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Cadets: Easily the most I have liked them since 2000. As someone in the crowd said "Finally, the Cadets again!". Uniform thing works, and it makes those usual crazy cadet visual moves look crazier. ballad worked well, and at one point when the two pieces laid over each other, it sounded like les Miz. This show, if they don't insert a message and screw it up, can make life fun come August.

I totally heard it that way too! Thought I was the only one!

Oh good it wasn't me. My wife thought I was nuts

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Penn Cinema - Lancaster, PA

Probably 80-100 ppl.

Sound levels were very low for field mics (and the left/right channels were reversed which made for some really odd viewing at times).

The pit and mc levels were great so I'm thinking the problem was NOT in the theater but in the broadcast.

2 mins of silence during start of 2nd half. Didn't miss any show.

Well since everyone is posting their 'reviews' to this thread....

BD . What struck me the most was they were clearly one of the least prepared corps. To my eyes they were just not ready for a performance yet. Seems clear they're continuing down the path they began in '09. But (in contrast to the past two seasons) the props took me out of the show.

Cavies. Really like where the Cavies are going past two years. Lonely Boy (like Mad World last season) is woven into the show so effectively.

Bluecoats. Performer seems ready to pick up from last year but musically (after Creep) the design did not seem to carry me through.

Crown. Sorry to disappoint all those 7th place predictions. Won't homer out too much here -- just one comment. The fun makes you overlook a lot of the crazy demand throughout the show. Corps runs out of gas a bit at the end of the show.

Cadets. Show is working -- leave it alone Hop. Like it.

PR. Again a lot like last season. Just beautiful throughout. Maybe lacking the horserpower to contend though.

SCV. Mess. Just gonna forget this performance and pretend next viewing is first. I *think* there's some cool stuff coming.

Bluestars. I could not follow the chase since the camera chose not to. Thought it should have beat SCV (by a margin) and have good shot at moving up from last years placements. DeLucia nailed it with prop comments. Maybe the art on the prop will change my mind.

Edited by corpsband
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Huntsville, Al

About 75 in the theater, nice volume level and the staff made sure to tell us about the problems about the audio after intermission well BEFORE the show started... Well, they actually told me to pass the word and I did. LOL

Crowd reaction in the theater.

1. Cavaliers

2. Blue Stars (Not kidding)

3. Cadets

4. Bluecoats

5. Blue Devils

-------

The following corps got 0 applause

Crown... Yes Crown

Phantom

SCV

One thought... I'm a visual designer and I just want to add.

<Rant> Reading reviews of this shown on here is proof of why fans voting should never be factored into the final outcome. Jay Murphy once again showed some AMAZING visual/staging brilliance, the design is quite nice, the transitions are not forced. The variety of movement has lots of depth but the show is dirty. I believe the BD vis staff focuses so much on getting the transitional flow of the show worked out that they come out a little dirty but we don't get to see that unless you live out west. This is a top 3 quality visual package. It's just not traditional drill, I use the term "stagging" because there is such a winter-guard influence to it. Jay Murphy makes me want to utilize guard better in my designs.

Also for the love of all things cute and fuzzy... GE is NOT a moment of fast drill and loud music. A FFF impact is not "GE" music and geometric drill is not "GE" visual. GE is simply... " HOW and DOES it work together". </rant>

And no... I did not march with the Blue Devils.

Last thought... Bluecoats design staff. I'm not offended by the word "hell" at all BUT I believe the lyric "I don't belong here" would work MUCH better.

Actually that which you blast can be GE, and it is. You're forgetting the triad of effect is not just intellectual. Aestthetic and emotional go there too. And it seems, so far anyway, DCI remembered them this year

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you didnt say hi!

join the back row rowdies in August!

I have a reputation to uphold, Jeff.

I can't be seen in public with riff-raff like you.

:guinesssmilie:

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Rockaway , New Jersey

Modest turnout , normally a good Cadets group and Bushwackers here , a little less than normal.

At 625 there was no audio even for promos , a quick trip to the ticket counter got the young man on the phone and on it came ( scary moment as if you take out the concession stand about 4 folks work the entire place )

Volume was OK , never asked to change to try to gauge each corps sound.

Funniest moment of evening for me was some young Bandos saying " what the hell am i doing here " ( following Coats - actually it was in reference to 6 minutes left of intermission )

Rondo and DeLucia do a great job ( love the snarky comments ) and Cesario is the icing on the cake with his energy!

DCI - ( IMHO ) - great job and great concept to see the corps this early - and thanks for reminding folks there are other corps just as exciting to see as the eight!

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(First post. Yay!)

I went to Alexandria, VA theater.

It's was definitely a different experience as this was my first time seeing DCI at the movies. I thought it was really cool. Audio could have been much better. I know some of you have been complaining about low volume. That was an issue, but my theater didn't seem to have their whole sound system on. Just the lame front speakers behind the screen. They had speaker around the theater that weren't being used, and hardly any bass at all. So pretty disappointing considering how important the sound is for this kind of event. May have been the theater's fault. May try a different theater for Big, Live, and Loud!. Besides the small sound issue, everything went great. Looked great on the screen. Most of the corps were pretty good. Definitely enjoyed The Cavaliers' show the most, even it was a little weak music wise and wasn't finished.

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Quick thoughts.

Blue Devils: Big brassy jazzy sound, and a total snooze fest. They'll be lucky to hang on to 3rd, there's just too many corps who will match their execution this year with better designed shows. Uniforms are hideous.

Cavies: Yes. Love it. Upside down tenor break kills it. The 225 sets they have on the field are more than a good number of corps who have "finished" shows, so you can save the argument about it not being finished. Drill is amazing can't wait to see the ending drill.

Bluecoats: Again, very entertaining. Drumline is sick. (SO many good lines this year) could battle for 2nd or 3rd but I think Cavies will be hard to steal 1st place from this year.

Crown: Dripping with rock-n-roll cheese, and it's a nice aged cheddar if you ask me. Very tasty. Great drumline and horns sound like another great Crown line. This show could have been a total flop design wise but they've pulled it off and every member is totally buying into performing the theme.

Cadets: If anyone is going to give Cavies a run for 1st it will be Cadets. Mad fast drill and an "old school" cadets show without a lot of distracting extras to try and sell the theme.

Phantom: We can put to rest any thoughts of Phantom's drumline having an off year. They aren't likely to win drums, but it doesn't look like that section will be a liability. Seems like they have a solid corps but in the end, they look short and squat on the field with those black plumes. Entertaining show but not hugely memorable.

SCV: Drumline is exactly what we've come to see from Rennick and Co., rest of the corps is really struggling with the show. IF (and this is a big IF IMO) they can clean it and raise the brass line bar they could contend for top 5, but I think (except for the drumline) they may fall short of achieving the level they want to, much like last season.

Blue Stars. Very entertaining. Electronics overwhelming in volume at times. Extremely demanding show, which IMO will reveal itself as they clean and move up, which I expect will happen. I still think they can challenge for 6th if they can clean that beast.

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I'm going to spare everyone here yet another review of the individual corps' performances; there are people far more qualified than I to critique what we saw.

Apart from that, I'll offer the following...

1. The Century Theater in Evanston, IL where we attended was, yet again, too d*mn hot, and the sound sucked major league a** throughout.

2. The commentary during the pre-shows was so annoying, I was tempted to hunt down Rondo and DeLucia on Twitter like a couple of escaped convicts.

Brought to mind that horrible broadcast year when someone had the great idea to provide running commentary during the corps' performances.

3. The Blue Devils' amazing undefeated run has, indeed, come to an end.

Regarding the defeat of my beloved former corps, in the words of my esteemed colleague, Captain Dathon of Tamaria...

"Shaka...when the walls fell."

Amen, brother. :tongue:

Edited by HollywoodNeoCon
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Yeah people like someone above said the "what the hell am i doing here?" quote is from Creep. Listen to the song and the show will make a bit more sense.

Only other comment is...WOW. I got to go to 1 of the 6 theatres not working. Whoo

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