Houston Heat Wave

[MHSmirage]

happy faces here, happy faces there. I dont' know.....just my opinion. Last sets of both shows are the same.

And I know I'm contributing to the beating of a dead horse here, but the script/voice over is irritating.

[FTNK]

Yea, the only thing in common was the show title and the ending drill. But that is a whale of a HS marching band.

[jordsterr]

Yea, the only thing in common was the show title and the ending drill. But that is a whale of a HS marching band.

True! But it's funny to read in the commenst from a kid that they didn't like the music. Sometimes it's amazing how someone can be in program like that ans still not have a clue.

[Medeabrass]

(***Warning...this isn't a review and is very Cadets and Crown heavy***)

Just got back from the show...Just a few thoughts. First, I was very happy that every corps got standing ovations and DESERVED them. Some corps got multiple standing o's. I can't remember the last time I saw that. I don't know if it was my primo seats or what, but it seems to me that the level of excellence from top to bottom is even higher than last year. I really don't remember a time when I enjoyed every show.

The Cadets got really good responses and a standing o (even from me). I really liked what was going on with the drum corps part of the show. I don't see how the "other stuff" fits in, but I was able to filter it out better than I have in the past (maybe I'm getting better over the years ;) ). The clarity and accomplishment of the hornline was spectacular. The marching was just as fantastic. I remember thinking there was no way Crown was going to beat this show even though I thought the "explaining" was going to dock Cadets big time in GE. Can someone please explain to me how what the corps proper is doing (ie corps sans explainers) relates to pursuing happiness? How does the marching or the playing convey this? I know that great drum corps makes must of us happy, but I don't think that's what they mean.

I watched a good bit of Crown's rehearsal today, and I just didn't think they had the same visual clarity as Allentown did. Boy was I wrong. I couldn't figure out if they looked so much better this evening because of the uniform or if they were just having a special performance, or if it was my vantage point made things click for me but they looked great never the less. They are right there with Cadets in this caption. They might be a little behind, but I was COMPLETELY blown away by their color guard and I'm never this captured by this caption...ever (maybe not since Cadets '92 or '90). They just have soooo much personality and sass to go along with their great execution that I think they help push the entire ensemble vis caption over Cadets. Love the hair guys and gals...seriously.

I would put Crown and Cadets' hornlines on par with each other as far as clarity is concerned although I personally prefer the sound of Crown. Cadets might be a little cleaner at this point and may have a few more notes than Crown, but Crown has a lot more individual exposure in the written book and because of staging. I'm thinking they may get rewarded for this in a big way if they're ever able to get all of the "short and curlies" put in their place. Another thing I noticed is that Crown had a lot more opportunities to express some sensitivity. They were masters of controlling themselves at low dynamic levels while playing some difficult accellerandos and decellerandos...there's nothing more difficult than controlling yourself on the soft and delicate passages when you're in the middle of a show. Another thing I noticed is that they actually played these soft parts while facing the audience. What a concept! How refreshing to see a corps who isn't afraid to ditch the back field cop out on pp and ppp. As a whole, I had Crown and Cadets hornlines about equal, but Crown's attention to little details won the day in my book. The Crowd went absolutely nuts for Crown btw (especially me...sorry to the folks sitting around me). I was a little skeptical about their book after reading some reviews but I was just completely blown away by what the creative team has given them. The way they wove together so many familiar songs was masterful and tasteful. Congrats Mr. Klesch. You really like arranging Candide don't you?

I wasn't surprised at all that Cadets won even though I think they should get much lower marks in GE, but I was surprised by the spread.

Some other brief thoughts. I was really happy to see how well Troopers are doing. There's just something about them that makes you want to pull for them. I think their design team has given them a book that's a perfect blend of entertainment and a proper dose of difficulty. Glassmen's show was my favorite production from them in awhile. Holy Fortissimo NEO!!! I missed the years that Boston made their trek to the top 5 and it's great to see them on fire again. Boston Crusaders are for real and it was a real treat to get to hear them again in the encore. I absolutely love Blue Stars show this year. They are exhibiting much more confidence for sure. I got to see their ensemble rehearsal briefly and I could feel the this change as soon as I walked up. They're starting to develop a little bit of a swagger I think.

Sorry this isn't comprehensive, but I gotta do some laundry before I go to SA.

Edited July 18, 2008 by Medeabrass

[Medeabrass]

[snip]their little platform and "Archie and Edith" chairset are[snip]

Dude I said this to the people I was talking to when they wheeled it out. I was half expecting a big fat strawberry from someone dressed has Archie.

[27/soa]

Dude I said this to the people I was talking to when they wheeled it out. I was half expecting a big fat strawberry from someone dressed has Archie.

The Bunkers Do Drum Corps! If only the mic could be "Stifled!".

[2000Cadet]

(***Warning...this isn't a review and is very Cadets and Crown heavy***)

Just got back from the show...Just a few thoughts. First, I was very happy that every corps got standing ovations and DESERVED them. Some corps got multiple standing o's. I can't remember the last time I saw that. I don't know if it was my primo seats or what, but it seems to me that the level of excellence from top to bottom is even higher than last year. I really don't remember a time when I enjoyed every show.

The Cadets got really good responses and a standing o (even from me). I really liked what was going on with the drum corps part of the show. I don't see how the "other stuff" fits in, but I was able to filter it out better than I have in the past (maybe I'm getting better over the years ;) ). The clarity and accomplishment of the hornline was spectacular. The marching was just as fantastic. I remember thinking there was no way Crown was going to beat this show even though I thought the "explaining" was going to dock Cadets big time in GE. Can someone please explain to me how what the corps proper is doing (ie corps sans explainers) relates to pursuing happiness? How does the marching or the playing convey this? I know that great drum corps makes must of us happy, but I don't think that's what they mean.

I watched a good bit of Crown's rehearsal today, and I just didn't think they had the same visual clarity as Allentown did. Boy was I wrong. I couldn't figure out if they looked so much better this evening because of the uniform or if they were just having a special performance, or if it was my vantage point made things click for me but they looked great never the less. They are right there with Cadets in this caption. They might be a little behind, but I was COMPLETELY blown away by their color guard and I'm never this captured by this caption...ever (maybe not since Cadets '92 or '90). They just have soooo much personality and sass to go along with their great execution that I think they help push the entire ensemble vis caption over Cadets. Love the hair guys and gals...seriously.

I would put Crown and Cadets' hornlines on par with each other as far as clarity is concerned although I personally prefer the sound of Crown. Cadets might be a little cleaner at this point and may have a few more notes than Crown, but Crown has a lot more individual exposure in the written book and because of staging. I'm thinking they may get rewarded for this in a big way if they're ever able to get all of the "short and curlies" put in their place. Another thing I noticed is that Crown had a lot more opportunities to express some sensitivity. They were masters of controlling themselves at low dynamic levels while playing some difficult accellerandos and decellerandos...there's nothing more difficult than controlling yourself on the soft and delicate passages when you're in the middle of a show. Another thing I noticed is that they actually played these soft parts while facing the audience. What a concept! How refreshing to see a corps who isn't afraid to ditch the back field cop out on pp and ppp. As a whole, I had Crown and Cadets hornlines about equal, but Crown's attention to little details won the day in my book. The Crowd went absolutely nuts for Crown btw (especially me...sorry to the folks sitting around me). I was a little skeptical about their book after reading some reviews but I was just completely blown away by what the creative team has given them. The way they wove together so many familiar songs was masterful and tasteful. Congrats Mr. Klesch. You really like arranging Candide don't you?

I wasn't surprised at all that Cadets won even though I think they should get much lower marks in GE, but I was surprised by the spread.

Some other brief thoughts. I was really happy to see how well Troopers are doing. There's just something about them that makes you want to pull for them. I think their design team has given them a book that's a perfect blend of entertainment and a proper dose of difficulty. Glassmen's show was my favorite production from them in awhile. Holy Fortissimo NEO!!! I missed the years that Boston made their trek to the top 5 and it's great to see them on fire again. Boston Crusaders are for real and it was a real treat to get to hear them again in the encore. I absolutely love Blue Stars show this year. They are exhibiting much more confidence for sure. I got to see their ensemble rehearsal briefly and I could feel the this change as soon as I walked up. They're starting to develop a little bit of a swagger I think.

Sorry this isn't comprehensive, but I gotta do some laundry before I go to SA.

Hey man, thanks a lot for the review. Very much appreciated. I saw Crown and Cadets in Clifton, NJ and Chesapeake, VA, and now you have me really looking forward to seeing them again in Maryland.

As far as your comment about pp and ppp being a "back field cop out", I tend to disagree with that statement. I mean, given the past few years there have been a number of corps who have played that volume backfield, but I tend to think it has more to do with the effect of setting up the big impact points for the audience. I can remember back in 2000 during "Chaos" where we played a pp portion of the number toward the audience and then played the fff portion backfield. It was just the opposite of what you pointed out. That effect was kind of weird in my opinion but it did a great job of setting up the mellophone part immediately after.

Well, enough rambling. I just thought I'd provide a little insight I guess.

Again, thanks a lot for the review. You have me looking forward to the next show I will get to see.

[nukeme70]

The gate nazi's said "no cameras of any kind" and took it. I had my fiancee take it back to the car, then he put it in the leg pocket of his cargo shorts as they weren't frisking us. I told them that DCI ment no recorded devices, but he just looked at me like I was a crazy person.

I did better than smuggle in a camera...I had one attached to my leadpipe during our performance!

If you ever wanted to see what a field performance from a contra player's perspective looks like (and if you are prepared to hear a lot of foghorn), then do a search later today on that notorious tubing site that hosts videos...search for "Gulf Coast Sound" or "contracam".

There's already a set up there from our run-through last week, and an old set from our show 2 years ago.

[big benford]

umm....so...umm how did you smuggle it in

I had my camera with me but just didn't use it. Heck, it was at the top of my backpack when I opened it but since it was in a nifty case that didn't look like a camera case, it wasn't questioned.

Two things that cracked me up were:

1. No re-entry. My friend forgot his stadium seat in the car and when he went to go get it, he had to be escorted to the car and back in by a volunteer. So you couldn't go check out what was going on in the lot and come back in. Kinda silly but I'm guessing the Athletics Department just doesn't know drum corps and they were upholding their rules/policies.

2. No photography or recording of any sort..."BY LAW". Law? Really? Is that like the 79th amendment or something?

Maybe when we host the Texas Drum Corps Preview again next year, I'll try an announce that and see the reaction from our crowd.... LOL

~C

[MikeD]

Tomorrow is the Houston show. I went last year and the facility is beautiful! Hard to believe it's a high school athletic complex. It's only an hour drive through that awesome Houston traffic but I am not going. I will see all of these corps on Saturday in that glorious Alamodome air conditioning. It will be hot, muggy, and sweaty, so be prepared!

Funny what somtimes triggers a memory...

We were standing outside the gate at the 1971 Dallas VFW prelims in our wool Cadet unis waiting to perform...it was mid-afternoon..and I hear one security guy tell another that the Cotton Bowl at field level was 135 degrees.