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Your Favorite Shows of Early 2015


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Well almost everyone has had their 1st show, and the few remaining are coming up. So what are your favorite shows of 2015 in the early stages? I'm totally ignoring placements, scoring, ect. here. Just gonna talk about what I love. TIME FOR SOME FEEL GOOD MUSHY DISCUSSION! :grouphug: 4 shows really stand out to me personally right now, though I'm sure there will be more!

I'll do 4 in no order, this was hard!

The Academy - A Step in Time

Music from "Mary Poppins"

Enjoyment Level - 10

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Such a well put together, crowd pleasing, and just #### good drum corps show. If you're a little more old school, I think this one will appeal to you quite nicely. This show is going to be a fan favorite, I can tell. If you're not humming supercalifragilisticexpialidocious after they're done you have problems. So many just great moments in this show. In particular the pit has another feature which I won't spoil, that is just pure fun, a GORGEOUS ballad, and it all closes out with one of the more fun closer's I can remember in recent years. Watch the flags at the end! Music is meaty, and the drill is extremely solid. Very effectively utilized props, great sideline boards that totally fit, OUTSTANDING guard costuming, and their corps uniform is just a cherry on top. This show just makes me smile huge. Outstanding job, this reminds me of The Academy in 2011 who I absolutely fell in love with, their best show since at least then, and maybe ever?

Bluecoats - Kinetic Noise

  • Shaker Loops - by John Adams (as arranged/performed by Jon Anderson)
  • Electric Counterpoint - by Steve Reich
  • Woods - by Bon Iver
  • Gene Takes a Drink - by Michael Gordon
  • The Animated Description of Mr. Maps - by The Books
  • Dense - by Univers Zero

Enjoyment Level - 10

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Just totally refreshing. They took one moment last year and made it into a whole #### show. Just a kaleidoscope of sounds, textures, moods, color, ect. It's totally overwhelming in the best way possible. The way they play with and manipulate sounds is just so #### cool. Opening hit is just pure drum corps bliss. The mash up of "Shaker Loops" and "Electronic Counterpoint" might be my favorite minute of drum corps ever. The drill, the guard flags and work, the mood, just breathtaking. "Woods" is absolutely stunning. "Dense" is quirky, weird, and full on petal to the metal drum corps. I love everything about this show. Could care less if it finishes 1st or 22nd, it's breathing new life into my enjoyment of drum corps. They've found their identity, and it's amazing. Thank you Bluecoats, I'm in absolute love. Rarick, Thrower, and Vanderkloff. :babies:

Blue Stars - Side Show

  • Entrance of the Gladiators- by Julius Fucik
  • The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze - by Gaston Lyle, Alfred Lee
  • I Will Never Leavge You (from Side Show broadway original) - by Henry Krieger, Bill Russell
  • Send in the Clowns - by Stephen Sondheim
  • Carnivale (Main Theme?) - by Jeff Beal
  • Original music - by Richard Saucedo, Ian Grom, John Mapes

Personal Enjoyment Level - 10

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When this show gets polished it's going to scare some people. After a premier that had me a little worried, I've seen some more clips of this show and they already sound and look like a different corps. This show has the potential to be a huge crowd pleaser. I was wondering how they'd make a theme that could be overdone and make it unique, and the little dark touch of it being a depression era traveling show does that. Full of all sorts of fun acts, but the highlight has got to be that AMAZING juggler with the guard doing all sorts of cool rifle exchanges behind him while the drums are just ramming away. A highlight moment of the summer I think! Ballad mash up is gorgeous, and the Ferris Wheel closer and Star set are just a great finish to a show that I really enjoy. I love that drumline and front ensemble, outstanding.

Santa Clara Vanguard - The Spark of Invention

  • Virus Attack - Amin Bhatia
  • Original work based on Invention No.13 in A Minor - JS Bach, Paul Rennick, Sandi Rennick, JD Shaw
  • Pure Imagination - by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
  • Concerto for Piano and Orchestra - by John Corigliano

Personal Enjoyment Level - 10

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This is the culmination of what I've been waiting for with this staff. Visual package is fantastic, arrangements are reminiscent of the angry late 90s SCV, drums are amazing again, hornline is hugely improved, and the guard is fantastic as well. The opening minute is just awesome, that first hit is amazing. Right up there with Bluecoats this year in the electronic aspect, lots of cool theremin, lightning, electricity sound effects that help with the mad scientist/Tesla/kind of Doctor Atomic vibe this show gives off. Their treatment of "Pure Imagination" is just breathtaking.

Honorable Mentions

The Cadets - Favorite show in years from them. They're an absolute monster of a corps, ballad is really neat and the Watlz section is just absolutely jaw dropping.

The Cavaliers - Almost put it up there........when it's cleaned and if it gets cleaned enough. Musical package is fantastic.

Carolina Crown - Music that I think any of us would die to hear them play, and they are. And that guard is insane.

Madison Scouts - Classic Madison, love the visual package. Such an improvement over last year. And those uniforms are HOT.

Oregon Crusaders - Gonna wait for this one to have its finishing touches. Think it's going to be another favorite. That hornline is gonna be absolutely stellar.

Pacific Crest - Some amazing stuff going, when this show is finished I think it'll really come together. Outstanding visual package and a ferocious drumline.

Phantom Regiment - This show has life in it that hasn't been there in recent years, don't know where it'll fall, but God is it fun.

Troopers - Beautiful show, props really brought it together. I think they have the goods to do VERY well.

So what are yours?

Edited by DrumManTx
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What so you think of BD?

They're absolutely outstanding as always! Just need to see this show from different angles and a few more times. There's a lot going on. I think it's one like 2010/2012/2013 that'll grow on me over time. I'm not sure if I love it or hate it right now, though leaning more towards the good side. I think it'll have my full interest over the season which is great.

Edited by DrumManTx
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I'll not claim to be a non-pretender as a Trooper wonk. That being said...

I LOVE their show. I have discussed with another on DCP a move which I would love to see them incorporate over the coming few weeks...maybe it has already been considered (and if it has come to this weak mind, then it has most assuredly has come to their's.) When it has been cleaned...when it has been fleshed out in it's final form...all I can say is "Watch out -- the Troopers are coming!!"

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I'm not going to contribute to this thread until after Sunday when I can see a d@mn show live! :augen51:

Understandable. I'd do that too if I actually got to go to one..................picked the wrong year to have prior commitments the three weeks shows are even remotely close to me..............

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