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Get Your Scrant On


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I tried to get this started last night, but the website asked me to do something since I was at another place when I wrote, and I lost all the data. Take 2! :satisfied:

It seems that every year, PennDOT ensures that Die-81 from Harrisburg to Scranton is filled with Cattle Chutes, and there were some segments I drove like Han Solo making the Kessel Run. I get there at 7:05, and raiun starts pelting the windshield as I shut down the engine. I get out of the wagon, and an old friend's in the lot.

"Don't worry- you're on time. They've held the show back to let the rain pass. take your time."

Thank God. :satisfied:

I get to the concessions for a drink, and as usual, they were stacked up. It's the only downside to this show. They need 4 lines for the people, not two. They'd make a lot more money if they did, and I'm all for supporting them. :satisfied:

The semi-light rains stopped within 15-20 minutes, and Sky entered the field not long afterwards. It's a good thing DCA has their contests now at these artificial surface fields for this very reason. No one goes for a ride in a chuck-hole now and guard equipment isn't destroyed in a muddy morass.

They described Fran as a "Mets fan". From my experience as a "Long suffering Pirates fan", I figured they should have described Fran as a "Long-suffering Mets fan" as well. :satisfied:

Sky entered the field and there was a lot of local support in the stands for them, which is a good thing to have. Right now, the Low Brass needs to get a more focused sound to match the mid-upper voices.

The corps has absolutely no problem in projecting in an assertive way when they're still. They sound great! The big issue the corps needs to work on for Saturday are the three of four sections of the show where the tempo kicks in instantly and the drill is designed to have more velocity and to be explosive. Right now, there's some hesitancy and a lack of immediacy on those shifts, and if they can get those details solid, the show will be really exciting.

I do like the show a lot, I really appreciate even more after the second viewing how nicely the Lola theme weaves in and out of the show, too!

If Sky can dot the "i's" and cross the "t's" to a higher level, they can make some solid gains over the next two weekends.

C2 proved to be a bit enigmatic at Scranton. The big issue was how the keyboards interacted with both the brass anf front ensembles at times, especially on the string settings. It felt like they were covering up both sections at times, and that they were trying to act as a crutch and force their way into my ears. I spoke up for the brass at Downingtown, I will again. They are capable enough this season to stand on their own feet, and they need to back out the synth at several points of the presentation. Also the front ensemble is too talented and capable to really need that extra layer, especially since that layer's just doubling what they're already playing- if it was independent... it might be a reason.

They won Visual Ensemble and Guard, something no one would have ever imagined from last season. They have good style and pulse now. The depth and field spread of the drill at times is impressive. Their Bari soloist in Scheherazade was fantastic tonight. Quoting from my notes, the battery was "ridiculously good." The Bass Drum feature in Dance of the Tumblers" was an eye-poppin' moment, and one that I think should have been more appreciated.

There are some things to definitely clean in the brass. I dont care to do an execution tape on DCP, but they know what needs taken care of, and it's stuff that can be cleaned by Clifton with some work and effort, all easily attainable.

One thing that stuck out at the end with "Russian Sailor's Dance" was the imbalance between the battery and brass. The easy answer to this wouild be "oh... the drummers are too loud."

(1$ to Ream) Tweeet! 15 yard penalty for not thinking through what's actually going on here and taking the easy way out, try again...

The percussion's very musical, and setting the table, clearly holding back, and not cracking away like lunatics. The brass just needs to catch up with percussion, give some more volume and shape, and follow their example at that point. When this happens and they get the Electronics to be blended into the overall ensemble sound instead of grating against it, BOOM, ensemble number goes up!

Jeff Ream laid it out on another thread, and he's right. The gap they have isn't insurmountable. Much will depend on getting the ensemble number up. Much will depend on whether these hungry young performers and the hungry staff can stay frosty enough to stay focused and professional to hit all the buttons and fight at the top level. It'll be interesting and exciting to see how these young people at C2 meet the challenge. Been there. It's not easy. It's also one of the best things that can happen to you when it happens. At the end you'll have learned a lot about yourself no matter what happens at the end and be a better person for it. :satisfied:

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Bush was up next, and up to what looked like about 38 brass. The flying start went well, much cleaner then D-Town.

The big issue right now for Bush is this- consistency of quality. there are times where everything hits, locks up, is fantastic and explosive. Then, there are times where some details get tatty and loose. Just silly fluffs here and there. The problem is when you're really good, and the sound is fantastic and someone fluffs and gives away simple quality errors, the mistakes become glaring because of the contrast. That could hurt them, but the thing is- those fluffs are all easily repaired, and if everyone gets their heads on, they won't happen again.

Overall, a GOOD run. However, it may take a GREAT run to make finals. All I can tell the readers is this: Bush is fighting. HARD. Any competitor that figures that they have this corps covered or that they will beat themselves... would be foolish to think so. Let's see if they can shift to a new level at Clifton and how they relate to Sun and Hurcs at that show. (indirectly, how they relate to CV and Gold down South!)

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Next on, the White Sabres. I really wanted to see them again. I love their show/book, they played the heck out of it at D-Town,

The Bari solo in the beginning- FANTASTIC.

The Low brass in the Chance piece, YES! :wub:

In my notebook concerning WS' Brass section- "KILLER". :worthy::babies:

The Front ensemble in the sacrifice section- YES!

I even think the brass are playing some quarter-tones at one point, which gassed me. Some FINE musicianship.

Problems- some visual issues, yeah. It shows on the visual numbers. They can get that stuff fixed. Nothing major- but noticed is all.

Now, I feel the need to keep goin' to bat for this corps. Some DCP comments got my hackles up. If they get my hackles up, well others get honked too.

Look. I don't give a flip where anyone in this corps came from- if they came from another corps to WS. They could be coming from the Stinky Wizzelteeth VFW Post Zouave corps for all I care. From my observation, the core of the White Sabres are mostly people who have been there for the last 2-3 seasons or longer, thank you very much. It's taking away from what the organization has genuinely achieved over the past 5-7 seasons to just say, "Oh, they just got a bunch of people from another corps and that's why they're better now." Very shallow thinking and denigrating to the folks who have been there busting their tuckuses, and improving the corps as a whole.

No souvie stand at Scranton, and me with money burning a hole in my pocket to buy a WS T-Shirt...

Personally, I'm stoked to see this corps come to Clifton and throw down. It's a great music book, it's a smart and exciting show, it's extremely well-played. Just... have a XXL Tee ready for me, please? I'll bring the cash. :innocent:

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3 to go. Next, the Cabs and "Unchained".

I apologize for not getting a count. There's a LOT of them. Please take my word for it. :satisfied:

The new unis stirred up the soup early on, and I wanted to see them for myself. They're really different! In those discussions there was serious talk about how modern uniforms needed to be able to deal with the demands and challenges of modern drill, and it's obvious that's exactly what they're doing when I got a good look at them. At the distance from the box to the field, they do make the corps members look more athletic and strong as well. They're different, yeah, but I think it's a good kind of different. The same applies to this show. I'm seeing all of these chains draped over the corps members, the Drum Major chained to the Podium, WHOA! I knew this show wasn't going to be something you see every day. :satisfied:

The flying start is just the beginning of the really intense, exciting crazy that's "Unchained". The way things set up with the drill, the guard, and the rest of the corps really added to the drama, then the corps wound up, and POOM! WHOA! You realize this corps' got an incredible amount of sheer power that they know how to use and use very well.

The show's built around "Unchained Melody", which sneaks in and about the program, and it's an extremely high-energy and dynamic book.

The Front Ensemble is "Crazy-Articulate". Yes, they articulate very specifically and cleanly when they approach the bars with the mallets. You hear every note on their runs to a ridiculously clear level.

The brass has a very precise and tailored sound, and when they crank it, it sounds like Captain Nemo getting in touch with his wild and freaky side on the Nautilus' Organ. The Tubas are as fat and rich as they have been for the past three seasons when called on.

The battery feature when some of the members are suspended and chained makes for high drama, and is really exciting, the Battery's got a lot of energy, and this season, they've refined that energy to a fine point.

This show is extremely inspiring and exciting.

Two things, though, and the second definitely played a real part in the near-tie in scoring:

The trumpet soloists seemed a bit thin in one of the dramatic moments. I know those guys aren't normally like that, I don't expect that for Clifton. They're pros.

The big issue is this: It's a very solid and sensible visual book. It's really good. But... is it as strong as what the Bucs have, and for that matter as the scores broke down- C2's? More on that later when I discuss the Bucs and break it down.

As for the guard, I'm not a guard person, but I felt they may have been underrated. I felt they made some strong contributions to the story, added positively to the drama, and had a good run. I liked em'. But, again, I'm just some Baritone guy. :satisfied:

I said in my write-up at D-Town that another corps that projected a strong personality- one that wasn't just going through the motions and simply executing cleanly had a chance to take the fight to the Bucs. This corps obviously can do exactly that. Saturday will be a real test for the Cabs, one they should be looking forward to. If they can keep the heads on, stay cool enough not to blow up the stuff yet still project their passion for the program- it'll be interesting.

I think Fusion Core's (23 battery/14 FE/34(?) Guard/44 Brass/2DM been overlooked this year. This was going to be a demanding season for Fusion, and they went into it with their eyes wide open. At the upper levels of DCA, which they definitely are at now, they could have a far better program, perform it far better than 2014, and still drop in placement. They fully understood this going in. It's very tough at the top end of the activity.

Tell you what, folks, this is a quality program. From the really cool flying start, it's obvious this transcontinental train journey they take you on is a fine, fine show, placement, schmasement and it's performed well, too!

The start, the fanfare, it's obvious that Fusion's taken a large step in technicality and challenges within in the drill and brass, and I'd also believe percussion though I'm not as astute with those kinds of things. They had some problems with some of the sound effects, but the show holds up strongly without them.

Again as with the Cabs, I felt the guard was very talented, relaxed, and polished in their performance. Were they under-appreciated? To me, yes, but I can only tell you when a guard is really clean, sensible, and working to entertain and be exciting (as they were to me!), or if a Guard is really awful and clueless. This guard makes the work they do look effortless, and they're delightful to watch. I know what they do can't be easy... can it? :blink: I know if I tried that stuff, It would be good for serious comedy during break time for a corps. :innocent: The gold flags at the end make for a solid impact.

The brass section's is the largest the Core's fielded in their history, and when it plays deep harmonies, it's got a really lovely sound to it. The Mello feature as always with Fusion, really good.

The Front Ensemble is very good, quite subtle. The battery had some fuzz on the feature, but when they get that tight, it's going to be really cool and exciting to listen to and watch.

The drill is very good and elegantly written, but again- is it on the level of the Cabs', C2, or the Bucs? This may be the main issue that will hold them back this season.

In any event, is the corps better than 2014? YES. Noticeably better. Their placement at Finals may not indicate this- but those who know will understand this and appreciate how good Fusion is regardless.

Now for the Bucs:

The first thing I noticed is that I felt the Guard had a real fire lit under them at Scranton. I thought it showed, at least to me, and I appreciated that. Wow- I'm mentioning the guards a lot in this review. That's saying something. When a guard comes out and grabs my attention that much in a positive way, they have to be doing something right, don't they? :worthy: I do know they had some drops. I'm a more forgiving person about those. I pick up a guard utensil, I usually dropping it is the next thing that happens. It's like when I play a bad note on my Bari. It can happen. My guess is that they'll work that out of their systems and be fine.

I also thought the battery had a blisteringly good run that was effortless. They were 3rd- which is scary. Percussion's been a mainstay of the Bucs' dominance. Now, C2 and the Cabs have shown that this can't be taken for granted anymore by the Bucs. Now, we appear to have three really elite percussion ensembles going at it hammer and tongs. This really makes it interesting, to say the least.

Did they have that real vibe and personality as they had at D-Town? Not quite. They really need to have it. The score implies they'd better. The show's great, but again- the people in that corps and the vibe they send when they're locked into that show are what send it over the top and make the difference.

The one thing that I thought really kept them ahead at Scranton was this: Their Drill.

Visual people look at the cleanliness of the forms, the readability of the forms, how they logically transition from element to element, and whether they support what's happening musically. Do you see what you hear/hear what you see? This is where I think they held enough of an advantage to win the contest. Looking at the recap, they had some real chinks in their armor, but no single corps was able to exploit enough of them to win.

Clifton should be a fantastic contest. Everyone at it has something serious to prove. Someone to beat or stay ahead of, or at worst to keep the issue in serious doubt. To try and send a message to the judges and their opponents that they've got things covered, or even just that they'd better be seriously thought of as an Open Class Finalist, period.

The DCA Champion may well come down to who really comes off with that special personality and special performance at Finals. The corps that comes off as wanting the Championship more than the others. Right now it's what I see happening. We'll see if Clifton changes that thought on my mind.

Fistbump time!!!!

fistbump.png

Sky: The Upper and Mid-Brass.

C2: The Bari soloist in Scheherazade. Well done, very well done.... :worthy:

Sabres: The Bari soloist in Rite of Spring. :worthy:

Cabs: The Front Ensemble. Mind-blowing stuff.

Fusion: The Color Guard. For what it's worth, I though you guys were really cool.

Bucs: The Guard. I know they're not sitting down and taking it, they're putting up a *bleep* of a fight to compete.

410 AM. I said I;d be done by 5 AM, I am. :biggrin:

GOOD LUCK to everyone at Clifton, A wish for every competitor to stay healthy and to kick some you know what out there. Leave nothing behind on the field, huh? See you there!

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. . . . . and another thoughtful and thorough review from the BigW!

Always appreciated, wish others would take the time, too. I don't do Facebook, but from what I used to see there, this kind of content is missing, making DCP worth keeping around !

:worthy:

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. . . . . and another thoughtful and thorough review from the BigW!

Always appreciated, wish others would take the time, too. I don't do Facebook, but from what I used to see there, this kind of content is missing, making DCP worth keeping around !

:worthy:

I lurk on Westshore's FB page, long story. There are many people there I would love to get in touch with... but a couple I really do not want contacting me. From what I gather, much grousing takes place on FB. Even more than here. I've occasionally shot back at some of the chronic whingers towards the Scouts. :satisfied:

YouTube has its share of them too. "Oh this was when it was "REALLY DRUM CORPS!!!!!!!". I like Jim Fawber's answer to some of those people. "In 1979 when I was marchin', umm, 'scuse me, it was "REALLY DRUM CORPS!" then, and it still is last I looked..."

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