Reading PA

[Jeff Ream]

ok, just reading from notes quick...not a well thought out review, just blurting stuff out here.

Fitz did a great job on the anthems. Missing Albright,...seating tight for a 6'3 guy with long legs. Parking..well..seemed every lot that wasn't full was marked off for corps, even with dozens of empty spaces. I understand why the move, but I'll take Exeter back if it can't be Albright.

Grennies.....liked the slow build to the hit Malaga...brass seemed tired, and, IMO, offkey a lot. battery solid, and at times a bit overpowering. Pit wasn't heard much. seemed to be brass holes which may have hurt the sound. In fact, at times within the brass the mellos over powered the sops. Show did flow well, and the heartbeat i deas very cool. Nice hit in the ballad with the flags in the middle of the form on the white flags...worked well against corps uniforms. Nice mello duet out of the hit. Basses in Echano grove seemed too behind the beat at times. Nice 16th note run thru the brass voices while spread. Bass feature well written, just some bass interp issues and some dirt in snares going up to the mounted toms. After the break, the brass seemed gassed, and also a bit too spread out for the size.. Very cool ending with the heartbeat making the guard the visual attraction.

Good show for coming back out. holes had to hurt, and brass stamina could hurt next week. drumline should do well. Room for growth, and really, no need to reinvent the wheel here. Just cleaning and stamina, with holes filled, and it could be fun. welcome back eh?

Fusion...I liked the corps and the show, tho at times it seemed the corps was in blocks a lot visually. brass very controlled, and IMO, too controlled...impacts came across flat. Battery has performance issues that could hurt next week. The build to first hit well designed, and the guard was well used. Love the ethnic percussion groove under the brass quartet in the ballad...nice touch with snares on toms, tho watch performance at the hit when you get louder. Very full brass sound for the size with good quality. Liked the drum break into the slow push to close the tune. Next tune started out uptempo, tho did seem to drop. during the half time section, battery seemed to be overpowering a bit as brass got a touch gassed...tho the battery did all but take out the judge, so it all evened out Well done push to the end with brass upfront..well staged and with a tad more stamina, will be strong.

big step up from last year. Written well, but battery performance issues and lack of impact could hurt. With some cleaning and volume, I see a big jump in score possible.

White Sabres....liked the silent drill into the hit, tho there were some performer issues on the turn...brass seemed to be reaching for the end of the intro. biggest issues from here to the balad were bass interp issues and some bass balance. Pit did some nice musical shaping. Very cool 4 mallet work in afro groove under sop duet...very nice adaptation of Robert W Smith here....backfield playing lost in open stadium, should sound much better next week, but song resolved well. Brass did a good job into swing section with the sop/bari solos and trio. Pit nice vamping here. Like the design with perc features coupled with the brass voice counterparts, but performance issues held it back from going where it could. Like mello solos to start next tune into the large mello section hit. very strong blend here with low brass and also with pit scoring to add depth. Into the Inferno....drum break...too spread i think and causes performance issues due to big listening challenges. visually, good idea bring it all upfront to give power.

see above for thoughts. cleaning in battery and stamina will help a lot. light years better than last year, and one good breakout performance from doing damage. the book is there, it's up to the performers.

Cru...big 20 to 20 spread box to open Russian Xmas under bari solo.....if you liked 87 SCV you'll like this. well done pit scoring under low brass build to hit. visually i liked how the box dissolved as each voice entered, tho the hit was kind of top heavy...seemed to be holes...low brass? well done guard move thru 1/2 time. pit intro into Dances well done, tho i thought the lead line could have been a touch more audible. liked the visual design as brass slowly collapses into concert arc with the guard staged in front. perc feature very tasty and musical...not just ramming notes, but a full ensemble musical moment...bass a tad heavy volume wise in the beginning, great roll quality at the end. nice trade offs between voices, just minor dirt.

Love the contra intro to Pictures into the octet...nice snake drill for baba yaga...perc scoring here very good...helps sell the brass book...strong pit run into perc break...push into great gates well done...liked the quick musical recaps from the show in the power ending.

liked Cru a lot. if there were holes, they need all bodies next week. show has a ton of potential, just need to tighten up performance. percussion well done, most musical they have been in years. I havent seen a lot of DCA yet, but this show...IMO...should be in. Dunno who drops out to make room, but if they perform it, it's top 10.

brigs...big improvement in opening drum break over a month ago. still some minor dirt, but the ensemble held much better and the brass entrance was strong. some nice pit runs and sop solo work. next perc break was like every break now...lots of body work underneath..clean until the turn...part still sounds like stone ground 7. balld...nice backfield sound as corps spreads to pods...cant wait to hear it in an enclosed venue next week...good pit scoring to support the brass, and the chimes backfield work well...cool guard staging here on back of sie 1...tymp player a star here. pit intro into next tune had some dirt but could be very cool. liked the odd meter stuff, interp handled well by all. some perc dirt in feature, but nothing major. did notice a snare at one point blow a halt then move back during said halt. oops liked the high sabre toss into the ending push. nice full ending.

big step up since chambersburg, and with cleaning, it could make it interesting in that 2-7 block. well designed, now just needs performed.

Bucs.....love the corps in the block in back while pit sets up canon...seriously, this pit is sick good. like people around me who werent drummers called it sick good good. i didnt notice a pat doubled until the metals bild for the sop intro. brass came to play tonight for hit...HUGE sound, very balanced. reminded me of adagio in 05. battery scoring underneath worked well for adding to the power...lots of open rolls and bass runs underneath. very cool pit work leading out of hit into Abrams. Huge power chords in Abrams with some hot bass runs under...tenor break well done with guns flying around them, snares hit their feature and the pods break with part snare part tenor were in and out. cymbals shined big here. nessum Dorma started very nice, tho Walts solo lost at times under contras who appear to be too close to him. back em up 4 steps, issue solved. very strong mello work here, and the backfield sop stuff came thru nicely...probably better next week. Loved the swing flags at the hit..purple always works well against touse uniforms. perc break after ballad had great bass and cymbal split work, but snares had some issues, plus a slight moment of what felt like side to side....given the spread it's understandable. Ode to Joy stuff very well done, but the perc break leading into the big Canan Hit still felt like an abrupt ending, then bam into Canaon...maybe it's me, it just seems like "oh hey we're done, bit hit time". Canon repirse HUGE sound and then back into the Ode for big ending.

biggest issue for next week...snares. Other cylanders clicking. minor little tweaks here and there and cleaning mean probable good things. havent seen the 2-5 cluster yet so who knows, but as of right now, this will be tough if everything clicks.

Bucs Alumni...good job in parade block with America, Stars and Stripes, Battle Hymn and one other song while corps came on. Nice to see the corps a little larger and with a fuller sound.

feels weird going into finals not seeing Cabs and Empire.....so I refuse to make predictions. hope ya liked scrambled thoughts at 1 am.

[Fred Windish]

Just got home, Jeff. It was a long day. The local committee set-up a post show meeting place about 2 blocks away. It was Flanigan's Irish Pub. Huge crowd, they were swamped. Gotta get an ad from those folks for next year!

Your review is excellent, as always. You need to do this more!

(think of the money in it!)

I must concur, that Buc pit is incredible. I am really not a fan of that whole pit development over the years, but in this case, WOW!. They provide the perfect transition from one piece to another. Their talent is quite obvious, but more importantly, they seem to be having a really good time out there. Where do they find these people?

Great evening all around. Sold out, actually. They then accepted $5 for entry to sit/stand anywhere you can. Nice neighborhood, scattered parking, mostly pro-Buccaneer fans (obviously). Too bad Albright College declined to host the event this year, but this was a first-class alternative.

Gotta tell ya, that Buccaneer color guard was "spot-on."

My Buccaneer Alumni had an issue with the beginning of one number, but I'm thinking few noticed the problem.

All and all, a most successful event. Thanks in large part to Amy and Bill Snook. It's the Amys and Bills that keep this activity going. Every organization needs an Amy and Bill.

[Loiswt]

Thank you to everyone who came out a supported the Bucs at the home show. What a great evening!

THANK YOU AMY & BILL SNOOK!!!!! Without you and your untiring efforts this show would not be the success it is.

Sold out stadium, wow!!!!!!

[Jimbalaya]

Well reported and well said Jeff/Fres/Lois...........it was a superb contest from start to finish.........great to see Grennies back and all corps smoked........the hosts could not have provided better for the fans, especially if said fans were under 5'5".........sorry Jeff..........

Can't wait until Friday..........and next years' Buc's Home Show.........

Joe

[Cru2u]

Just got in after a leisure ride with the equipment truck up the rt 61 to 81 to 80 to 180 to 15...etc...etc....etc....whew!!

Mountains just tucker me out! LOL!

Thanks,Jeff for your very nice and insightful comments about Cru! The Corps is working hard to please the drum corps world and look forward to entertaing the crowd in RACHACHA!

To the Bucaneers Show committee and family........HAT'S OFF to YOU!! Great place and appreciative fans for a Great Event!

[pearlsnaredrummer77]

Good review Jeff.

One thing I noticed was the stadium was sooo packed in. The college stadium last year was much nicer (although the weather didn't cooperate)

Just got in after a leisure ride with the equipment truck up the rt 61 to 81 to 80 to 180 to 15...etc...etc....etc....whew!!

Mountains just tucker me out! LOL!

Thanks,Jeff for your very nice and insightful comments about Cru! The Corps is working hard to please the drum corps world and look forward to entertaing the crowd in RACHACHA!

To the Bucaneers Show committee and family........HAT'S OFF to YOU!! Great place and appreciative fans for a Great Event!

[Jeff Ream]

Just got in after a leisure ride with the equipment truck up the rt 61 to 81 to 80 to 180 to 15...etc...etc....etc....whew!!

Mountains just tucker me out! LOL!

Thanks,Jeff for your very nice and insightful comments about Cru! The Corps is working hard to please the drum corps world and look forward to entertaing the crowd in RACHACHA!

To the Bucaneers Show committee and family........HAT'S OFF to YOU!! Great place and appreciative fans for a Great Event!

hey speaking of your ride:

what's 180 and 15 like? isn't 99 done yet up there???

[Cru2u]

hey speaking of your ride:

what's 180 and 15 like? isn't 99 done yet up there???

There were 2-3 spots of 1 lane construction zones for about 3-5 miles each. Not bad.........Considering the trip down 81 to clarks summit and picking up the pike that was just so rough and congested. I liked the route I took home for the fact I also have been traveling the 81 corridor the last few weeks.

As far as the "99" thing.........the only thing I saw was a sign saying "99 future corridor"!! Strange! I thought I was on route 15! LOL! There is about 10 miles going thru Lawrenceville on 15 that can be aggravating but its over before you know it and 15 opens up to nice highway going to corning and westbound on 17/86 is fine to 390.

The 180 is real nice! Gets you around Williamsport and is only about 26 miles! As we got near Williamsport we spotted the Goodyear blimp for the tv coverage for the little league world championships being held there.

If you need anything else, just drop me a line!

[TomMoore]

All and all, a most successful event. Thanks in large part to Amy and Bill Snook. It's the Amys and Bills that keep this activity going. Every organization needs an Amy and Bill.

I couldn't agree more. We're extremely fortunate to have Amy and Bill in our family. There are Amys and Bills all over this great activity, which is why it's so special!

[Jeff Ream]

There were 2-3 spots of 1 lane construction zones for about 3-5 miles each. Not bad.........Considering the trip down 81 to clarks summit and picking up the pike that was just so rough and congested. I liked the route I took home for the fact I also have been traveling the 81 corridor the last few weeks.

As far as the "99" thing.........the only thing I saw was a sign saying "99 future corridor"!! Strange! I thought I was on route 15! LOL! There is about 10 miles going thru Lawrenceville on 15 that can be aggravating but its over before you know it and 15 opens up to nice highway going to corning and westbound on 17/86 is fine to 390.

The 180 is real nice! Gets you around Williamsport and is only about 26 miles! As we got near Williamsport we spotted the Goodyear blimp for the tv coverage for the little league world championships being held there.

If you need anything else, just drop me a line!

oh i know the route well..i take 15/180/future 99 up to finals every year, but you clused me in on current construction so thanks!

as for 99....eventually 15 above Williamsport will be I-99. Once the section by the border is done, I believe it will become active and then they go back and work on some spots to truly make it an interstate....and man that section by the border can't be done soon enough...adds an unneeded 30 minutes to the drive every time!