Brief Scranton Review

[Skylinersop16]

Let me first say that I don't normally write reviews so pardon me if this seems like a rough draft.

When I arrived at the stadium it was 75 degrees and clear. Clouds stayed away all night and temps got cool.

Show started in typical fashion. Fran was announcing (took me a minute to locate him on the track because he was wearing a red polo shirt ) and called the honor guards front and center for opening ceremonies. Legion honor guard was in the middle and everybody else (minus Cadets 2) was surrounding. They called for the pledge of allegiance and the National Anthem started playing by mistake (recording) so they did that first and the pledge afterward. Crowd got confused and wasn't sure if it was okay to sit down until the guards started leaving.

Bridgemen:

Bayonne came out first to a very warm reception as it was their first time in the Scranton show. Very entertaining as usual. Interactive show that the crowd really seemed to enjoy.

Cadets 2:

My first time seeing a Cadets corps in over 10 years since I don't go to DCI anymore. It was cool seeing them take the field and seeing those uniforms in person again. Right from the beginning of the show the visual problems were apparent. Lots of members on the wrong foot (and yes I am aware they lead with the right) the backup technique was very hard to decipher. Some were trying to roll backwards at a fast tempo others were on their toes. Horn angles need work also. There was also several instances of stumbling by members that I noticed during some of the more difficult drill moves. I absolutely could not hear the horns in the opener over the pit. Musically things seemed to balance out after the opener. Drumline is very good to me (from a horn player perspective) and I was happy that they cadenced off the field instead of just a tap like I expected. Overall after seeing Fusion, I really believe Cadets should've come in 6th.

Fusion:

Overall I thought their show was very entertaining. It was a more in your face show which I enjoyed and it has a good storyline. I wish there was a little something more to tell the story though. Drumline is kinda week but not bad by any means. I thought the hornline was great. There are some hard parts in the show and they seemed to execute them very well. Visually they were more consistent technique wise than Cadets. That combined with what was IMO a better horn book led me to believe they should've been 5th.

Caballeros:

Hawthorne took the field in grand style as I come to expect. Arms swinging high to their famous street beat. Their opening set was a vertical line. There were a lot of comments coming from behind me about how people liked that they were starting in an "old style formation." I agree. To be perfectly honest, I watched YouTube videos of every show that was posted this season and I just cannot get into this opener. I thought I would like it better in person. The very first soprano (trumpet I mean) solo sounds like it doesn't fit in there. Alegria just seemed flat to me. Knowing the Cirque show and actually writing a corps chart of it myself, I know that it is a soft song and the battery is just cranking away throughout most of it. Feels out of place. The other issue I noticed with this corps only was the massive colorguard. There were points where they distracted me quite a bit. For instance the first hit in the opener. They all have these huge umbrellas opened and I just wanted them to move so I could see the corps. (For the record, no, I am not against colorguards. I am a winterguard director as well.) After the opener I really began to like the show. The music was entertaining and visually the corps is much improved on last season. They deserved 2nd. I feel they should've scored a little closer to Bucs though.

Buccaneers:

Reading is more or less what I expected. I will be honest, I have always supported the Buccaneers but never really cared to watch them. I appreciate what they have done and how far they came but as a general, their shows really never grab me. Tonight was different. Absolutely loved 1812 Overture. The corps was very clean and there really isn't a whole lot to say about them. I enjoyed the uniform switch as well. That is pretty much all I had to say about Reading. They are really good and deserved 1st place.

Empire Statesmen:

I am always a fan of the wall of sound that Empires bugles bring to the field. Very entertaining selections and overall a solid corps. I always expect to see Statesmen as a contender so it was no surprise that they put out a quality product. For the night I would say that they told their show story the best. A City Called Sin was the title and it was a Vegas show. They had the props and backdrops to set the tone and played tunes you would've heard if you were in Vegas. I agree with their placement in 4th and hope that they have the push for the top 3 in Finals but I'm pretty sure it will not happen this year when you figure in Bucs, MBI, and Cabs.

Hurricanes:

A disclaimer about the Hurricanes. Somewhere behind the stadium at this point, fireworks began to go off. There were a lot of children around me and they were more interested in that and very vocal about it so I didn't pay as much attention as I would've liked to to the show. I don't blame the children. Who doesn't like watching fireworks? There are a couple noteworthy points that I took away from Hurcs. I liked the 27th Lancer musical cues sprinkled in there. And whatever this issue was with the guard and the Union Jack flag, I don't get it. They used those flags at the end of the show and they spun them. They ended with them straight up. Never hit the ground. Hurcs were a solid 3rd.

Park City Pride:

Smaller than I remember. Couldn't really pay attention to them. Corps members that were watching were leaving for retreat and everyone that only wanted to see the competition corps was leaving. It took pretty much their whole performance for people in the stands to settle back in. Very distracting.

Caballeros Alumni:

Perfect way to end the show. Right from the beginning Hawthorne was spot on. I will admit I spent a lot of time following soprano #8 in line because that was the spot I was supposed to march before I ran out of money. I really enjoy seeing them. Jim Russo seemed a little low key like he wasn't feeling well. In fact after the performance he began to troop the stands behind the guard and stopped. I looked back at the corps lining up and when I brought my attention back up front he had vanished and didn't come out for retreat. I hope he is doing okay.

Retreat:

Full Olympic style retreat. Cabs Alumni played them out to the street beat and Cherry Pink. All corps played themselves off tonight which is always one of my favorite parts of the show. Hawthorne Alumni left first playing their opener "Espiritu Del Toro."

Next was Fusion. They played their opener as well. I wouldn't have. The opener was a slow tempo so they got done and the bass tap started at 120bpm and the feet were all over for a bit.

Cadets were next. Not sure what they played but it sounded great and they looked good in parade formation. My 2nd favorite play off.

Empire came out next playing Elk's Parade. Being a former Skyliner I have a soft spot for that tune.

Next was my favorite. Always. Hurricanes contra line marching up into Hang Em High. One of my favorite drum corps songs ever.

Caballeros were the next to leave. Not sure what part of the show they were playing but I didn't agree with it. I felt terrible for the honor guard who was trying to keep up with the tempo but couldn't and the colorguard who just gave up and picked their own tempo. Would've much rather heard Flamenco Cha Cha.

Buccaneers finished the night off. Sounded good, looked good, a great last impression.

There you have it. My take on the evening. Keep in mind this was my perspective only and you may not agree with it.

[JoeDz]

Concise

Objective (when SUBjective, properly disclaimed)

I especially noted that foot problems and lulls in action were noted

Didn't give away any copyright secrets.....

Didn't BASH anyone

A VERY GOOD "brief" review

Thank you, Harry

Joe

[elphaba01]

"Rough Draft":

Looked pretty polished to me. Thanks so much for taking the time to write it.

Also thanks for the reviews of the three Alumni corps. We enjoyed each one immensly.

Our best wishes to Jimmy Russo and his family.

Elphaba

WWW

[BigW]

Good stuff.

[Fran Haring]

Good review, Harry... to the point!!!

I agree with you on the fireworks.... they were a distraction, even from field level.

Weather all day was nearly ideal... 70s, low humidity during the day for the corps' rehearsals, then cooling down at night.

I say "nearly ideal" because it seemed that right about the time when the two alumni corps performed at the end of the show, the temperature went from cool to downright chilly. I'm sure that is not a result of those corps' performances... ... but just Mother Nature at work.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Fran Haring

[CabsMelloGirl]

Thanks for the review! The Alumni tends to get left out frequently and we always appreciate what our fans have to say about our shows.

Just a quick correction. We actually played Cachita to play the corps' back on the field. Cherry Pink unfortunately is not in our repertoire this year, and the last time we played it was in Plymouth in November in dedication to Ralph Silverband.

I believe I was told the C2 played the Back to the Future theme coming off of the field (this was from my husband, who was standing in line with Cabs competing corps, as I was already off the field with the Alumni).

[Skylinersop16]

Just a quick correction. We actually played Cachita to play the corps' back on the field. Cherry Pink unfortunately is not in our repertoire this year, and the last time we played it was in Plymouth in November in dedication to Ralph Silverband.

I should've known that actually. When they sent me music Cachita was in there. Thanks for the correction!

[Jeff Ream]

good stuff