Dallas: Thursday Night

[Eaglebac]

I had the good fortune of being in Dallas for work, so I couldn't resist going to the show. Here are some highlights from my night:

1) Stands were PACKED...lots of band kids and I sat behind an aspiring snare player with the most supportive parents in the world. They drove all the way up from Austin and the excitement in all of their faces was contagious. Thanks for reminding me of the days when I dreamed of being a "rock star"

2) First time ever seeing Pioneer and I was thoroughly impressed with their energy and showmanship. I loved that the brass played as they passed the stands in review. Also, the guard soloist was excellent.

3) Ever since I first saw the Colts in 1998, I have always enjoyed their sophisticated approach to programming. Tonight was no exception. If there weren't so many good corps this year, they would be heading for finals.

4) Crossmen had lots of hometown support. Thankfully, they turned down their electronics since the first show I saw in Arlington VA.

5) Madison is BACK. In my opinion, this is their most entertaining show since Jesus Christ Superstar in 1999. Talk about an amazing 1-year transformation!

6) Blue Knights sound better than ever and I particularly loved their music choice for the ballad. They brought back the painted flags, but just about everything else felt like a completely new corps.

7) I'll admit that my perception of Boston Crusaders is always biased but I love the show. Their new ending is amazing and really "wraps up" the production perfectly (with effective use of the throne)...It also includes a familiar musical phrase to celebrate their 70th anniversary. Bravo!

8) I also loved Phantom Regiment (also with an alumnus bias). I think their brass and percussion lines can play with anyone in the activity and I'm excited to see them turn up the emotion in this show leading into the final weeks of the season in a way that only Phantom can do.

9) Cavies: By far, the most entertaining show of the night and the ONLY corps to receive a standing ovation in the middle of their show. The guard is incredible and the rifle segment will go down in history. Don't let the early season scores fool you - they are a championship contender and I hope they can pull it off.

10) Cadets were typical cadets: fast and fun...but very safe. For always wanting to push the boundaries of drum corps, I don't think George Hopkins went for innovation this year.

11) BD: Excellent job with the mirror effects (lots of "oohs" and "aahs" coming from the stands). For me, this is one of the more entertaining BD shows since 2000 but the music is forgettable.

Thanks to all corps for elevating your performance levels yet again in 2010...and thank you to the people who surrounded me in the stands for reminding me why drum corps is a truly special activity.

[CowboyTauinDallas]

I agree pretty much across the board except for BD.

1. The mirrors were completely lost on me. I was on the 50, halfway up and I really never got a "wow" moment from how they were used.

2. I had always heard rumors about a certain idea when it came to BD and how they program. It really seems like they're not tackling anything tough musically when they're moving. (And they move well.) I know everyone does it to some respect, but it was really prevalent when watching Devs. Don't know what that means, just my completely uneducated take.

Nice review.

[saxfreq1128]

I agree pretty much across the board except for BD.

1. The mirrors were completely lost on me. I was on the 50, halfway up and I really never got a "wow" moment from how they were used.

2. I had always heard rumors about a certain idea when it came to BD and how they program. It really seems like they're not tackling anything tough musically when they're moving. (And they move well.) I know everyone does it to some respect, but it was really prevalent when watching Devs. Don't know what that means, just my completely uneducated take.

Nice review.

Not an uneducated take. People have often said this about the Devs, and the Cavaliers, too.

It's definitely true that BD saves some of their more traditionally intricate horn writing for standstill moments. They don't play music akin to Phantom or the Cadets while moving -- corps that pack many, many notes into those 11.5 minutes. But then, jazz is typically BD's thing, and 'Difficult' in jazz isn't as often measured in terms of how many notes one plays. Miles Davis, for example, was known for his casual sense of melodic line, and BD seems to have taken on that approach for many years now. It has a way of sounding less difficult, in comparison, but stylistically, it's hard to pull off.

BD also seems to go out of their way to create a visual stage that could serve as an impediment to the musical ensemble. The 'Laura' production this year keeps the high and low brass separated by a glass wall for most of the production, with the high brass having to listen forward to the low brass. From an ensemble standpoint, that's pretty difficult, though not in an obvious way. The production before the drum break -- the experimental jazz fugue, or however you'd describe it -- also has some gnarly, intricate lower layers that might get lost beneath the soprano line if you're not listening a bit for them. Not difficult in an apparent way -- difficult in an ensemble way. It takes a lot of coordination to make 'City of Glass' sound coherent.

So yeah. They're a different kind of difficult.