Pacific Crest Sneak Preview

[azul]

This was a first in Pacific Crest's history, they combined forces with several Open class corps based in So Cal and put together a pretty fun night that with your ticket purchase, included a dinner followed by the show.

GOLD-Had a uniform change from the last time I saw them to a red and black color and had a hang down cape for the back of the legs. The drum major was the only one with gold on their uniform. The corps director failed to announce the show title so unfortunately I don't know it. What he did mention was that they had filled up their last horn line hole which for an open class corps I feel is a very exciting thing and that they would also be venturing outside of California for the first time in their history so if you out of state people want to see them, they will be at Mile High in Denver. The show started off with a small brass ensemble playing an opening up tempo melody. The tubas came up and then the rest of the hornline added in and then they slap you in the face with a pretty massive sound for a hornline of less than 40 horns and boy was it a pretty solid sound as well. Drums were extremely solid and the best of the open class lines of the night. This corps had a world class like attitude in their performance tonight and I wouldn't be surprised to see them move up to that status in the near future. I was impressed and would like to say watch out BDB. Show was unfinished.

IMPULSE-Had some technical difficulties getting the mics in the pit to work but finally did so. The show is called "Tribute" and is to pay tribute to the corps of the past. They opened up with a 10th symphony but I don't remember who's and they also played "Variations on a Korean Folk Song." This was a pretty rough run all the way around. The music book is way above the kids heads and was almost uncomfortable to listen to as well as watch. The battery was the strongest section in the corps but was still noticeably quite a few notches down from GOLDS line. Hornline also had a couple of heroes in there trying to save the corps and we all know that doesn't work out very well. Hope they can clean their show up because as of right now the members are really at the mercy of their show. This show was also unfinished.

VELVET KNIGHTS-They looked like little kids, like seriously, middle school and even elementary schoolers. Were they that young? Idk but anyways, the show was a baseball themed show with a couple of preshow and in show gimmicks such as "hey batter batter" taunts, trumpets using baseball mits as a wah wah plunger and several more. This corps though just like impulse was struggling pretty bad as well. This group though I feel is just really really young and not as experienced as they use to be. The tuba section though caught my attention with their sound and volume. Definitely the strongest section of the corps. At the end of their performance, don't know if it's part of their show but they tell the crowd to get on their feet as the corps starts to play "take me out to the ball game" and asks the crowd to sing along. One of the DM's even conducts the crowd but it felt a little awkward especially with the lack of performance energy by that point, almost felt forced. Also incomplete show.

Of the 3 open class corps I would've placed them

1st GOLD

2nd IMPULSE

3rd VK

GOLD really seemed to be on a another level from the other two but I hope that the other two corps members will be able to get more comfortable with their shows.

PACIFIC CREST-The show is called "Push, Pull, Twist, Turn" and has no story line. It just has visual and emotional depictions of each movement. The drill design is pretty freaking cool starts off very Cavalier like and continues to be that way through out the show. Brass definitely has some power and that's with a couple of people MIA due to school obligations but man could this group play. Guard was pretty good as well, some really nice tosses with weapons and some great ensemble flag hits as well. Drum line is smoking hot for them this early in the season. Even when I was there, they were never this good. They didn't have all the drill done for the show but once they hit a certain point in the closer, they stood still and finished up about 1 1/2 minutes worth of music so the show is almost complete. This corps is definitely looking to knock down some corps and climb as close to 12th as possible, or at least that's what the DM had told me.

It was good night for drum corps and the first I got to enjoy as an alumni and can't wait to do that some more.

[PSeidling]

Thanks for the review! I'll add a few notes if I may:

Pacific Crest has been doing this for a few years, and this year invited area Open Class corps, which was a cool gesture and a great opportunity for the corps to get a show under their belts before the season. Close to 1,000 in the stands, great stadium at Rowland HS, just east of LA, another cool summer evening in SoCal!

Gold - Last few years the biggest of the many SoCal Open Class corps, and looks to be that way again. I counted 40 brass, but 4 weren't fully in the show yet. 13 guard, big pit and 8 snares, 5 tenor, 5 bass.

Very very solid showing! They've moved from being somewhat sponsored by Hawthorne HS to being totally independent and now basing in the Laguna Hills area. Added some top-level teaching staff including drum guru Ike Jackson (drum line is World Class good) and Mark Irons, who's presence has really made the brass line sound great. They are taking the corps to the Denver show this year, first ever trip out of state. A real-deal Open Class corps here!

Impulse was very solid as well. Well paced show, good visual presence and a very readable, smart drill. 29 brass, 13 guard, 10 pit with 7 snares, 4 tenors, 5 bass and 4 cymbals. Mature moving and a solid drum program, brass sounded big, if hampered by TQI issues.

Velvet Knights put on a baseball show and used a big guard - more guard than brass I believe - to tell the story. 25 guard, 21 brass, 7 pit, 5 snares, 3 tenors, 5 bass. As the original reviewer noted, they are seemingly younger than the other 2 Open Class corps, and not quite in their league performance-wise. Brass sound is improved over last season. No uniforms yet on the guard or corps.

Pacific Crest took a huge leap last season and this year moved it up a notch with their most mature and sophisticated show design to date. The first half of the show is good. Top 12 good. The brass line will surprise you and the drum line is solid. A full-size World Class corps (if a slightly small guard), 68 brass, 15 pit, 8 snares, 5 tenors, 5 bass, 5 cymbals, 28 guard.

The Opener is exciting and very well performed. The Ballad is beautiful. Brass line is very very good. Tubas, 12, and all play - 10 vets and it shows! Listen for the beautiful tuba support at the end of the ballad. Battery is solid as well, some great snare exposure moments and they nailed them nicely. Jeff Lee wrote the pit book and the maturity in that alone has made a nice impact on the overall show design. The drill is really good. Steven Estudio is really coming of age here, he has a god team and has wisely used the consulting skills of DCI Hall of Fame designer Ralph Pace. Field coverage is big-time and some excellent "GE" moments. If they get the last 4 minutes of this show as impressive as the first 6 minutes, yeah, good stuff here.

On a side note, and full disclosure, my wife and I are pretty big PC homers, we are donors and have housed an out-of-country member. For good reason, as PacCrest is a class act. (And the company i work for - Stanbury Uniforms - provides Pacific Crest with their uniform needs.) I have yet to meet a SoCal band director or college music educator who doesn't say great things about the corps. More importantly, I meet many, many parents who have or have had their children in PC and all say great things about the quality of care and teaching provided.

They have quietly morphed into essentially a full-time World Class corps, while still maintaining a vast majority of SoCal based members and SoCal based staff. Their teaching team is mostly degreed music educators (in fact, 10 have Masters and/or DMA's!). Recent steps in maturing the program design are paying off, and, aside from not hitting tour until 2 weeks later than most corps, they have done daily rehearsals since early June, which really shows.

Thanks to PC for putting this event on, thanks also to Gold, Impulse and VK for pushing their time-lines to show up with shows far more complete than we in the stands expected....and done really well! SoCal schools go late into June (even the college students are hard-pressed to do corps in June, as the UC system goes late in June also); it ain't easy getting a show on the road out here!

Pat Seidling

[JohnD]

Great reviews Azul and Pat ... and I agree completely. Gold has really stepped it up a notch and is quickly becoming a serious Open Class contender. I appreciate the measured approach Dr. Don Flaherty is taking in growing his corps. As noted above, this year marks the first time they'll venture out of the state to compete (to Denver). Kudos to the Gold team for what they've managed to create and deliver.

Pacific Crest has also made a leap forward with this year's show, in my opinion. The drill design is full of movement and is being executed well for this early in the season. The brass and percussion books are solid and melodical - with some great hits that grab your attention. The horn line was fantastic. I was thoroughly entertained. I'm really looking forward to seeing your show evolve over the next few weeks at the NorCal and SoCal shows.

THANK YOU to all of the corps we saw last night for a great evening of drum corps. What a great way to start the season.

-john