Colts 08 ... Better than Madison?

[masterfitter]

Hi luvinmydummin,

Welcome to posting on DCP. This is definitely a place where if you ask for opinions, you will get them. Many posters have given you really good, non-offensive answers to your questions. As several have mentioned, strong associations with a group make it extremely difficult to be 100% subjective, certainly if you are fairly new or young to the activity.

I too preferred Madison over Colts & Crossmen. This changed over the summer. Early on I thought Colts to be demonstrating the most maturity and polish in their performances. There were some show issues that I feared would hurt them in Bloomington. Usually, more mature groups handle change the best. I thought changes would be made that would elevate the "what" and Colts would be in finals again with a fun, accessible show. The show changes to me made no difference or little difference. This doesn't mean the staff made uninformed or under-developed choices necessarily. I am sure they are very talented and well-intended. Phantom, BD, and Cavies staff members would tell you that they are too often get too close to their groups, or the activities current taste to know with 100% certainty that their changes are all going to work as intended. As with anything, experience in these areas typically up the success factor.

MANY years in DCI year past, you would have made finals. Too many great groups, and several that would have done anything to be in, including Colts.

So, I really liked Colts. VERY solid show. Lots of fun and recognizable music. The concept was easy to follow. Very well done. Preferred them emotionally to several finalists. Artistically, not as much. Don't look for any specific thing or person for 100% fault of what didn't happen; it isn't that easy and such can mess with your view of your experience. Though my perspective will be different than others, you may notice a trend of repeated dislikes.

Here is what I thought could have been improved:

The original opening was one of my favorite parts of the show, the changed version was too under-developed.

Opening guard soloist was conceptually too campy and very old school for me. Old school influence in a NEW way is great. This just seemed silly to me.

Following guard soloists, same reaction. Not the performers, just the concept. Reminded me of 1980s Dutch Boy years with big hair and Vegas.

Length of standing and playing hurt flow and forward direction of the show.

Swing got better by the brass, but still didn't sell. It is hard, but great when it works. Its is why corps do little to none of it anymore.

Though symmetrical drill is great and can be very effective, there seemed to be too much in this particular show, especially with how the guard was staged.

Not enough surprises. To much predictability.

Guard uni was also too old school and the guard guys should have worn something else.

Perc. book and horn book didn't aways seem to gel.

What I would not have changed:

Impacts were very solid and almost always appropriately supported by the guard.

Music selections were great.

Show theme was well chosen and easy to follow.

Forms and intervals were pretty clean.

Much of the drill was very well constructed from an engineering stand point, with some good GE moments.

Communication and showmanship were strong compared to your surrounding groups.

Drum major was very good.

Ballad was very musical and emotional.

Corps uniform looks great and always well tailored. (Not a cop-out comment. Many corps look ragged).

Pride seems to leap off of the field.

From the responsible party, thanks for noticing! I spent the last 4.5 weeks on the road with the corps, plus other previous weeks. LONG summer, and those of us that take pride in having uniforms fit to each individual member really do wonder if anyone out there really notices. It's all all about having a uniform that does not hinder, but enhances, performance. Colts 08 touring seamstress crew of Mary Keller and Julie Chase.

[nctarheels05]

/spellcheck?

fail....

/no i didn't spellcheck, and could care less on this forum. but it's ok, i have 2 degrees, so i must be good at something.

so much for replying to the TOPIC and getting nailed on spelling.

and since your defending your favorite corps, i guess what i said was right, and you had nothing to say but i failed at spelling... hmm.

[SaxmanSilver]

I'll just make this short and sweet. After following the progress of the summer I came to love the Colts "Night and Day" show (this wasn't my favorite show of the summer but it was up there) and I feel as though DCI chose the wrong corps to perform on Saturday. The Scouts show wasn't nearly as entertaining or as powerful as the Colts show. I know there is another topic out there about corps that got cheated and this might belong there but I don't understand how a corps that got 3 standing ovations during semifinals wasn't a part of the top 12 this summer.

If you feel like I do put it here so those kids who put on the Colts uniforms know the drum corps community feels strongly about there show.

Or if you I am wrong maybe someone could explain to me the error in my judgement.

This was your first post? Seriously, dude? EPIC FAIL.

[nctarheels05]

I, for one, am SO GLAD that DCI was judged by an "APPLAUSE meter." Can you imagine what the outcome would have been if they had.... lets say... trained adjudicators on the field and in the press box?

I bet there would have been an entirely different outcome and we would not be here today trying to figure out who IS the best 12th place corps!

When you guys do figure it out, lets post it on DCI.org and close off the season.

Is there a thread where we vote for the first place corps? Or did we go to the judges for that slot?

i said nothing about the show being judged on applause, i just commented on madison fans being a bit overboard on fracked high notes and dirty drill. i don't disagree with the placements, i just commented on the fans.

the only thing i said was that visually crossmen were better and the sheets proved that.

jesus... so much for making an observation.

[s3si1u]

to answer the original question...no

[BigSnareline]

I soooooooooo wanted the Crossmen to be in, and I also really grew to love the Colts show, but when it came down to it, Madison was the corps out of the three who was the cleanest and who brought it Finals week. I hated to see it or admit it, but that is how it went down.

And the world will now come to an end. Not one single mention of how terrible the FMMs of the Scouts are in this post. In fact - nothing negative at all. I'm very proud of you TX. I would have been disapointed to see the Scouts in 13th but if it meant the Crossmen made 12th it wouldn't have hurt too bad. I wanted to see both corps make it in this year.

[BozzlyB]

This was your first post? Seriously, dude? EPIC FAIL.

LOL, so he should wait until at least 80 (as you have with this post) to post his opinion? It kills me when people judge posters legitimacy based on how many posts they have. Tom Brace is famous for this. Let's see, is it at all possible that someone on their 1st DCP post is a 30 + year drum corps veteran, staff member, and someone on their 10,000th post is some idiot that never marched??? YES. BTW, YOUR post = GOLGOTHIC EPIC FAIL.

[hornstothebox]

i'll bite.

the first time i saw anything all season was the week of allentown and semifinals night. So since im a drill junkie, i am all about clean, readable forms and GE.

if anyone noticed, the first 4 minutes (until the moon rotating circle thing, which even though was cool, was dirty) of the show for the colts was scatter drill. Not 1 form lasted more than 2-3 sets. HOW can you clean that?!?!

HUH??

There was ONE scatter drill in the first half of the program during the Times Square TRAFFIC JAM sequence (about 10 seconds) of the Bernstein medley. Everything else is charted drill. Also, I am not sure what "not 1 form lasted more than 2-3 sets" actually means. By definition, no form lasts more than one set since drills are a series of sets that make both form and motion. If you are suggesting that the Colts only did 2-3 sets (charted drill moves) then go into a scatter drill (uncharted drill), then you are dead wrong. I suggest reviewing the videos. As a drill junkie, I am sure you will see what I am saying.

BTW, I am a big Colts fan, but understand why the Scouts are in finals. Like sports, this activity is all about momentum and the Scouts had much of that going into finals week. They turned it on sooner and kept the pedal to the metal longer at the end of the season.

Congrats to all three of these corps. They were all finalist worthy. Unfortunately only one gets in and that is where momentum is so important when closing out the season.

HTTB

[byline]

From the responsible party, thanks for noticing! I spent the last 4.5 weeks on the road with the corps, plus other previous weeks. LONG summer, and those of us that take pride in having uniforms fit to each individual member really do wonder if anyone out there really notices. It's all all about having a uniform that does not hinder, but enhances, performance. Colts 08 touring seamstress crew of Mary Keller and Julie Chase.

That is something I noticed about the Colts' uniforms. They are really striking, and have a clean, crisp look out on the field. Congratulations on your hard work! It does show!

Here's one of the photos I took at the Buffalo show (see all of them here):

Edited August 15, 2008 by byline