A Wonderful Louisville Review

[stxmoose32]

OK, so first of all, I have to say that I am extatic to have a large D&BC show in KY and Louisville specifically (I am from here). I have always said that Louisville or Lexington would be GREAT places for Finals (very accessible from every direction, hotels, entertainment, large cities within an hour or two, a buzzing marching band environment open to hosting corps, etc etc). Also, the stadium is great. It isn't the most accomadating right now, but every seat is PERFECT for viewing drum corps. I also personally like marching on that field. Anyway, here is how I spent the day.

Well, first and foremost, my brother is a Cavalier. Doug "Sippy" Steinmetz is on Bassque 4 this year, so, aside from being amazed by the Cavies, I have to be there to hang with my older bro. So, I spent my day at Eastern HS watching rehearsal. I had seen their show before in Toledo and was just a little dissapointed, BUT I grew to love it. Let me explain: The first time I listened to the music, I thought, "that's kinda boring; it need more impact points." It wasnt until I saw them rehearse it, break it down and put it all back together that I realized and appreciated the genius behind it creation and performance. It was kind of like last year's show. But more on their show later. So, I'm there getting sunburned, watching the "DCI judges in training" learn how to avoid getting put on their ###es while evaluating a show at 210 bpm (or rpm as I like to say). I'm with the 'rents, so I cant leave as early as I want to (causing me to miss the early part of the show), but eventually we get out of there and to the stadium

So, let me set the stage. I am trying to find my seat (first seat to the left of the Premium seats all the way up) when I come out of the middle tunnel. Marion Glory Cadets are about to begin. I look up the stands and see that some seats are empty up top. So, my vantage point is exactly on the 50 almost all of the way up the stadium. :-)

Marion Glory Cadets

I saw them in Toledo. I'm from a small marching band, so I know how to evaluate them at this point in the season. First of all, they are very well aware of the important parts of the show: when they need to really bring it, they do. I think that that will serve them well as they clean. I can see rapid improvements already. Last week, their trumpets/sops were shaky in some vulnerable parts, but they really played it out here. The drill. of course is dirty, cloudy, murky....whatever you want to call it. Their drumline is HUGE for a Div III, but good. They seemed a little off, but still carried themselves well. Overall, I think that there are some very strong points and some very, very weak points. For a small group, that is good. In other words, the stuff they have worked on is very well established and just need the rest of the summer to solidify the entirety of their show. This will help convey an overall concept to the crowd, which, at this point, is a bit lost in the insecurity of June. They'll be set by August.

Carolina Crown

So, first impression. Dear lord, look at those uniforms.....no, not those uniforms, the guard uniforms. OK, take muticolored, silvery looking material and wrap it around a bunch of people. Then give them stuff to spin and toss. Not bad, just interesting. As far as the corps uniforms go, I kinda like them, but the off center plume just tugs at my obsessive compulisiveness like crazy. All I kept thinking was: "you plume is not straight....wait...oh...#### them!" So, it was refreshing to hear a Div. I sound and they have a good one. I like the overall balance and just basic sound of the group, but their show just doesnt get me going. I was suprised by their higher placement. I did love Carol of the Bells. Just when I was saying to myself, "OK, Im trying to concentrate, but their losing my atention." they come in with a great rendetion of a great, simple song. The rest of it just needs to grab me a little more.

Southwind

OK, I've seen them much better. I dont particularly like their arrangement, but I can tell that it is good music. Today was just an off day for them though. There were a lot of ensemble tears and some bad marching. Its just not clean. Of course, that all can be fized and will be. I'm hoping that my dislike for the music isn't a design issue, but rather a performance issue. That way, when the end of the year rolls around I'll be able to add Southwind's to the list of shows that I like. Right now, it's just leaving me a little dead.

Colts

Yes, Colts. Not THE Colts, just Colts. So, I just wanst excited by their show. Maybe it was the longstanding anticipation to see Madison or something, but their's is a show that I feel deserves a second look on my part. I dont remember much from it and that is a bad thing: both on my part and on the part of the designers. I know that the corps can improve a lot, so Im not as concerned with the dirt that exists right now. More importantly, though, I just am not enthused by the show that they have. Oh well, I'll see it againg in DeKalb.

Madison Scouts

Greeted to the field by a rather large group of what only could be called Madison Scouts fanatics. First of all, this was the first corps tonight that I said, "yep, this is Finals quality show and they perform it that way." That was thirty seconds into the show. The rasie in the level of design from Colts/Crown/Southwind to Scouts was just amazing in my mind. The new uniforms look really nice from the stands. I agreee with earlier reviews that point out the the guard went from the weakest part of the corps to the strongest in one year. ####, those guys can put it out there. Style (both visually and musically) is dirty, though not really bad. I think that GE is a little less than the Madison of the past, but with good cause. I think that is stead of letting the guys loose and then trying to rein them into a quality sound through the year, they are going for overall sound before effect. (Does that make sense?) Anyway, I like the show. It has a Madison feel, but isnt quite a "Madison show".......yet. I guess the best way to describe it right now is Madison Light: All the flavor yet less filling. I was dissapointed by the solos (wanted them to be bigger, flashier), but I would rather be dissapointed by that than the whole show (like I was last year). For those of you who may be a bit concerned...don't be. I will describe it in very simple sentences: It is great music. It is a wonderful drill design. It is cool show. You will like seeing it. It takes you where you want it to and where you didnt think it could. I think the biggest thing now is that they dont have the spirit, but I think it will be there. Just like the fans, I think the guys are a little nervous about the "new" approach, but it is working. If you see them within the next couple of weeks, thius will probably be you reaction: Not quite as much as I wanted, but, ####, its good to see them with a great show. If you see them by the end of the season, Im sure you'll be screaming too loud to even think.

BREAK - yeah

Spirit

OK, first though: I loooooooove their cocncept. I mean, I thought that Time was going to be the cheesiest concept, but I thought it was soooo cool. It starts with the clock/chime ding dong ding dong. Its very well arranged and very well designed. The set of the corps and guard forming a clock with the rotating hands was just so cool for me. Also, the corps forms an hourglass and the guard drop down from the top of the hourglass to the bottom (a visual effect made PERFECT by the white guard unis and blue Spirit uni contrast). Ending the show with that slow hourglass motion was really cool. They actually pulled off the soft ending. The music was really cool. It was just way cool. Like all, its got some dirt, but all I could focus on was how cool of a show it was. And for this early in the season, that is what is most important to me. A well deserved 5th for them. Definite Finals corps.

Magic

So, the opener was way cool. I love the horn book, especially for the first two minutes. For the first two minutes I thought, "allright, we've got ourselve another Finals caliber show." Then it just kind of died. I dont know. The interest that I had and the enthusiasm just disappeared. I'll be the first to admit that it is tought ot sell me on a ballad, but the middle section of the show just lost me and I never fully came back. Like Colts, I feel like I need to give them another look. I'll reserve a full review until I get a second look

Glassmen

OK, first off: Not as boooooring as last year. Now, my mom thought so, but I didnt. The concept of Elements is a cool one, but they dont really pull it off. I didnt listen to and watch each section a constantly thing of Wind, Earth, Fire, and Water. Their GE scores are just not gonna be their strong suit. OK, so that is mostly what I have to say about them. They werent dull but kind of blah. Only two more things: 1) Their guard did not impress me at all. Im not saying theyre bad. I just kinda never saw them or was draw attention to them. That could be a big problem. 2) Despite my concerns/disappointments, I have to say this: The Glassmen playing October is one of the most beautiful points in a show in the last two years. I know that MANY MANY people will disagree with that, but I just love that piece and the way they play it. It is one of the few shows where I'll say that the ballad is the centerpoint

Bluecoats

Wow. Just wow. I just love that show. After loving last year so much, I was really ready to be disappointed. I know that sounds horrible, but I was. I was not disappointed in the least. The drill design is great and they perform it very well for this point in the season. It is a very readable design that still has enough dirt to improve from (so dont worry Bloooo fans). The concept of Escpae is just really neat and I never forgot it at any point in the show. This show will probably make me buy the CD instead of just the DVD because the music is just so cool. They feel it, they love it. I love it. Top 8 for sure if Finals were today. IMHO, they dont need the major design changes that many other might. I hope that that doesnt come back to haunt them. Go Blooooo. I love as is. Just dont let everyone else catch up to ya.

Cavaliers

OK, like I said above, the music left me a little dull the first time I heard it, and it will you the first time you heard, BUT do this PLEASE: stay for a victory concert. Trust me. Stay for the victory concert and listen to the music (along with the AMAZING drum book). It will change you view of the entire show. It think what it is, is that there is soooo musch to digest sooooo fast that they weakest link appears to be the music. Just listen to the music alone and you will be amozed how great it is. OK, so there has been a lot of talk about the guard unis. I didnt like them the first time I saw them, but once I saw the show it all made sense. How shall I describe? For the ballad, the guard has no silk as the beginning. They are just doing dance. Usually that is when I say to myself "What kind of effect does that have?" But with this group, it really stands out. When they turn around to start dancing, the color shock grabs your atention. In other words, they ARE the silk. It was the first time that I was smack in the face by a guard saying, "Hey! Pay atention to me!" Very tasteful use of color. The opener is great music. The opening mover (I think 22 measures) is way color, but the first impact is a little odd. It isnt the realease all the screams and applause point that you were anticipating. You will understand when you see it. I need to spend more time listening to the ballad. It seemed to be the dullest part of the music book where last year it was the strongest. The third song with the "spin n sit" beginning is way cool. MAKE SURE you pay atention to the snareline. It is easy to get caught up in the commotion of the solos/duet/guard, but the drum book here is WAY cool. It is going crazy and 10,000 things are going at once, then you head explodes, it resolves wonderfully and they move on at a gazillion bpm. You're still trying to figure out what the #### you just witnessed and they are already 4 sets ahead of you. It is way cool. As usually the "written" closer is boring. It kind of leaves you with a "Oh? It's done?" like every year. You can tell that the following conversation occured"

"Do we have a really awesome, amazing, show-stopping conclusion for the end?"

"Yeah, but we're not gonna do it right now"

"Well, we're halfway through the closer. What do you want us to do now?"

"Just...uh...get in a straight line and play a resolution chord."

"I guess that works for now"

"Yeah, sure"

Anyway, "Spin Cycle" is another one of those show that you have to disect to completely enjoy. You will rewind go back and rewatch everything in this show a million times just to figure out how it all works. While "Frameworks" slapped you in the face and said "Look how good at designing we are. This is music, this is drill, these are colors. Look how it all goes together perfectly," "Spin Cycle" works diferently. It says "Here is an amazingly performed show" and its up to you to active find the mastery of it all. It has so many layers of genius but you have to work as a spectator to grasp them all, and (honestly) I kind of like that.

Cadets

I was very excited to see them. While I am a Cavaliers fan, I know a good show when I see it and give groups the respect they deserve. I loved the opener last year and was excited to see this year. OK, first impression. Dear lord, it's the Cadets...you would have thought they would have gone over marching style by now. I was very surprised by the style inconsistencies. I know it will be perfect by the end of the year, but it just caught me off guard. Speaking of guard, I didnt feel like the guard was as well featured as last year. I wasnt specifically drawn to them at any certain point, so that concerns me from a design standpoint. F&A was nice. The music wasnt as good as the drill design, but it will be solid by the end. No comment on the whole warmup starting thing. It just kinda caught me by surprise (in a good/bad way). Malaguena was, IMHO, the low of the show. I just didnt like it. If you like Malaguena by the Cadets, then this is perfect for you, but I persoanlly prefer Madison. This version just was great...just not my cup of tea. I just could not, at any point, suspend the fact that it was Cadets playing it and it kinda bothered me. Im not trying to say that no one else can play Malaguena. Im jsut saying I dont like the way the Cadets play it (a valid opinion I think). I dont like that many Park n Blows and I thought they were kinda forced at that. Now, the soloists were good, but the overall sound just was not for me. RPH brought me back. Those opening licks just get my heartbeat going. I love that song and am practically married to the 83 version so the slight arrangement differences really bothered me. Im sure its not that bad, but I just was soooo used to the old version it unsettled me. The ending was a little weak (arrangementwise) but very visually effective. The whole RPH theme got lost in the chord progressions at the end. But all in all, the song was wonderful. The show is very dirty right now, but theyve got some wheel to really move along. I just thing that Malaguena may very well be their glass ceiling. It just doesnt work for this show. Sorry. Dont think this show is competitive with Cavies in its current state, but I hope some rewrites would spice things up.

Well, thats it. I left some out for time sake some out for memory sake, but this is what I have. I know that I am somewhat biased by my brother, but I think it has more to do with the fact that I know the Cavies show better than the others. I hope that didnt come across too negatively for the other groups. If it did, sorry. More looks will give me more to talk about. Comments? Questions? Concerns? Just post some feedback. Thanks

Troy Steinmetz

Edited June 23, 2003 by stxmoose32

[Guest GeorgeD]

thanks for the review!