Drums Along the Monon Review

[Matt_S]

Last night was a bit of a surreal experience for me. For the first time that I am aware, my old high school hosted a DCI contest. After four years of marching half time shows, now I was up in the stands, watching some of the best groups in the activity perform. Pretty cool.

My seats were about as good as could be. We were in the 27th and last row, as high up as you could get without being in the press box. In fact, we were just to the right of the press box, so my view of the opposite side of the field was obscured at times. Still, the music hit us nice and firm while the drill was mostly readable - a good compromise.

The first performance was actually from Star United, who played the national anthem. Pretty great sound from these guys, though they were tiny. Was that the whole group? What are their performances like? This was my first time seeing them or any other mini corps so i had more questions than answers. The couple sitting next to us had a daughter who had marched with Star of Indiana and was now in StarUnited, and they drove 200 miles to see her. At least, that was the husband's estimate. The wife claimed it was thousands and thousands, even if it just seemed that way.

Legends were the first corps to take the field. They have a challenging program, similar in style to what you might expect to see from a non-finalist World Class corps. They might have bitten off a little more than they can chew just yet, though. I spotted marchers out of step, and attacks were a problem throughout the show. The pit and battery seemed much stronger, but then I'm trained on brass so hornline performance is more noticeable to me. This can be an entertaining product, they just need to keep cleaning.

The first World Class corps was Pioneer, and they made a huge difference. Their field presence was several steps up, and indeed this show was about as impressive as I've heard Pioneer, recognizing that there's still a month left for them to improve. I didn't get even a whiff of anything Irish. Instead, the production was decidedly gospel themed. There are references to Christianity throughout the show, even a prayer offered by a horn player, in the vein of the corps' "better every day" motto. If you're offended by that sort of thing, well now you know. The crowd around me seemed into the music, at least early on. The opener is the highlight of this show, I'm not sure that they have the content to fill the full eleven minutes.

I actually really like Spirit's uniforms now that I've seen them in action. If I have a complaint, it's only that the gray leg stripe becomes inconsistant from member to member while the show is in motion. Other than that I think the splash of blue fits well with their show and the white top does a fine job of separating the individual marchers. Spirit might also have been the loudest corps of the night. My buddy complained about the relative lack of a low brass sound, but certainly their high brass knows how to project. The show itself was kind of a halfway point between the Cavaliers' Machine show and the Bluecoats' Metropolis show that would take the field later. I liked the way they use the electronics, mixing it in with the acoustic percussion, both pit and battery. Rather than the synth dominating or jarring you out of the show, it flowed together so that you never lost continuity. If anything was jarring it was the use of voice. The corps repeats "icon" several times, then adds "forging" and repeats the two words together. The couple next to me didn't get it. I joked with my buddy that it was like "new era". I'm not against the use of voice categorically; what I would have liked to have seen was a more musical use of the chant. Mix up the rhythm a bit, sync it with the rest of the show. If you can do it with electronics, you can do it with voice. Still, that's once minor complaint for a show that I really enjoyed. It's a shame it doesn't look like Spirit will be in Finals. This is a show I'd like to see live one more time, especially after a month of work.

Phantom Regiment was the last corps before intermission. I thought it a little ironic that Phantom would be at this show. Their music selections are the same as what a rival high school played while my sister was still marching in the band, in the year that the rival upset our school for the BOA title. Since that time I've become pretty familiar with the source music, and it definitely has it's highlights. I'm not sure that Phantom really uses the music to full effect, though. For one, they start out with the soloist performing what is actually the finale of the work. After several long movements of consternation, peaceful serenity finally breaks out at the end, which I figured would be perfect for a show called Into the Light. Instead, Phantom gives us the serenity right off the bat. If I didn't know the source material maybe this wouldn't have bothered me, but I think this may be why I felt the show lacked any real direction. There is a lot to like about this show - some beautiful playing, more aggressive body work than I can remember from Phantom in the past - but I'm not sure that the moments really add up to anything. It's a very pretty show, and was a favorite for the lady sitting next to me. Something's just missing for me right now. The metaphor I used last night is that Phantom's show is like eating a bowl of ice cream. It's smooth and tasty and satisfying, but it doesn't grab you the way other flavors on the shelf do.

The first corps on after intermission was the Blue Stars. I had seen these guys perform a standstill at their grand premier, but this was my first time seeing the show on the field. Back then I liked the music, but worried that the visual might be too cheesy and detract from the product. I'm happy to report that that's not the case. If anything, the corps undersells the Houdini theme. There is some escape work by the guard, including boxes, straight-jackets and rope, but no sense of storytelling. After seeing the premier I know that there is supposed to be some story telling components in there, but they aren't being communicated to the audience yet. Still, the music was as satisfying as I remembered. This was my buddy's favorite show of the night. He said he always likes the dark shows, and felt the Blue Stars had the best low brass of the night. I think the Glass works better than the Adams. The first half of the show is better than the second, until the recapitulation of the earlier theme to close it out. Blue Stars also got IMO the best crowd reaction of the night. The best moment was about halfway through the show, when the corps jams out. The closing phrase also brought plenty of cheers when it was blasted out.

Boston has a really neat intro. The entire corps marches in two blocks, diagonally from the back corner of the field toward the stands. Some of the guard is between these two blocks, hoisting the "king" on their shoulders. It's a really neat effect. There are some more of these neat moments throughout the show, including a snare battle over the right to sit on the throne and a large guard battle later on. Still, I don't think there are quite enough of these effects. Last year's product was wonderful, and kept character throughout, so I had high hopes for this season. Having seen both at around the same point in the season, I don't think this product is quite there yet. Part of that is going to be personal; for whatever reason I don't really care for Shostakovich 10 on the field. I think it's because the hits and space that are naturally present in the piece feel too much like the over-arranging that even I agree corps are sometimes guilty of. I know the corps is staying true to the source, but IDK, it just doesn't work for me. I'm a much bigger fan of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, I think it's a gorgeous piece, but the corps isn't quite selling it yet. I bet when I see them again in another month the duet is going to be much improved. I think with a little work this could be a pretty special ballad.

Finally, the last corps is the one I had most anticipated: the Bluecoats. In fact, I think my anticipation got the best of me. This show's been talked up more than most any other so far on DCP, and for that reason I came in expecting something more aggressive. The show starts out rather slow. In fact, in some ways I am reminded of Cadets 2008. That show had plenty of great moments, but the moments were mostly drowned out for the first ten minutes by the insipid dialogue. Sarah Jones put me into a lull, so much so that it took me a while to catch on to what the corps was doing in the last minute and a half. That closing section was fast and furious and everything to love about drum corps, but it took me a while to notice that "hey, this corps just isn't stopping!". That's exactly what the Bluecoats do. They start out gradually, but after about a minute or two the thought entered my head that "wow, this corps just doesn't stop!". The Bluecoats truly don't stop, and their show has an energy and momentum that no other corps at the contest could match. On top of that, what they are playing is so new and different. This is the show I was waiting to hear when electronics were finally allowed. Spirit offered a nice taste, but Bluecoats are several miles further down the road. The acoustic performance is perfectly wedded to the electronic sound, and the whole becomes even greater than the sum of its parts. The perfect example would be the horn soloist who plays into the mic and has his sound come out as something else. It's the perfect demonstration that what is being done on the field still takes talent and practice and effort. Only the sound being produced is different. The subtitle to this show is important, and perhaps comes across more than the primary title of Metropolis. This is the Bluecoats I fell in love with from 2003-2006, relying on performance rather than a literal theme, only this year's corps is also interested in pushing the activity forward. The best news is, there's still a lot for them to clean. The product itself feels a little frantic at times; once they polish it up, who knows where they will go. I can't wait to get this one on CD.

We ended up sticking around for the encore and the scores. I didn't take a caption-by-caption approach, only judged the performances based on which shows I enjoyed more. For me, it broke down something like this:

Bluecoats solidly in first

Blue Stars next

Boston and Phantom neck and neck, though with a slight edge to Boston - I just think they have more opportunity to grow their show.

Spirit

Pioneer

[chris ncsu]

Very detailed, thanks!!

[bluecoats88]

The subtitle to this show is important, and perhaps comes across more than the primary title of Metropolis. This is the Bluecoats I fell in love with from 2003-2006, relying on performance rather than a literal theme, only this year's corps is also interested in pushing the activity forward. The best news is, there's still a lot for them to clean. The product itself feels a little frantic at times; once they polish it up, who knows where they will go. I can't wait to get this one on CD.

Actually it's interesting you mention the subtitle. In a recent FN video, the program coordinator states that 'The Future is Now' isn't talking about the future of the activity, but instead is talking about Bluecoats future. They are doing things with this show to set up what the will be as a drum corps in the future.

[Room_101]

Bluecoats solidly in first

Blue Stars next

Boston and Phantom neck and neck, though with a slight edge to Boston - I just think they have more opportunity to grow their show.

Pioneer

I also had Blue Stars in second at this show, and was pretty surprised to see they were behind both Boston and Phantom (a similar thing happened after watching Kalamazoo online).

I will say this--I think they are visually dirty, but those kids are RUNNING. I'm hopeful that they will clean up the show and get the recognition they deserve for the demand that their product has. If they can do that, watch out!

Great review!

[BCC99Man]

Last night was a bit of a surreal experience for me. For the first time that I am aware, my old high school hosted a DCI contest. After four years of marching half time shows, now I was up in the stands, watching some of the best groups in the activity perform. Pretty cool.

Luckily for you, I'm pretty sure Blue Devils are staying at Carmel HS for their finals housing. You can see them every day that week!

[snowrider]

Thanks for the review Matt! I am glad some people actually like the electronics. I just think that 90% of the time it detracts from the show. Examples are singing out of nowhere that does not seem in context with the show, doubling the tuba part, talking, praying etc. Sometimes a piano part is ok sometimes meh. When I heard ICON I thought someone was saying "is this mic on?" So if you heard someone scream YES THE BLOODY MIC IS ON that was me!

[Fran Haring]

The first performance was actually from Star United, who played the national anthem. Pretty great sound from these guys, though they were tiny. Was that the whole group? What are their performances like? This was my first time seeing them or any other mini corps so i had more questions than answers.

The only times I've seen Star United have been at the I&E/ mini-corps championship show that is part of the DCA Championship weekend. They are excellent.... they've won the mini-corps show each year since first coming to DCAs in 2006.

Basically, the rules for the DCA mini-corps show allow for anywhere from 11 to 21 performing members (any combination of brass and percussion) plus one conductor. Some of the mini-corps do some limited drill/visual stuff; others just do a standstill performance.

BTW.... great review!!!

Edited July 16, 2010 by Fran Haring

[mchromik]

The first performance was actually from Star United, who played the national anthem. Pretty great sound from these guys, though they were tiny. Was that the whole group? What are their performances like? This was my first time seeing them or any other mini corps so i had more questions than answers. The couple sitting next to us had a daughter who had marched with Star of Indiana and was now in StarUnited, and they drove 200 miles to see her. At least, that was the husband's estimate. The wife claimed it was thousands and thousands, even if it just seemed that way.

Since you are in Indy, I would like to invite you to Star United's dress performance on Saturday, August28th on the stage at Carmel HS. Probably sometime between 3-4 pm. We will run through our show and probably play an additional tune or two. It's fun, it's free, it's Loud at times. We will give you a taste of what Minicorps can be about and hopefully tempt you to look into some more DCA fun. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thanks for the great show review. Your thoughts are pretty much in alignment with my own. Can't add much more. I might be a bit bias for us Star folks have some ties to the Blue Stars, but it would be nice to the Blue Stars get on top of some of the folks who have been beating them. I think finishing out the visual program by locking down the story might help a bit. There is so much yet to clean, I think some selective cuts might help focus the show. Personally I really like the Adams music and the whole book in general. I think it is safe to say that the current ending will not be the way in ends come Aug. Lets hope they can clean and focus it up. FCO.

[Scooter Pirtle]

The first performance was actually from Star United, who played the national anthem. Pretty great sound from these guys, though they were tiny. Was that the whole group? What are their performances like? This was my first time seeing them or any other mini corps so i had more questions than answers. The couple sitting next to us had a daughter who had marched with Star of Indiana and was now in StarUnited, and they drove 200 miles to see her. At least, that was the husband's estimate. The wife claimed it was thousands and thousands, even if it just seemed that way.

Thanks for the review. Although, if you utilize an average body mass index (bmi) of our little corps, we were arguably the largest ensemble to enter the field that evening!!

You can learn more about our corps by visiting the bulletin board at any local post office or by visiting our updated web site: starunited.org

If you do make to a rehearsal, please introduce yourself!!!

[Hulka]

To get a taste of what Star United does in the Mini Corps competition, here's a video taken last year of Star United's exhibition performance for the finals crowd after winning their 4th championship:

http://www.davevalvo.com/Sports/Drum-Corps...6986_nRG3N-A-LB

Concerning the show, I posted this short review to a drumming website so the perspective is somewhat percussion-focused, but I thought I'd share here:

The biggest surprise for me was Blue Stars. Love the show concept, music and the battery is throwing down. Not to mention they are constantly in motion. My only complaint, and it's a big one, is they have the pit mixed WAAAAYYY too loud. It's to the point the lush, warm tones become harsh and annoying. And you certainly don't ever need to have it turned up so loud you hear cymbals amplified. Blue Stars need to watch Bluecoats and take notes because they practically put on a clinic on how to mix the front ensemble beautifully. Oh, and not digging Blue Stars' new uniform at all. I was hoping it'd look better in person but alas, it still retains its fugliness.

Phantom's show has progressed nicely and I really think the new ending they put in since the last time I saw them in Louisville works great. So much emotion and the entire percussion section is milking the tastiness of the writing for all its worth. Unless there is a meltdown late season I think they'll take the Sanford trophy back home to Rockford. Unfortunately their color guard is... I'll be nice... needing some vast improvement (maybe a design issue?) which is also killing Phantom's overall visual numbers.

Bluecoats were the obvious winners of the night overall but I feel this show will peak in a couple weeks. The execution is very high but the show hasn't really developed much in the 3 weeks between viewings. Unless the staff has some big changes planned to get in around Murfreesboro I see Bluecoats slowing in the placements in the weeks to come.

Boston Crusaders... hmmm... you had me intrigued in the opening minute or so but then the show design seemed to lose its footing. I understand the throne prop and its purpose but the way it is used in the show doesn't jive. Climbing all over it only looks silly and makes the members look tiny because of the super-sized scale of the throne. The drum solo is very awkward as it doesn't seem to transition in and out very well. The snares and tenors must not have gotten many vets back because they looked and sounded inexperienced. Basses had some great moments but need to work on posture and presence. Honorable mention to BAC's pit with good writing, expression and execution.

I really like Spirit's show concept, the percussion section is pretty good and reminiscent of the stellar '08 drumline. Not quite there but that's also a great line to compare to. I'm honestly shocked Spirit didn't beat BAC in drums because to me there was no comparison.

Pioneer, believe it or not, really is getting better every day. This show is working well for them and the writing seems to be on par with overall skill level of the corps. Having said that, because it looks like the corps is pretty inexperienced they really should have moved down to Open Class this year. Not for placement reasons but while this is the best Pioneer show I've seen in the last 10 years, they're just not World Class.

I was not able to see Legends as they were taking the field as we were leaving the stadium having just played the National Anthem.