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Quarterfinals Theater Review


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Here's my review of the show tonight. I apologize to Pacific Crest, the Madison Scouts, the Crossmen, the Blue Stars, the Academy, and Spirit - I didn't get to the theater until the Glassmen because of band camp. I have no doubt that each of these corps' has earned its spot in tomorrow's Semifinals. That said, here are some thoughts from the show:

First off, I was really surprised to see Spirit's number. I think the corps has really started to connect with their show. Good for them!

Glassmen - I've liked this show all season. I'm glad to see them doing so well with it. I am a little questionable on them beating the Colts - they had more visual dirt tonight than I was expecting. However, the hornline is MUCH improved over last year, and their guard does a GREAT job selling the show. I'm glad that they're not "boring" anymore.

Colts - I agree with Dennis DeLucia's comments about how great this show is. It's so nice to see the Colts doing so well. Their hornline has an incredible sound and the guard has a great presence as well. I see them passing the Glassmen in the end.

Boston Crusaders - This show is alright. I don't like it at the Rose Bowl, as the color scheme of the easels and the color guard uniform makes it hard to see with the color of the grass. They seemed to have a decent show tonight, but, from where I was in the theater, it seemed a little flat. They need to turn the emotion up a bit if they want to pass the Blue Knights. I don't see it happening. Their hornline, while technically proficient, didn't play with as much power as the hornlines before them or after. When performing a latin show, a powerful hornline is a must. I was surprised to see their guard number so low tonight. That will change tomorrow, I think. Their guard does add a great deal of effect to the show. I'm anxious to see what they can do for the rest of the week. Expect good things from them in the future.

Blue Knights - I'm a fan of this show in general. I appreciate the identity they have created for themselves and I am excited to see where they take it in the future. Tonight was certainly not their best run - they seemed the most tentative of all of the corps' I saw in the theater. Guard mistakes, soloist issues, members falling, etc. I'm sure they'll turn it up as the week goes - they did last year. This is their best hornline, maybe ever. Just a GREAT quality of sound, and they play so musically. It's exciting to see their numbers so high. The percussion has improved IMMENSELY since June, and the guard is a highlight as always. I'm excited to see how the rest of the week goes for them.

Santa Clara Vanguard - I saw them in San Antonio and I wasn't too impressed. The show seemed really busy, and, frankly, I was bored. I don't know what happened, because it seemed to me that they haven't changed that much of the show, but I LOVED it tonight. I'm not a huge fan of the musical show being built around the visual concept, and that was my perception of this show in San Antonio. They certainly chnged my mind tonight - my favorite ballad of the night! The show has taken on a new character and I really like it. I can see them moving up as the week goes on/emotions rise, being a "home" corps and all. My question is, what corps do they beat? I would not argue if they moved up. GREAT SHOW, SCV!!!

Carolina Crown - There's not much else that needs to be said about this show. It's hands down the best show of the year. The theme is accessible, the show is well integrated, the crowd is DIGGING it. Even the pro-SCV crowd was cheering for this show, and performing after SCV was no enviable task tonight. I'm still wondering how their GE numbers are so low. I don't get it. They play with an incredible horn sound and their guard is absolutely terrific. The surprise for me is the percussion section - what a difference a year makes!! This section's dedication and hard work is to be commended. This will be an emotional week for them. My question now is can they upend the Bluecoats? I think they've got the show to do it. We'll see, I suppose.

Phantom Regiment - They came to play tonight - certainly a more complete show and emotional performance than San Antonio. The hornline is running out of gas at the end of the show, however, and this is hurting their GE numbers. I still am hoping for a new ending on Saturday but I don't know if that's likely or not - the wedge kick, believe it or not, actually seems a little anti-climactic to me. I also think it'd be appropriate for the entire guard to end with wings - I'm sensing a Finals night addition? However, I'm looking at the recaps and am a little baffled by their music effect numbers - I think the book is A LOT better than they're getting credit for. From a GE standpoint, this was certainly the toughest panel they will see this week, and if they keep turning it up, I can see them passing Cavies. I'm quite impressed with the progress the Color Guard has made this year, the Hornline is playing VERY well considering the drill they have, and the drumline is one of a kind. BD might be cleaner right now, but NO ONE is playing stuff as meaty and innovative as these guys. I really hope they can move up another spot by Saturday.

Bluecoats - Maybe it was me, but they seemed REALLY flat to me tonight. I actually enjoyed the show more in San Antonio. They do have, arguably, the best minute of drum corps this year (the "Drop your weapons" sequence), but the rest of the show just doesn't compare. I think that might be hurting them. I'm REALLY excited to see them win Brass, and I think it's wholly deserved. I think their GE numbers are completely correct - the drill just isn't that effective throughout the ENTIRE show and there are a few moments in this show where the design of the show lets my attention start to wander. Their performance levels are so good that I don't know if they'll drop any lower than 5th place, but I think they've got reason to be concerned about the two corps' below them (the crowd favorite and the "home" team). No matter where they place, this was a TERRIFIC season for them.

The Cavaliers - I liked this show better in San Antonio as well. It really is a fun show, but they're not doing the innovative things they've done in the past. The opener, visually, is still too repetitive, but I couldn't do any better (I couldn't even come close) from a design standpoint so I can't complain too much. I'm not sure I agree with their GE numbers and I personally would have had Phantom A LOT closer in score tonight. No one can deny the quality of the execution in their visual program (especially the guard), but I find it bothersome that they were 5th in music tonight and still placed 3rd. I really would like to see DCI make a shift in the judging emphasis to a 60-40 distribution (with the 60 going to music). When we all watch the broadcast and read the program, there are music advocacy ads abound - and without the music, the marching wouldn't exist. But alas, I can't slam the Cavaliers for this - it's not necessarily their fault. I applaud the effort that's gone into designing and performing this show. They'll likely end up 3rd on Saturday.

The Cadets - Without a doubt, this is the most challenging show on the field this summer - the Jenkins stuff is awe-inspiring. In relation to the narration, I don't mind it too much, to be completely honest. I think much of this show is REALLY well coordinated. I'm most bothered by the narration when it occurs over music. (ie. the narration during the silences of Blue Shades doesn't bother me, but the narration during the closer does). That said, this show should be winning music effect - it has the most variety and is the most effective from top to bottom. I'm curious if the delay tonight affected the corps' mindset - no doubt it, at least, temporarily killed the vibe they had. I am anxious to see what a fresh start tomorrow night will do for them. I personally would like to see this show win only because I like the music and the drill the best of the Top 3 (and most likely to win), but the events that occurred tonight might just affect the corps' mindset for the rest of the week. The crowd was obnoxious tonight - I certainly hope that this stops between now and Saturday. These kids shouldn't be punished for the hard work they've put into this show. After all, it's not their fault that their Director likes to push everyone's buttons. They'll be no lower than 2nd.

Blue Devils - They REALLY came to play tonight. WOW. I'm still not a huge fan of the show, but they do it so well I don't know if anyone will be able to knock them off. I certainly didn't argue with their placement tonight. Their showmanship was through the roof. The opener, as it's been said all year, is high octane stuff - some of the most intense drum corps I've ever seen. But the second half really doesn't live up to the first half. I am quite happy to see them do so well for the "home" crowd, but I wonder if they'll be able to top tonight's performance. They set the bar so high I would love to see what it's like if they can surpass it. Can they do it? It'll certainly be a sight to see if they do. I think they'll be the champs on Saturday night. What a great year for the BD organization. Happy 50th!

Thoughts? I'd love to hear them!

What a GREAT year it's been.

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ty, enjoyed your review.

Pete Emmons; as he looks more and more like GR on fast forward, he continues to be at the tip of the spear in the activity he helped revolutionize.

I really need to give him a tennis ball . .

I watched the '05 Vanguard realize who they were over finals week. I wish for this year's corps a similarly magical week. Take it home, Santa Clara . .

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You were surprised about Boston's guard #'s last night? Did you not see them dropping their weapons (and not in a good Bluecoats way) every time the camera was on them? It was like they had put crisco on their hands before the show.

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Thanks for the great review. I agree with a lot of your comments. A few things to add (mostly design, since that is my area).

Pacific Crest: Overall fun and pretty decent costume choice. The "money talks, it says goodbye line" fell flat because the girl rushed it. A pause between the first and second sentence would provide a better punch line.

Scouts: This was my favorite of the 12+ grouping, and that was a surprise, after reading about the early season disaster zone. Fun, fun energy and emotion. They really connected. Except for the guard, who lacked peformance spark. A lot of their work was mushy instead of crisp. I found the whole "binding" thing to be bordering on bizarre, especially the part when they wrapped up the horn soloist. It was awkward, random and didn't add effect. Overall, the guard reminded me of mummies who were constantly trailing bandages.

Crossmen: Too many ideas. A really kitchen sink show that needed some editing. I completely appreciate the brilliance that went into weaving the music together, but the end result didn't create effect. There was so much in it that it blended into a flatline. The costume rip-off was fun and great impact. Am not sold on the digitally printed silks in general, as they are not as vivid as those made with cut fabric, and often look better still than in motion. Boo to the broadcast team for showing tons of footage of the '78 capes, and in the process COMPLETELY missing the '07 capes they were hyping. I really wanted to see that!

BStars. Oh please, oh please, get solid blue pants next year. I'm with Delucia on this one. Any added effect of the split colors is ruined by the mess it makes of everything else. The split only worked when the were standing still, facing opposite directions. When they moved, on the white side, all you see is this really odd one disembodied white leg moving against a dark background. It didn't look like a person, but like the strut on a locomotive wheel or something. For some reason this drove me nuts...lol Love the uniform top, though. Overall the show just didn't draw me in.

Academy. Powerful. Strong. Trumpety. Great performers, but design needs some work. The 'chase' business made zero sense, as too much ballet happened every time the girl got swiped. Dance is great and all, but sometimes something else is need to convey an idea. It seemed young overall, but once they elevate their ideas, look out. Final note: jitterbug? Huh? Did I miss a 40's theme somehow?

Spirt: Big surprise. I was expecting them to be flat and the broadcast team said they were, but I thought it was better than they've done the past few years. Hide and Seek is a nice effect. Still not loving the Safeway uniforms but I could live with it if they lost the stripes. Looked like a big fat sumo wrestler belt around the middle. Guard needs some spark but overall the show was nice and deserved to be up from the last two. Major stadium lights buzz alert starting with them.

Glassmen. Real theater. Great attention to detail. I love Robert Smith's work and he manages to always find a way to make things interesting. Sadly, some of the effect was lost due to the horrible shadows that were playing havoc with camera exposure as they were on. Would like to see it again with even lighting.

Colts: Very engaging. Very colorful. Very fun and energetic. Also a bit dated, it seemed, at least concerning the guard. I love big color and costumes that are something other than sports bras, but Cesario put on his Greatest Hits with this one. The capes are the same pattern as Phantom '91 with new fabric. The ice princess is chanelling Phantom '87. Corps uniform is fantastic, though. They look perhaps more trim and tailored than anyone else. Loved Lt. Kije. So fun to see that on the field, and they did a great job with it. Overall - nice job, if a bit 'pleasant and non-threatening.' Would like to see the good, wholesome kids form Iowa get a bit more aggressive.

Boston: Love the art theme, but the designs weren't really conveying Picasso to me that much. The browns and tans really got lost on the dry grass. Will only get worse as the week goes on. I think white easels might have worked a bit better. Overall, intriguing show and good way to repackage some ideas that they like to pull from fairly often. B+ I think. Good, but just a bit of a miss.

Blue Knights. Well, I love them. but I like dark and twisted. The music is great and they move REALLY well. There was some serious dance goin on in the hornline and it didn't suck. The guard really peformed with class and power. A few points lost for the sports bra/gym outfits. They got lost during the big dance ballad, which screamed for some color effect. I like the painted flags, but dark doesn't have to mean muddy, and they are a bit muddy. Since the corps uniform is due for replacement, it would be interesting to see them go to something non-traditional. More a fitted jumpsuit. With all the dance they do, it looks odd at times for people in quasi-military outfits to be jumping and posing. If anyone could pull off this change, they could. Of course it needs to have dots too. :P

SCV. Fun show. Great drill. Nice music. Not sure about the 'surprise' idea, as not too many surprising moments. It seems a tough concept to portray. Except for the guard outfits. They were surprising in that I wasn't expecting them to look like clowns. This and '03 have to be two of the worst examples of color choice ever. Pink, salmon, lavendar against vivid red and dark green? Hmm. Ok. Pretty stripey too. I really like the show (and the last set) but the colors made me wince. They have a certain swagger, and cymbals have no equal.

Crown: I really did love this, and I thought it was going to go into borderline cheese. It didn't, though, and it was so emotional. The music is just so lush and moving. You really get the feel of the grandeur of horses in motion, which is perhaps one of nature's most beautiful things. The outfits are bit much (and as someone said, somewhat bacon-like), but they wear them with such joy that they just make you smile. Out of everyone, they looked to be having the most fun and it was infectious. My only disappointment is that I think the race event doesn't quite come off. The setup in the back is great. They numbers they wear are great, but once it starts, they just sort of go over to the side and do random spinning. Then, after they've featured the horns and the fences, they call them back over for the photo finish, which is a bit spin-happy too. Something falls a bit flat with the staging and pacing. That is the only blight on an otherwise flawless show. Keep it up!

Phantom: I love much about this musically, and a good deal of it from a visual design standpoint. Huge personal roadblock, though, are the guard outfits. I just can't get past them. Yes, this is my own issue, but I HATE them. HATE HATE HATE. There is a difference between likes/dislikes, as all opinions are subjective, and something that just doesn't work. My view is this is the latter. These are not a design success. There is nothing "air" about them. They look like indians, not birds (especially with the new headdresses on the girls - eesh) and they are visually so, so clunky and heavy. Big chunky fringe, thick pants, a color palette of mud. A bird would need a jetpack to get off the ground in these things. The look destroys the overall cohesiveness of the design idea. Then they ditch the bird attempt and change into the white, which at least looks less heavy, but goes in a different direction yet again. I don't know. The guard itself is really fantastic, but I think something short circuited in the design process here, and it is a shame because it is like an anchor on an otherwise stellar show. Details like this divide the champions from the near-misses. It bites when they are SO close to having something spectacular.

Bluecoats: I was sitting next to a nice older couple who have been fans of Bluecoats for years. At the end the wife turned to me and said, "I don't get it." Have to agree on that one. Many clever ideas, but that is the stumbling block. Many ideas instead of ONE idea. It's sort of a pu-pu platter of prison gimmicks. If there was a storyline about the briefcase, I totally missed it. There's a lot of fun stuff in it, and the detailing - costumes, efffects- is stellar. Flag designs are effective until the last one, which is super busy to the point that it looks like fragments spinning instead of a uniformed whole. That sort of blows the setup with the guard in a block, featured inside the corps. I just found my mind wandering about 1/3 through. I'm not sure what they need to do get over the hump, but something is just coming up a bit short. That Capture and Escape show was the same thing. They drifted in and out of the capturing and escaping. Either make sure there is a throughline that works the entire show, or don't feel you have to have a theme as framework. A for effort but C for effect. Don't try so hard. You are pretty close to liftoff and can afford to not use every idea you think of.

Cavaliers: Fun. Enjoyable. Casual. "A Night of Kickin' Back with the Cavaliers." Yeah, nice, but not really your thing. You are all about being an intense machine and we love that about you. This was sort of a glimpse of how you spend your free time and it lost something in the process. That being said, it was still SO well done. The end section with the guard on the blue/green flags was fantastic. Loved the suits, but for all the hoopla by the broadcast team of how they designed the show specifically for the Rose Bowl, the gray sure did vanish on the grass. When they had weapons they were almost invisible. I liked the rolling on the ground, and thought it must be a knee-buster. How would you like to do that 1000 times a summer? Yikes. Will be cool to see how they do something with this in a new show. Overall - feels like 3rd place, and that is not a bad thing. You've earned a break. Next year, give us an extra helping of intense.

Cadets. Well, I like this, even if I don't necessarily think the vocals are top-notch. It is, however, one of the more interesting shows out there. You DO listen, you DO think, and you DO come away with knowing how THEY think/feel. In that, mission accomplished. The rehearsal section bothers me most, cuz it seems like the visuals just don't go with it. Perhaps I am missing details here. If they do in fact go with the words, it is not so obvious. I found the Napolean moment to be quite moving. I would say his message is actually reinforced by the crowd response of heckles and jeers. Yeah, he is not fitting in AGAIN it seems, and still doing what he loves. So, juvenille louts in the audience, guess what, you actually added to the power of the message. HA..what do you think about that?! They whole corps looks like they are working so hard. Especially the guard..jeez..what a challenge. Very impressive. I like about 80% of the show, believe in the message, give kudos for the guts, but overall it is not quite brilliance. Very, very good, but not brilliance. Flag designs are an eek. Never their strong suit, though.

On the controversy. Oh man, cringe moment. I felt for the kids, as hyping, then de-hyping, then hyping again had to suck. Mistakes on all sides I think and the end reversal of penalty seemed appropriate. Seriously, they were not fourth in the judges eyes. DCI goofed on the filed lining. I think they were more preoccupied with the broadcast and their image to the world than field mechanics. Could it have been handled more delicately? Yes. Is Hopkins delicate? No. His heart in the right place? Yes. Tact? A bit of work needed. Crowd was waiting to pounce on anything. I think if Fielder pulled off the Cavies, the response would not have been the same. Hopkins is to drum corp fans what Britney Spears is to the tabloids. Everyone just LOVES to pile on. Oh what fun. One thing - he's a person too, and cares deeply and just about kills himself with work for his corps. Mutter to yourself and friends all you want, or send him a blistering note, but a little more public civility would be nice.

Boy howdy, does this give them something to talk about in their corps meeting today as far as "choosing one's reaction." LOL

Devils. Power. Precision. Poise. Probably more P's to be given. Very intense. On a mission. Great stuff. But...I felt like I had seen this before. In 2003, with different music. Space chords: check. Drums on the tom rack: check. Blue-ish and color block costumes: check. Opening black wing effect is great. Similar to Freelancers '90 but up a notch. Fun they are saluting their '82 history with guard wings, but at a new level. Not likin' the feather boa on a stick guard headgear. Kept thinking Dr. Seuss. Too much weapon. Maybe great if you are 10 feet in front of them, but loses efffect from distance. Overall - on fire, no doubt they would win, but I got bored somewhere in the middle. Excellent product but no real surprises and it didn't seem to bring much new to the table. Machine last year was a new highpoint in clarity of idea, but this is just power and quality without a lot of freshness or lightbulb moments. That's not a bad thing, but I tend to go for the more unusual or innovative. Will it win? Very good chance. Cadets on a murderous rampage might upset the cart, though. Methinks there will be some of that tonight, which means Saturday will be a tossup. People in the stands, wear your body armor.

Well, that was more than few comments... :P

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QUOTE: Crossmen: .........Boo to the broadcast team for showing tons of footage of the '78 capes, and in the process COMPLETELY missing the '07 capes they were hyping. I really wanted to see that!

BStars. Oh please, oh please, get solid blue pants next year. QUOTE

i agree completly....

i have heard about the capes all summer and i miss it the ONLY chance i get to see it.

and as much as i really didn't get into BS show... they probably would have done better had they had solid pants. I think the top is fine just get all navy pants. I saw atleast 3 ticks just because their body facing was different than the person on either side of them.

otherwise i enjoyed the theater... Crossmen, BD, Cavies and crown AND Jersey Surf got the biggest cheers in my theater. and i won't comment on the field lining thing, other than it was a much needed restroom break for half the theater.

Edited by nctarheels05
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