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Box5Opinion

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    Alexandria, KY - July 14, 2018

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    4 hours ago, GEVisual said:

    Just got home from the show.  My $.02 . . .

    Bloo - so much fun to watch.  Much better live.  Kids are really starting to own the show and give it some personality.  Timing demands at opening of show (they are spread all over the field) are handled exquisitely.  Drums have cleaned up A TON.  Guard is solid, but the book at times seems to be less complex than others.  Unlike last year when it seemed to be a re-pasted of 2016, this show seems fresh.  Could see this winning it all, and don't expect to see them lower than 3rd.  

    Crown - The brass line is just incredibly good.  Drums are solid and guard has improved quite a bit from what I saw in Orlando.  They are layering more body involvement to better portray the thematic material.  Not 100% sold on the GE yet.  A colleague of mine described the show as "a lot of notes for the sake of playing a lot of notes".  If they can find the emotional hook, it could contend for a medal.  I could also see this easily in 6th if it's not engaging.

    Spirit - this is the most I've enjoyed Spirit in YEARS!  The whole concept makes sense and the show is loaded with variety.  They seem much more mature in performance this year all around.  Would imagine they will be in that Scouts/Colts/Academy dog fight.

    Music City - This was good on video and is GREAT live.  Easy to understand, superbly detailed, and the kids are performing the snot out of it.  Crazy Train is a BLAST on the field.  Kudos to this organization.  This is a show I would want to see again.  And the upside is huge!

    Surf - Pleasantly suprised.  Nice brass moments and a more sophisticated design this year.  Lots of dirt to clean, but nothing over their heads.   

    The Bluecoats and Crown are amazing this year! I agree with your evaluation of both corps, but I think right now, The Bluecoats have the competitive edge both in design, visual execution and performance levels across the board.  

    • Like 1

    Drums Along the Rockies - July 14, 2018

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    19 minutes ago, Jake W. said:

    Ok, home from the show. What a show it was!!!! Despite the line up not being as strong this year, I still believe Mile High Stadium is one of the best venues for drum corps there is....crystal clear skies, GORGEOUS stadium, excellent acoustics, a fantastic breeze...just perfection. 

    Battalion started the show strongly. Definitely a corps that is totally present in the exact spot where they should be in their growth trajectory, if that makes any sense. Not too ambitious, not too easy; just right for their corps right now in terms of achievement and tour capabilities. I truly look forward to seeing the future of this corps!

    I was very happy to see Scades rebounding strongly after last year's odd dip at the end of the season really seemed to place a step backwards in their solid growth upwards. It will be a battle between Surf, Spartans, Legends, Genesis (in my opinion), and now apparently Guardians, Gold, Louisiana Stars, & Southwind (whew that's a crowded tier) to take the last three spots for Semis. They're solidly in the thick of that group, and a well-designed show, which is always Cascades' strength, will keep them towards the top of that pack. Just clean clean clean it, please. Guard quality seems to be a noticeable step up from last year. I really would love to see this group prove last year as just a one-off backwards step as a result of some end-of-season mishaps & sicknesses. The show is there, it just needs to be cleaned. Frankly, I expected them to pop around a 64 or so tonight --- I was a bit surprised at their stagnant number. Nothing in the show really grabs you and sticks out like the previous few years, but I must say it's all quite interesting and engaging. Definite commitment to the "around" theme. A professional group with a mature design.

    Oregon Crusaders...I want to love this show so bad, but it did disappoint a bit. I adore everything about this corps every year, so I really wanted to like the show more. A ton of potential, but it honestly didn't get as deeply into The Shining with references as I would have liked....seemed a bit half in-half out with the theme, and if you're doing The Shining (or any literary reference), I need balls to the wall literal references peppered throughout...otherwise the show occupies a vague space between hinting at a design based on a book/movie and being a design based on a book/movie. It was a weird nebulous space that I didn't like the show occupying; I definitely found myself wanting much more and not getting it. The Uninvited ballad right now has a ton of potential (see The Woodlands HS 2011) but just flat out isn't written well, it's a bit of a train wreck with a too-soon, imperfect, and messy climax (and no one wants any climax described by those words), which is sad, because the Danse Macabre & Copland Organ Symphony sections are written WONDERFULLY. It's all good, I'm just not as in love as I was with Hunted, nevermore, Encompass, etc. Gloriously dark in parts and clearly not as thought out in others. And one thing I'm used to from Oregon Crusaders --- 600% commitment to whatever theme they do! I look forward to being fleshed out throughout the season. Unfortunately, there's a ton of cleaning to be done as well, and I don't know if there's a ton of time left for both in the season.

    Pacific Crest was a real pleasure tonight, and I expect they'll stay above OC the rest of the season, happily occupying an island in 18th place (World Class, BDB & SCVC not counted) the rest of the season. I don't think the corps will touch the Finalist potentials of 17th on down, nor do I think OC, Genesis, Music City, etc will be able to catch them. I loved PC last year, and this year is yet another step up quality-wise, both in terms of design and performance level. Just a ton to love in this show. Incredibly well done from a design standpoint, and very well-executed by the corps. Just a great show.

    I legitimately loved Troop, and I haven't in the last few years. This is by far the best marriage of Troop tradition and audience-friendly meat that the corps has had since Magnificent 11. Terrific, terrific performance that I truly believe is underrated and has every business hanging with Colts, Scouts (especially Scouts), & Spirit. Sure, Welcome to the Black Parade is an excellent opener, and I love it just as much as everyone else, but the rest of the show is no slouch either --- they're playing the snot out of that Danielpour piece. What I think I love the most is the refreshingly seamless visual transitions from a corps that has given us stilted & forced visuals the last two years. This design is sleek, smooth, and absolutely perfect --- the slow ebbing & flowing of the drill from one side of the field to the other over the course of the show, the transitions of the jackets, the guard integration, it's all just perfect. The mms of Troop this year are dripping with pride & grit in their performance of the show, and I was 100% on board the entire performance with an often-not-favorite corps for me. They really had the audience in the palm of their hands; there's just something magical about this show that we haven't seen since Magnificent 11, a really unique blend of tradition and modern, all wrapped up in an easy to appreciate package. Totally on board with this underrated, under discussed show this season.

    Speaking of glowing reviews, The Academy will not surprise me in the slightest if they land back in Finals this season. This show is quietly building steam at a rapid pace and doesn't seem to be slowing down --- the design is unquestionably top 12, and the always-talented members of this corps are being given what last year never was: a vehicle that can be perfected instead of constantly rewritten. With a strong show to clean and nothing holding them back, watch out --- The Academy could absolutely edge out any number of last year's bottom 5 finalists. Certainly, their design is superior to Blue Stars or Phantom. What Lindsey Vento seems to have brought to The Academy this year is an unrelenting eye for detail. Everything just WORKS, and every transition is flawless and well though out. The show is just clean, crisp, and classy as hell from top to bottom. If this is the direction the corps is headed, it's hard for me to imagine them not securing a Saturday night spot year after year --- they're just that good, and the design is matching. Smart, mature, detailed, and moving.

    BK was lovely. Bizarre, but lovely. Hey, isn't that what we love them for? I have to say, this is probably the truest-to-the-original arrangement of various sections of Rite of Spring I've ever heard on the field, marching band or drum corps. And NO ONE does color like BK does. I do wish the visual demand was ramped up a few notches, and I'm afraid visual content will again be their weakness when August rolls around. Color guard is a step up from last year, but still not quite to 2014-2015 levels. I want to rag on the visual design a bit more, but honestly, I'm still trying to figure out if it's actually problematic or if it's merely so far outside of the box that it's jarring me, which would be fine. It's easily the most stripped down and "nude" visual book of anyone in the top 15, and that certainly carves out a unique niche for the corps, and one that they've earned. The brass line is insanely great. 

    SCV, what to even say? Perfection. I would have left happy having only seen SCV tonight and no one else.They're the real deal this year, and that's all I have to say. Totally spellbinding for 15 minutes. I do have a difficult time imagining this corps being bested at the season's end.

    Agree with your insight regarding Academy (stepped up their design), Blue Knights (use of color) and Santa Clara Vanguard (spellbinding is an understatement - amazing show design, music and execution)! 

    Carolina Crown 2018

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    17 hours ago, Incognito365 said:

    I'm just wondering if they'll eventually bring all of the pieces of the ribcage together to form some form of a beast at the end. They all look to be different sizes and would go great together. Idea Crown design team?

     

    Also, here's what the design team said in a video about what the show is about (per a certain Crownie on Reddit).

    Beast Awakens - hello world
    Primordial Beast - violent aggressive dark
    Taming of the Beast - let's get it on
    King of the Beasts - combat, territoriality
    Alpha Beast - the beast is the corps!  
     

    Thought out musical selections, per it musical design standpoint it makes sense - Beast Awakes (love the impact of the brass/percussion ) - oh #### moments! Primordial Beast --  aggressive! Taming of the Beast (featuring the female brass players) small ensemble - genius! King of the Beast - aggressive! Alpha Beast - putting everything together - running on all cylinders! - this is where they need to move those skeletal props = so we can see that they are the beast. Story line would be easier to read and understand. This is one beast of a show, just clean the #### out of it. 

    Carolina Crown 2018

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    14 hours ago, Sideways said:

    Musically it’s pretty good but...visually it’s so muddled.  The drill is serviceable but will never read clean with those uniforms.  Never mind the effect that is lost with their choice of color palette with the guard.

    I've been saying this for awhile. Couldn't agree more. 

    Carolina Crown 2018

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    1 hour ago, TigerBaritone19 said:

    While Crown's show idea is a little murky right now, there are other corps' shows that I just do not get at all, Blue Devils and Bluecoats being two of them. Blue Devils always have the abstract show, and now it seems that the Bluecoats are going that same direction judging by the past 2-3 years, but yet they get all the GE, and I do not understand why they do. Downside Up won GE, and I could never figure out what the show was really about, and I feel the same way about this years Bloo show. It's jazzy (not my favorite) and they are loud, but the show does not appeal to me. Crown's show is about a Beast of some kind (does not have to have fur for those of you who are complaining about the lizard uniforms) and while the show is a little hard to understand right now, it is easier to understand than other corps' shows (this is my opinion so don't jump on me for being "wrong"). I am definitely not counting out Crown yet. This seems to be the first time this season that Crown can use rehearsal days effectively instead of trying to finish the show like they had to do in Muncie. I am excited to see what they perform on Sunday and expect some changes to the music and maybe some effects to depict more "beastly" things. And as always, go Crown!

    Murky is an understatement! The dark color scheme might be hurting them Visual and GE wise. The colorguard uniform and corp uniform easily blend into each other, so lines and forms aren't as clear or in focus as they should be.  There is still ample time to address this.  There are moments of staging and use of multiple focus that have great impact, but it doesn't pop like the jigsaw show concept of Blue Devils, they really know how to use color and how to manipulate the stage area to receive maximum scores, as for the Bluecoats, the use of contrasting colors in props (love the big chairs) and use of color shades in guard and corp uniform, has a huge impact with score in GE and Visual (and the judges are really rewarding them for design). 

    Favorite shows and moments of 2018 so far

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    2 hours ago, wvu80 said:

    Agree with every word!

    Bluecoats soloist is BY FAR the best I've ever heard in DCI and BY FAR integrates into the jazz show better than any I've ever seen.

    I agree with your opinion, The Bluecoats have integrated all elements this year. They use electronics and vocalist extremely well, with drill and props and the color scheme is visually stunning. Class act this season! 

    • Like 3

    Props - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    The three corps that are utilizing props correctly are Santa Clara Vanguard, The Bluecoats, and The Blue Devils. The jig saw puzzle/lego pieces for the The Blue Devils works, they are easy to identify, used correctly, and come all together at the end (genius concept). The chairs for The Bluecoats work well, great for staging for the individual and the corps in general and effective in setting parameters on the field. Santa Clara Vanguard using interchangeable, metallic scaffolding cubes/staging platforms compliments the show design and the uniform with minimal color distraction.  

    2018 Uniforms!

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    My two favorite uniforms so far are the following, the SCV uniform, it's simple and complements the show concept and design and The Academy, looks like a prep school uniform with modifications, but it's super clean and sleak and it compliments all the members. 

    2015 Predictions

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    Cappybara - the only thing missing from your post is The Spark of Innovation :sarcasm:

      • Unlike
      • As you sit by the window of your room in the City of Light, As you dip your pen in Ink, writing about the Inferno to come from the Power of 10 and you will still miss the dragons preparing to attack with the Kinetic Noise of their roars as it grasp the GOLD MEDAL at DCI Championships in 2015 :tounge2: .

    2015 Predictions

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    My opinion of predictions to clarify:

    1. Bluecoats - strong program, innovative, different, all solid sections, crowd favorite come finals

    2. The Cadets - interesting show concept, great drill, awesome music, strong sections but can they maintain the momentum?

    3. Santa Clara Vanguard - hmmm, strong percussion section, another innovative show concept but can the audience understand it and can the judges appreciate it? It needs more SPARK!!!!

    4. Blue Devils - multiple focus on crack, strong sections, schizo-program, lots of CLUTTER, playing it safe with the same white props (ladders/polls/staging/box in the back field, yes they know how to program but I think they over programmed INK - judges and crowd fatigue. CLUTTER!

    5. Carolina Crown - underdog, strong sections, great brass, not enough visual and g.e. to propel them to the next level?

    Based on innovation in staging, ebb and flow, visual impacts, musical selections with cohesive theme and strong execution of individual members - I am seeing the Bluecoats taking GOLD. I might be reading the tea leaves way too early the season but my gut is telling me Bluecoats. Either way 2015 will go down as a great season for drum corp! Let the chips fall where they may in Indianapolis in August! :)

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