jjeffeory
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Posts posted by jjeffeory
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Now that the Legacy DVDs have been out for a while, what do you think DCI should do next?
My idea is as follows:
Release 13th - 25th (or 13th - 21st) place DVDs for all the years of DCI.
There have been some REALLY competitive years in DCI where they a few corps that just missed finals. One of the most competitive years was probably 1990. There were SO many great shows and corps in 13th-26th place. Imagine getting to see the performances of:
Blue Knights
(Chichester Psalms, Offertory (from Mass), I Go On (from Mass), Sanctus (from Bernstein's Mass), Agnus Dei (from Bernstein's Mass)
Freelancers
Main Title from Batman, Clown Attack (from Batman), The Penitent Mann Will Pass (from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), Into the Trap (from Return of the Jedi), The Keeper of the Grail (from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), Descent into Mystery (from Batman), Finale (from Batman)
Boston Crusaders b**bs
Coronation of Boris Gudonov, Captain from Castile, Conquest (from Captain from Castile)
Magic of Orlando b**bs
Walt Disney's Fantasia - Fantasia, Bach, Johann Sebastian, Night on Bald Mountain, Ave Maria
Troopers
Music for the Centennial of the State of Wyoming -
Glassmen
Suite for Jazz Orchestra, Threshold, In the Eighties, After All
Sky Ryders B)
Savannah River Holiday, Wonderful Town, Divertimento for Orchestra, Liberty Fanfare
Ventures b**bs
My Fair Ladies - On the Street Where You Live (from My Fair Lady), The Rain in Spain (from My Fair Lady), Show Me (from My Fair Lady), I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face (from My Fair Lady), I Could Have Danced All Night (from My Fair Lady)
L'Insolite
Quand ca Balance, I Will Wait for You, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Paris Violin
Academie Musicale
Liberty Fanfare, Fourth Symphony, Slavonic Dances, Young Sherlock Holmes
Colts :)
Santorini, Ludwig, On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss, Farandole
Marauders ^0^
Selections from Batman, Symphony No. 2
Black Gold
Rodeo
I know we all have our favorite years.
Most of the shows from the mentioned year were/are REALLY awesome. Academie had the best small hornline in DCI history. 12th – 15th place flipped around from Qtrs to Semis. Those corps were equally good in my mind. They all had great shows as well.
I could go on….
My second idea is to do the same for APDs. Why should we only get to buy the top 12 corps APDs of previous years?
DCI should definitely work towards addressing any copyright issues. I know there are recording and video available because 800 video-express used to sell the videos for DCI.
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Baton Rouge, LA
Wearing my jacket.
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Just got back from Indy, not gonna do a full review but here are a few quick impressions
Spirit Not a fan of the Broadway theme but they do a great job with it. Near the end of their show the brass pull off the black cheveron thingy(?) on the front of their uniforms to reveal day glo green underneath. I was told they hadn't done that before.
Glassmen Very enjoyable show although the "attitude" from the guard is a bit annoying.
Blue Knights Well performed but not really that exciting, don't think they will catch Vanguard.
Santa Clara Vanguard Much better than I was expecting could catch 1 or 2 of the corps ahead of them The guard uniform for the men was very classy (women's wasn't bad either)
Boston Crusaders Easily my favorite show from the Crusaders. never been a big fan of theirs but I like this show. Holy Marching Wedgies! whose idea was it to put the guard in tight pink pants.
Carolina Crown Great show all around. Is that a bit of Rutter's Gloria in the opening? don't think I heard any one mention it before, caught be by surprise. I like it.
Bluecoats Love this show but I was distracted by the dropped mute. I think I missed half the show watching to see if someone would pick it up. My loss.
Madison Scouts No doubt about it Scouts are back in the top 5 don't think Bluecoats will pass them but Madison could pass Blue Devils. Carmen was not nearly as distracting as I thought she would be. Great Job. (no soft ending)
Blue Devils It just isn't there for the Devils this year. The brass scores are correct. Show just isn't going to get the job done. Nothing really jumps out this year. Not bad by any strech of the imagination but they are going to struggle to stay in the top 5 I think.
Phantom Regiment WOW I knew I was going to like this show It exceeded my every expectation. The "guest performer" was incredible. The humor from the corps was perfect as was the use of the umbrellas thoughout the show. Plus THEY HAVE DRILL!
Cavaliers Incredible performance from the Cavaliers. The baseball section is great but is way to short. I think what is hurting them in ge is that they are so clean that parts of the show seem sterile It's like watching machines. Love the show.
Cadets Concratulations on a well earned Victory. Thought I would like this show and maybe after a few viewings I will. I miss the old days when the Cadets just did music without all the gimmicks. The performace levels for this corps are so high that they don't need them. Much rather see them innovate by pushing the perfomance levels of what is being done than by pushing rule changes. I would love to see them(and nobody but them) bring back Appalacian(sp?) Spring. No theme no props no gimmicks just music and marching.
I would have placed them
1 Cavaliers
2 Cadets
3 Phantom Regiment
4 Madison Scouts
5 BlueCoats
6 Blue Devils
7 Carolina Crown
8 Santa Clara Vanguard
9 Boston Crusaders
10 Glassmen
11 Blue Knights
12 Spirit
No review for me either, but I agree with your placements EXACTLY tonight. I've seen BD's show 4 times this year and it just isn't as clean as their previous efforts for this time of year. Lots of individual music errors, music ensemble errors, and quite a few visual errors as well. I'm getting tired of the "cut an paste arranging" arranging that they have made popular. They've had SO many shows that I've loved in the past. I wish corps would go back to playing complete musical thoughts. Sorry to offend, but I think this year's show sounds kind of like the past 4 years. I also don't like the "Yowsa" stuff through out the show. I want to like them, but it's just not there this year. Last year's design was superior enough to make me "okay" with the cut and paste music. This year's design ain't there yet. Maybe they'll do some last minute redesigns that will help.
The REALLY hot corps are definately Bluecoats, Madison, and Phantom. There's NO way that Cavies and Cadets are 4 points above them. Bluecoats just need to clean the drill more and they be up there! Madison has a pretty rocking show ( loud ending in Indy ). Phantom's show is "sublime"...
Cadets were very entertaing tonight, and it's nice to see a refreshing show. I've seen them 3 times, and they really are pulling this show off! KUDOS to you.
My boys in Cavies are definately machines. The drill was almost flawless! There's a little something missing in the show, but I'm sure they will spruce up the ending and other parts of the show even more in the next couple of weeks. I hate to admit it, but their show is one that also sounds a little too familiar. I really love it, but it reminds me of Spin Cycle. I have faith that the staff and members will pull some tastey things out of their hats! They know how to make changes very well.
Also, I really think SCV should be beating Boston. I've seen SCV 5 times this year and they have improved SO much! The difference between tonight in Indy and last week in San Antonio is GREAT. Good job SCV!
Anyway, my two cents
BTW...
Spirit was good, but I would like to hear less cut and paste music, and MORE of the Broadway tunes. Nice drill!
Glassmen: Good show for them that has improved a bunch in a week. I prefer PR 89, but this version is growing on me.
BK: Great show! Great drill!!! Great marching style. It looks like you're pulling of that prep step of thingy better this year than any other. Music sounds a little too much like things from the past few years from you, but that's okay. I like Trittico snippets and all that.
Boston: It's ok.
Carolina: Love the hornline. Nice sound. Like everything but the ballad. Add some more color to the uniform! I like the uni, but it needs something more.
SCV: Thanks for improving a bunch. I love the WHOLE show. The drill is getting MUCH better....
CAO!
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1990 Academie Musicale OMG, small and good. Lots of notes.
1990 Freelancers, AWSOME charts, and marching french horn (bugles)!!!!
1990 Blue Knights....
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Freelancers 1990 - Batman
Man this show was great. I kept hoping they would make finals with it.
14th place I think...
Blue Knights 1990 - Berstein's Mass
Here's another show that really should have been in finals. The brass book was incredible.
13th place ( should have been higher)
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Thanks for the review. It's nice to hear about a division II/III show. I'm really curious about Blue Stars, as I hope they go division I as well. They have so much history.
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Thanks for the review. I hope to read another of your reviews after tonight's shows!
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Nice to see Seattle move in front of Capitol Regiment. I thought they should have been in front of them in San Antonio Saturday, and certainly not 2.5 points behind. Judges must be waking up. Visual program, brass & drill are in a different league from Capitol Regiment (and I like both shows).
Harvey
Nice to see that one panel of judges agrees with you. :P You know, 2.5 points is not that much of a difference. Since I was there, I think I can comment. Seattle had a really GOOD night in Baton Rouge. Capital had an off night... That being said, I really feel that the "visual program, brass & drill" are at least in the same league between the two corps. I realize that Capital is more esoteric than the Cascades, but somehow I'm getting the impression that you generally just don't like Capital. Personally, I like both shows. Both corps have TOP designers writing their shows this year. I think it's nice for the judges to call it as they see it. Maybe that's what's been going on...
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does anyone have anything to say about teal?
Teal sound came out with a much improved corps over the last couple of years. I really liked the teal uniforms. They really fit the corps name. This year Teal sounds is playing "Delusions: The music of Dream Theatre". This show is designed really well, and the members are doing a great job with it right now. I've only seen the show once, so I don't remember much detail. I just remember thinking how much these guys and gals have improved over the last couple of years. With the talent level and show sophistication, look for them in division II/III finals this year! :)
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One of the highlights of the year for me is always the hometown show in Dallas. The weather cooperated last night, and while warm, was at least dry, with a decent breeze. This stadium is perfect for a drum corps show, with a steep pitch and lots of rows on the homeside. You are also right on top of the corps/field, with no track and little space. The field is the newer astro/filed turf, and looks great. The only disappointments were these: This is the smallest/weakest lineup for the Dallas show that I can ever remember. The crowd is always huge here, and DCI should take more care to always invest in the line-up. Also, with only 6 corps, was a 35 minute intermission really necessary? I think not. Finally, they desperately need to put numbers on the seats, as they have all worn off. Chaos ensued on numerous occassions as people competed for what they thought were their seats while fighting off the blobs of band students (lots of big groups at this show).
Now, on to the performances:
Troopers -- the corps has really taken a step up design wise this year, with great musical arrangements ( Go Chuck!!! ). Performance wise, they are young, and working to grow into this program. I've heard lots of emphasis on the "plan" in Casper. If they can execute, and keep those kids coming back, Troop will again be a force to be reckoned with. This year, the show is an emotional highlight, if not a performance one, and will be special in Denver.
Southwind -- Kudos for coming up with a very accessible, entertainging show. There is still a ton of dirt in this show, both visually and musically, so it will be interesting to see how much they can clean. The vehicle is there to make a run at Semis, but the execution is not yet. The corps really sounds out of whack towards the end of the closer. Both out of gas and out of sync. But very enjoyable over all!
Capitol Regiment -- Those who have made a sport out of speculating that Cap-Reg is a dark horse for finals this year are premature, in my opinion. This is not a finalist caliber show, and the guard is certainly not finalist-caliber. I'm quite surprised by how much of a step the corps has taken backwards in color guard after having a fairly large, and impressive guard last summer. The horn book also has little to no continuity to it. The pieces just seem to not fit together at all, and in many places is not very pleasant or accesible to listen to. However, the next moment, they are in a mode of something very pleasing & effective. The kids are obviously talented and deserved a better book/program. There are definitely pluses, too though with the corps. The horn line marches very well for early July, and puts out a strong ensemble sound. There are some highlights in the show, too. But no corps made me wonder when their show would end tonight except for this one. It seemed like they were on for 30 minutes - a product of a show that does not flow well together.
Magic of Orlando -- It is obvious this corps is very, very young. The show is written above their heads, like they had the talent & experience of the performers they had in their 2 outstanding previous years. The guard is the strong point for the corps, and they do command almost all attention during this show, due to lack of execution by all others. The corps obviously really, really, really misses Gino. The brass sound put out is harsh, weak and inconsistent most of the time. This is not the Magic of the last 2 years that absolutely floored me. However, I am so thankful they were able to get their bingo up & come out this year. I hope they are buidling a much more sustainable model for long term success and providing an enjoyable experience for their kids, and thus motivating them to come back. The show design itself is quite good, and entertaining. They can go as far as they can clean - which is a huge question. They look like this should be their first early June show of the year, but we are bearing down on mid-July.
Bluecoats -- BLOOOOOO! With 50 some kids from Texas, they are definitely becoming a favorite down here, and they've got a great product to involve the crowd this year. Musically, the first half of the show is not as strong as the 2nd. The show really connects musically starting with the wonderful ballad. The guard is probably going to end up being their best ever. The first 1/2 of the show, the guard is really cooking. The only really downer for the guard came in the ballad. When the corps hits the big points of the ballad where the guard is spreading the field and doing ensemble work, they have obvious cleaning work to do to get their execution their up to the rest of the show. When they do, the ballad, which the brass plays beautifully, will have a ton of impact. The best Bluecoats show design, in my opinion, since the tango show in 2001. This corps looks like a solid bet to fight it out with Crown & maybe Boston for 8th/7th. Plenty of dirt to still work on cleaning in the drill, too, so lots of room to grow.
Cavaliers -- I enjoy this Cavalier show - and particularly appreciate the fact that the Cavies actually give us some volume this year, for the first time since 2000. The show is fun, and it oozes 007 from every angle. The music, while fun, seems shallow and overly repetitive, though. The Havana section is a lot of fun. The much bally-hoed closer was quite a disappointment though, in that the last 20 seconds still go flat & leave the crowd unsure if they are done. I'm sure they aren't "done" finishing the show though. I just cant see this show in top 3. The drill is very demanding & fast, but not nearly as GE laden as Cavaliers are when they are at their best. I think Regiment will beat Cavaliers in all the Music captions by year end, and might just challenge them for 4th when all is said and done. This is definitely not a championship caliber show. I bet that SCV beats them by a point on Saturday in San Antonio. One other observation on Cavaliers - while the flags all have neat Bond refereneces, I think they are so detailed, most will be lost or hard to make out from the 3rd deck in Denver. They also feel a bit cheesy.
Looking forward to the bigger show in San Antonio on Saturday and seeing some West Coast corps for the first time this season.
Wow, we really differ in opinions. Cavies is the show to beat. Capital Regiment's design is at a high level, but their execution is not quite there yet. Just my two cents.
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I am a new Magic Mom reading all the reviews. Many talk about visuals, time changes, finances, etc. However, the Magic have all the components in place for a show that place them. What Matt and others fail to recognize is an unknown AND unmeasurable wildcard factor called HEART. HEART is what got the US Hockey team to beat Russia back in the 80's when no one thought they had a shot. This whole organization has heart. Everyone is committed, Jim Russo, the Board, the staff, and even the volunteers have done whatever it takes to make Magic a reality this year. As a new member of the Magic family, I am honored to know these young people and have a healthy respect for what they are working toward accomplishing as part of each and everyone of their own personal goals. They deserve the right to have people not disrespect them (or any other corps for that matter). At this level, there is room for everyone without having to step on anyone to get there. I wish all the corps a great season and times to remember for the rest of your lives.
MagicMom
I'm confused. What did Matt say wrong? I was there and pretty much agree with his assessment. Also, their staff knows it's an uphill battle from what I heard from them on Saturday ( They were sitting one row behind me talking about how things went). I don't think anyone has said anything horrible wrong about Magic in this thread. So why so defensive? Just curious...
BTW, I pretty much agree with Matt's review. I'd like to add that I really enjoyed Crown's use of amplification ( despite being uneasy at the idea of EVERYONE doing that ). I really didn't enjoy Boston's use of narration, however. It just didn't work for me. Oh well, they're executing... Good job Boston.... Oh, and about the Kiwanis DM uni.... The whole corps used to look like that, Matt.
No need for my combined Louisville/Memphis review now. Your review ROCKED!
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You forgot Capital Regiment ( I had to )
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There was no intermission. They played straight through, but a good review!
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Just got back to Louisiana after a whirlwind trip to Louisville on Saturday, and South Haven, MS ( Memphis ) on Sunday. I might try to add some comments on the show later, but I just wanted to say, " Good job Music City Legend! ". The 3 mellos were particularily strong. And the drum major was excellent. Must rest now...
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No offense, but you kept using the word "they're" incorrectly.
"They're" is a contraction, two words rolled into on. They are...
"Their" is posessive. "Their show this night was flat." "not much I can say but I did enjoy their show".... This is the use you wanted.
Then there is: "there". As in Let's go over "there". Thanks for the review and all. It's okay to rip on people and be disappointed and all of that. Afterall it is your money. At least do it with decent grammar. It makes you look more intelligent and more credible... :)
Off to Louisville.... Yes, I'm going "they're"... ^0^
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You don't need to make the reviews shorter, we like all the gory details and opinions. Even if we don't agree! Great review!
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Spirit's had a bent-leg style of marching for a while now.
That would be called a "bicycle-step". And it has been the Cavalier's step of choice for a pretty long time now. :)
I always thought it was more fun to march than the straight legged approach, especially when marching backwards. Then again, there are several different styles you can use when marching backwards.
Jeffeory
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Thanks for all the reviews. I'm really interested in Revolution and Capital Regiment, from what I've read Blue Stars sound interesting too. I wish they'd sell videos of the division II/III quarterfinals, semi finals, and finals performances, instead of *just* finals. I guess I should say, I wish they'd record the last performance of each of these corps and sell them in ONE package. It would be nice for those of us not going, AND it would preserve some of our drumcorps heritage....
Jeffeory
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Great review Brent! Wow, you're bringing tears to my eyes. Thanks for the review! Maybe I'll see you in Murfreesboro!
Jeffeory
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What a great review! Thank you for sharing!
Jeffeory
More Product Ideas for DCI
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
Posted · Edited by jjeffeory
*edited because of brain farts!
Yes I have. This was a while back, before even the Legacy DVDs. My response from DCI was that they were looking into offer 'something' in the future, however, they needed to resolve copyright issues and such... Now I know what that something was! As I said before, 800 Video-Express used to sell semi-finals VHS tapes. I'm sure DCI has all the masters around now. Also, remember when you could get an instant VHS of your corps after you performed? You could get a VHS performance of all the Open Class ( Div I ) corps.
I think I'll try again. Good suggestion!
Jeff