TroonQF2010

[troon8]

...at the theatre, that is. I don't think I'll have as much humor as my typical reviews here tonight, but we'll see. I've been trying to figure out why and I think it has to do with there being far more shows tonight that were some genre of angry, edgy, crazy, or at least mysterioso tonight. When BK has some of the most hummable tunes of the night, you know something's weird this year! Here we go...The real quick usual disclaimer: Most of my utterly non-expertise critique is aimed at show designers, rarely at the performers, so please keep that in mind!

TROOPERS: WANTED: FOR CRIMES AGAINST HAIR!

(That's referring to the featured guard guy for much of the show ;) VERY glad they got rid of the diagonal sash! They seemed to struggle tonight visually, it didn't quite look like things were locking the way they're supposed to. Musically they weren't flat - plenty of emotion, but the structure of things just felt very formulaic. Thematically "Wanted" seemed to be translated to chasing a guard member around for no particular reason. And while he was a fine performer, if you're supposed to be a fugitive of some kind, you've got waaaay to big a smile on your face! ;)

COLTS: COLORS OTHER THAN RED!

A big big step up in demand! Timing seemed just barely held together in parts of the opener between the pit and the brass. It took me a bit to figure out that the guard member running around hogging the stage was doing so because the piece was called One Man Show...without that, it really made no sense. The little bits of color here and there did little for me, other then the mental recognition, "Oh, this piece is about Blue," because let's face it, that's what shows about color do. Ending on a positive...as usual, really nice music picks from them, and the performers seemed to be enjoying the show plenty!

ACADEMY: FROM WHIRLING DERVISHES TO SPARKLY BRA TOPS IN 1 MINUTE FLAT!

My favorite of the first group by far! Very regal symphonic sound in the brass, loved all of the music selections. Had a pretty good flow & pace throughout.

GLASSMEN: PRAY FOR LOWER HEAT INDEXES!

I wouldn't use the word boring, but I wouldn't call it exciting either. Please, PLEASE come up with some more interpretive gestures for "prayer" other then "hands folded..." I enjoyed a lot of their music actually, it just seemed to drag on a bit near the end.

MADISON: REAL MEN SHOW OFF THEIR ARMS!

I wasn't as blown away by their opening statement as many, (I realize what a blasphemous statement that is ;) but it was clear that this show was probably a very different beast live! I might be biased towards BK, but I will say that Madison had one of the most genuinely fun shows of the night, especially in a year where fun didn't seem to be much a priority for many (see my intro) The ballad-y section with the baritone solos & duet was delicious! I'd be very hard pressed to pick between their version of Rhapsody and Phantom '05. (Gasp! More blasphemy, I know ;)

BLUE KNIGHTS: OUR NIMROD IS NIMRODIER THEN YOUR NIMROD

My alumni friend who didn't get a chance to watch tonight was dismayed to hear they've gotten rid of the prep step, but as many have pointed out, they look LOADS cleaner without it. Ballad of the night. And I'm about to make the most blasphemous statement I've got (short of anything involving BD, that is ;)...again, maybe it was different live, but decibel for decibel I thought they easily matched Madison. Flame on...

BOSTON CRUSADERS: WHO NEEDS 50 CHAIRS WHEN WE'VE GOT ONE REALLY REALLY BIG ONE?

My favorite Boston show in years and years! I was very worried at first that they'd overwork the theme to death with guard members continually shoving each other off the throne, but was glad it was used sparingly and effectively. Didn't try to tell an overly complicated story involving a royal line of succession, just kept it simple and neat. Really enjoyed a lot of the drill, very fast paced and great full field coverage moments. Music had me hooked as well, along with BK and Madison, this was one of the few I feel I'd really pop in a CD player multiple times.

BLUE STARS: THE REAL MAGIC TRICK? CONVINCING EVERYONE THAT GREY IS BLUE!

My Houdini issue: It's one thing for the guard to appear straightjacketed, but there was a shot of the horn line emulating this while holding their horns in one hand, giving them a look that reads universally as not "I'm in a straight jacket!" but rather "Ow, I hurt my arm!" Anyhoo...I loved all the mysterious music early on, but it didn't especially grip me until the crazy rhythm party of the last movement. Woah, way heavy on the synth bass backup! Ending on a positive...I'm not a drummer, but I really thought their battery stood out as being phenomenal!

VANGUARD: BUCKETS OF BARTOK!

Call me crazy, but I really dug this show!! I felt like the whole thing had a stark beauty to it. It's Star 93...but it's not. I thought SCV's take was original enough while capturing the weirdness of the music perfectly with the drill and body work.

PHANTOM: AWWW...PRETTY!

Gorgeous in the start. Gorgerous in the ending. Everything in between felt a little too much like filler, though. I know judges would hate it, but I wouldn't have minded if they did nothing but pretty backfield (or tunnel!) stuff for 12 minutes straight. Visually, they seemed really clumped for most of the time, it seemed that few forms spread out much. They weren't as bad as Blue Stars, but I thought I could hear a bit much of the low end bass boost from their synth as well at times.

CADETS: QUIT STARING, HE'S NOT A LITTLE KID, HE'S "SPECIAL."

I can best describe this show as my made up phrase, "well-conceptualizated." Some will disagree, but I really appreciated how they used a simple theme easy to communicate within the means of a drum corps, and they explored it in all elements of the show without overdoing things. I'll take last year's West Side Story over this one any day, but I can't lie...I was entertained! Could've used an alternate ending where the soldiers became self aware and rebelled against their cruel overlord drum majors, though...;)

CROWN: ATTACK OF THE UPHOLSTERY PEOPLE!

The intro & opener were mighty epic! Theme wise, without the rewind and the repeat from last year's music at the end (which keep in mind is the sort of "in-joke" you'd never get if you hadn't seen last years show) I wouldn't have the foggiest clue what this show was about. Selecting music that's numbered Symphony or Movement #2 doesn't communicate anything on the field, only in the program. I'll never be convinced otherwise - Crown had THE worst uniforms of the year. Were you swallowed by my grandma's couches?! These might have worked in 07 for the horse show, but the brown arms were just ugh! Some positives: Horn sound was phenomenal as usual, and I loved their obviously skilled guard, especially the featured trio!

CAVALIERS: RUNNING AROUND PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT ALL SUMMER, SLEEPING ON BUSES & GYM FLOORS WITHOUT ANY GIRLS...YEAH, I'D BE CRAZY TOO!

I enjoyed this show much more then I anticipated! The guard was really what sold it for me. (although am I the only one that thought Micheal Jackson when I saw their first uniform?) Crazy sequences and exchanges and tosses and spins and flips and ironic scary masks, oh my! While it was still a cool section tonight, I can't help wondering (and wishing) that the horns will spin or toss their rifles en masse come finals...

BLUECOATS: BACK TO THE FUTURE AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME AGAIN!

Yikes!!! Fast, furious, and fierce! I think I would've passed out half way through the first song. I don't think you could get a show this solid without every last member being a monster workaholic. They sounded better moving then I'll bet most of the corps tonight would've sitting down. If this is the future of Drum Corps...I'll take it! (As long as I can get a little old-schoolness aka Madison every so often!)

BLUE DEVILS: PARADIGM = SHATTERED!

Jaw = dropped. Championship = won. I could never sit down and listen to this show on a CD, but their performance of Stan Kenton's avante-guard jazz is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece in it's own right. They went ALL OUT ON THIS BIYATCH! Seriously, that's the most sophisticated way I can describe it right now, because it took all the sophistication I was allocated in this lifetime not to have a seizure while watching. The Bluecoats were hard to top, but BD is truly on another level this year, with a monster so complex and demanding I'd have to watch it a dozen times just to let my brain catch up. The mirrors dazzled EXACTLY as they were programmed to, and their sound is so overwhelming (especially near the end,) I wanted to curl up in a ball on the floor. In a good way. I loved it, but I think I could only love this sort of show once a decade, at the most.

On to some general thoughts...

THINGS I WANT LESS OF:

This is very only-in-my-opinion, but "Colors" is on the short list of Themes I Wish were Permanently Banned from Drum Corps, along with Numbers and anything with the word "City" that's a generic take on NYC. (Although to be fair there was none of that last one this year, at least in the 15 corps I saw) Also, any sort of words spelled wrong or with other words and/or numbers inserted within them, ie, "A Sec7*!@$ondzz SOUUUULEdjer" I swear, one of these days someone will just call their show :!)LOL:(!

THINGS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS:

Dear music staff - please remember, they're called synthesizers for a reason. The sounds they produce sound synthetic. As long as you keep this in mind while using them, you'll be fine. But to me, it's like nails on a chalkboard when a corps is going for a piano or string sound. Even if you build a grand piano around the keyboard, you still wouldn't be fooling anyone. The only corps that used them well I felt were the ones that were INTENTIONALLY going for an artificial sound, notably the Bluecoats, although a few others had their moments as well.

THINGS I LOVED:

Academy & Glassmen color guards: Ignore the haters and all the absurd hoopla about the male skirts...you both had some of the best guard uniforms of the night, I thought the men and women both looked extraordinarily graceful in them! Gosh darn it, no matter how much I might complain about the State of DCI along with many others...there was variety this year!! And despite all the edgy dissonant crazy shows...there was plenty of melody to be had too! Just enough of both for me, in fact. I know it seems like I complained a lot this year, but in truth, I was thoroughly entertained, and as always, my hat goes off to all the hard working performers!

Edited August 13, 2010 by troon8

[gimpy]

Great review, thanks!