Rock Hill, SC

[Tony Flores]

Absolutely beautiful night at District 3 Stadium in Rock Hill, SC. The PA announcer was Steve Rondinaro (future HOFer?). The crowd was responsive and the weather was impeccable.

Jersey Surf - Very entertaining patriotic show, love the new Uniforms very crisp and mature. AMerica the Beautiful they have a very good baritone soloist that really get into that rendition (Ray Charles-ish). I wonder how they will grow in the future, what will they do to take the next step to a Semifinalist and above.

Crossmen - I like Matheney I like what the Crossmen are trying to do, just think that they cant clean it enough to get any higher than they are. The show looks like it is beating them, if the clean and water they can progress further.

Blue Knights - What a brassline, man can they play with a mature blended sound. I really love the hit they make at the end of Nimrod. Now I hear y'all saying its too fast, can you explain, how slow should it be played? Biggest deficiency is they need to clean the drill, they can make 9 or 10 if they clean the drill. As I tweeted, this show will get a lot of play on my iPhone and iPod.

Glassmen - I am really starting to like this show. They do pretty well musically with some individual issues in the brassline. Nice blended sound. Needs to clean the drill or water the drill, lots of bad forms.

Phantom Regiment - THEY WERE ON FIRE (so much so the local Fire Department engines showed up), played with lots of emotion and the crowd ate it up. Drill was better, but needs to be watered, just cant be cleaned, but I am seeing more "90's SCV" influence in the drill, due to Myron Rosander. The Flugelhorn soloist is very very inconsistant. I heard fracks in Murfreesboro, Atlanta, here and on the FN, mostly on the attacks. Percussion...what else...spectacular. Turn down the low-en synth...was too much.

Blue Stars - This show is growing on me. Man can their mellos and bari's play and play friggin' well. Percussion played well and the drill was fairly clean. Nice synth and amps balance. Love how the guard sells the Houdini story.

The Cadets - My favorite show of 2010. Period and end of the sentence. They were on fire tonight. Man their brassline can play and that book is sick. Little Jeffery is great to follow during the show. The guard is kinda hidden for the 1st half...probably explains their scores. The percussion feature is something else, got one of the Biggest crowd reactions. Drill is cleaning up nicely. They removed the "Right Face, Left Face, Parade rest" thingy that everyone hates.

Carolina Crown - 2nd best brassline behind Blue Devils. They play so heavenly and their chords are spectacular. They really hit a home run tonight, fueled by their home fans obviously. Drill still needs work but it was better than Atlanta and Murf. percussion is still their weakness.

The Crown encore was very nice. They played a piece from the "Triple Crown" show. The Elec Keyboard player played Summertime form Porgy and Bess (How awesome would a Crown Porgy and Bess show be?). Then they played selections from Madonna and Kansas (Dust in the Wind).

The Murf and Atlanta crowd can take lessons on how to react from this crowd. No beef with the scores, except with BK who should be in the hi 86's.

Next stop for me is Salem, VA.

[chaos001]

Phantom Regiment - THEY WERE ON FIRE (so much so the local Fire Department engines showed up), played with lots of emotion and the crowd ate it up. Drill was better, but needs to be watered, just cant be cleaned, but I am seeing more "90's SCV" influence in the drill, due to Myron Rosander. The Flugelhorn soloist is very very inconsistant. I heard fracks in Murfreesboro, Atlanta, here and on the FN, mostly on the attacks. Percussion...what else...spectacular. Turn down the low-en synth...was too much.

I don't know what Eric's problem seems to be. He nailed his stuff all early season and at Rockford, but at Murfreesboro I felt bad for him. Maybe it's just nerves?

[BMBob]

Here is my take on last night's festivities, not taking into account the actual scores.

Jersey Surf: I'm not against patriotic shows. I actually like them a lot. Unfortunately, this one didn't do it for me. I liked the opener, but from there on out it fizzled for me. On a good note, I REALLY like the uniforms - they are very clean to see from the stands, and the simplicity and contrast evident with the navy and white is striking, IMO.

Crossmen: I expect more excitement out of a Metheny show. This one didn't have it. It seems like the brass were playing it safe, and that just doesn't work with this kind of music. With something like this, I feel like it all needs to be laid out. Everything was very "in the middle." Nothing whispered, nothing shouted, and most importantly, nothing sizzled. They played with great balance, but the performance style didn't seem to match the book they were playing. There were also two low brass players who continually got off step that were pretty distracting.

Blue Knights: I really like the arranging in this show, and I love the mature sound this hornline is getting. I really like it. This was the first show of the night in which the guard made an appreciable impression on me. I enjoyed their involvement in the show. Good balance, dark sound very nice. Unlike Crossmen, the way they're playing fits the music very well. Has there been a change in their visual staff? The foot technique looks VERY different from past years - not a negative, just different. They did have some side to side phasing issues in the beginning. Also, my one big negative with this show - the duet from the beginning of the closer (Brahms 1). I'll say that I LOVE that the used this movement. I never saw it as being a possibility on the field, but this changed my mind. That being said, the baritone duet (which is a horn duet in the original score) ruined a good moment for me (as a horn player). It was a wonderful choice to put it on bari rather than mello, IMO, but is was played with absolutely incorrect phrasing/articulation. That particular line (first a solo, then a duet) is from a folk tune and horn players take the correct articulation from the lyrics of the tune (in particular, the first few, "Hoch auf'm Berg", with a weight on the beat, on the syllable "auf"). This may be very much a nitpicky thing, but for someone that knows and has performed the music, something that can be fixed so simply but has obviously been TAUGHT that way sticks out A LOT.

Glassmen: I love the design of this show and really enjoy the arranging and most aspects of the music. I don't have much to say other than that it just suffered in execution. The visual was not crisp. There was a great deal of inconsistency on attacks and some on releases. The hornline did not always blend. I don't have any specifics to point out. It just seemed unpolished. It is not a boring Glassmen show, like so many people point out. I like the show a lot, it's just not up to its potential yet. I hope it gets closer come Indy.

Phantom Regiment: Always a favorite of mine (I was sporting some Regiment gear last night, in fact). First thought - I love the changes to the uniform - the sash is very elegant and compliments the feeling of the show very well...and it looks incredible on the drum major unis. Second though - I hope I like this better than last year's show. I did. Good sound - a Regiment sound. To me, that means full and dark, but less rounded and more aggressive than hornlines like Cadets and Crown. This isn't a bad thing - it's their sound, and I always enjoy it. This show was a step up in visual design from the corps before intermission. I enjoy the whole show a lot. I just wish the flugel soloist did more (not playing, necessarily, just interacting). His part in the ending was good...the rest of the show was just standing around. Also, as for his inconsistency. I completely understand not hitting 100% of your notes every time, but unfortunately, when I'm watching a show, and you're dressed differently than the other 134 people on the field, and do very little through the show other than play solos, I can't help but want/expect those solos to be spot on. It may not be fair, but the design creates that situation. I also wonder what happened during the show (though not on the field) to bring fire trucks with the sirens going.

Blue Stars: I'm not too keen on the uniforms. I really liked them up close. I really like the drum major uniforms. The corps uniforms don't show enough contrast at night for the blue stripe to stand out. The look all gray and white. Also, if they didn't have the star-ish cutout in the middle of the white section at the top, they would basically be straight out of Star Trek. That's not a bash, but it did sorta make me want the drum major to say, "Engage!" to start the show. They move well - better than Regiment, IMO. The play well. They sound extremely mature. It's a round, beautiful sound. The show idea was good, and I thought the guard work was well composed. The moving of the boxes was done very well and didn't distract from other things on the field, as prop manipulation can tend to do. Also, I give this show MAJOR props for including John Adams music that is not "Short Ride in a Fast Machine." "Nixon in China" was a great choice. These guys continue to surprise me every year. I love it.

Cadets: A great performance and good show. For those who have complained about them needing to publish the "story" of the show beforehand...get over it. I made it a point not to read the story, because I, like a number of people, feel like a show should be able to produce the story on its own, or at least produce A story, if that is the goal. Not every show needs one, but if it's meant to be there, it should be evident, or else it's a failure of either design or performance. I watched the show without reading the story and it was still very clear to me. In fact, it reminded me VERY MUCH of a local band's show from a few years back (at least the story aspect). It was well put together and presented the story and the main character without taking away from the corps' performance, which I can't say of every Cadets show in the last five or six years. These guys can play. These guys can march. These guys can be exciting. I like it. One side thought - the pink shirts the guard has on over the uni bibs once they remove the jackets seem like they are "bleeding." I don't know if they're dyed or what, but a few of the guard members' cream bibs are getting some noticeable pink streaking, which I can only assume is coming somehow from those shirts.

Crown: Oh man...here it comes. I'll try to be as clear as possible, so as to avoid a lot of hate. The way I have looked at it, there are three things that have really fueled my enjoyment of Crown's shows the past few years: stellar musical performance, total integration of theme into show design, and a pull throughout the show, even during down moments, that sucks you in and pushes you forward through the show as a viewer. First, the musical performance. It does not disappoint. I don't think the percussion is as tight as last year, but they are definitely not ruining anything for me. The brass are wonderful. They have the louds and the softs. The articulation and quality of sound is great. Though they have the best tone and "musicality" of any hornline I saw last night, there are some very slight phasing issues. The strange thing is that I didn't notice these when the line was spread over 100 yards, which happened a few times. It happened when they were closer together. These were very small problems, but the were problems that I didn't notice with Cadets. Second, the theme. The last few Crown shows have been models of how to totally integrate a thematic idea into all aspects of a show. I didn't see it this year. It may just be more subtle, but when a central idea is as abstract as theirs is, I feel it needs to be put out there. Last year, I could see the hornline and the featured guard performers looking for the other side, where the grass was greener, only to return to where they began. I didn't see as much of the second chance in this show. I know it's there in a number of places, but it's just not a total package thing, like they've managed to do the last few seasons. Third, the energy and "pull" that I mentioned. The pre-show and opener definitely have this. I don't think it's too long or drawn out...it's incredible. The next section is great. The tango section didn't do as much for me. Nimrod was wonderful - awesome, awesome, awesome. The closer lost me. I know, I know. I liked the opener and this is a restatement. I don't feel it works as a closer. Also, the corps doesn't seem to finish it. It just sits there. The whole last couple of minutes feels very open-ended and lacks any push to the finish for me. I know they'll make changes to this, but they'd have to be large ones to change that feeling for me. This is a corps that plays VERY well, but I don't get as much from the show as I did last year or the year before.

Encore: Good encore - I loved the pop tunes and the highlight for me was the timpanist soloing on Fur Elise.

General thoughts: Best hornline sound of the night - Crown. Best hornline performance of the night - Cadets. Favorite show of the night - Blue Stars. Best percussion - Regiment. Also, my biggest surprise of the night - Blue Knights. I haven't really enjoyed their last few years as much, but this was great, and I thought the approach the arrangements brought to familiar classical pieces were great. The opening of Farandole was very enjoyable, and I've already talked about how much I enjoyed the Brahms (minus the duet).

Final comment: Don't hate me because of my opinions. I'm just stating them honestly. There is not a corps I don't enjoy seeing perform. Watching people give their all in performance is always a wonderful feeling, so my congratulations and commendations go out to everyone who stepped on that field. These reviews are simply comparisons of what happened and judge a product, not any individual or anyone's effort or commitment.

[splat-a-drag-a-phonium]

Crown: Oh man...here it comes. I'll try to be as clear as possible, so as to avoid a lot of hate. The way I have looked at it, there are three things that have really fueled my enjoyment of Crown's shows the past few years: stellar musical performance, total integration of theme into show design, and a pull throughout the show, even during down moments, that sucks you in and pushes you forward through the show as a viewer. First, the musical performance. It does not disappoint. I don't think the percussion is as tight as last year, but they are definitely not ruining anything for me. The brass are wonderful. They have the louds and the softs. The articulation and quality of sound is great. Though they have the best tone and "musicality" of any hornline I saw last night, there are some very slight phasing issues. The strange thing is that I didn't notice these when the line was spread over 100 yards, which happened a few times. It happened when they were closer together. These were very small problems, but the were problems that I didn't notice with Cadets. Second, the theme. The last few Crown shows have been models of how to totally integrate a thematic idea into all aspects of a show. I didn't see it this year. It may just be more subtle, but when a central idea is as abstract as theirs is, I feel it needs to be put out there. Last year, I could see the hornline and the featured guard performers looking for the other side, where the grass was greener, only to return to where they began. I didn't see as much of the second chance in this show. I know it's there in a number of places, but it's just not a total package thing, like they've managed to do the last few seasons. Third, the energy and "pull" that I mentioned. The pre-show and opener definitely have this. I don't think it's too long or drawn out...it's incredible. The next section is great. The tango section didn't do as much for me. Nimrod was wonderful - awesome, awesome, awesome. The closer lost me. I know, I know. I liked the opener and this is a restatement. I don't feel it works as a closer. Also, the corps doesn't seem to finish it. It just sits there. The whole last couple of minutes feels very open-ended and lacks any push to the finish for me. I know they'll make changes to this, but they'd have to be large ones to change that feeling for me. This is a corps that plays VERY well, but I don't get as much from the show as I did last year or the year before.

BMBob I have to agree with your assessments. Musically they are struggling in some areas not witnessed in previous years and I wonder how much of that is due to losing the center snare? Likely is a bigger impact than we will ever know. This year’s theme is just not there….at least to date. I was luckily enough to get to rehearsal early enough at GWU to here Michael Klesch & Keith Potter discuss the show with the corps. I know what they are trying to achieve with the program……….it just has not registered with me yet. I do admit I had some preconceived ideas of GE items that might happen with Second Chances going into seeing the entire show the 1st time. I do know there is a chuck that has already been put on the field in rehearsal but not yet performed….will that make the theme more obvious? Time will tell.

I chalk this up to either #1 the Design Team “over thinking” the themselves or #2 trying to be too subdue/ subtle, etc. Unfortunately a design team cannot hit a home run year in and year out and some themes sound better than they actually are. I personally thought the “Greener” theme was going to be a flop.

I love my Crown and will watch and cheer to the very end, then wait with anticipation until next year.

[njthundrrd]

I think you guys will be surprised after what you hear at Salem and what it grows into come Allentown and Indy... This could be something truly special. Last year a lot of things that pulled the theme together happened in the last 2 weeks. That will be the same this year... "What if you had a second chance at...." (tease)

Edited August 3, 2010 by njthundrrd

[BMBob]

I think you guys will be surprised after what you hear at Salem and what it grows into come Allentown and Indy... This could be something truly special. Last year a lot of things that pulled the theme together happened in the last 2 weeks. That will be the same this year... "What if you had a second chance at...." (tease)

I don't doubt that there will be some "coming together" of everything. I will say that no matter what happens thematically, the ending needs to change for me, personally, to feel good about it (and of course, that's your goal, right...jk). No matter what happens, I KNOW the opening five minutes will get a lot of CD play after the audio comes out.

[splat-a-drag-a-phonium]

According to one of the member's blog....."New Ending tonight"

[BMBob]

According to one of the member's blog....."New Ending tonight"

Sounds good to me!

[usmc5577]

How awesome would a Crown Porgy and Bess show be

They've already done it. It's called '88 Star of Indiana.

[DrinkinOuttaCups]

They've already done it. It's called '88 Star of Indiana.

1984 Spirit of Atlanta?