Popular Post drumcorpsfever Posted July 19, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted July 19, 2017 (edited) One thing that is ABUNDANTLY clear: As Crown heads toward yet another trophy for brass (their 6th), and another medal, this corps continues to amaze me for how they continue to be in the run. Year after year, after year. They just do it. Think about it: FIVE brass titles. One GOLD, THREE SILVERS, BRONZE, Visual, Musical, and Guard champs (wrestled away the Guard Trophy from BD last year - first time after EIGHT CONSECUTIVE titles by BD). Watching Crown last night - even through the lousy audio from FLO, it was apparent that Crown played like they were on their own level. Brass balance was incredible. No heavy synth needed to back them up. No distracting cracks, fracs, or voices sticking out from the ensemble. Lush, smooth, velvety sound. BEAUTIFUL! Matt Harloff and his brass team is the best there is in DCI. For all the discussion that BD gets for instruction, Crown just continues to win the Ott regularly. They know how to instruct these kids up to a higher level, and they just go about their business. Percussion - I've been pretty close to this corps for the past few years and have chuckled more than a few times about the prevailing , "eh, Crown percussion..." Folks, Crown percussion has been on a steady rise since '13. Don't look now, but they are a Sanford contender! Guard - Concern about a down year from this group? Nope. Not happening! Drill - All Crown did in the off season was add a Hall of Fame Drill Designer to the team. Drill and visual is impeccable! Michael Klesch. His work, again, FABUOUS! All in all, this Crown instructional team proves once again (ho-hum) why they are the best in the business. Pound for pound, no one gets more out of a corps than they do. No matter where Crown finishes this year, 2017 is a success! -Just another year for Carolina Crown!!! CONGRATS ALL!!! Edited July 19, 2017 by drumcorpsfever 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newseditor44 Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 5 minutes ago, drumcorpsfever said: One thing that is ABUNDANTLY clear: As Crown heads toward yet another trophy for brass (their 6th), and another medal, this corps continues to amaze me for how they continue to be in the run. Year after year, after year. They just do it. Think about it: FIVE brass titles. One GOLD, THREE SILVERS, BROZE, Visual, Musical, and Guard champs (wrestled away the Guard Trophy from BD last year - first time after EIGHT CONSECUTIVE titles by BD). Watching Crown last night - even through the lousy audio from FLO, it was apparent that Crown played like they were on their own level. Brass balance was incredible. No heavy synth needed to back them up. No distracting cracks, fracs, or voices sticking out from the ensemble. Lush, smooth, velvety sound. BEAUTIFUL! Matt Harloff and his brass team is the best there is in DCI. For all the discussion that BD gets for instruction, Crown just continues to win the Ott regularly. They know how to instruct these kids up to a higher level, and they just go about their business. Percussion - I've been pretty close to this corps for the past few years and have chuckled more than a few times about the prevailing , "eh, Crown percussion..." Folks, Crown percussion has been on a steady rise since '13. Don't look now, but they are a Sanford contender! Guard - Concern about a down year from this group? Nope. Not happening! Drill - All Crown did in the off season was add a Hall of Fame Drill Designer to the team. Drill and visual is impeccable! Michael Klesch. His work, again, FABUOUS! All in all, this Crown instructional team proves once again (ho-hum) why they are the best in the business. Pound for pound, no one gets more out of a corps than they do. No matter where Crown finishes this year, 2017 is a success! -Just another year for Carolina Crown!!! CONGRATS ALL!!! I love the enthusiasm and agree with everything brass and percussion. I do have some concerns about the guard. We lost too many vets and with a new staff that unit is taking its lumps. Still a top six unit, but could be the reason Crown doesn't win this season. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumcorpsfever Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Just now, Newseditor44 said: I love the enthusiasm and agree with everything brass and percussion. I do have some concerns about the guard. We lost too many vets and with a new staff that unit is taking its lumps. Still a top six unit, but could be the reason Crown doesn't win this season. Understood. But when you consider the level the guard has been the last 2 years, wow. Still, in my heart of hearts, guard should have won in '15. That guard, in some ways, presented themselves even more superior than last year. And, of course, Crown guard in '16 finally eclipsed BD for the trophy. If this year's edition is anywhere near where it has been the last 2 years - while doing it with an new guard staff and so many new members, I'm happy with that. And, from what I can see, they've already accomplished this. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lameisrob Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 I hope this is this is the year Crown's percussion sheds their 'meh' status. Judges need some fresh water. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumcorpsfever Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 On 7/6/2017 at 8:03 PM, Hrothgar15 said: Good read here on which vocals have been removed. It's weird in that it nixes several bars of the actual melody. Something that wouldn't have needed to happen if this were, say, a mellophone solo... On the Crown percussion "thing", I could never get tired of watching the percussion play in this video. No matter how you spell it, there is no "meh" in Crown Percussion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKSuperman Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 9 hours ago, DrumManTx said: I am pretty sure I heard brass coming out of the speakers in that opening statement and they do have a series of mics spaced out across the front sideline. Might have been something else but that's really what it sounded like to me. Brass patch in the synth. They're not using mics. Noticed it at the NKY rehearsal. One of the synth guys played a chord during a water break and it was brass. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanceengland Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Whew, I just watched the Broken Arrow show on a website. I have noticed many improvements to the show. They really are doing what Crown does so well; keep refining, polishing, and cleaning. I have seen many versions of the show from the premier to last night and it still had many "Wow!" moments for me. The vocal delivery has improved and many liens omitted in both the ballad and closer to give the brass more time to shine. I am very interested in the final version of the end of the closer. I wish there were a way they could "snap back" all the crooked field lines when Crown hits after the "I KNOW YOU!". Would be an amazing effect, though not sure how they could pull it off. The guard had a "Wow!" moment from me during the drum break in the closer. Down the line rifle tosses while going over and under a pole. I'm a drummer, I don't know how to describe it ;) By the way, I didn't see a football helmet tarp. Someone mentioned that on the show thread. Where did I miss it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKSuperman Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 (edited) 36 minutes ago, lanceengland said: Whew, I just watched the Broken Arrow show on a website. I have noticed many improvements to the show. They really are doing what Crown does so well; keep refining, polishing, and cleaning. I have seen many versions of the show from the premier to last night and it still had many "Wow!" moments for me. The vocal delivery has improved and many liens omitted in both the ballad and closer to give the brass more time to shine. I am very interested in the final version of the end of the closer. I wish there were a way they could "snap back" all the crooked field lines when Crown hits after the "I KNOW YOU!". Would be an amazing effect, though not sure how they could pull it off. The guard had a "Wow!" moment from me during the drum break in the closer. Down the line rifle tosses while going over and under a pole. I'm a drummer, I don't know how to describe it ;) By the way, I didn't see a football helmet tarp. Someone mentioned that on the show thread. Where did I miss it? That guard moment is in the opener. Lol. Tarp is back side 2. Wanting to say on the 30 (?). And they could have the guard or corps members stand over the 2X4s and snap them back with their feet. It'd be pretty easy to do. Good effect too. Edited July 19, 2017 by UKSuperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTNK Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 5 hours ago, drumcorpsfever said: One thing that is ABUNDANTLY clear: As Crown heads toward yet another trophy for brass (their 6th), and another medal, this corps continues to amaze me for how they continue to be in the run. Year after year, after year. They just do it. Think about it: FIVE brass titles. One GOLD, THREE SILVERS, BRONZE, Visual, Musical, and Guard champs (wrestled away the Guard Trophy from BD last year - first time after EIGHT CONSECUTIVE titles by BD). Watching Crown last night - even through the lousy audio from FLO, it was apparent that Crown played like they were on their own level. Brass balance was incredible. No heavy synth needed to back them up. No distracting cracks, fracs, or voices sticking out from the ensemble. Lush, smooth, velvety sound. BEAUTIFUL! Matt Harloff and his brass team is the best there is in DCI. For all the discussion that BD gets for instruction, Crown just continues to win the Ott regularly. They know how to instruct these kids up to a higher level, and they just go about their business. Percussion - I've been pretty close to this corps for the past few years and have chuckled more than a few times about the prevailing , "eh, Crown percussion..." Folks, Crown percussion has been on a steady rise since '13. Don't look now, but they are a Sanford contender! Guard - Concern about a down year from this group? Nope. Not happening! Drill - All Crown did in the off season was add a Hall of Fame Drill Designer to the team. Drill and visual is impeccable! Michael Klesch. His work, again, FABUOUS! All in all, this Crown instructional team proves once again (ho-hum) why they are the best in the business. Pound for pound, no one gets more out of a corps than they do. No matter where Crown finishes this year, 2017 is a success! -Just another year for Carolina Crown!!! CONGRATS ALL!! Seriously. Reminds me of Christopher Walken in the legendary Blue Oyster Cult SNL skit -- "I put on my pants one leg at a time just like you. Except... then I go out and make gold records!" The medals and title and caption wins--remember, that's just since 2009. Crown put the drum corps world on notice in 2007. In the 11 seasons since, there hasn't been one show where you can convincingly say "this show wasn't well constructed and/or performed." I guess 2011 and 2014 were "down years" but they were still very good and entertaining as hell. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iCanHazDcp Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 As far as the guard staff goes, I want to give a shout out to both the organisation and the new staff for handling this transition. The heart of the former staff has been there since 2003 (I should know since I marched the beginning years of Doodoo's reign) and for that to change last year, was a hard pill to swallow. Transitions will always be rough especially after coming right after a well-deserved caption win, and expectations to stay at that same level with a new staff is a nearly impossible feat With that said: I think it was a great solution for the organisation to hire Joey as the caption supervisor. - Having a talented person who was a student of Michael creates an evolution of the Crown guard aesthetic, while creating adding a new perspective. - Having a young and talented person take over is a risk, but if successful, I hope Joey stays and continues to rebuild the program with his already unique writing. It's time for the next generation of Townsends, Sages, Shaprios, Chandlers! - Is the guard rougher this year compared to past seasons? Yes, but man are they flying in drill and spinning an incredibly difficult book. Hats off to the team for going all out in a transition year. I love that you guys aren't losing the heart of what makes Crown guard so special - taking lots of risks. Anyway, I know the guard has been a major talking point on this forum in a mostly negative sense, so I just wanted to say that the new staff are doing a great job for the first year and once the marching members get comfortable with the crazy drill and new style I hope they clean clean clean! They are already vastly improved since the preview, now they just have to add that Crown confidence to the performance. Karma cap and we're all rooting for you Crown Guard! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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