Keith Laubhan
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Posts posted by Keith Laubhan
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It is overused. Its a great way to hide players too.
I'm not sure I understand... how so?
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I'll be enjoying Quaterfinals in theatres, then flying out Saturday morning for Finals. All said, I'll be gone less than 24 hours on the whirlwind trip.
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I'm digging Vanguard's echo of their late 90's uniforms (though I hate their DM uniforms), I like Crossmen's addition of capes, and Blue Knight's white plumes have grown on me. My overall favorite uniforms are still Mandarins, Colts, and Bluecoats. Pac Crest has the most improved uniform from last year.
As for things I'm not digging, I think Madison's new sashes are frumpy looking, even though I like the overall idea of adding some red to the jackets. I think Boston took a minor step down, as did Phantom, and I think Glassmen have a hot mess on their hands after the classy uniforms they've had since the late 90s.
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Blue Knights' is "I Go On" from Bernstein's Mass.
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DCI's just testing the market. Hard for me to fault them for that. Either they're going to sell those seats out and have the prices justified, or they're going to scare away enough fans and leave some money on the table. If it's the latter, they'll have to re-adjust their strategy, and the market will probably normalize.
Something tells me they found those seats selling out incredibly fast, and believe that they can make more money off of them next year. I'd rather spend less money for those seats, but if I was in DCI's postition, I can't say I'd do anything different. They're charging a premium price for a premium product. What company with preservation on the mind doesn't do that?
As for me, I'll have to give it some thought. Part of my decision will be based off of my experience this year, and whether or not I can justify that kind of coin to get the very best seats in the house or not.
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A shofar is a bell-front brass instrument so...yes!
Now I just need to know where to find those shofars in G. Those were always louder, you know.
Haha!
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I think this show is just further proof that you can never accurately compare scores show-to-show. There's just too many variables.
I think about the best you can hope for is looking at spreads, and even that is an inexact science.
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My apologies if this has already been asked, but is it just the Top 6?
Nope... I believe it's the the last 15 corps of QF, with glimpses of the other 7 corps.
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An alpenhorn would certainly seem more fitting, but regardless, I think it's a pretty cool color. Kinda digging the pop bottles in the pit, too.
Cavies have been pretty good at bringing some interesting colors and timbres to the field throughout the years.
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Oh, and I'll be at the Colorado Mills theatre in Lakewood. I've actually never been to the live theatre event. I'm always either at championships or on my way the night of QF, where this year I'll only be going out for Finals night. I'm looking forward to checking it out!
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It's not. It's going to be RECORDED in HD, but the show will still be in standard definition. There won't be any blu-rays for Finals, either.
Which begs the question... WHY BOTHER?
I can check with the tech guys here at work (I work for the company that does Fathom Events), but I believe it IS being broadcasted in HD.
Even if it's not, the bother is certainly for archival purposes. In a few years, whether it's Blu-ray, digital downloads, or something else, DCI and its fans will certainly be happy that they started to record in HD, and will probably wish that they had started doing it earlier.
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Jeez, can you image fans of any other genre of music telling each other that what they like sucks or they're wrong for liking/not liking it.
Sadly, yes... It happens all the time, if not more so than it does here. I think it's especially common in rock and hip-hop.
At least here, the vast majority of us here can find common ground on the skill and hard work of the performers, because most of us have been members before. That is a double-edged sword, though. A lot of us think we're "experts" on the activity, when reality, even having marched, that's not the case.
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" Blast " was essentially a wonderful recreation by the Star staff of mostly trraditional music and visuals. Not all.... but certainly MOST.
" Blast " had ( and STILL has ) " Melaquena "........ " Simple Gifts " ( which coincidentally has once again catapulted SC Vanguard ahead both in placement and appeal with audiences )...... " Bolero"......." Land of Make Believe "....... and " Medea "..... and other audience accessible pieces. It incorporated the Phantom Regiment 70's cross over leg move...... and the Bridgemen blindfold percussion playing..... and on and on....... it was essentially a theatre brass, guard, and percussion show that was Drum Corps 70's and 80's Drum Corps and a show steeped in that TRADITION.
and it's STILL on tour and wooing audiences .Amazing huh ?
So, is your point is that DCI corps should keep pulling these moments out the linen closet year after year?
I think it's great that Blast! found popularity with a mainstream audience with these classic pieces of drum corps repertoire, and I think it's a great formula for building a buzz with first-time viewers and reviewers, but I know that I wouldn't dig seeing these every year as a drum corps fan.
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Got something against SCV?
Ooops... not at all. They're one of my favs! Add them to my list.
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I'm okay with the show that has the best overall package, both in what they're doing as well as how well they're doing it, winning. Every year. No exceptions.
Certainly there are corps that I root for to win more than others, Phantom being among them, but this year I don't believe their show, as currently constituted, is even in the top 5. It's not that I don't like it, am not impressed with it, or that I'm not rooting for them, but I guess I would have to say "no" because I don't believe their product is as good as Blue Devils, Cavies, Cadets, Crown, Bluecoats, Blue Stars, or Boston. I find it more entertaining than a couple of those shows, sure, but not more necessarily deserving of a win.
That said, if they were to perform it with perfect execution and engaged the audience as well as could be expected, I would be more than okay seeing them leap-frog all but a few of those groups this year.
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Might the answer be more economical rather than entertainment driven? What did it cost to take the whole family to a show in 1968 vs 2008 (and clearly considering adjustments for inflation)? What did it cost to hold a show then compared to now? Maybe the entertainment value has decreased but has it been the biggest factor or does the cost factor drive the fewer number of shows and the lower resulting attendence?
Not to mention the higher multitude of entertainment options and more competition for publicity...
I'm not saying that new drum corps is better than old drum corps, or the inverse of that, either. I think all eras of any art or sport have their merits. I'm just contesting the premise the new drum corps aren't entertaining, and that the corps have driven off scads of people with their programming choices.
I also question the "good old days" arguments. I believe that in 30 years, there are going to be people my age making the same claims as some of you in this thread, about how much better things were "back in my day," because frankly, that just how things seem to work. People often look fondly at only the good things in their youth, and I'm sure that in a few decades, there will be people that discount the corps of being unable to match the intensity of 99 SCV, the crowd-appeal of 08 Regiment, or touch the visual creativity of 02 Cavies... Things change, and for many, change from what got them passionate about the activity is bad as opposed to different.
Whatevs- this is a tired argument, and I've said my piece. The "dinosaurs" will continue hate on the new stuff, the "young punks" will continue to champion the current, and a quiet majority of us in the middle will just continue to enjoy, appreciate, and support this wonderful activity as it changes and evolves.
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The statements of Mr. mobrien were “Much higher profile” and “Moving in a net positive direction” for “drum corps”. The statements “Much higher profile” and “Moving in a net positive direction” for “drum corps and high school marching band” are not the same.
So it's not possible for drum corps to move in a "net positive direction" with fewer corps? I'll agree on the higher profile point, at least within the general populous, but I don't think quantity of corps is necessarily a telling metric for the overall direction of drum corps.
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Re attendance, I've been to three shows this year in stadiums that seated 3,000 to 6,000 people, and in each case, concert side was packed. They ARE filling small stadiums.
Yeah, the one small show I went to, Windsor, CO, was packed to the gills, that that's a show in its first year, one hour from a huge and well established show.
Oh, and Invesco Field's was pretty full the next night, too.
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For anyone who wants to play the "fewer drum corps now" card, I'll continue to play the "total number of competitive marching musicians" card... jus' sayin'. Competitive high school marching bands have taken the place of the smaller community drum corps, for better or for worse, but there are more kids now learning the lessons that this and similar activities can offer. To me, that's the important part.
I guess my point is that a fewer quantity of drum corps isn't necessarily indicative of the death, or even the decline of the activity. Just a shift to a different model.
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Feh. I started marching in the mid-70s, and I can tell you that if any of the older guys who were instructing then tried putting on their 8-track of the '66 Holy Crusader Cadets from Anytown East Coast, USA, most of us would walk quickly and quietly in the opposite direction.
There were a few arrangers who knew what they were doing, but there wasn't much in the way of professionalism. The presentations generally had two flavors - loud and more loud - and intonation was considered a luxury for almost everyone. Bass drums literally played quarter notes. Split among the 3 guys in the line. The drill was comprised of 20 or 30 sets, marched at 132 bpm when the members were really hauling a__.
No offense to those who marched just ahead of me or during my time, but there's not much we were doing in the old shows that today's members couldn't learn in an afternoon. On their water break.
So is the talent better? Yes. The instruction? Yes. Are the shows more complex? Yes. Do they rely on music other than popular music of the day and pop standards from the 40s and 50s? Thank God, yes (but hey BD's got that retro thing going on). Does that mean that some folks aren't gonna be into it? Yes.
But guess what; the vast majority of America was paying attention to drum corps 30 and 40 years ago either (and it was considered downright disreputable by most serious musicians). Considering what's being achieved now and the much higher profile it has over anytime in the past, it would seem to be moving in a net positive direction. If that's not enough for some folks, there are always old recordings and the Legacy series DVDs.
Excellent post.
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No group of amateurs marching around twirling things and tooting on theings on a football field have ever done anything "esoteric."
Oh that word.
es⋅o⋅ter⋅ic
understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest
Couldn't one argue that the entirety of the drum corps activity is esoteric? :)
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Give 'em a couple shots at figuring out the camera cuts... it's incredibly hard to direct any live event, especially one like drum corps.
Something tells me they'll be on their game for the Quarterfinals theatre broadcast.
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In 2215, it will all be direct mind-interface VR experience.
And patriotic shows will be all the rage, following the second galactic war.
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What the kids do, and adults in DCA is amazing. I marched for years, it's hard work and awarding. It's the people running or ruining drum corps is the problem I have. Drum Corp the art form, well you stop entertaining people without corp knowledge, you have lost your cause. When I was performing for several years in night clubs, we tried a few over the top, great musical numbers that were fantastic. Thing is the crowd didn't, so we gave them what they wanted and we enjoyed it.
For an activity that you supposedly have so much reverence for, you should really stop misspelling it...
Why IS it there?
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
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I guess I'm not sure the point you're raising... are you suggesting that there is a single corps that doesn't consider the audience in its productions?
Sure, there are some that don't hit the mark, and sure, some are trying to evoke something different out of the audience than pure glee, but I would be surprised if audience reaction didn't matter to any of the corps or their designers.