Quarterfinals Open Thread

[mcjordansc]

Some thoughts. I saw the show live, at the stadium.

Madison is fun and good, but certainly over hyped on here. They are not that interesting.

Boston is right where they should be, 9th place. They are nowhere near the three corps fighting for sixth place.

Blue Stars move more than anyone sans Cadets. Great color guard and they do carry the Houdini theme throughout. It may not come off well at the theater because you are at the mercy of the camera operators and producer. I will be surprised if they do not move up this weekend.

Phantom's horns are not what I expect to hear this year.

Cadets are simply fun. They can move past Crown by Saturday.

Crown has very exposed horn parts and a beautiful sound. I really enjoy their show, but realize the visual, while compelling, is not very difficult.

Cavaliers will be second on Saturday.

Bluecoats have it all except a championship visual show.

Blue Devils are in a league of their own. There is no suspense whatsoever in regards to who wins this year. Their show design is so far beyond what anyone else is doing and their execution, like usual, is unmatched.

[BigBadMadMan]

Funny you would bring up Madison, since they're actually a perfect specimen of a perennial competitor that couldn't adapt, and thus fell into obscurity and eventually out of finals entirely.

Great example.

Unfortunately, that's a VERY simplistic synapsis of that era and the things that happened. Lest we forget, the board voted on the rules changes to make things more visually oriented...not the judges.

[geluf]

By the way, I'm coincidentally watching "Shakespeare In Love." In an early scene the Queen is watching an audience-pandering comedic scene of a play and is obviously engaged completely by the play (as is are all the audience). Then during a beautiful soliloquy, the queen is dozing off, seemingly shutting off her brain and not caring to enough to want to take the thought-provoking stuff. Seems very reminiscent of Blue Devils this year: wanting the straight ahead same ol' same ol' spoon fed designs and no wanting any part of a show that challenges the brain.

This is mildly insulting.

While BD's visual program is certainly thought-provoking, the brass book is standard, uninteresting fair.

[Nice Guy]

Based on the recaps the two corps that look the most poised to advance a spot in the standings are the Bluecoats and Blue Stars. A little better showing for Bloooo in ensemble visual and GE for Blue Stars and each moves up.

With regard to Bluecoats/Cavaliers, I don't think so.....could very well happen, but probably going to stay the same. Panels the next two evenings favore the Cavaliers more than tonight.

Blue Stars could make a move depending on how the panels favor them, but, again.....don't see it. You never know. I just think SCV is going to keep steady and hold position. I sure do wish they were higher in the placements, though.

The only placement change that I can see could be Cadets and Carolina.

[somerville]

Who's perfect?

[perc2100]

Well, for the sake of argument, wouldn't it stand to reason that if that level of talent was in place, then the depth would also have been written into the show? Same show, just more complex with higher demand to match the talent level. That, I believe, would be feasible.

Thanks for completely proving my point!!

You said,

if Scouts had the talent in the hornline, drumline, and color guard that BD has right now, that they couldn't win with their show.

Obviously "adding depth" would bring them closer to BD style, and not their show for this year.

[the lone ranger]

I thought Crown's guard did really well tonight and should have got higher than a 19. Bluecoats guard was awesome tonight.

crowns guard had the best run tonight of the top five... not to mention the most difficult and musical book! how do you go from being .1 behind the blue devils and handing bluecoats hefty beat downs in guard all year to being one point down from bd and .7 down to bluecoats?

its a judging embarrasment and people have agendas! that is all. crowns guard is tops! end of story

[perc2100]

This is mildly insulting.

While BD's visual program is certainly thought-provoking, the brass book is standard, uninteresting fair.

So if it's standard what the big deal? Why is everyone complaining about the repertoire if it's standard?

[WestCoaster]

While BD's visual program is certainly thought-provoking, the brass book is standard, uninteresting fair.

Amazing the wide range of critisism BD has endured this year. Here we learn the brass book is "standard" (wha!?), and uninteresting. Someone else called the show "generic".

How that jives with the whole "there's no melody!", and "it's too esoteric!" is anyone's guess.

Reminds me of Mr. Burns, "I don't know much about art, but I know what I hate".

[liebot]

This is mildly insulting.

While BD's visual program is certainly thought-provoking, the brass book is standard, uninteresting fair.

Just a few miles down the road from Praising Manor: