, and see tons of potential to take this show further. This is a show where narration, while annoyingly recorded instead of live, actually adds a great deal to the show. Don't miss OC this summer, folks!

Pacific Crest - I think this is the best corps PC has every had, period - or has the potential to be. The hornline is very strong, though they weren't as strong as in Denver. Very musical, with a great blend, and good power when needed. The guard is improving in telling their story & executing as well. Between OC, PC, Mandarins & Academy, that grouping near the bottom of the traditional top 17 is very very impressive.

Bluecoats - I had read all the hype, and expected a great deal out of this show... They delivered! This is a GREAT show by Bluecoats. Highly entertaining, energetic, musical (melodic) and accessible. Best use of props I've see from any corps, ever. The orange is highly effective from the guard (and the tilted field outline). The brass & drum lines are just terrific. They are noticeably not as clean visually as Crown & SCV, but not by as wide of margin as they evidently were just last week. The only scoring I disagreed with among the top 3 was Crown edging BC in the visual-oriented GE judge's sheets - no way. The electronic effect in the closing moments of the show with the bend or tilt is very cool. Bravo, Bluecoats!

Santa Clara Vanguard - Great seats to see the visual program last night, and I appreciated Vanguard visually more last night than Denver or Ogden. Execution wise, they are remarkably clean with 3 weeks still to go. It seems like they have dialed back the volume of the brassline a bit progressively from Ogden to Denver to now. I hope that's temporary. There is a lot to like in this show... but ... little to love. I agree with many others, it feels like they are trying to hard to be different from 2004's stellar version, and the musical arrangements are surprisingly flat. Too many melodies transfer to the percusssion in too many breaks and the heart or mystique that Vanguard among few others can bring is missing. It's still powerful, but somehow sterile. That was my complaint with them in 2012, too, though not last year, which I loved. Perhaps JD is a better fit with Regiment than Vanguard?

Carolina Crown - I have been a huge Crown fan all the way back to 2003, loving the heart, passion & accessibility of so many of their shows. This, sadly, is not at all one of them. It's chock full of notes, effects and things going on visually- all seemingly for the sake of being chock full of all 3. I found the music book completely uninspiring (though the performance is very impressive). Until the last 4 minutes of the show I was actually bored. The trampolines added nothing but more clutter. There are times when the hornline is playing some truly wicked runs incredibly well, but without much value or impact being added. I truly hope Crown gets back on track with programming next year. Most of the last 11 years they have had one of my favorite music books each summer (along with Regiment). This year, I can think of at least 15 music books I enjoy more.

Cavaliers - It's truly impressive to see how much Cavaliers have grown versus the last 2 years, and I'm very glad to see them rise again. Music-wise, they are a clear notch behind the top 3 corps at this show, but improving. Lots of nice visual moments added to a show that also has nice melodic lines and solid theme. There was a hornline member that fell in a moment that could have gotten ugly (caused by a guard member) with other members rapidly backing up right in front of him, but fortunately, he recoverd and avoided bringing down more members. Great to see some real effect back in Cavaliers drill, too. Looking forward to seeing this show again.

So, that's it for now. Looking forward to San Antonio tomorrow and Dallas Lake Highlands on Monday!

Harvey

[ajlemm]

Thanks for the review, Harvey!

[Kenosha Kingsmen alum]

Agreeing with your Crown assessment - so well performed but what is it? Not entertaining.

Bluecoats rocked - sure do miss their signature swing/jazz books.

With you on Pacific Crest - very good horns - I like their showI'm a little biased because I was with them at their foundation.

OC horns get a big thumbs up.

SCV - 'bones???? Seriously?????? I know they're (stupidly) legal now, but didn't see the value.

Cavies - as much of a G Bugle fan as I am - the euphonium solo did add a nice unique sound.

Best show I've ever seen Pioneer put on.

Edited July 19, 2014 by Kenosha Kingsmen alum