DCI Semifinals Impressions

[jwillis35]

Happy DCI Finals day to everyone! Last night was fun as I enjoyed most of the corps in competition. We arrived in Indianapolis around 2pm. Checked into our hotel and then made it to the stadium by 4:30 or so.

While at the hotel getting ready I had the webcast on and was highly impressed with Pacific Crest. Fantastic show and an excellent drill. Once we arrived we caught Academy (partly) who I thought played a very difficult piece of music (some from Paris Sketches I think) from the wind band repertoire. Really like their newly designed uniform with the blue.

Spirit of Atlanta was the first full corps that we sat through. LOVE this uniform, and with the guard I believe it's one of the more beautiful looks on the field. Nice music, and some fantastic solos. Love the tree on the field and the props are wonderful and colorful. This show has most of the elements of a nice top 12, but lacked the impact of a top 12 GE program.

Troopers - Love the intro of this show, but it takes a while to get going after the first 20 seconds. Where Troopers shine is from the point of the show where the Lincoln face is presented to the end. At that point the music, marching, and overall style just feels more Troopers to me and they bring the goosebumps. The closing strains of America the Beautiful is awesome, especially the big hit which is impeccably staged.

Colts - I actually LOVE the uniform proper for the corps, but I found the combinations with the guard, flags, and the narrator up front to be odd. The music is good and they play very well, but the narration was inaudible. I don't mind narration if done well, but more than half the time I could not understand what the young man was saying. Too often he was trying to push his voice over the horns and percussion and the sound system was not loud enough. It was more of a distraction. Overall just not my cup of tea.

Crossmen - I continue to enjoy this show. Brass is really good and drums and playing some nice grooves. Drill is good and the music is wonderful, top to bottom. They just need a visual and music GE hit or two that pushes a good show to a great one. Awesome trumpet soloist in this show!!!

Madison Scouts - As much as I love the Scouts I was not wild about the uniforms, the music book, and the visual program, to me, is a disaster. They have a wonderful brass line playing a music book that does not coordinate with the visual program. The show leaves me flat. I did like the ending (faux encore), but I'm waiting for the real Madison Scouts to emerge here in the 2nd decade of the 2000s.

Boston Crusaders - A very talented corps performing a dark show based on Animal Farm. Great drill, some spectacular effects, good solos (especially the solo flugel horn in the endzone), and the drill is fantastic. The last half of this show, from the ballad to the end, are wonderful and truly what grabs my attention.

Blue Stars - Love the new uniforms, and those red plumes really "pop" under the lights. Great music! The show concept doesn't thrill me, and I believe they are missing some major GE due to staging of props or overall theme. The corps, however, really performs well. There is a noticeable difference between them and Madison, especially in the visual department. Everything is very clear and easy to read in this show. Overall I am a fan of this show, but I feel they might have achieved so much more with a theme that has a more emotional angle.

Phantom Regiment - One of my favorite shows on the field. When I first saw Phantom this year I thought it was a down year, and even though they are in 8th place I feel they have become the Phantom that many of us love. The brass is awesome and controlled (very musical), the percussion has come a long way, visual program is really good (IMO) even if it is less demanding than some. It makes sense. The only think I do not like is the all-black outfits that most of the corps changes into.

Blue Knights - LOUDEST CORPS OF THE NIGHT!!!!! I was in section 140 on the 45 and they were rocking the place big time. Not only is this an emotional show with stunning visuals and beautiful design, but they have one LOUD ### brass line and a pretty solid percussion section. The true greatness of this show, however, is the total design. Just fantastic! My 2nd favorite corps of the night.

The Cavaliers - I knew the Cavaliers would have a better vehicle when I saw them on the Akron Cinecast, but talk about an improved corps. WOW! They were just magnificent last night. Brass is much improved over the past few years, and they easily have one of the top 2 or 3 drill designs on the field. Great overall show theme. No dead moments in their show. Their percussion is stellar, and their guard is wonderful and so well tailored to the show. The play acting, the outfits, the make up, the staging...it's all there. For 12 minutes yesterday I got a reminder of just how good the Green Machine can be when all the elements click and their performance captions lock itn. As they marched off the field I found myself smiling and thinking "look out next year." I believe a BIG BOY has awaken.

Carolina Crown - Despite what anyone thinks of this show, it's a fun ride. WHAT A BRASS LINE!!! Love the music, love the sound, love the power, and boy can they play. Percussion is not bad but I must agree with something I saw here on DCP a few days ago. Someone mentioned how hard and abrasive their snare sound is, and I agree. Overkill IMO. The music is top notch. The ballad to the end of the show is just flat out FUN music. Their guard is wonderful and I love the silks. My oh my do they know how to use color. I know that many were not wild about the turquoise pants, but I am glad they went with them for this show. It works. The design might have been a bit cluttered, but in the end we still get one heck of a top 5 show.

Santa Clara Vanguard - They blew me away in Massillon, but not so much last night. It's a stately, polite, elegant show (and I love shows like that), but they are missing something. Not much, just one or two GE elements that might put a capstone on this overall excellent show. It's definitely one of the more colorful shows on the field. I love the trombones at the intro, but they are underused near the end. The drill here is one of the top 3 or 4 on the field, and the guard...WOW, I thought they were awesome and one of the best on the field. I'd easily put them against BD.

Bluecoats - In Massillon I was blown away by the intro and closing of this show, but the middle section was underwhelming to me. Maybe it was some of the minor visual errors I caught. Last night I was BLOWN AWAY like never before by BLUECOATS!!!! This is their BEST show ever! For many of you I guess that depends on personal taste. Their marching was much cleaner, the impact of the visuals and their wonderful staging of elements was as good as any in the activity, and they continue to have one of the best brass and percussion sections in the activity. Had percussion won last night (and they were close) I would not have been surprised. This show has 3 key components: a) best intro of a show, b) best closer, c) best percussion staging. The show also has a clear, defined theme and amazing focus to each section of the show. BLOOO also has the best tuba section in the activity (with many props to Phantom and BD who also have great tuba sections). I don't know what Thursday was like here in Indy, but last night the crowd was "lit-up" by the closer and they roared their approval. Will they pass Cadets tonight? My guess is YES.

The Cadets - All season long I have LOVED this show...and still do. Anybody who knows me knows that I love the Cadets. I grew up loving them, tried out for them in 1986 (ended up getting a full scholarship to an orchestral music festival), and they've been my FAV for a long time. When the Cadets are the Cadets, nobody marches any better, and they play, drum, and spin their tootsies off!!!! This version of the Maroon and Gold is a spectacular performing ensemble. Even if you hate patriotic shows, or just this particular show, you have to admire how these young people perform. The drill they are marching is one of the 2 best in the activity, and much more demanding than people give credit. The horn book is difficult, the percussion book is killer, although sadly a lot of it is so far backfield that I don't think the general fan gets an idea of just how good they are. I don't mind the narration because this show needed it. I don't mind the stage, but most around me hated the stage and felt it killed the corps in terms of staging. Where I agree with the show's detractors is this: the last 30 seconds or so are too cheesed-up, and at that point the stage does kill them. They can't bring the horns closer without dividing them (as they do earlier). Sadly, Patriotic shows have a tendency to "go south" when the points are no longer there. The Cadets are now trying to generate GE by throwing out the kitchen sink. Tarps, more audio quotes, the Capital building mural, a pull-down flag in front of the stage, saluting on stage, and all while the corps holds the last note as long as possible until someone decides to stand. I believe there comes a time where you say "we're not going to muck it up." "We will accept whatever scores we get, but artistry has to count for something." I still love 95% of this show, and I love watching these performers, but I believe the writing is all the wall, and that wall is tilted. I believe Bluecoats, if they perform well, will overtake Cadets tonight. Let's see what happens.

The Blue Devils - They were one of my favorite shows of the night. My good friend hated them and felt they were not marching as much, a lot of smoke and mirrors, and that they are playing to the limitations or loopholes of the scoring sheets. The interesting thing about this edition of BD is that everyone is reacting a little differently to the show. Everyone seems to agree that they are the best overall performers, and they are. I love the music. The opening fanfare is stunning, and the level of control in their marching and playing is not matched by any marching unit out there. They are the most unique corps in how they march, stage, and generate effect. I was blown away by their show and their performing levels. They will win, no doubt. Regardless of score, time will tell whether this show holds up with some of the best. I have more to say about this show, but perhaps after Finals and in a different thread. Congrats to all the corps!!! This was an amazing season and I look forward to tonight...and next season.

Edited August 9, 2014 by jwillis35

[Jeff Ream]

good stuff!