Pizazzman

Did Mandarins paint the turntable, or is it just wet?

I feel like I should watch this show from bed!

Oh how I miss good ol F-tuning/Ditty before a BD show (even though I’m more of a Vanguard kind of guy). Such a great hype!

Can you say re-warm?!

I dig a lot of what the Troop are doing, but the battery staging is baffling at times. Some major extended separation from the hornline creating a timing nightmare...but they’re doing a great job handling it.

I remember rehearsing through that storm! We were on the next night.

*

A whole list of ways (even with the terrible audio quality of the broadcast) but I don’t want to be overly critical in public.

“Stay dry”.....LOL We all know there is nowhere to go for cover at that stadium.

So, now that it looks like it’s raining there, could it be that they have bags over the mics and that’s why the audio is so bad?

And finally the Cascades have reached the level they needed to be at by DATR (to be competitive at least). Glad to see the kids making some progress.

Audio is terrible on Apple TV and surround sound. Ugh.

Seemed like their strongest run so far. Still some weird brass and sound system issues, but much improved. Also, I never noticed their mini Z-pull there, I hope they got permission... ;-)

BD's hornline needs to do some tracking, lots of feet in the sound!

Nice thing about Blue Stars show...if they ever have prop or costume issues, they can just go to Home Depot!

Nice to see some fast rotating block kaleidoscope drill again. I miss seeing that sort of stuff.

They're all terrible. Even BD is using them as a total crutch instead of just playing louder and better.

Aaaand the Colts have a good show and perform well, but they sound totally artificial/fake. I so hate hate area mics, we might as well just be listening to a recording.

Last year's corps (OC for anyone else reading) was not a dud, the members were awesome and performed well throughout the season, I was always particularly impressed with the quality of the brass sound; but from a design standpoint, that show was maxed out before they even got to DATR (aside from finishing the props). I don't know what happened with the design process last year, but the show was never very cohesive and attempts to add much needed GE always seemed like an afterthought. I know I'm being critical, but I just remember every time I saw them throughout the season (I saw them live many times), feeling sad that such a talented and able membership had been given what seemed to be a shell of a show concept that didn't give them much room to grow. I fully acknowledge that there were probably circumstances I don't know about, and I'm not trying to hurt feelings, I'm just stating observations. This year's show however, is packed full of interest and GE with room for more and gives an already talented corps the vehicle they need to learn, grow, and be successful over the course of the entire season. I'm a fan!

Way to go OC! So much better than that dud of a show the members were given last year, very cool and engaging show design!

And now everyone prepares for laundry, the Riverwalk and the day they eat all the food that will make them sick the next day.

Well, full retreat is a bit misleading I suppose. It’d be the top 12 (or final 12 in performance order), like it used to be.

Boy I miss the days of full retreat and combined hornlines! It was often a hassle, but the experiences (and shenanigans between the corps) were always worth it. I’d love to see it at regionals at least.

Yeah, plenty of going on there.

Those vocals are probable the most authentic use of vocals in any show this year as they’re from a specific Indian musical form (the name escapes me). The percussion parts are just a transcription and embellishment of a very old rhythmic vocal tradition.