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ptdawg2001

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  1. For starters, I'd like to say that as domes go, the Georgia Dome is a great place to watch a show (thankfully no pipe leaks from the ceiling this year like in 2005). I attended the show with my fiance, who had a lot of thoughts as well. We only caught the evening show and here are a few thoughts, in performance order: The Crossmen - I have to say I really like the direction they have taken since they were reorganized out in San Antonio. You can tell they have a lot of younger, less experienced kids and there are some individual technique and performance issues, but tell they also have an attitude about them and I love that. They have made some changes since I saw them last (guard now leaves on the "space shoulder pads-esque" outfit on throughout the show, for example). The guard is large, which really ups the visual impact, although I'm not a huge fan of the neon orange X's in the closer. The musical arrangements have been tweaked a little also, which makes the themes more clear, enabling the audience to connect better. They need to keep pushing to stay in 12th as several corps (Spirit, Colts, Madison) will be at their heals down the stretch. Glassmen - I'll be honest, it just didn't do a lot for me. That is very blunt, but that is really how I have felt about the last several Glassmen offerings (this year, Gitano, etc.). I feel like they have lost some of the late 90's edge that had them around the top 6-7 every year. They do a god job of selling the carnivale theme, particularly with the guard. At one point in the closer, portions of the guard are working with 5 different types of equipment, I presume the whole different shows at the carnival kind of thing. The brass was okay, but not spectacular. A couple of nice little battery features, but they just don't stand out next to the meat that came later in the evening. The guard was definitely the strongest caption. They also still hav work to do for a spot in Finals. Blue Stars - My first viewing of this show and we both loved it. One of the most original themes I have seen in a long time. My fiance thought they did an excellent job of selling the cycling theme without being too cheesy (I thought they might have stepped over that line a little, but who's to quibble). There seemed to be a significant step up in performance and field presence between the Stars and the prior two corps. Nice color guard work. Dug the handlebar flags as well as their, from what I was told, new ending. For the most part the drill is not too demanding, but they execute well. A nice show from start to finish and one that I think has a spot in the 9-10 range come Finals. Boston Crusaders - Only saw pieces of this show from the tunnel. The show seemed solid, but not overly spectacular. It some ways it felt like a very "safe" show. Nothing was a glaring weakness, but no captions really stood out in my mind. I thought to 6-snare/5-tenor battery was an interesting choice, but there may be things I am not aware of that have shaped that situation. I definitely agree with the Stars placing ahead of them and if they continue to polish and communicate their theme, that position change could be permanent. BAC seems to be headed for Finals in 10-12 range. SCV - The opener is the highlight here. I will also say that I loved the cymbal line coming out of the tunnel last. One could spend the entire show just watching SCV's plates and be entertained for 10 minutes. It felt like a noticeable step up in all areas when SCV hit the field and the scoring reflected that. The drill is fantastic, which we have come to expect from them, although there is still room for plenty of cleaning. At times, I felt like the music suffered a little when they were moving and with that kind of drill that's a bit of an issue. The rest of the show didn't seem to quite live up to the opener for me. I also felt like the percussion was maybe a notch or two down from the high levels that recent SCV lines have been setting. I think this show may settle in right where it is, in 7th, although with a big push, 5th-6th is not out of reach. They did it last year and they can do it again. Blue Knights - A solid offering again from the dark side. I will be the first to admit not being a huge Knight fan over the last few years (I prefer the late 90's-early 00's Ben Hur and Trittico offerings). That out of the way, this show did not excite me a great deal. To me they are a better version of Boston - solid in all areas without anything being overly outstanding. This is definitely a Finals show, although I think SCV will continue to beat them out as they continue to clean (their show just has a higher ceiling visually). The silks are beautiful as they are every year. I like the homage to the old "white dot" uniforms on left side of the uniform chest and the guard uniforms. All in all, another solid year and a 7th-8th Finals placement. The Cadets - I'm not going to break any new ground here, but I'm not going to just trash the whole show due to the narration either. I will say that the music, drill and performance that is there is top 3 caliber in my opinion. The guardwork is also fantastic. The frantic ending drill sequence is awesome and got the loudest crowd response of the evening thus far. Overall, however, I think they are really struggling to connect with the audience. The narration seems overdone at times (I understand it has been tinkered with throughout the season) and it takes away from the focus on the amazing performers this corps clearly has. I have no problem with narration used to supplement a show (see BD '06, Coats '07, '08). My feeling, though, is that your show shouldn't "need" the narration to communicate itself. It should only add to what is being performed, not completely define it for the viewer/listener. Right now this show seems to be going the way of Cadets '06 meaning a 4th-6th place finish despite top 3 talent/performance due to a lack of GE and connection by the audience. Phantom - Wow. Just wow. Phantom takes command from the second they begin to enter the field. I have seen some negative comments about the violence and the "deaths" in the show. It is very intense, but appropriate given the subject matter. The percussion is absolutely smoking and no doubt earned their caption victory. The brass has the deep, full vintage Phantom sound in spades. There were actually a view visual dirt issues with drill forms which I believe are cleanable. They utilize a lot of large moving drill forms ala the flying wedge from '93. Those look great, but have to be perfect to be effective. They have definitely upped the drill demand this season. The entire show has a lot of style and is well designed. After all that gushing praise, I will say that I felt like the ending was missing a little something. After so much intensity, it seemed to not quite reach the heights they had established. Despite this, my favorite show of the evening. They are a contender for the top. Bluecoats - Very well done show. I love the direction this group has gone over the past several years. In some ways, this show builds on their Criminal show last year (one of my favorites, btw). I do think they were hurt by being sandwiched between Phantom and the Cavies, however. After such an intense, powerful show from Phantom, the boxing theme almost came across as cute by comparison, which is not what the Coats are after. Don't misunderstand me, I really dug the show and they sell the boxing theme very well. The percussion is laying down some nice licks and the brass was powerful, although a little "bright" for my taste in some spots. The boxing rings created by the drill design is a nice effect. Overall a very good show that has the chance to grow late and give Cadets a run for 5th. The Cavaliers - Very nice effort from the Green Machine this season. I love the Samurai theme. Design-wise this show has similarities to their Machine show from '06, which is a pretty high complement. Normally, I am not a fan of the pit dressing differently than the battery, but it works for this show. The different musical textures and sounds from the pit are also very effective and create the mood. This show has so many visual "wow" moments, Cavies trademark through and through. The music is slightly lacking in spots, although the brass does put out some volume. I have a feeling people will complain the same things are about this show as they have with the other original music Cavies offerings (Four Corners, etc.) - that they rely too heavily on the visual design and not enough on melody. Those people will probably not care for this show as much, but I am not one of those people. They were my 2nd favorite of the evening and are in contention for another title. Crown - What a brassline! They have got such a deep, full sound. I bet they are absolutely amazing in warm-up arc in the lot. They are pretty good on the field, too. Their placement in the top 4-5 in no accident. The percussion has stepped it up and the guard is outstanding as usual. As has been said, the drill demand is a noticeable step down compared to their top 6 peers, but they execute it very well. They have grown so much over the past 3-4 years, probably moreso than any other corps in recent memory (you could get an argument from Blue Stars or the Bluecoats, I suppose). As much I would love to see a big push at the end, I think this show is slotted for 4th-6th. The demand just isn't there to challenge for a top 3 spot. They are building something special down in Carolina, though. Blue Devils - Hmm. Not sure what to take away from this show. The multiple changes to the uniform are interesting. I was especially puzzled by the 1/2 apron/sashes that hang from their waist down past their knees. Looks kind of odd and in my opinion, makes the individual marching a lot less clear visually (was that the intent?). The white plumes and additional white on the uniform are fine, although, I personally like their "darker" look. They clearly have talent just pouring out all over the field. The body work during the battery feature was amazing, along with some nice brass soloists. The guard is excellent, although the bright neon outfits are a little distracting (the "absurd" portion of the show title very appropriate for them). They are all amazing performers, but the show seems to lack a certain clarity or direction. They may be undefeated, but I am not sure that is going to hold. They are a lock for top 2-3, but not a slam dunk for a repeat. Overall - It was a great night of drumcorps. I am glad to see so many groups attempting so many different themes and ideas out there. Very refreshing to see. Come Finals, I see a 3-horse race between Phantom, Cavies and BD. As I said earlier, my personal favorite was Phantom. Just a wonderful, intense show that I think really has more room to grow. Should be a great next couple of weeks in Allentown and in Indiana!
  2. There have been several good reviews of this show already written so I won't try to re-invent the wheel here, just give some of my thoughts about a great evening of drum corps. I was accompanied by my girlfriend, who is fairly new to drum corps but very familiar with the marching activity (she marched 4 years with Lassiter High School, for those of you with a BOA background). We were sitting about 1/2 way up the upper deck on the 40 yard-line. This was also my first viewing of all of the shows this season and my personal background is in percussion. On with the review! Spirit - I will start by saying that I do like the new uniforms. I was not crazy about them from the close-up pics I had seen earlier in the summer, but from the stands they look very sharp, IMHO. As far as the show itself goes, nothing stood out for me in particular. I think this was somewhat of a "safe" show design for them, although I do think their drill was a bit of a step up compared to some of their outings in recent years. That harder drill may be a bit over the kids' heads right now, though. There are a lot of interpretation issues with step size and form. They had some nice moments and I think I like the direction this corps is headed. However, I do think they will be in a fight to stay in Finals as things now sit. Glassmen - I like the concept of the show and I think the guard uniforms are very well designed. That said, this show really didn't do a whole lot for me. I am not sure if the design (the guard aside) sells the concept as well as it could. Personally, I had the sense throughout the show that a nice moment was coming shortly, but it never really delivered, the "wow" just didn't materialize. I also felt like this is one of the weaker drumlines that the G-Men have fielded over the past several years. They were known for some solid lines in the late 90's, early 00's and that caption seems to be suffering a little. Overall, I just don't feel like this show is as accessible as it could be. Depending on what Spirit, Blue Stars, Crossmen, and (dare I say it) Madison have to offer over the next 3-4 weeks, the Glassmen's spot in finals could be in jeopardy. Colts - Love the new look! Very strong appearance, good sharp new uniforms (has there ever been a year with more new uniforms that this?). This is a much more mature and challenging design than they have featured recently. There are several exposed sections of the show that really challenge the individuals/small ensembles. I do think they could make the show a little more balanced with more interpretation of some of the other seasons in their "Equinox" idea. Winter and Spring seemed to be highlighted significantly more to me. Overall, though, I really like the direction the Colts are headed both this season and in the future. They have the potential to put some pressure on BK and Boston the rest of the way. Boston Crusaders - The Picasso idea was well conveyed with the guard and the props (easels, frames, etc.). I wonder if the drumline ever thought they would be "painting on a canvas" in the middle of the the show. I felt the music, though, didn't quite capture me as much. It came across as of the design team decided to do an art show, already thinking about the props and the GE content of the show and then selected music as an afterthought. That isn't meant as a slam, it just seems the music itself wasn't the focus of the performance. The Cadets and particularly the Cavaliers have made this same type of format work recently, but it comes across better because their design, talent, and performance levels are off the charts. Back to BC, I feel this is a step down from some of the more intense program they have put out recently. My take: I think they are already basically slotted in the 8-10 range. Carolina Crown - A significant step up in overall quality from the corps before them (and from BK who came after them). The guard was absolutely fabulous! They certainly deserve to be scoring where they are (was a little surprised to see they lost guard to Cavies). The percussion is very solid this year (good job, Lee Beddis) which is nice to see as this caption has held them back some the past few years. Very nice brass sound! Very rich and full. I really liked their ensemble sound in several points of the show. I heard several comments around me on how great Crown's brassline sounded. Along with Bluecoats, Crown got one of the best crowd responses of the evening. Granted, "horses" is not exactly a deep theme, but the kids seem to be buying into it and they sell it very well and the audience is really buying into it. William Tell was very well done, I thought. Marching-wise, they have a fair amount of dirt from an individual technique standpoint (that seemed to be what attributed to a fall near the end of the closer). Again, great guard and good improvement from the percussion! I think Crown and SCV will be going back and forth for 6th/7th with each having a chance to jump up to 5th or so should someone falter. Blue Knights - They came in seeded 8th and finished 9th. I had them 10th personally. The brass seems to be playing a lot of notes, but none of it struck me as particularly challenging compared to some of the other brass lines. This show tome was somewhat like the Glassmen's "Gitano." It is a nice, safe show with not a whole lot of "wow." There just wasn't anything that after seeing the show, you told the person next to you "Boy, that was great when they ___________!" If you are going to do the high-stepping mark time for effect, each member needs to be interpreting the high-step the same. I do think their uniforms come across as slightly "BD-ish." I liked them better with the "dots." It was just more of a unique identity for them. I think Colts have a real shot to overtake BK down the stretch. BK is cleaner right now and may have more individual talent, but Colts just seemed to have more of an edge or a momentum about them. Again, just my opinion. SCV - It may just be me, but I thought SCV came out a little flat tonight. I like some of their design elements and the drill is excellent. It may not be quite up to par with '99 or some of their other exceptional programs over the years, but very good drill for SCV still puts them in the top echelon of the activity. The "Eureka!" was a fun moment for the ground and it got a good response. I thought they were cleaner from a visual standpoint than Crown was, but Crown is edging them out in the show accessibility area. Several nice moments, but like I said, the show just seemed a little flat. Except for the cymbal line! Holy cow are they intense and a blast to watch! It's a shame so much else is going on because I would enjoy just watching them the entire show. They really add a lot and at times are the spotlight (sometimes the drill and staging seem to even be set up that way). Final word, I really think SCV has more in the tank. They will be battling with Crown for 6th/7th, but I think they have it in them to step up and maybe reach a bit higher. Bluecoats - Talk about a group that seems excited about what they are doing! This corps is 100% behind their program and the crowd seemed right along with them. The new uniforms look great and may be the most striking in all of DCI. The uniforms are used very well, too, both with the front/back contrast and the different sleeve colors. The 'Coats have an attitude about them this year that makes them very easy to root for. The show is so well designed and was my favorite concept of the night. Their use of narration was tasteful and helped the show I thought. The silent drill section was very effective, although they have some dirt in the drill to clean there. I really thought they had one of the best brass sounds of the night (contras, oh my word!). When you think of best brass, they may not be the first corps that comes to mind, but they are so well-balanced. The guard is well integrated with the rest of the corps and propels the theme. Overall, a great show with a great concept. This vehicle has the potential to do some real damage (see them beating BD and Cavies recently) down the stretch. It will come down to cleaning and execution (the top 4 are a little ahead in these areas right now). Phantom - With apologies to Bluecoats and Cadets (and Crown and BD), absolutely the best brass sound of the night I thought. Phantom's brass is so deep and round it sounds like you are listening to a concert almost. Which is saying a lot, considering they never seem to stop moving! The percussion is just phenomenal. Some of the front ensemble stuff is just sick and the battery is right there with them. Very tasty writing paired with great execution. Now that I have raved about 2 captions, I think the guard is holding Phantom back a little. I saw the thread debating the "bird" uniforms where someone stated the uniforms weren't complete. That may be the case, finals is still a month away, but I will say this: at this same point last year, Phantom's guard was doing a much better job communicating the emotion and concept of the show. How much of that is concept (Faust was great!) vs. incomplete material vs. performance? Who knows. Also, I thought Firebird really lost some steam towards the conclusion - I think the intensity could be ramped up a bit there. I really want Phantom to finish strong and push for the title, but without something more to help get the crowd into the show (GE) it is going to be tough. Blue Devils - In some ways, this is classic BD. In your face brass, top shelf percussion w/ the battery doing some crazy drill, entertaining guard (maybe a tad below their usual standard, though). Above all, they are very, very clean. It's hard to believe they still have another whole month to polish. The show starts out hot with a fantastic opener that grabs you and holds you - very strong. After that, though, the show has a bit of a lull. I realize there needs to be some style/tempo changes throughout the show but that doesn't have to equate to a decrease in intensity. The conclusion of the show picks back up, but honestly I found myself wanting more at the ending. I realize there may be some changes in store so we will have to see. I do agree with some other posters than BD seems to be selling their program better than Phantom right now. Overall, I really feel like BD's cleanliness is what is putting them over the top. That may or may not be enough to keep them there. The Cadets - What a talented group of kids! They brass and percussion are both just excellent and rival those of anyone else. I think their brass section has reached new heights the past several years. I'm not quite sure why they are losing so much on guard right now. They aren't in Crown's territory in my opinion, but I think they are still top notch. It has been said many times, but it is impossible to discuss this show without addressing the narration. In general, I am indifferent re: narration but I don't care for it in this show. Narration should be used just as an element of the performance. It should not be the binding glue that holds the show concept together, in my opinion. Further, can you honestly expect to be taken seriously when referring to yourself as "athletes of God?" This show has the design and the kids definitely have the talent and performance to take it home @ Finals this year. I think for that to happen though, some of the narration has to be moved out of the way. My girlfriend's first comment re: them was "I really hope they don't win. They are so good but the narration is just too much. You don't go to drum corps to hear someone read chunks of an essay." The Cavaliers - Style, style and more style. The Cavies are so sharp and clean for this time in the season. They are a notch above everyone else drill wise, IMHO. I think the brass "roll and stand" move is a little overdone. Once you've seen it, you've seen it. It is a nice effect, but it became a little predictable. I am not a huge Billy Joel fan, so I really can't comment on that, although I did recognize Pressure. The drumline is smokin' as always (I think they slightly below Phantom and BD there). The front ensemble had some very nice features. Their brass comes across as top heavy and very "bright." I doubt the ending is fully installed right now as it wasn't a trademark Cavies flourish ending, the show just seemed to stop. I'll be shocked if it isn't beefed up by Finals. That said, I really think they are headed to a 3rd-5th place finish this year. They have style like no one else, but I'm not sure there is enough substance this time out. Time will tell. After 7 straight 1st/2nd place finishes, they may be due for a slight "down year" (for them, that is). Sorry for the length, but I just wanted to throw my ideas out there. It was a great night and I am really looking forward to the rest of the season. I think there is some real potential for some spots (and a title) to be earned by the corps that push hard and really step it up. Thanks for reading - any thoughts/comments are welcome!
  3. I freely admit my knowledge is only fairly recent (92 to current) but I think Madison '97 at the end of the Pirates of Lake Mendota show was the loudest I have ever heard at one moment. When I listen to that show on CD I actually have to remember to turn the volume down immediately after the show ends becuase the ovation is so loud. You can hear the cheering go on the last little bit of the show, but as soon as they finish the last note of the show, there is this erruption of sound from the crowd. The previous poster is right, though. That run Madison had from roughly '95-'97 had some great ovations throughout. Just my $.02.
  4. I'm sure this has been discussed ad nausem on here, but I am just curious as what some of the responses will be. I am not looking for the best show, or the greatest show, or anything along those lines. I am interested in just what is a favorite chart/song from a particular show... Personally, I love "Funny", the Madison closer from '92, the 2nd year they did music from City of Angels. It might not be on the level of Star (at the time) or Cavies or Cadets (current) or with many of the great BD corps over the years, but for me it's hard to beat that chart for excitement (music only, of course). Jmho ... Bash away!
  5. Does anyone know about a repeat of the quarterfinals broadcast? I read about it in an article on dci.org and it mentioned "a repeat broadcast." I wasn't sure if that meant a re-showing of this year's QF's or that it would be done again for next year's. I wasn't able to make this year's and if it is going to be re-shown I would love to try to get there. Thanks in advance.
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