Yossarian Sam

Yeah, okay. Cool.

I just wanna hear em play. That brass line is very talented, and the writing is brilliant, IMO.

Man, I always loved doing this show. Hope it happens, and that the kids enjoy it, too.

I know one of them. Looking forward to another read.

Hey! Something we agree on... Awesome! J/K... I agree with many (though not all) of your posts.

I would love nothing more than to see the INT joke die.

You may very well be right. But I actually think this is the best Bluecoats drill we have ever seen.

Possibly true. But look into the work of the Last Poets. Unrelatedly, probably, but mind altering... Perhaps.

I think Bluecoats are going to win. There's a very good chance that I'll be wrong. So it goes. Devils are great, and have been great for a long time. Viva Blue Devils! I would put Crown third. They are amazing. Cadets are very good, as are SCV. And Cavs. Haven't seen BK. So glad to be a fan!

I hope Bluecoats are in there, too, because I'm glad they are taking risks and I'd like to see them be rewarded for them. It's good to take risks. It doesn't always work out, though, and that's life. But I'm excited by their approach. Love to see Troop crack the 12, but this may not be their year. So many good groups.

... global warming has caused a rise in the water level of Lake Erie, such that Canton is finally on a "coast". (An old Bluecoats t-shirt once referenced the "need" for a coast - way back when Midwest corps seemed to win less frequently. Hey, I said it was an old shirt!)

Ha! Sadly, it probably is much more homogeneous than I'd like it to be. Quite a bit of "groupthink" in that town - if you are in certain parts, at least. Then again, that's probably true for many places. But anyway, I'm not here (just) to bash Muncie... that's like shooting fish in a barrel!

Agreed.

I'm not so sure that Bluecoats are really so clean right now. But I do agree that Cadets will be markedly improved in the near future.

"Multifarious" Muncie?!? Hmm... after living there for college many years ago, I'm not sure that's the adjective I'd use to describe the city. But that's okay - I do appreciate the alliteration!

No doubt, folks would complain about disconnected music. But many complain similarly about visual elements they see as sub-par. And truly, in this activity, a balance needs to exist between the audio and the visual - so by definition, it would probably be impossible to design "the most beautiful visual show ever" if the music didn't fit. But you know that - I'm not trying to be pedantic. My main point is that obviously the visual side of drum corps is an important point of distinction between it and other musical performance situations. I find it curious that some - and I'm not pointing fingers at any individuals, despite the quote above - seem to find the visual parts less important to the whole. It's not - or at least doesn't have to be - with regard to the creative process.

Is this truly "unfortunate", or is it merely a different approach? Obviously visual and music effect are important elements of the activity, and inspiration can come from nearly anywhere for many artists.

Thinking about it further, though, I will question this (for garfield or others): Is there a difference between "innovation" and "invention"? From a purely denotative sense, obviously there is. But the way some may define innovation (or more clearly, "non-innovation"), I'm given pause. Does something really have to be "never seen before" to be innovative? Or can a "sum is greater than its parts" kind of thing be considered as innovative? I think I lean toward the latter. Oh, and if this is becoming a tiresome topic, feel free to let it die. I don't want to beat a dead horse tonight - just interested in exchanging ideas.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond, garfield. I don't think I completely agree with you on what is or is not innovation or about Bluecoats show, but that's not important. I'm just thankful for the thoughtful discourse. BTW, I haven't seen them live yet, either, so maybe I'll feel differently then as well.)

Ha! You are absolutely right. I may be sorry I asked, for sure!

I think I agree with your point (and others') that this show may have elements seen before in WGI or other circuits. But we haven't seen it much in DCI. For some, that makes it new and fresh. For others, not so much, obviously. As is the case with every show, it's probably okay for us to like what we like. I, for one, am excited to see Bloo again.

Okay - maybe nobody has asked this yet (I'm still getting caught up), but how would you define "innovation"? Does every aspect of a show have to be brand new? Or is it enough to try one new thing? Or even to explore further an idea that might NOT be brand new? I'm curious. And listen, I'm not attacking you or your opinions - I'm just looking for clarification.

garfield: "...I really didn't see much demand from that show last night." Interesting take. So... not in the music book? Not in the tempo requirements? Not in the simultaneous responsibilities? Not much at all? A question: Would you care to defend this? How might you define "demand"?

Thanks for the review.