DCI West Review, Lubbock TX

[cowtown]

I’m only going to review the final five cops of the night as I’m hoping others will review the corps before the intermission. Contrary to rumors they was not a rain out for the final five corps last night. Many corps close practices during finals week and seeing that the race is so close this year they opted for a closed show to test out some new material. DCI worked diligently with the Department of Homeland Security and the CIA so that the finals corps could compete in secret. I was only allowed to watch the show due to my super hero status, closes ties to the CIA and the case of Lone Star beer I gave the security staff.

Boston (98.2)

A Picasso Suite is really starting to take shape. The easels are finally making sense due to the new show additions. In the opener, about a quarter of the guard now comes out in bikinis. The uniformed guard members throw the easels to the ground and place a blank white flag on top of them. Then they run over to the bikini clad guard members and squirt a tube of paint on them, just one color on each member but several different colors throughout the bikini line. The freshly painted members run over to the blank flags and roll around on them in a fashion that is suitable to their color. Meaning the red painted guards display heavy passion as they erotically heave and thrust themselves onto the canvas of the flag, the blue painted members weep and wail as they roll around on their flags etc… very cool. They move the freshly painted flags to the side and let them dry for the closer…and oh my, what a closer it is, they are now doing the old Blue Devils version of ‘La Fiesta’ but sped it up to 230 bpm so that it would fit in the time allotted. It’s smoking hot. They also added painted little-people in masks that bounce around on trampolines that circle the entire field to add to the entire surrealism thing. But enough about them, I don’t want to spoil all their new adds. Best show ever

Next up Crown (98.4)

They really took their horse show to another level by layering a second horse show on top of their existing show. The second show is where all the narration comes into play. It’s about an outsider house that doesn’t really fit in until he discovers horse racing. Horse racing changes his life, amazing things happen to this athlete of god when he is on the track. The way Theme from National Velvet blends and mixes with Wild Horses is stunning – talk about goose bumps. The horse, Dixie, also discovers that he really likes being whipped, a lot. That leads to a descent into the horse underworld of s/m clubs and late nights partying which, eventually ruins his racing ability. The mixing of William Tell with Acid Horse’s No Name, No Slogan during the big race was brilliant. Spoiler warning - Dixie has to drop out of the race due to a hang over, its absolutely gut wrenching but really only serves as a build for the new climax of the show where they put old Dixie down. I could hardly see those new glue bucket flags through all my tears. Best show ever.

Scouts (98.5)

In true Madison fashion they once again changed their entire show. The theme is now Carmine Christ Funny Car. It’s a mix of their 2005, 1999 show with a new ending based upon the Ministry’s hit Jesus built my hot rod. Carmine gets run over by a bull, dies, and is then restructured as a funny car driver. She wins a ton of races, makes bank and then dies again in a horrible car crash...but she leaves all her winnings to the Scouts and they are saved. I’m still a bit speechless and trying to take it all in but needless to say, best show ever.

Regiment (98.6)

Only a few major changes for this show and a ton of detailing. First off, I love the new part in the opener where the horns put air plane wings on their shoulders and chase the bird guard around the field. Then that flag-bird-guard-guy getting sucked in to the plane engine (a contra) as the entire corps forms a DC-10 (thinks Cadets 92) is way cool. They also ditched Suggestion Diabolique in favor of Danse Du Canard (better known in the US as the Chicken Dance). The crowd will love this, even I was doing the dance in the stands while the corps was shaking a tail feather on the field – just like at my Uncle Nimrod’s wedding, very cool. I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with the mass nesting of the guard at the start of Firebird, it seems like it should be a private kind of thing…and I still don’t know how they do it or where they hide them but when they stand up from their nests there are helmets all over the field, a la 93/94, and they look just like big bird eggs. And when did DCI allow fireworks to be shot off from the 50? Best show ever.

Cavies (98.7)

I’m really enjoying the Cavies show much more now that I understand it. When they drop to the ground, my heart bleeds for their alienation but when they stand up again I’m reborn with a sense of knowing that only I can save myself. And that rolling is such a clear display of the confusion and angst that we all feel as 'angry young men'. Awesome. They too changed a few numbers; it’s no longer just about Billy Joel, now it’s also about Billy Joel of the 70s, another American Icon, Mr. Barry Manilow. This is a welcome change as the music becomes even more accessible. The juxtaposition of Scenes form an Italian Restaurant with Weekend in New England is spot on. And the new closer of Day Break will have you humming all the way home. Only half the guard now comes out onto the field as angry young Billys the other half is a happy young Barry, the contrast is so dramatic. The Barrys skip while the Billys strut and when the Billys are on the ground rolling the Barrys are jumping for joy. I’m sure the jumping Barrys symbolize the love of life, always reaching for the sun, the spirit of goodness under you feet raising you off the earth oh and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (because we all jump for joy when thinking of PB&J and the DCI marketing tie-in is worth .5 to GE score). the new closer climaxes as the Barrys and Billys hug and cuddle in a yin /yang fashion, you can feel the magic as the happy Barrys soothe the anger of the Billys and they and us, the fans, in return all become one. It really very touching and the guard pulls it off amazingly well. Best show ever

Edited August 2, 2007 by cowtown

[Ryan H. Turner]

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need oxygen...HELP!!!!!!

Review of the YEAR!!!!

[Ed Boxer]

ROFL - love it! Some of the ideas would work very well. I'm just glad the Crown kept it to Dixie, and not her brother Dwight, who was gelded after losing to Dixie!

[Casaba]

great review....thanks for being there for us all

[Tone Quality Matters]

This is soooo funy.

Thanks for the great Crown story!!!

:)

[spinninstephanie]

The bikini-glad guard sounded like a VK reference there for a second. :P

Did anyone happen to see the corps that made it in before the storm?

[supersop]

Someones been waiting an AWFULLY long time for a Rain Out :P

Great review. When does PR start putting in the Jet Packs?

I definitely dig the fact that EVERY show is the "BEST SHOW EVER" ^OO^

Edited August 2, 2007 by supersop

[rmLocust]

...painted little-people in masks that bounce around on trampolines that circle the entire field to add to the entire surrealism thing.

Huh. From my angle they looked like lawn gnomes. Thanks for the clarification.

[GMichael1230]

Easily the best post of the year !

~G~

[elphaba01]

"Lubbock Review":

Three "Thumbs Up". ^OO^

Well done.

Elphaba

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