Drums Along the Rockies

[MagicBobert]

Honestly, it looks like BD is doing just that a lot this year.

Taking a page out of the Phantom playbook, I see.

[jaylogan]

I honestly don't think that anyone will catch the Blue Devils now and probably anytime in the coming years unless other corps start using things on the field like chairs and mirrors and other types of staging, and I don't want to see other drum corps move in that direction. The judges clearly are enthralled by that kind of thing, so the GE portion of the score (which is weighed quite heavily) will always favor the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils are not going to change that aspect (why should they, if the judges give them the credit that they do?) It lets the corps focus more on that stellar playing.

But if you like the look and feel of all the other drum corps, don't let the scores of the judges get you riled up, or else you're going to be disappointed for a long time to come. I truly love what they do with Laura and I do like the rest of the music, but the use of props does not sit well with me. I find what the Cadets did on the live feed (and Cavaliers, BK, Phantom Regiment, and SCV, for that matter) to be much more engaging. It is the preferred direction this medium should go, and they have the mixture of marching and music that I come to see. I have absolutely no control over the direction of the medium, though. So I will support what I like, while at the same time congratulating BD on their victory.

As a whole, the last BD show did not impress me as much as their competition and I see the same happening this year. Again, I loved the music, but the visual did not sit well with me. But I didn't begrudge their winning last year and I won't this year either. I am not going to hate on BD for finding a formula and sticking to it. Let the victor have the spoils. I do know what I love, and I know where I can get it, so I will support that which I love.

Anyway, that's my take on it. I'm sure many others have different takes.

Edited July 11, 2010 by jaylogan

[megadrive]

Taking a page out of the Phantom playbook, I see.

Meh, whatever works I guess.

[ajwdad]

That GE Visual score spread is a joke.

That said, this is how it is folks. BD hasn't had an exciting show since 2000 (musically or visually), but they know how to clean and they've figured out how to write their shows to the sheets. I haven't seen them live yet, so I can't make an intelligent comment on the music, but visually, the show just isn't anything special. Usual BD. But that's what has been working for them, so why change?

I doubt that anything that BD could do would please you, but that is ok. Frankly, the chairs last year added almost a 3rd dimension, and the mirrors are visually exciting. But, as long is it is BD, there will be this kind of condemnation.

[Lance]

I doubt that anything that BD could do would please you, but that is ok. Frankly, the chairs last year added almost a 3rd dimension, and the mirrors are visually exciting. But, as long is it is BD, there will be this kind of condemnation.

best not to try to reason with people with irrational hate....because they genuinely think they're being rational.....

[UItrumpetguy]

I honestly don't think that anyone will catch the Blue Devils now and probably anytime in the coming years unless other corps start using things on the field like chairs and mirrors and other types of staging, and I don't want to see other drum corps move in that direction. The judges clearly are enthralled by that kind of thing, so the GE portion of the score (which is weighed quite heavily) will always favor the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils are not going to change that aspect (why should they, if the judges give them the credit that they do?) It lets the corps focus more on that stellar playing.

But if BD keeps winning with this formula, don't you think other corps will start trying to do the same things? That is what concerns me the most.

[KakkoiiOtaku]

My recap to follow. But first, a rant.

I'm sorry ... I don't care what anyone else has to say, but I am calling Shenanigans on BD's score tonight. I know this means nothing since there are 5 weeks of the season left, but The Cadets far outperformed them, if you ask me, and it's a Crime that BD gets scored so high for mediocrity -- especially two weeks before San Antonio. At this rate, they'll be scoring past 100 at Allentown and into the 110's at Finals. It'd be different if their show was musically interesting, but it's not. That's why I liked last year's show. It was musically entertaining. This show reminds me of Cavaliers of late (2005-2007, 2009) ... a visual show accompanied by "music." That's not what makes a good show. A good show, a show worthy of scoring 88 with 5 weeks remaining, is one you can hum to yourself. One you listen to time and time again and don't get tired of. One that will just randomly pop up in your head and you can't get it out ... not that you want it to. Examples: Cadets 2000 ... Phantom 2008 ... SCV 1989 AND 2009 ... Star 1993 ... Madison 1995 ... Blue Devils 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009 ... Crown 2004-present ... Blue Knights 2009 ... Bluecoats 2007-present.

That brings me to another point.

Dude....I was there.... I laughed my butt off at the amount of booing. Now I don't think they were booing the corps itself, but they certainly were booing that score. Booing for the record = DISLIKE! ...and it was loud!

I agree fully! I was there ... I heard them ... I was one of the people booing ... and the boo's were loud. I wasn't booing the corps, but the score. It was ridiculous that they scored a 99.05 with a Visual score of 29.95. Blue Devils did not deserve that score last year. And, before you call me a Crown honk, I don't mean this because I feel Crown should've won. Points should have been taken away for the fact that for about 3 minutes of the show, they were standing or sitting and doing "body" (if you can to call it that) that any average person could sit down and do in their free time and it would only take them 5 minutes to learn it. Points should not be given for that. However, it seems to me that, lately, the Blue Devils can do no wrong. I bet they could go out on the field and perform the dirtiest show on record full of musical fail and dirty drill and the judges would give them a perfect score! Go back and watch the DVD's from last year. You'll see more than .05 worth of dirt in the visual aspect of that show. I even heard a rumor that the visual judge turned in his sheet before BD was done performing. Granted, that's only a rumor from someone who told me their friend's dad saw the judge do it. So, who know's if it's true.

[/rant]

Sorry. Had to get all that off my chest. Don't take me for a hater. I love BD when they are good. They are not this year. Last year's show is one of my favorite shows of all time ... from a musical standpoint. In fact, in my top 21, there are at least 2 BD shows and probably a third coming back into it soon. 2000, 2009 and (returning) 2003. Those are the Blue Devils that deserve the praise the Blue Devils of late are receiving (2009 visual aside).

Anyway, in my opinion, Cadets were the highest scoring corps, but Blue Knights brought the house down. They had some visual dirt, but musically, they are absolutely incredible. Vanguard ... I love Vanguard ... and this show has some great potential ... but, they're not quite reaching it yet. I saw some great changes tonight, so I know they can pull this show off. They are, after all, the best of the west. They just have a lot of work to do ... and a lot of that is visual work. The drill seems slow at parts and other parts are just dirty. But, I know how hard Vanguard works, so I know they can make this into another Top 5 finish.

I can't comment on any of the other shows because I was watching the Kalamazoo webcast before Denver.

[jmc5682]

That could very well be. Any corps that has had as much success as Blue Devils have had probably has just as many near misses thought: on top of Phantom's come-from-behind-to-win-it-all years (which Mr. Willis brought up pointing out that Phantom has turned on the jets and come out of nowhere to win), there are a few other years BD looked like a cinch to win but were caught late in the year. It happens, and obviously BD could be the real deal again (wouldn't it be kind of cool for them to go undefeated again this year: unprecedented).

I think it would be great if they went undefeated, and it would be just as great if Crown or Bluecoats challenged and won the top spot at Finals. I just don't get the hate BD is getting about their show this year from people who haven't even seen it live. They just seem so desparate for BD to lose. I read so often the quote "I don't care who wins as long as it is not the Blue Devils." How sad it is that people root against a corps instead of for a corps. Goodnight DCP!

[geluf]

I doubt that anything that BD could do would please you, but that is ok. Frankly, the chairs last year added almost a 3rd dimension, and the mirrors are visually exciting. But, as long is it is BD, there will be this kind of condemnation.

No condemnation. They're winning. What they are doing is working for them. Good for them I say!

You assume a lot with this post. When I find a show to be boring to me, I find it to be boring because of the show, not because of the corps performing it. I harbor no ill feelings towards any corps in DCI.

[ajwdad]

It's not an issue of GE visual, because if vis ensemble was high, Vis GE would also have been high. The brass scores were skewed slightly too high IMHO. West Coast homers may have judged music tonight. Don't know for sure. I feel Cadets brass book is stronger and the spread in GE music should have been more in their favor. I didn't see tonight's show yet, and if it has dirt, I can see how they may have gotten hammered here.

I see it as an anomaly. BD better look right past this as just another score...and they probably will.

When the top corps play their river cards later in the season things will change and all those corps know it.

Bluecoats have more they can do, and if Crown improves as much in the second half as they just did with first half changes, we could have a new champion this year.

Never fear, drum corps fans, the season isn't decided yet by a long shot!

Don't know about the Homers from the west coast judging tonight, but you are right that BD will look past any and all scores that are in the past. You are only as good as your next performance, until finals.