MPutnam

I love the little details the corps has added to the production. I especially liked the moment in the ballad last night when a lone mellophone tries to escape from under the red scrim and is dragged back underneath it. Very cool effect!

Crown 2014 - "Out Of This World" Crown 2015 - "Under This World"

TOC = Turmoil Often Commences

New stadium in the ATL... https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=199&v=SPKP7FaiqEE

1. Raindrops on roses 2. Warm woolen mittens 3. Whiskers on kittens and some other stuff....

While they are at it... They need some electric fans pointed up blowing some fabric flames to give it that Inferno look.

I say scrap the banner and just use pyrotechnics and or laser beams to spell out "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here".

That sounds like Hell...

Will INT perform tonight?

In the latest DCI Podcast, Cesario refers to Easter morning at the end of Crown's show. I suspect they will follow the ending that Dante wrote. I'm guessing we will see some reference to stars from the guard at the end... They pass through the centre of the earth (with a consequent change in the direction of gravity, causing Dante to at first think they are returning to Hell). The pair emerge in the other hemisphere (described in the Purgatorio) just before dawn on Easter Sunday, beneath a sky studded with stars (Canto XXXIV).

Guard is going to be spectacular! I am not a guard person, but I really enjoy the intricacy of their design this year.

This show will be unlike any other Crown production to date. I agree with corpsband in that this show (at least musically) is all about playing expressively. Not that there aren't plenty of technical moments for the brass! I am interested to see how the product develops over the coming months.

Brasso makes some very valid observations... Ironic, that in an age of DCI where brass lines across the board are playing better than ever, their efforts are less and less important to the overall placement of the corps.

Drum Baffle is more like it....

I really like Canton's show this year!

Was that a G7 formation in BAC's show?

Maybe a little cheese could help the "silent" transition to "Shadow Behind The Iron Sun". Narration w/ synth, French Horn Solo & Metallic Percussion "Space the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Carolina Crown. It's continuing mission - to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and civilizations. To boldly go where no drum corps has ever gone before..." Just kidding... No need to tell me how stupid this is.

But the mini tarps at the other percussion locations on the field are not there tonight...

Some nice changes to Crown's show tonight. Love the end of the all trumpet / mello section with the "Jupiter" quote! Nice adjustment to the closer as well. Moderating some of the runs, etc...

I think to really appreciate this line, you must hear them live. Webcast / video does not do them justice. I live about 30 minutes away from their spring training location. I have had the opportunity to watch them rehearse there the past several years. In my opinion they are stronger now than they were this time last year. As some have commented, the designers are trying a more balanced approach in regards to brass and percussion. Brass plays a little less than last year but when they do - Wow!

I am referring to the Peter Schilling version of "Major Tom" that was released in the U.S. circa 1984. It was his re-telling of Bowie's "Space Oddity" that came out in 1969. Schilling's version is what the second half of the percussion feature and horn re-entry is based upon.

This show is chock full of fantastic moments. They just need to improve the way they transition from one section to another in several spots. I have no doubt this will be done during the course of the summer. My favorite section is the "Baroque" treatment of "Major Tom" right after the membrane percussion feature. Just brilliant writing! The way they elevated that 80's pop tune to not only fit in with the other source material but compliment it is just amazing.

Gravity defying props...

Yes, you read it correctly....Baritones and Tubas switch to trumpet and mellophone for one section.

It's really cool living only 25 minutes from Crown's Spring Training site. Tonight in ensemble they were working some segments from the middle of the show. It is obvious the design staff is working hard to create moments were the percussion can shine. I look forward to seeing how the section progresses throughout the season. I only saw what equates to about :45 seconds of the show, but I like what I heard and saw! The section where the entire hornline is playing either trumpet or mello is going to be out of this world! Very cool. I wonder what kind of visual / body movement will get added to this section? Saw some interesting props...I am sure we will see some gravity defying use of them this summer. Looks like there were vocalist mics behind the pit, but I did not see or hear how they are utilized.