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All time shows: Phantom Regiment


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39 minutes ago, ftwdrummer said:

I can provide some insight on this one from one of my HS band directors, who marched the show--the drill writer got meningitis and had to leave early, so everything after that was cobbled together.

Oh wow - that's a pretty good excuse, I'd think!

Mike

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11 hours ago, DrumManTx said:

2007 - Yes, Firebird is awesome but I really connect with the front half of the shows minimalist nature, Vespertine Formations and 1000 Airplanes on the Roof REALLY fit into what I enjoy and they really did those justice.  

2005 - I read a lot about how people were pretty shocked that they picked this rep. and I can see how but man.  It worked.  SO WELL.  Just 12 minutes of fantastic music and drill.  

I totally agree!  The first half of the '07 show is brilliant - minimalist and driving.  Then it pivots to more conventional and, while not bad, doesn't have quite the same oomph.  And '05 - holy cow that show is awesome.  Lighthearted Regment shouldn't work, especially with clichéd pieces, but man they managed to make delicious lemonade from some pretty old lemons!

Mike

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1996- Loved the show, and the interplay between the brass and percussion

2016- May not be a popular choice, but because of a former student aging out that year, this gets a nod from me

1993- One of the best 3rd place shows ever

2007- On Air was an underrated in my opinion

2012- Turandot was done very well on the field

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1 hour ago, MikeN said:

I've been waiting for this one!  Seeing the broadcast in '89 is what introduced me to drum corps, and Regiment hooked me immediately.

Favorites

Spartacus (2008) - I give this one the edge over Defiant Heart because of the story.  Defiant Heart generated its GE through music, Spartacus did perhaps the best job ever in DCI in adapting an honest-to-goodness narrative story into a 12 minute show.  Past that, the music was incredibly sophisticated - being honest, the brass book was much more technically demanding than Phantom typically does - and they pulled it off with a bang.  This year was my first and only live Finals weekend, and one thing that stood out was how they kept cranking the tempos up ever so slightly each show.  On the last night it felt like they must be on the edge of it just falling apart, but it never even came close.  And yes, the crowd reaction on video - it was that crazy live. 

Defiant Heart (1996 2006) - One of the more unconventional - but most effective - music books they've ever done.  Not many corps are brave enough to start with the ballad (such as it was), but the payoff was well worth it.  The poles in the drum feature were awesome live (less so on video), and of course the closer brought the house down.  Not much else I can say about it - just brilliant.  And the black on black was a masterstroke.

Harmonic Journey (2003) - yes, yes, yes, Libera's Sanctus and the reprise.  But the rest of the show is mega-awesome, too.  They managed to make some pretty complex modern pieces work with a very traditional-sounding ballad.  Musically, this show had a little bit of everything, and it totally should have been a blueprint for what they could have done moving forward.  Honestly, if they're looking for inspiration now, they could do worse than maybe watching this show again.

1989 - scores were <a bit> inflated that Finals, and I don't think it was actually a 98.4, but Phantom did a brilliant job of adapting a pretty lengthy work, with a lot of great melodies, into a fighting-trim package.  I don't care what Jeff Ream says, the drum riff in the ballad was fine.  The corps had a very mature, very dark sound, and some amazing drill moves in there as well.  All in all, it felt like a group comfortably at the top of their game. 

Phantom Voices (1991) - Not the cleanest show ever, but one of my favorites because it wears its heart on its sleeve.  No needing to deconstruct what they're going for - it's pretty much front and center.  Absolutely brilliant musical choices that all fit together nicely, and I would love to see them figuratively let their hair down like they did with Pagliacci, which is still one of my all time favorite charts.  Their second stab at Bacchanale was much tighter, and the battery much improved from the year before.  All in call, it's "classic" Phantom, and if you had to show a new fan one show that represents all that Phantom Regiment is, this one wouldn't be a bad choice!

 

Not-so-favorites

Songs from the Eternal City (1998) - After the title in '96 and such a strong brass program in '97, this show kind of felt like falling off a cliff.  It was a musical and visual mess.  I blame the staff - there was an obvious lack of clarity as to what they were going for here.

The Red Violin (2009) - I get what they were going for, but it didn't connect.  The story wasn't as interesting, and the music was... well... boring.  And the new uniform jackets were awful.

Swan Lake (2014) - Felt like another corps trying to program like Phantom Regiment.  And the uniforms... yeah.

Phantasm (2017) - I'm not sure where this one came from, but they should have put it back.  The voiceovers added nothing, and distracted greatly, and for all of the years waiting on Finlandia to appear in a show, they sure didn't do much with it. 

 

Mike

sorry, 24th row 48 yard line it was Ugly with 8 capital U's

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2 hours ago, ftwdrummer said:

I can provide some insight on this one from one of my HS band directors, who marched the show--the drill writer got meningitis and had to leave early, so everything after that was cobbled together.

But they also restaged different parts of the show several different times. It was cobbled. Then re-cobbled. I'm not sure that show would've ever amounted to much, but it's a great example of re-doing so much content that there's no time left to clean.

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1993. This year is why I'm a drum corps fan. And this show is why I've always been a Regiment fan. Very different pieces of music arranged to fit together perfectly, and oozing GE that DEMANDED three standing Os (something they haven't had in a while).

1996. My first drum corps show to see live was in Tulsa that summer, though rain forced Regiment indoors - still incredible. Visual minimalism that wouldn't be competitive today and was even pretty different back then, but it worked so well.

2005. Freaking toe tapper, with some "aren't they too stiff?" jam. First year with Jamey Thompson and Adam Sage, with greatly improved performances in brass and percussion. 

2007. Great concept, especially visually. As others have said, I wish they would've gone with a different closer, but still a great show.

For the fifth show, several stand out to me for different reasons: 1995, 2006, 2010

 

Dishonorable mention: 2016. Couldn't be more disappointed for an anniversary year.

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22 minutes ago, kdaddy said:

1993. This year is why I'm a drum corps fan. And this show is why I've always been a Regiment fan. Very different pieces of music arranged to fit together perfectly, and oozing GE that DEMANDED three standing Os (something they haven't had in a while).

1996. My first drum corps show to see live was in Tulsa that summer, though rain forced Regiment indoors - still incredible. Visual minimalism that wouldn't be competitive today and was even pretty different back then, but it worked so well.

2005. Freaking toe tapper, with some "aren't they too stiff?" jam. First year with Jamey Thompson and Adam Sage, with greatly improved performances in brass and percussion. 

2007. Great concept, especially visually. As others have said, I wish they would've gone with a different closer, but still a great show.

For the fifth show, several stand out to me for different reasons: 1995, 2006, 2010

 

Dishonorable mention: 2016. Couldn't be more disappointed for an anniversary year.

Our lists are exactly the same.  

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Phantom used to have the best music in the game imo.

Favorites

1996 A Defiant Heart: My favorite show in all of drumcorps. 

2006 Faust

1989 From The New World... Into A New Age

2008 Spartacus

2011 Juliet

Honorable Mentions

1991 Phantom Voices, 2007 On Air, , 2012 Turandot, 2003 Harmonic Journey, 2005 Rhapsody

Least Favorites

2016 Voice of Promise

2014 Swan Lake

Pretty much everything post-2012 really

 

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89.  New World Symphony.  I still think it should have won. Particularly because I think 1988 was a better Phantom of the Opera show for SCV.

 

96. Defiant Heart. Such an amazing musical show.

91. Phantom Voices - Nessun Dorma.  Amazing.  

06 Faust - 07 On Air.  Without these, they'd probably not be in position to strike the gold with Spartacus.

08 Spartacus.  - ok it has to be here, but it just seemed a bit oversold to me in the end.  

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2 hours ago, Narrow said:

1989 From The New World... Into A New Age

Kudos for using the full title.

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