BennyASU Posted June 23, 2003 Share Posted June 23, 2003 (edited) Okay, since i didnt have time to write a good review over the weekend about each show, im going to do a review of the whole weekend right now. Ill also throw in how i felt each corps should have scored (approximately) by Sunday night. It was a GREAT weekend in SoCal! I wasnt sure if id enjoy it as much as previous years because im seeing the corps so much earlier (and dirtier) but it was still every bit as fun! On a side note Sunday's show was almost exactly 3 years (give or take a few days) since the date i saw my first show live and became an ADDICT! And it was at the venue that i saw my first show at, and also where i ended up marching for 2 wonderful seasons! Riverside Community College, whos field was absolutely beautiful for this show. They must have returfed because it sure wasnt that nice when i marched there! SoCal Dream Sr. I was impressed by the size of this corps. They have grown leaps and bounds over last year when they were an exhibition corps (especially the guard!). Their show was latin music (including Mambo Kings and Malaga) and they had some screamin sops to accompany. My only complaint about that would be that one or two held over on every single cutoff from the warmup to the end of the show. I believe they improved by 4 points or so over the weekend, but in the end this corps looks like its on its way up. Bright future ahead. Alliance The corps is smaller than in years past. I believe last year they had 9 horns, this year theyve got 6. Im pretty sure the guard is around 8 or so, and the percussion is bigger than both combined! I think they were much better than in years past. It was an interesting show idea, i would really like to have heard some of the music with a big full hornline. They had a cool idea for new percussion sounds in the show. At one point the battery takes off their drums and puts these boxes on their carriers with they play like congas with their hands. THe hornline and pit also use them at one point so everyone has one for a tribal-like percussion feature. Then they set them down on the field in a visual form (like PR helmets in 93 and 94). I liked the idea a lot. Impulse First off let me say that while i have liked a couple Impulse gags here and there, ive never really been a fan of their shows. Now let me follow that up by saying that i like this show far more than previous offerings. It lacks the gags that we're used to from Impulse, and im not sure if its because they are trying a more serious (yet still fun) show approach, or if they just havent added them in yet. They had 3 of 5 numbers on the field, so the show needs to be completed still, as did all D2 shows i believe. I feel that this is their best show that ive seen. Blue Devils B They seemed bigger than last year, as far as horns and guard go. I believe the drumline was about the same size (big!). They had a strong show. They played some Metheny which showed off their very good guard and percussion sections. Right now their biggest weakness is definitely the brass. They have some rough spots, but hopefully can make it smoother. They have a nice visual package though. I believe that with respect to their talent and competition level, that they have a better visual package than their big brother does. An impressive show overall, and (this story seems the same for every corps this year) better than last year! Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets After doing such an awesome and DIFFICULT show last year for their full tour, one might think that, especially with doing just a half tour this year, that SCVC might take it a bit easier. Wrong. When we saw the show first on friday night we were just sorta like "wow...rough year" but then by Sunday they had pulled a complete 180. The hornline was 10x's more controlled and smooth in their performance. Theyve still got about 30 seconds or so worth of drill and guard work to add in as well. Theyre marching a big drumline! 8-5-5...and they are impressive! They have got a really cool pit/percussion feature in the show as well! The guard uses these props in the ballad that come together for a cool effect at one point, but i think are overused a bit after that moment. Overall this show improved sssoooo much in 3 days, it was really neat to see, and a great show overall. Im glad to see that they didnt take it easy after last year! Esperanza Anybody who sees this corps is watching the possible D2 champion this year. Theyre not quite done with their show yet either, but it is DEFINITELY something to see. They use a lot of minimalist music this year, and its extremely effective. The guard is absolutely awesome....AWESOME. And its only June! Rob Jett has done a spectacular job with them. They open the show in 2 diagonals from front left to back right corner with guard spaced between the horns/drums. The guard then runs out doing some intriguing dance and body movement. They have some great weapons work which interprets the music well, and are very well integrated into the drill. Theyve got a beautiful ballad in which the hornline frames the guard, about 2/3 of which are on saber, the other 1/3 dancing. Percussion and visual performance are also very impressive right now. I cant wait to see this show once its done! The ending now is somewhat anticlimactic, and the guard isnt quite finished up to that point yet, but once they are done it will be amazing to see. Pacific Crest With all the hype surrounding PC this year because of their trip to finals, it was gonna be interesting to see how far along they are. Well, theyve got some work to do. Their show is loud, but the hornline is playing with a lack of control right now which is hurting them a lot. On Friday PC came on and we were thinking they could make semis, but then Mandarins came out and played with so much more control...we were absolutely blown away. Their visual program is also dirty right now. They were weak in design compared with the other D1 (and some D2) corps there, and feet just werent lining up together. They were the dirtiest in every caption, but theyve also got some good potential for GE if they can get it clean. One thing i liked about their show design was a continuation of a theme. Early on the guard uses these silver, light reflecting boxes, which add a cool effect. They continue to use them in different ways (some horn members even use them) throughout the show which i thought was cool and effective. Mandarins This was my 2nd biggest surprise corps of the weekend. They came out and RIGHT AWAY played with such a controlled and good sound that we in the stands were really just in awe. Their horn book is very meaty. They are playing the Borodin that Glassmen used in 98, but they put a unique spin on it. Then they close with Bachannale which, of course, is exciting. The intricacies in their horn book is very impressive, and even more impressive is the way they are playing it right now. Their feet are much cleaner than PC, and their drill is well designed, although possibly a little on the safe side. Theyve got a good percussion section, and have a great feature about 2/3 way through the show. The guard is well staged and is looking good for June, GREAT costumes too! During the ballad about 7 of them grab these huge white flags, which i think are ineffective. The work is very limited and repetetive with them...thats my only issue with this show right now. The transitions in this show are extremely well thoughout, and provide a seamless flow to the show. We were all SO impressed and this was a show we all were looking forward to seeing again at the next show. Blue Knights WOW! Thats all i can say. WOW! Coming into the show none of us had heard a thing coming from Denver. They were flying under the radar, and we figured this could either mean a very good or a very bad thing. WOW! It was a GREAT thing! This show was the real shock and awe of 2003. The Blue Knights have finally found their way back into their idiom that brought them great success from 97-00. I felt like their identity was lost in 01, and then last year they got on track again, and this year is the payoff year. The show opens with the corps spread across the field, and the middle brass playing while the rest of the hornline supports them with low singing. It almost sounds like some kind of religious chanting (although not really chanting any syllables, just singing "ahhs"). Its a very cool effect. Then the full hornline joins in and builds to an incredible impact point. Our jaws were just dropped at everything. The cleanliness of the feet and forms, the clarity, control, and balance from the hornline, the impact and technique of the guard...they just had it all. The whole show is filled with the unique body movement that the Blue Knights have become famous for, and is very cool to see. The guard is extremely effective, and have a fantastic dance feature in pods during the ballad impact point. They also have beautiful hand painted silks again. My only issue is with the guard uniforms. They are full body tight uniforms which are white, with some pink, yellow coloring. They would look much better if the colors were tied on or sewn on or something to add some depth and texture to them. Not the biggest deal though. I just cant get over how great this show is. BK WANTS their spot back in finals, and i would bet money that they will get it back. Blue Devils Let me start by saying that i do enjoy this year's show more than last years. I like the music better, the arrangements are less choppy and flow better, and the guard doesnt use any dumb gimmicks (aka hair). With that being said, i think that their score was more inflated that Anna Nicole Smith's boobs. The visual design was typical BD visual design, so if you like blocks that condense and expand, then youll like this show. As always, that is my number one complaint with their show. It is nowhere near the demand of Santa Clara, and im sure of Cavies, Cadets, and maybe even a couple other corps. It also has a couple of focus issues (especially in the ballad). It doesnt tell you where to watch. Do you want us to watch the hornline with the flag line going through it, or the group of male dances that are 30 yards away from them in a cluster? Its a shame too cause the flags are doing some great work while the guys are lamenting over the girls and dancing great...you cant watch them both at once though. The hornline plays very well and in tune, albeit mostly at 2 dynamics...F or FF. I did like the arrangement of the ballad a lot, very nice. Also the spin they put on "Cool" was a nice change from the way we're used to seeing it. Another issue for me is that they use a lot of the same gags from last year. The trumpet pedal tone, the drumline running around the rack, and the ending seems carbon copy of last years in percussion and horn writing. They also do a quasi-copy of Blast! in the very beginning as battery members show off and "battle" each other. The guard was my favorite part of this show. I think that they are much better integrated than last year, and are used more effectively. Theyve got another all-guard weapons feature as well thats impressive. Should this show be winning now? Yeah. Should it be winning by August? Probably not. It doesnt have the demand or design, and being this clean this early, one has to worry about peaking early. Despite all my issues with the show, i really did like it more than last year believe it or not :P Santa Clara Vanguard Wow! Dirty...but WOW! If you want to learn how to develop a show concept, wow the audience, and push the limits in design and demand...this is the show to watch. Absolutely amazing. The guard is clad in uniforms that completely cover then, long sleeves, long pant legs...it is several shades of blues and greens, with a small yellow stripe here or there (they look similar in texture to some of BK's hand painted silks of the past). The show opens with The corps evenly split on the goal lines, and the guard connecting the two with a straight line across the field. One side begins playing and marching backfield until their phrase is done. Then the other side begins by answering the first groups call. This continues as the 2 groups maze their way towards each other, with the guard being pushed in by the 2 sides, who eventually face front and weave their way through each other into a HUGE and dramatic impact point in a block in the center of the field. Its absolutely stunning. The hornline has a big sound, and the low brass smacks you in the face again this year, like the past few. The opener hauls at what will eventually be 200 bpm (not sure if its quite at tempo yet). Throughout the opener, and the show, there are constant references to the Pathways concept with the guard or percussion moving through a labarynth of hornline members. The ballad is extremely unique and intruiging. Its unlike any other ballad. A small ensemble pulls to the front sideline after the opener and puts mutes in their horns to introduce the theme, which is later picked up by the full hornline. The 3rd piece is an "angrier" piece with a lot of loud, bombastic, and dissonant hits. The guard is all on weapons for a portion of it, and are featured as the hornline frames them during the percussion feature. The drums are absolutely HOT in this show. Their feature has a definite groove to it, and the drums are rockin to it...VERY cool. Then the closer is a reprise of Orawa, which again FLIES. The corps again moves towards each other and eventually comes into a parallelogram on the left side of the field in a transitional moment, and the crowd gives the "Vanguard!" yell. They go into cut time, play a dramatic fanfare, and HIGH MARK TIME during it! Very cool effect! Then pause...and they are off and flying to the exciting conclusion of their show. Wow. The complexity, design, and demand of this show is stunning. It is also dirty right now...theyve got a lot of work to do. The guard especially has a lot of work to do. With the change in staff and a very young guard, they have a lot to overcome, but once they do they will be fine as always. Ive got a good feeling about this show, and once they get over the initial difficulty of it i think the cleaning will just come faster and faster. Once again, i think this is one of the most well balanced corps there is. They offer great visual programs, along with an awesome music program, and a concept that just wows you. Several people at the shows were talking all about BD vs. Cadets/Cavies...whos gonna beat who, whos gonna win, are hte Cavies untouchable...etc. Just dont count this corps out because they have a show to take it. How i felt Sunday looked scorewise... 77.2 Blue Devils 74.5 Santa Clara Vanguard 69.8 Blue Knights 63.4 Mandarins 61.7 Pacific Crest 72.5 Esperanza 68.8 SCVC 64.4 BDB 64.0 Impulse 51.3 Alliance 52.1 So Cal Dream Anyway, great weekend in Cali...it was cloudy and cold, but still well worth it. Funny story on the way there. Well, funny if youre NOT me, sad if you ARE me. I was driving through Palm Springs, which can have crazy winds at times, and did have crazy winds this time. We were all driving slower because of them. All of the sudden i heard this "whoosh!" and it gets loud and windy in my car, so i pull over ASAP. I get out and my friggen sun roof has been RIPPED off of my car by the wind! The piece of glass is completely gone! Honestly! Who does that happen to?? ME! with my bad luck! It wasnt even open! I stopped at the first Honda dealership i passed to see if anything could be done...apparently one place in all of SoCal had hte right piece of glass, it was hours away, and cost $500 just for the glass! So all i had the rest of the trip was the little cover that slides under it. Needless to say i was scared that it would either A) rain or B ) scared to leave it anywhere cause all anyone had to do was slide the roof open to get in! Jeez! Stupid Cars <**> Edited June 24, 2003 by BennyASU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BennyASU Posted June 24, 2003 Author Share Posted June 24, 2003 oh yea, and big time props to the girl in SCV's snare line! how often do you see that?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfrontz Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 Very good comments, Benny...especially re: the Div. I corps. I LOVED the clip Vanguard posted on their site in May, and I would love to see them clean the heck out of their show and take the whole thing. It is dirt that has held them back since their incredible 1999 year. The concepts have been/continue to be fantastic, the drumming spectacular, the brass great, the visual inspired: but simply DIRTY! We shall see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BennyASU Posted June 24, 2003 Author Share Posted June 24, 2003 i agree with you on many of your statements Chip, but i think 02 was and should have been an end to the 4th place finishes. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfrontz Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 "May all your guesses be right..." -Dr. McCoy, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCV RR826 Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 Can't wait to hear Esperanda's version of Mishima. That was our opener for our 2001 HS marching show. Very nice piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BennyASU Posted June 24, 2003 Author Share Posted June 24, 2003 its very, VERY cool. The whole show is. My friend from HS band went with me and hes a casual corps fan, not a die hard like us. Well, he loved Esperanza's show, particularly the opener and the ballad. Hes into film scores, classical music, etc...I know youll like it Michael, its right up your alley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 And Esperanza's horn line is suh-weeeet! The control is SO much more than I expected from a Div II line -- particularly one as young as Esperanza. The corps' releases are to die for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BennyASU Posted June 24, 2003 Author Share Posted June 24, 2003 (edited) you can say that again...EVERY section is strong this year with them. there is a possibility of an undefeated season for them i think. and before i get flamed...notice i said POSSIBILITY! Edited June 24, 2003 by BennyASU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnaheimAlumni Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 oh yea, and big time props to the girl in SCV's snare line! how often do you see that?! You must have missed the female "center" snare in Blue Knights. Impulse has two girls marching this year And they are playing some SMOKE too! Last year Seattle had a one. Oh no they're taking over................. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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