Sideways

I'll try and keep this short and simple. Don't know if it was just the location of the microphones or performace issues, but almost every group up to and including Blue Knights at moments where the trumpets/sopranos sounded thin and strident. Not too mention performance issues with hearing feet through the horns in the more exposed and soft dynamic sections. That was my biggest beef with the entire evening. Priceless moment of the night: The Cadets school girls not being able to explain their own characters and show!! I was hoping to see someone from Cavies ask Jessica Allen if she had become a Bond girl yet!! Now on to a brief review: Mandarins - larger than I ever remember them. I like the uniforms but they tend to muddle feet and forms. Equally solid in all captions and they continue to improve each year. First third of the show seemed safe and timid with lots of intonation issue in the hornline. The performance got considerably stronger and more confidant as the show progressed. Seattle Cascades - Zero of that narration was necessary and could have done with less emphasis on the props. Drill design seemed to be the major issue with this group, though the ending was nicely done. Like the guard outfits. Capital Regiment - The sundial made a lot more sense now than it did in Toledo. The show is still over-written for the talent level of the corps. Agressive brass and percussion. Should be strengths in the future. Drill for the last quarter of the show was excellent but filthy. They could use a couple more weeks of cleaning. Liked the overall package. Crossmen - Like the music book and the performance level is great musically and visually. There legs are straighter than Cadets now. Performance level, no matter how great, doesn't mean much when content is not there however. By far the simplest drill book of the evening. The girlfriend dug all the oldies music and the guard outfits!! Note to trumpet soloist: That note was quite a bit out of tune... Colts - For the most part I really liked this show. The Landworkers really seemed out of place with the rest of the music though. Captions seems solid enough across the board. Much meatier content than Bones but very loose performance tonight. The girlfriend loved Till There Was You, ending of the song seemed forced though. Tighthen things up and you will have 13th to yourself. Too much ground to cover to catch Spirit. Spirit - The last couple years this corps seems to be bristling with talent and the shows seemed very conservative. My cousin, a theatre geek, was along for the evening and could name every single tune. Arrangements were well done and did not mind dozens of melodies mixed together. Worked well for this group. Wishing You Were Here Again was a high light and brought goosebumps. There is something holding this group back and I can't quite put my finger on it. They just need to cut loose. Glassmen - A lot of people around me did not like this rendition of New World. I loved this show, but then again I like Robert W. Smith arrangements. Solid and fun all the way around. Should catch Blue Knights. SCV - Years like this happen. Go back to the uniforms you used in the late 90s, tilt the snares, and get ######. It worked for you before. Won't even comment on the drill Felt they were underscored by maybe a point. Blue Knights - Absolutely beautiful color guard. Miss the dots. Distinctive marching style, but it distracts from the rest of the show and flat out annoyed me. They execute it well enough, but I just can't help but think it adds unneccesary dirt to the show. The jam session felt a little tight and forced, but nice to see the Knights exploring different genres. Nice job. Boston - What a beautiful show. Solid all the way around. They are sticking to what works for them. Obvious step up from everyone beneath them but not enough meat to hang with the big boys. I loved Sing, Sang, Sung but it almost did not fit this show. Another group I thought that was underscored by about a point. Deserved to beat Crown tonight. Crown - This hornline is going to be one to watch in the future. Strongest guard at this point in the show. Overall a better show than BAC but too many performance errors tonight. Lots of leaning into step offs, a couple of missed halts, and one attack in hornline that was just brutal. Several forms just did not hit either. These moments were in stark contrast to what I saw from the rest of the show . Deserved to lose to BAC tonight. Throw down a good one they be ahead by about a point. Bluecoats - Some them in Toledo and they "blue" me away. Best Coats ever. Fast, intense performance that never stops. Beautiful guard work, but there content is just a notch below the big boys. Brass and drums can throw down with the best. Beautiful drill but still enough dirt to keep them in the six spot. Whoever is cleaner, BC or Scouts, on finals will end up in fifth. Madison - Welcome back boys and gal. Best show since '99 by far. Smokin hornline and problem the best drums to come from this group. Carmen, a hottie and she knows it. Where the #### did this guard come from. WOW!!! Great trumpet features!! About the same level of visual dirt as Coats. I feel they are about the same GE-wise and musically, so who ever marches the best show and finals will get the 5 spot. Neither group has the vehicle or talent to catch Devs. Blue Devils - Not your typical show from Devs. It is far from my favorite, but it is not nearly as bad as others have been saying. Cheesy yes, but the narator sounded professional and was completely in character for the era being portrayed. I only lost interest musically in the second of Riffs. Outstanding marching and amazing guard, should say dance troupe. A lot of uncharacteristic dirt from the horns and drums though. Performance level is way to high to drop below 4th. Phantom - Best from them since '96. Best total package of the night. Not sure what is holding back the GE numbers. Is it not enough content compared to Cavies, and Cadets? Could easily end up in second at finals. Maybe a 15% chance of catching the Cadets down the home stretch, unless they can capture that lightning in a bottle like they did in '96. Cavies - It's finals week. Time to unleash the hounds. I know the hornline has more power than they are letting out. It's now or never boys and you are going to need it to keep Phantom at bay. I really enjoyed this show more than the past several years from Cavies. 4 of the last 5 ain't shaby. Have a little more fun with it, throw down and you might make it 5 of 6. Cadets - It is your's for the taken. Huge point spread going into semis and I thought the last minute or so last night was a little rough performance wise and came across flat. The look on the performers faces is enough to tell you that they are in the "ZONE." If they do what they know how to do gold goes to Maroon & Gold in 2005.

In Walled Lake there was a gasp and silence followed by a good dose of booing. It would have been mutiny had that score stood.

True it might not be fair to the kids but I do not think I would be alone in this venture. Giving DCI a rough broadcast would also hurt them in the pocket books as well. I would have no problem doing that.

The day woodwinds set foot on the field I will boo and hiss. Very loudly. And I will make sure to go to finals and do the same.

What makes you think it would last long enough to get into the desk drawer to begin with?

Glassmen '01 a contra player comes in a full beat before the rest of the hornline right after a percussion break. Good, confident, sound though. Phantom '98 the block of contras coming in from back left corner of the field (Pines of Appian Way, I think) marching halftime. One contra stumbles and almost falls. Looks really odd considering how controlled the rest of the move was. Someone else mentioned it just above. The Bari/Euph right at the end of a Phantom '94. Got a little excited and pulled out the chainsaw for that phrase.

103.4 by finals?

Looks like he made an early appearance tonight. 96.5 for Cadets. It's the Thursday before Allentown. Does that score not seem a wee bit high for anyone this time of the season?

I rate '93 as the best year for quality and entertainment in the top six. I can't say anything about Star or Cadets that hasn't already been said. Phantom, so many highlights in that show and it's almost a shame it had to run up against the two above it that year. Almost any other year that show could have won it. Dev's playing Don Ellis with just an obscene amount of talent in that hornline. Soprano solos that never seem to stop. Cavaliers with a little bit of a championship hangover but still a highly underrated show and great battery. Scouts....Strawberry Soup!!!!!! What a great top six.

Montreal hands down.

Colts beat SCV in guard tonight in West Virginia; 16.7 to 16.5. Next person that wants to talk about slotting, kindly step over for a beat down. ^0^

I was very impressed with the level of performance coming frm Teal Sound when I had the pleasure to see them at DCM championships in Dekalb. It had been a few years since seeing them and was impressed with the maturity of their hornline. Best wishes for the remainder of this season.

I will still stand by what I said. I agree, as Shannon has pointed out above, that Phantoms visual package definitely was the most effective that night, but as far as execution combined with demand (drill and color guard included) I would be hard pressed to place Phantom above Devs and Cadets that night. Please don't take offense I am not dogging them at all. Phantom was easily my favorite show of that season and I thought that should have won outright that night.

At least DCI is finally on ESPN. It's a start, and for that alone we should all be greatful.

You must have different recordings than I have seen. Cadets low brass was muddled and constantly disappearing the recordings that I have seen and heard. As much as I liked Cadets that year I thought Cavies brought it on finals night and Cadets were a bit flat. And in regards to the Vis GE numbers that night, way too much scatter drill, for my tastes, to warrant a higher placing for Cadets. But for BD over Cavies in that caption...must have been a hookah in the press box.

Not that odd when you consider how #### clean BD was and the level of demand that Cadets had that year. Plus you have to admit that no matter how #### cool Phantom '96 was musically and even though the visuals were perfect for the music, they weren't exactly on par in the demand category with the other top 6 corps. Not knocking the corps at all, afterall it is my favorite show of all time after Star '93.

I guess that means I should start practicing then.

I never imagined that I would be back to marching DCA again so soon after "retiring" from Cru after 2001. I will mostly certainly be enjoying it though!!!

I still think they should have called their show "Behind the Green Door."

I heard they won best narration though...

I doubt it. With each night during finals week there are fewer corps left and that gives the judges more room to play with. The old saying applies, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

As much as I love Cavies 2001 - Four Corners show I would have to say it was the weakest from an execution stand point. Both BD and Cadets were so much cleaner, but just could keep up in GE.

I was planning on heading to Port Huron, but my condo association had their annual meeting last night. Since I am on the board I figured I had better attend it.

Where's the Current Events Forum when you need it? ^0^

She will have no shortage of shopping partners on free days.