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corpsreps

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  1. Fan Network subscribers who purchased the live finals feed get the rebate. My wife purchased watched (rather attempt to watch) the live final feed and we got the email. Check your spam folders. Even if you didn't get the email, you can still fill out the rebate form. The deadline is tomorrow. Rebate Form
  2. Excellent review. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
  3. Excellent review. Thanks for taking the time to put that together. I did figure out that the Headless Horseman is on the flags in Legend's show, so perhaps an actual appearance we deemed unnecessary and probably harder to pull off.
  4. Gold - I saw Gold early in the season and very much enjoyed the show then. I was really looking forward to seeing the integration of the members from China and the improvements in the program. I was not disappointed - in fact this exceeded my expectations. Aided by a quality guard, the Chinese acrobats really brought home the East Meets West theme. Major goose bumps at several points in the show. High energy. Tons of fun. The original music by Scott Director very enjoyable and really enhanced the visual presentation. 7th Regiment - the show Luminous starts on Side 1 and moves across the field, moving from night to day. The corps makes full use of the field. Great equipment work, especially the rifles and the ensemble flag work at the end when the yellow flags make a big statement. The show starts and ends with pointing skyward where we find the lights. Very enjoyable show. Spartans - Always a favorite of mine, the 2013 show "Live Free" begins with chains and the guard partially covered in black over their face and various parts of their costume. Over the course of the show, the chains are gone and the black disappears. The reprise of Swan Lake at the end has a hopeful feel and left me feeling happy about the show. The show also included music from The Matrix and a piece by Philip Glass entitled Naqoyqatsi, Music City - My second viewing of this show found them to have made a lot of progress in performance quality and attention to detail. The corps brings a big sound and their "Postcards from Havana" show provides opportunity for a lot of individual expression (which I love). I found the guard to be very exciting and took note that this was the most expressive pit thus far in the show - I love an expressive pit, especially when I'm seated in the center, row 2. Genesis - The 2013 production "mOZaic" makes heavy use of music from various Wizard of Oz shows, along with other songs by Pink Floyd, The Doors, Dead Mau5, and Skrillex. Despite the other music, this is a great Wizard of Oz show - complete with Tin Man and Flying Monkey visual references. Musically and visually intense, this corps belongs in the Top 3 of Open Class. The show was very well designed, featuring some big emotional moments, including a nice company front, Vanguard Cadets - I saw this show early in the season and thought it had championship potential. "The Art of War" includes a Key Poulan original for the opener and closes with Hut of Baba Yaga from Pictures at an Exhibition. From the time they take the field, there is a sense of purpose. Early season they were on at the beginning of the shows, so it was nice to see them under the lights. At one point the whole guard (35 or so I think) was on rifles which was a great effect. Toward the end they do a huge company front stretching between the 10s. Blue Devils B - I saw this show several times in June. It is nothing like what I remembered. They have added so much visually from the drum heads, to several large arches, to tarps on the field, to uniform changes. I though the battery and pit were both excellent. I loved the soloist who gets "trapped" in a square created by the arches. He tries to bust out and then finally realizes he need to open the door and just steps out.
  5. Open Class Prelims is my favorite show of the year. For most of the corps, this is my first viewing. For those I have seen before, it has been several weeks and they are much improved. I enjoyed all the programs presented and was impressed by the quality of all the corps this year. While it is a shame that there are so few corps left, the ones that were there put on a great show. My focus was taking pictures, but I did take some notes so that I can provide some impressions of each group. Racine Scouts - The corps presented their 2013 production "From the Ashes" featuring Firebird Suite. The challenging music was enjoyable to hear. At one point the brass took up rifles to supplement the small guard. The show has come a long way in just the few weeks since my first viewing in Minneapolis. Well done and congratulations on making the top 12. Blue Saints - This small corps always finds a way to entertain. The 2013 production "A Canadian Journey" provides a celebratory feel as the corps makes use of picture frames to highlight the guard and musicians. I was impressed by the big sound the 10 person brass line could acheive. The small guard contributed visually beyond their numbers through well staged work and picture frames. At one point the battery adds visually through some nice flag work. Nice work by the trumpet and baritone soloists at the beginning of the show. Les Stentors - The corps is celebrating their 25th season and paying tribute to songs from past shows. Puzzle pieces announce the year for each of the songs and then are placed in a frame at the back. The show ends with the puzzle turned around to reveal a big 25. The highlight for me was the bass drum feature where the guard was tossing rifles all over the place. I think the percussion judge was taken by surprise as a rifle went sailing over his head. Taipei Yuehfu - Competing in the International Division, Taipei Yuehfu presented their 2013 production "The Butterfly Lovers" which is a Chinese legend of a tragic love story of a pair of lovers. It is often regarded as the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet. After the man dies, the woman throws herself into the grave. Their spirits are reborn as butterflies. Beautiful guard costumes and a great visual presentation all around. Colt Cadets - The Red theme certain fit the corps well. The opener from Carmen included a string bass prop. The young trumpet soloist really got the crowd excited as he leaned back and hit his high note. The pit had a lot of fun and the young synth player displayed a confident presence not often found even in World Class. Raiders - The Edgar Allan Poe poem The Raven formed the basis for their 2013 production "The Raven: A Descent Into Madness!" The reading of the poem continues throughout the production adding to the dramatic effect of the original music. The show has come a long way in the month since my last viewing. This show was packed with emotion. Loved the guard work. Legends - The corps presented the story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in their show entitled "Icabod." Recorded narration at the beginning helps set the stage and explain the production. Beautiful guard costumes, well staged show, and a wide range of emotions made for an enjoyable show. Following their successful 2012 (The Edmund Fitzgerald) show, the classic American storytelling genre really suits the corps well.
  6. Buyer backed out, so I have two seats for Semi Finals available. Section 139, Row 13, Seats 19-20. The seats are on the aisle. I'll be sitting in these seats for Prelims as I have since 2010. Face value $75 each. Email me at chris@corpsreps.com I can deliver the tickets tonight at West Chester or this weekend at Allentown. Or next Wednesday afternoon or evening near the stadium.
  7. I just discovered I have more tickets than I remembered ordering. So I have two extra tickets for both nights at Allentown available. Section I, Row 16, Seats 9-10. Face value $40/ticket. As I am not sure what time I will get to Allentown on Friday due to unpredictable traffic on the Turnpike, I would prefer local exchange of the tickets at West Chester tonight. Email me at chris@corpsreps.com I will be on the field at West Chester tonight taking pictures, so I will be easy to find there. I'll have the tickets with me.
  8. The tickets in Section 139 have been sold. The Section 540 seats for Thursday and Friday are still available.
  9. I have the following tickets for finals week for sale. Message me here or email chris@corpsreps.com if interested in any of the tickets. Prelims (Thursday): Section 540,Row 2, Seats 22 and 23. Face value $55 each. This is a nice intimate two row section. Seats are right on the aisle so it is really easy to get in and out for a bathroom or food break. This is where I'll be sitting on Saturday. Semis (Friday): Section 540,Row 2, Seats 22 and 23. Face value $55 each. This is a nice intimate two row section. Seats are right on the aisle. This is where I'll be sitting on Saturday. Semis (Friday): Section 139, Row 13, Seats 19 and 2. Face value $75 each. Seats right on the aisle closest to the 50. I'll be sitting here on Thursday. Finals (Saturday: Section 139, Row 13, Seats 19 and 2. Face value $125 each. Seats right on the aisle closest to the 50. I'll be sitting here on Thursday. Here is the view from Section 540 Row 2 Here is the view from Section 139, Row 13
  10. Great post. Thanks for your inside perspective. Sure there were some performance issues with the balance, but on the whole this was a positive thing for our mostly invisible activity and certainly a great moment for those middle school kids. Just think about what they got to experience that evening - not only the opportunity to play with a celebrity but to watch the top 12 drum corps in the world. I'm glad Shaun has found our little activity and hope that he continues his enthusiastic crusade for music education.
  11. I ran into four Teal members heading to Cascades at the Philadelphia Airport the Friday after their tour ended. I was very impressed with how positive they remained. No complaining about what happened, didn't blame anyone. They just wanted to be on the field and were grateful to the corps that was giving them that chance. I ran into two of them outside the stadium in Indy during Finals week. They remembered me and said that they had a great summer and planned to march next year. Bravo to all the corps who took in these kids.
  12. I second the idea of a separate front ensemble judge. There is way too much happening there which you can't possibly evaluate when you are on the field. My main concern with the percussion judge on the field is you cannot evaluate the whole percussion section and clearly from the judge's typical position, the snare line is the primary driver of the score, with bass and tenors only when featured and the pit only when the battery takes a break.
  13. There are more pictures from Open Class prelims on the corpsreps Facebook page and website.
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