North Texas Festival of Drums and Vuvuzelas

[BRASSO]

With scores bouncing around like they have been I wouldn't consider anyone in that 11-14 range a lock.

I hear you. I understand you might think differently on this .But I would consider them ( Madison Scouts ) a lock.( And just did)

Edited July 23, 2010 by BRASSO

[PioneerLeadSop]

Just back from the show. Great corps, but they need to change venues. It took me 3 corps shows just to get into the stands. Please DCI move this show to a college stadium.

[Liahona]

WHAT?!? are you serious?

she has a very obvious and qualifiable history of consistently lowering Regiment's scores as compared to her colleagues. it's sickening. she needs to quit if she can't be objective.

I am happy a judge is not afraid to put a number based on the performance and calling it as she sees it...sorry...I remember a few years back Boston crying foul with this woman...but apparently she saw it different tonight...just saying...

[chaos001]

I am happy a judge is not afraid to put a number based on the performance and calling it as she sees it...sorry...I remember a few years back Boston crying foul with this woman...but apparently she saw it different tonight...just saying...

Well, when it's been going on for as long as it has, it's gotten ridiculous. She, on average, drops Regiment's score 0.5-1.0 in a caption from their previous show (even if there's more than a few days in between shows. See Fairfield, OH to Rockford, IL shows this year). It's not calling it as she sees it if it happens EVERY single time.

It's like seeing Bryan Enterline and Dee Kantner referee a Lady Vols game. You know nothing's going to go their way!

Edited July 23, 2010 by chaos001

[CowboyTauinDallas]

If you're looking for a "thrill" from Cadets...maybe check out the CTinDallas channel..OTSTSNBN

[JayM]

Just back from the show. Great corps, but they need to change venues. It took me 3 corps shows just to get into the stands. Please DCI move this show to a college stadium.

Agreed. My friends and I had to watch BK from the tunnel because we spent most of intermission waiting in line for the restroom. There were only 4 urinals.

Unfortunately, Lake Highlands has been running this show for decades, and I don't see them giving it up anytime soon.

[wesleyrp]

Agreed. My friends and I had to watch BK from the tunnel because we spent most of intermission waiting in line for the restroom. There were only 4 urinals.

Unfortunately, Lake Highlands has been running this show for decades, and I don't see them giving it up anytime soon.

BEST TUNNEL MUSIC EVER ha ha ha

WP

[UNTdrummer11]

yea the show tonight was bananas! so many things goin on at once. didnt get a chance to catch everyone in the lot that i wanted thats for sure. and i agree they need to get a new venue for this show. lake highlands is way too small (which was evident tonight). i saw alot of people who had paid for tickets not be able to get their seat because there arent enough! i doubt tomorrow night is gonna be as packed but still, they need a new venue.

and GO PR! had an amazing lot and won drums tonight! woo!

[JayM]

I'm having to dictate this review, so I'll keep it fairly short.

Forte

I'm not sure I ever saw these guys live when they were Memphis Sound, so I have no basis for comparison. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by this group. I found brass to be their forte (see what I did there?). For a small group, they played with confidence. Unfortunately, at times they were overpowered by the drumline, especially the bass drums. Overall, a fun show, and I look forward to seeing them grow in the future.

edit: I have since been informed that Forte has no relation to Memphis Sound. They are a new corps.

Teal Sound

I'll be honest: I'm not a fan of the uniform. I'd like to see them use teal similar to the way Spirit made use of baby blue not that many years ago.

That aside, these guys were pretty good. I was surprised by the power of their hornline. They could potentially do pretty well in World Class competition in the future. I don't remember much about the show, but they started strong and finished strong. Mitch Hedberg would approve. This show wasn't like pancakes at all.

Pioneer

I approve of their new uniforms. I don't like the hats in the pit.

They have a nice show. I wish I could remember more of it, but the crowd seemed to appreciate what they are doing.

Crossmen

Based on a recent thread, I was expecting much less than what I saw and heard tonight. I don't necessarily think the programming/arrangements are as much of a problem as some have made them out to be. Compared to what I had seen from them on the Fan Network, execution has improved dramatically. And that's all I have to say about that.

Madison Scouts

I'm not crazy about the dark green uniforms nor the short sleeves, but I'll live.

The very beginning of this show is the highlight for me. I agree with those who have said that the 2010 arrangement of Slaughter seems a little too "mid-voicey" as compared to the 1975 arrangement. I'm not crazy about the show as a whole, but it will serve them well and it's great to see them on the up and up.

Colts

Because honesty is the best policy, I'm going to go ahead and say that I'm really bored with the idea of basing a show design around the concept of color. It's a very safe design idea, and consequently this was a very safe show. They were not quite as loud as the two previous corps, which only lent itself further to this perception. Safe. I should be an umpire.

Blue Knights

I had to watch this one from the tunnel due to a long line for the men's restroom. I had a much better view of the restroom, but no one wants to hear about that.

Phantom Regiment

Texas always seems to light up for this group, and tonight was no exception. This was the first show of the night my friends seemed to really enjoy. Multiple people around me commented audibly about how cool some of their drill was early on in the show. I really enjoyed the chevron moment late in the show. Overall, a marked improvement from last year.

Boston Crusaders

I was not expecting them to be as good as they are. I think that Phantom has a better quality of sound, but from the standpoint of pure musical entertainment I favor these guys. I could see them as high as sixth, but that might be a tad optimistic.

The Cavaliers

The green team has the crowd this year, there's no doubt about that. There was an audible "aww" when the Blue Devils score was announced.

These guys have come so far this year, and for that I am very proud. They have an air of confidence I haven't seen in them since 2006, and that bodes well for the rest of their season. I'm not saying I think they are going to win, just that I think they are going to be phenomenal when all is said and done.

I still think the latter half of the show could use some work, but it's getting better. Layers have been added to Smile and it would be naïve to assume that they are done fiddling with things. I think a revised ending could work wonders for the show, so here's hoping.

The Cadets

I like this show. I haven't been a huge fan of most of their recent offerings, but I think they strike a good balance of theme and music with this program. I enjoy Procession and there is a beautiful moment in the ballad that I think is great.

However, at times, I found the hornline to be a little crass. No doubt they play well, but the lead baritone edge went beyond my taste at peak volume levels. Timing was also a bit of an issue tonight. I won't hypothesize as to why, but they seemed a little jittery tonight. I thought it was pretty clear that they would be in third place tonight.

Blue Devils

They execute. The front half of the show is tolerable, but I lose interest after that. My ADD brain does not take kindly to the mirrors. The performance is the effect, and I think that is the brilliance of their design this year (and last). They've found a way to deemphasize cohesion and emphasize pure performance.

Given the scoring trends, the spreads seemed about right. I look forward to seeing how the other contenders fit into the mix.

Interestingly enough, a man from Dublin, CA (near Concord, apparently) who was sitting behind me tonight and wearing a Blue Devils visor, told me that he and his wife were pulling for the Cavaliers to win this year.

Edited July 23, 2010 by JayM

[cajal]

Wow, Cavies beat Cadets in every caption except for Brass. And 1.7 from the top is not too big a hill to climb in 3 weeks. The green team may be BD's toughest competition for the title. Who would have thought that after the first week of the season?...... and who would have thought 3 years ago that the Cavies competing for the title would be a little surprising?

I thought the Cavaliers had a show capable of winning it all when I saw them in Dublin. Fantastic production.