Naperville Review

[TexasPRfan]

Naperville Review

Well, my other half & I got to take in our 2nd show of the season last night in Naperville. It was our first time to go this venue, and I was impressed! The stadium was tall – enough so that the track wasn’t even too much of an annoyance. We had great seats on the 50, about 4 rows from the top, so no complaints. The weather was chilly to our Texas bones, but never uncomfortable. And at least the rain was minimal – so all in all, a good night to enjoy a show – and enjoy we did!

Pioneer was first tonight, and this was my first read on their show. While I am more than tired of their celtic offerings, I have to say I think this show has more potential than several of their recent shows. In particularly the 2nd half of the show, the music was pretty solid & entertaining. The corps is marching a pretty ambitious show, but you still have to wonder if they wouldn’t be better off in Open Class. Pioneer is extremely young, and the lack of maturity shows in the hornline and guard particularly (I’m far from a percussion expert, for sure). I don’t know that the ladder triangles added much to the show, but I didn’t mind them either. I think it will be interesting to see how this show develops through August. Pioneer could be in for one of their better August shows in a while in Bloomington, though I don’t see them escaping the bottom spot. Still, it’s good to see them out there on the field, developing kids, and I wish them well.

Madison Scouts were up next. I have to say a 2nd viewing really helped me get into their show. Both my partner & I thought they were much stronger than Friday night. It could be the better seats (we were on the 30 Friday night in Bloomington, IL), or it could have been the 2nd read of the show, or it could have been they’ve tightened up some in the last 48 hours (or all the above). The music book felt more coherent last night. I can’t say that it will be one of my favorite Scouts shows, but I enjoyed the show 100% more than 2 nights ago. The whole mood of the show is dark & smoldering. I’m still not sold on the either the guard costuming or performance, but the guard, too, seemed a bit less shaky tonight. It looks like perhaps they are still marching some holes in their guard? There’s a nice symmetrical set where the guard splits off to the sides of the field near the opener, and its way out of balance in terms on members going to each side – a pretty glaring thing considering the big white flags they are working at the time. If they don’t have more members to add, it would feel more complete if they balanced out the members going to each side. Visually, there is some solid demand in the drill, but I think sometimes the demand is not rewarded with effect due to the density of forms. They also have a ton of visual cleaning to do. The show also seems unfished at the end. They need to find a better way to end it – much like Cavaliers. I think it says something very good about our activity, on the whole, that a corps that has the potential to be as solid as Madison does come August may have to fight to make Semis.

Blue Stars came up next, and I was excited to see my first viewing of their program. I think I was prepared to not like what I thought could potentially be a pretty cheesy “Le Tour” show, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The music book again is stellar for the Lacrosse crew. The whole show has a nice coherent theme, and the corps is bringing it with a nice presence , resulting in a show full of drama, interest & intensity. The brass line is quite powerful, but not playing with the same clarity of sound and beauty of tone as they did last summer – yet, anyway. After all the black on the field these days, the mostly white unis add an extra splash to the show, too. It’s too bad only Blue Stars, Crown, Regiment & Cadets are brave enough to try to take advantage of white (or off white) pants anymore. I always think they are more effective as long as the corps can march. I enjoyed the guard as well, although to me the whole opening sequences are too cluttered & will be hard to clean. Particularly effective is the section of the show where the guard is broken into 4 color groups with matching flags – very sharp. I don’t think the change into the all gray/blue uniforms was a wise choice though – they kind of get lost in that section of the show. All & all, a VERY enjoyable, musical show this summer from BlueStars. There is enough design quality & drama in this show that it will hold up well throughout the summer and make for a good vehicle for the group to challenge for a finalist position, me thinks.

Spirit was up next. After the stellar music book from Blue Stars, I think I was less impressed – just a tad – with Spirit the 2nd time around. The music is interesting, but a bit dark or “new age-ish” I guess, for lack of a better term – and somewhat repetitive. The playing is excellent, though, by both brass & percussion – which should keep them in the hunt for a Finalist spot. The guard also seems to be a step up for Spirit this summer. Visually, the drill is not selling yet. It’s hard to tell if it’s the really weak marching technique they are achieving or if the writing is just to dense & muddled. I still think Spirit’s fate is very closely tied to how much they can improve their marching, body carriage, and drill.

After the break, the Blue Knights were up next. I know they are not everyone’s cup of tea – but I will say I have absolutely LOVED their last 2 shows of dark classical music. So despite what I’ve read about them online so far this summer, I was anxious to see this show. There are some classic dark, artistic moments in this show that I really enjoyed. The silks, as always complement the mood & music of the show to a tee – and I absolutely loved the huge set of flags near the end – all solid colored, but filling out a nice rainbow of color from the front to the back of the field. I also think the white guard costuming always works well for Blue Knights – it’s a great contrast. Visually, I think this corps will be very solid. They also play pretty well. The music book, however, is not nearly as good as the last 2 years. It just doesn’t grow & develop nearly as much as the previous 2 classical books did.

The Cadets were on next. After despising their show design the past 2 summers (although last summer’s show would have been one I enjoyed quite a bit if the narration had been axed) – I was braced for the worst with this show. Perhaps it was because I had my bar set so low, but I actually liked most of the show. They march quite well, have a solid drill, and a great hornline. The narration IS annoying – very annoying – but it least it’s less narration than last year, and it’s segmented into “bursts” which is better, I think. I cannot stand the ending though. It seems trite, flip & not at all well thought out. Very anticlimactic to the great music licks that precede it. The guard seems to have a lot of cleaning to do if they want to challenge the top corps this summer. And officially waiting for it starting now, though perhaps it won’t come till Finals week – but I’m waiting for one of 2 things to happen (or both) from the crowd this summer. Either someone is going to yell “Change the Station” after their “APR” introductory narration, or someone is going to yell “and now back to a Drum Corps Station” as the next corps marches on the field. I can’t say they aren’t asking for it by their stubborn refusal to acknowledge the drum corps field is not well suited for narrative shows.

Carolina Crown came on next, and as has become the norm for them, really electrified the crowd. This show just oozes excitement & bravado. The 80 person hornline (I think I counted 80) delivers the goods. Such a dark, rich, full sound. The 1812 sections just sound fantastic. I tend to agree with some others, that the weaving of “somewhere” into Claire De Lune just doesn’t work that well. The other arrangement that I think falls flat is tacking the closing strains of the Hallelujah Chorus onto the end of the show just doesn’t seem to work. The 1812 finale is going so well, if it was me, I’d just close with it – it would make for a much more dramatic finish, with a build. Otherwise, the mishmash of finales actually works incredibly well. The guard is once again full of terrific performers, but I just don’t care for the opening costume. The brown, patterned “tux coattail” jackets they open with just aren’t that attractive. Musically, this might be the most demanding book on the field this summer – so many notes, and so much field coverage. There is a ton of exposure, as well as opportunities for phasing. We’ll see just how much they can clean this vehicle. It has the potential to keep them in top 6, for sure.

Cavaliers came on last for their home show crowd. Going on after Crown is NOT good for them – their hornline just sounds far too top heavy & bright after all that rich brass playing from Crown & Cadets. They are clean with what they are doing, and hold great intonation & control. It’s just too bright & sterile for my taste – at least at this point in the season. You can never underestimate what this staff can do with a strong Cavalier vehicle during the season (witness both 007 & & Machine). And this IS a great vehicle for Cavaliers. The Samurai theme fits them like a glove. Visually, the show is already surprisingly clean & just a delight to watch. Great drill & a great guard program. I just don’t know if they have the musical chops to take a title. I thought the same in 2002 and they did – but this time I think the competition will be much stronger from the rest of the top 5 than it was in 2002 – when all their competitors had major flaws. I could see Cavies winning, or I could see them getting passed over the last weeks of the season – time will tell!

Special kudos to the Cavalier Alumni Corps that performed to close out the night. What a great stroll down memory lane. The playing was surprisingly solid for early season – and I think we’re all in for a treat in Bloomington in August when they have their whole show on the field. The 90s medley they closed with certainly brought back great memories for me. I also enjoyed getting to experience “old school” Cavaliers music from earlier decades. Don’t miss your chance to see these guys this summer!

That’s all for now. My next show is Drums Along the Rockies in Denver in 2 weeks. For now, it’s back to 100 degree Texas.

Harvey

[Guizeppe]

Excellent review! Good job and thanks.

[Bob984]

great review!

GB

[cadet93]

The Cadets were on next. After despising their show design the past 2 summers (although last summers show would have been one I enjoyed quite a bit if the narration had been axed) I was braced for the worst with this show. Perhaps it was because I had my bar set so low, but I actually liked most of the show. They march quite well, have a solid drill, and a great hornline. The narration IS annoying very annoying but it least its less narration than last year, and its segmented into bursts which is better, I think. I cannot stand the ending though. It seems trite, flip & not at all well thought out. Very anticlimactic to the great music licks that precede it. The guard seems to have a lot of cleaning to do if they want to challenge the top corps this summer. And officially waiting for it starting now, though perhaps it wont come till Finals week but Im waiting for one of 2 things to happen (or both) from the crowd this summer. Either someone is going to yell Change the Station after their APR introductory narration, or someone is going to yell and now back to a Drum Corps Station as the next corps marches on the field. I cant say they arent asking for it by their stubborn refusal to acknowledge the drum corps field is not well suited for narrative shows.

Harvey,

Thanks for the review.

Just FYI I think the show references an NPR (National Public Radio) program "This American Life", not APR. If people are so dedicated to disliking the narrative aspects of the Cadets show, they probably should at least have their facts straight.

Have a great day,

-- Anthony

Cadets 93-97

[mobrien]

Just FYI I think the show references an NPR (National Public Radio) program "This American Life", not APR. If people are so dedicated to disliking the narrative aspects of the Cadets show, they probably should at least have their facts straight.

Have a great day,

The reference to 'APR' is from the actual script that Garfield is using, and the faux "radio show" being presented in their show is called "Life in America", again, as per their script. In actual fact, there WAS a public radio distribution company known as American Public Radio, but now they're called PRI (ironically enough, the syndicate that handles the real "This American Life", produced by Chicago Public Radio - the NPR affiliate in Chi. It gets confusing, non?.... )

Anyway, dem's the facts....

Edited July 1, 2008 by mobrien

[Willie85]

Cadet-

Yep, Harvey (and mobrien) have got it right. Personally I think Harvey's also got it right when he calls the narration "trite, flip & not at all well thought out". It's not about narration in general or the Cadets, it's about bad narration. Have you seen it?

[dc oldtimer]

Special kudos to the Cavalier Alumni Corps that performed to close out the night. What a great stroll down memory lane. The playing was surprisingly solid for early season – and I think we’re all in for a treat in Bloomington in August when they have their whole show on the field. The 90s medley they closed with certainly brought back great memories for me. I also enjoyed getting to experience “old school” Cavaliers music from earlier decades. Don’t miss your chance to see these guys this summer!

Thanks Harvey. We were quite pleased with last nights performance but we all know we have a lot of work to do before August 8th. Some people are asking me why I am doing this. Last night I had a guy standing next to me who marched in 1949. On the other side, I had a guy who marched in 2002. Need I say more. Add the fact that we were invited to play rainbow with The Cavaliers, it was quite a night.

p.s. although I disagree with your take on The Cavaliers 2008, I respect your opinion. I think The Cavaliers have proven year over year that although volume may win you points with the fans, it does not win you championships. Plus having Michael Gaines on your side doesn't hurt either

[stockman365]

Very thorough and honest review!

[uncle z]

Some people are asking me why I am doing this.

Who would turn down a chance to march with Schlenny????

[cadet93]

Cadet-

Yep, Harvey (and mobrien) have got it right. Personally I think Harvey's also got it right when he calls the narration "trite, flip & not at all well thought out". It's not about narration in general or the Cadets, it's about bad narration. Have you seen it?

I stand corrected. Why would they use this Fake "APR" station? Are there copyright issues with 'NPR'?

Regardless, I 'personally' think they have improved the narration this year even at this incredibly early stage of the season, and as everyone seems to agree, there is a fantastic drum corps on the field.

It should be interesting to see how the season progresses. Obviously, Cavies and BD will have their characteristic dominance through mid-late July, then I feel that things will get interesting, and I an see Cadets, Phantom, and SCV challenging the two of them.

Having viewed the webcasts that have been posted thusfar. I have to give some props to BD it is my favorite product from them in quite awhile, and IMHO, much more interesting than last year which to me was boring after the opener. Cavies have a standard 2000's formula Champsionship show for them. Cadets show seems to be a 'lessons learned from last year' to me. I haven't seen Phantom or SCV yet, so can't comment.

It will be interesting.

Thanks for the corretion!

-- Anthony

Cadets 93-97