Cabs at the Beach

[Sayre Kulp]

Here are my brief recollections of yesterday evening. Full report will be in Drum Corp World.

The weather played games all day and night. When I left to travel down to Wildwood, it was raining. It continued to rain even after I got there and watched Bucs rehearsing in the muck. Suddenly, the clouds parted and we had SUN for the greater part of the afternoon. Come show time, the fog was rolling in and Wildwood was beginning to look like the Moores of Scotland.

Jim Cosetti kicked off the evening with the National Anthem.

Cecily Siegfried and Fran Haring (both clad in Hawaiian shirts) kept the crowd entertained between corps, Cecily in the stands, and Fran from the pressbox.

Carolina Gold (20H,7B,3P,6CG,1DM) became the first corps to take the field in the 2009 season. Dispite limited numbers, the hornline performed with guts. The brass is a bit unbalanced right now, leaning very heavy toward the low end. While this would generally be looked at as a disadvantage, the corps is able to achieve the dark sounds they are trying to portray. The battery seems to be the leading section in this corps though, performing as though they have been playing together for quite some time. I had to keep checking my numbers, because the pit (albeit very small with only 3 members) added significant color to their show - a credit to the design team there. The guard work is effective and will certainly continue to improve as their show is completed. The show is aggressive and complex, but the corps seems up to the challenge. Despite the dark nature in "Requiem," I think (and completely my opinion here) that some additional color would help carve away some space in this production. The uniforms, guard costuming and flag choices all seem a little TOO dark, if that makes sense.

Side note: much props to the members of Carolina Gold who kept pushing through the terrential downpour until they were told to stop. Midway through their drum solo, the skies dumped on them. After the rains stopped, the field was checked and the decision was made to reline the field 5 yards back and go on with the show.

Bushwackers (21H,16B,4P,24CG,2DM) took the field for the debut of "Scenes from a Psychotic Circus". I was concerned when I only saw 4 pit members on the field, but those fears were quickly put to rest. The pit performs admirably and their features were quite tasty, complimenting the show very well. The drum lines has not missed a beat, picking right up where they left off last season. They are executing at a very high level for this early point in the season and will not be taking any prisoners when they unleash their feature this season. Intense! The guard showed why they are consistently one of the best in the activity year after year. There is a big difference between "going through the motions" and "performing." This color guard was performing. The brassline (while small) is loaded with talent and executing articulate licks that other corps wouldn't even attempt. In typically Bush fashion, expect these great risks to yield great rewards later in the season.

Buccaneers (58H,25B,13P,26CG,3DM) continue to be the dominating force in DCA. The opening statement grabs you by the throat and beats you over the head (but in a good way?) Shear volume mixed with tonal perfection is the key to the Bucs sound. I've never seen a corps so well prepared this early in the season. The body visuals and exploration of the various horizontal places exhibited in "Simple Song" were just incredible. If you only see one part of the Bucs show this year, make in "Fire Dance." There are so many silumtaneous responsibilities placed on each individual member, that it will be near impossible to top. The drumline (particularly the tenor line) is just plain sick. Their feature in "Ritual Fire Dance" will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the best tenor features of all time. The hornline packs a serious wallup and the screamers add a musical dimension that has not been heard from a Buccaneer hornline is some time.

Caballeros (47H,23B,12P,30CG,3DM) were as good as I've ever seen them coming out of the gate. The opening sequence is vintage Hawthorne and really sets the tone for what is to follow. The ballad is exceptional and rivals their 2003 production of "The Prayer." It's a refreshing take on "Time to Say Goodbye" that features a beautiful duet and exceptional staging. Catch it this Summer, you won't regret it. The drumline really brought the passion tonight, although they may have gotten a little too overzealous causing sloppiness from time to time. When the solo is cleaned up however, it will be one of the high points of the show. Especially appreciated are the visual subtleties in the bass line. The re-entry collowing the drum solo is haunting and resolves in some gorgeous brass chords which color a tasty solo. The section solis are executed well and the trio adds exciting color as the corps roars to finish line. The final push is big time old school, but is controlled and precise. It really brought the house down.

Jersey Surf (56H,24B,12P,35CG,2DM) were up first in exhibition. Their show this year is made up of classics with a twist. I couldn't help but notice the way they put the "rock" in Rachmaninov. (insert rimshot here) But seriously, it puts a refreshing spin on these works. Mozart + Latin? Why not? The show is alot of fun to watch and should be a bit hit as the corps makes their journey as a World Class competitor this year. The hornline has the power to blow, but also demonstrates dynamic contrast and control. This was also my first exposure to keyboards in the pit. I thought Surf used the keys tastefully, as they did not stand out, but instead added that little extra spice to the recipe when called for.

Cabs Alumni (62H,27B,16CG,3DM) stared their show with a Larry Kerchener lead warm up sequence that got the crowd engaged. The show feature 2 old school rudimental drum features, the first of which was right up on the side line. Drum major extoraordinaire, Jimmy Russo hammed it up to the crowd as usual. The production number of Peter Allen's "I Go to Rio" was a big hit, especially with the teaser of "Peanut Vendor" thrown into the mix. All the featured soloists and screamers had a great evening and made for a raucous closing to the evenings festivities.

Thank you to the team from the Caballeros for putting together another fantastic chapter of "Cabs at the Beach" and as a final note, to the Wildwood School District: please get a new PA system.

[elphaba01]

Here are my brief recollections of yesterday evening. Full report will be in Drum Corp World.

The weather played games all day and night. When I left to travel down to Wildwood, it was raining. It continued to rain even after I got there and watched Bucs rehearsing in the muck. Suddenly, the clouds parted and we had SUN for the greater part of the afternoon. Come show time, the fog was rolling in and Wildwood was beginning to look like the Moores of Scotland.

Jim Cosetti kicked off the evening with the National Anthem.

Cecily Siegfried and Fran Haring (both clad in Hawaiian shirts) kept the crowd entertained between corps, Cecily in the stands, and Fran from the pressbox.

Carolina Gold (20H,7B,3P,6CG,1DM) became the first corps to take the field in the 2009 season. Dispite limited numbers, the hornline performed with guts. The brass is a bit unbalanced right now, leaning very heavy toward the low end. While this would generally be looked at as a disadvantage, the corps is able to achieve the dark sounds they are trying to portray. The battery seems to be the leading section in this corps though, performing as though they have been playing together for quite some time. I had to keep checking my numbers, because the pit (albeit very small with only 3 members) added significant color to their show - a credit to the design team there. The guard work is effective and will certainly continue to improve as their show is completed. The show is aggressive and complex, but the corps seems up to the challenge. Despite the dark nature in "Requiem," I think (and completely my opinion here) that some additional color would help carve away some space in this production. The uniforms, guard costuming and flag choices all seem a little TOO dark, if that makes sense.

Side note: much props to the members of Carolina Gold who kept pushing through the terrential downpour until they were told to stop. Midway through their drum solo, the skies dumped on them. After the rains stopped, the field was checked and the decision was made to reline the field 5 yards back and go on with the show.

Bushwackers (21H,16B,4P,24CG,2DM) took the field for the debut of "Scenes from a Psychotic Circus". I was concerned when I only saw 4 pit members on the field, but those fears were quickly put to rest. The pit performs admirably and their features were quite tasty, complimenting the show very well. The drum lines has not missed a beat, picking right up where they left off last season. They are executing at a very high level for this early point in the season and will not be taking any prisoners when they unleash their feature this season. Intense! The guard showed why they are consistently one of the best in the activity year after year. There is a big difference between "going through the motions" and "performing." This color guard was performing. The brassline (while small) is loaded with talent and executing articulate licks that other corps wouldn't even attempt. In typically Bush fashion, expect these great risks to yield great rewards later in the season.

Buccaneers (58H,25B,13P,26CG,3DM) continue to be the dominating force in DCA. The opening statement grabs you by the throat and beats you over the head (but in a good way?) Shear volume mixed with tonal perfection is the key to the Bucs sound. I've never seen a corps so well prepared this early in the season. The body visuals and exploration of the various horizontal places exhibited in "Simple Song" were just incredible. If you only see one part of the Bucs show this year, make in "Fire Dance." There are so many silumtaneous responsibilities placed on each individual member, that it will be near impossible to top. The drumline (particularly the tenor line) is just plain sick. Their feature in "Ritual Fire Dance" will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the best tenor features of all time. The hornline packs a serious wallup and the screamers add a musical dimension that has not been heard from a Buccaneer hornline is some time.

Caballeros (47H,23B,12P,30CG,3DM) were as good as I've ever seen them coming out of the gate. The opening sequence is vintage Hawthorne and really sets the tone for what is to follow. The ballad is exceptional and rivals their 2003 production of "The Prayer." It's a refreshing take on "Time to Say Goodbye" that features a beautiful duet and exceptional staging. Catch it this Summer, you won't regret it. The drumline really brought the passion tonight, although they may have gotten a little too overzealous causing sloppiness from time to time. When the solo is cleaned up however, it will be one of the high points of the show. Especially appreciated are the visual subtleties in the bass line. The re-entry collowing the drum solo is haunting and resolves in some gorgeous brass chords which color a tasty solo. The section solis are executed well and the trio adds exciting color as the corps roars to finish line. The final push is big time old school, but is controlled and precise. It really brought the house down.

Jersey Surf (56H,24B,12P,35CG,2DM) were up first in exhibition. Their show this year is made up of classics with a twist. I couldn't help but notice the way they put the "rock" in Rachmaninov. (insert rimshot here) But seriously, it puts a refreshing spin on these works. Mozart + Latin? Why not? The show is alot of fun to watch and should be a bit hit as the corps makes their journey as a World Class competitor this year. The hornline has the power to blow, but also demonstrates dynamic contrast and control. This was also my first exposure to keyboards in the pit. I thought Surf used the keys tastefully, as they did not stand out, but instead added that little extra spice to the recipe when called for.

Cabs Alumni (62H,27B,16CG,3DM) stared their show with a Larry Kerchener lead warm up sequence that got the crowd engaged. The show feature 2 old school rudimental drum features, the first of which was right up on the side line. Drum major extoraordinaire, Jimmy Russo hammed it up to the crowd as usual. The production number of Peter Allen's "I Go to Rio" was a big hit, especially with the teaser of "Peanut Vendor" thrown into the mix. All the featured soloists and screamers had a great evening and made for a raucous closing to the evenings festivities.

Thank you to the team from the Caballeros for putting together another fantastic chapter of "Cabs at the Beach" and as a final note, to the Wildwood School District: please get a new PA system.

"Cab's At The Beach":

Great review!!!

Elphaba

WWW

[SunRunner]

"Cab's At The Beach":

Great review!!!

Elphaba

WWW

I agree! Sayre - excellent review!!!

[Martybucs]

Good review. Nicely done.

[CorpsBuff]

Thanks for the review!

[TheMoonlightChef]

Thanks for the well written review Sayre!! Always a pleasure. Blessed Be.

[PhillySoprano]

Just got home from wildwood, it was a great weekend. I noticed the Cabs alumni changed there warm up in just 1 week from (Pagliacci) which I love , to some medley. Why so quick ? Phillysoprano

[cabalumnidrummer]

Thanks for including us in your review, Sayre! Great review of the show overall, and we appreciate the kinds words about us as well.

PhillySoprano, I'm sorry, but you are definitely mistaken about our hornline warmup. For the record, their warmup piece for the second year is "Matador Chorale." The only time you heard "Pagliacci" last week in Bayonne was when the Bridgemen played it as their opener. We last played it in our show in 2006, and not as a warmup.

[Jeff Ream]

great review!

[Fran Haring]

Terrific review, Sayre...it was nice to get a chance to hang out with you in the pressbox!

You're right about the PA system. Yikes. It worked just fine last year... this year, not so much.

Fran