Quarterfinals Open Thread

[saxfreq1128]

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

I think they're certainly one of the most musical, but I wouldn't say theirs is the most difficult. I think there they tie with BD and the Cavs, with the Cadets not far behind.

[DrinkinOuttaCups]

Just a few miles down the road from Praising Manor:

So, I've been really upset today because it's finally hit me that my chance to ever march in a DCI corps again is now gone...but this picture totally made me laugh. Thank you.

[perc2100]

Just a few miles down the road from Praising Manor:

HA! Laughed out loud!!

[dbg]

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".

It has always struck me as ironic that the top 5 corps get bashed on more than any other corps. I think people just like to build their own self-esteem by bashing on the top groups.

[fsubone]

Well, I'm back from the theatre, and I've seen some great stuff tonight, and some stuff that really makes me question drum corps' future....

First off, the good:

I like SCV's new ending, little bit less abrupt that before, and their hornline is pretty awesome.

I finally understand Crown's show. It took a lot of viewings, but in just watching the guard, I get it now. It's not about a second chance at winning at all, if you really watch it and pay attention, you will see that (I know this will sound corny), but it's more about a second chance at love. If you know the back-story to last year's ending, Peter runs back to his own life, having to leave Tinkerbell behind in the fantasy world. Now fast forward to this show. Same character as before, and at the beginning of the show, with the Mahler, it's the fight between the two lovers, ending with the male lead striking down the female lead. Transition into the next part and Danzon, and it's her search for new love. Go to Nimrod, and she's found a new love, but still is conflicted about her old love. Enter again the Mahler Resurrection, and it's the fight between her two potential new lovers. We reach the first ending, and she chooses wrong, going back to her old love. The show rewinds, and she goes to the other love, with the Promise of Living playing signaling her right choice. But the real twist is that Promise of Living also signals Peter returning to claim his love, and the two go off into their own world. See, it makes sense now?

Madison Scouts: WOW!!!!! 20 tubas! So loud, but still with a great sound. I like their pre-show, but how did they pull off the camera flash?

Cavaliers: Wow, this show is just something else. I love everything about it, the visual, the music, the concept, all of it. Quick question though, was their drumline playing concert snares at one point? Sure looked like it.

Bluecoats: Dude, that tuba section is unreal. I really wish I played tuba instead of trombone just so I could try and be like these guys. The harmonies they played during their feature, and the pedals, made me proud to be a bass trombone player, but so jealous I can't be them.

Blue Knights: I like this show more and more every time I see it. They've gone crowd-friendly, and I enjoy this change.

Cadets: Say what you will about that show being cheesy, the Cadets know how to march and play. I was looking for more from their ending though. usually the Cadets spend the last two minutes running around like crazy people, but this time they didn't do it. Not saying it was a bad thing, but it was different.

Now for the bad....:

Really DCI? A 97.900 at quarterfinals? What are you all smoking?

And on the same tangent, about the Blue Devils: (Fans and people easily offended please look away now)

Look, I get it. They have great talent, and a staff that probably poops out medals, but really guys? You produce this show? I saw right through what they were doing about a minute in. They have created an un-judgeable show. It's just a mess out there. Nothing against their horn book, which I do like more and more now, but their visual program really seems like a waste of space and time. I mean, how many actual forms did any of you see? Most of this show was either free-form stuff, park-and-bark, transitions, or hiding behind/moving mirrors. How can people judge what they can't see happen, or what isn't covered on the sheets? I mean, if people are walking or running around, where on the sheets does that fall? Is that under marching technique? Is it really? And when was the last time BD actually marched a transition in between pieces? 2006 or 7? I mean, the running thing was cool the first time, but after three years, it's really gotten pointless and over-done. I just can't take it anymore. When all of a sudden half of your hornline disappears behind a mirror, or is moving it, how do you judge the show? Do you only judge the people you can see, or do you guess at the people behind the mirrors? It's a clever trick to hide half of your corps. And I really, really would like to see them march and play something over quarter notes. Every time they hit a passage of music with a different time signature or rhythm, they halted. Way to go guys, guess that's one way to get stuff clean.

Whatever. I'm done. Call me a troll, call me a hater, call this flame bait, I really don't care. After tonight, I really am afraid for where DCI is going if this show is really what changes things. Really losing faith in wanting to spend my next two years marching if things are going to go this way. And for anyone who finds something wrong with my post, please, tell me using actual evidence. I don't want to just have someone say I'm wrong, I want someone to prove it, and use actual evidence. Saying something means nothing if you don't have the proof to back it up. Thanks.

[BigBadMadMan]

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

Absolutely not. Based on the show they are performing, why would you assume that "adding depth" would take them closer to "BD style"...as if that's the only way to add depth to a show? That's assuming an awfully lot...and dismissing an awfully lot as well.

But it's a pointless argument since we're not being rational here...

[geluf]

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

Couldn't tell you, since I don't speak for those people.

The arrangements are exactly what I have come to expect from BD over the past decade or so (there have been exceptions). It disappoints me because I feel like that visual package deserves a much better musical one to go along with it. I am absolutely in LOVE with the visual program they have out there.

[mobrien]

Cavaliers: Wow, this show is just something else. I love everything about it, the visual, the music, the concept, all of it. Quick question though, was their drumline playing concert snares at one point? Sure looked like it.

No. They switch to snares with shallower shells (I believe 8") and mylar heads for "Dismantling Utopia", then go back to the standard 12 x14's for the end of the show.

Edited August 13, 2010 by mobrien

[geluf]

Really DCI? A 97.900 at quarterfinals? What are you all smoking?

This isn't new, actually.

In fact, last year it was a 97.95 at quarters.

[fsubone]

No. They switch to snares with shallower shells (I believe 8") and mylar heads for "Dismantling Utopia", then go back to the standard 12 x14's for the end of the show.

Thank you very much for that. I wasn't quite sure, I'm a trombone player, not a percussionist, so I just guessed at what I saw. Whatever they are, I like them.