Massillon, OH Show Thread

[BRASSO]

Boston was much more impressive LIVE (as most of the corps were tonight) than on tape.

This is also a good thing to also perhaps keep in mind when we look at Corps on tape that were perhaps before our time. LIVE is always much better than watching on tape,... no matter when. Watching ( for one example ) a tape of the 1980 Spirit of Atlanta playing their closer " Let it be Me ", is not the same as hearing it played live in performance. Watching these 2011 Corps on tape is also not the same as witnessing it live either. Live is always WAY better, and much more impressive than on tape. ( and audio reproductions of shows in earlier decades were crappier than crap itself. )

Edited August 10, 2011 by BRASSO

[jwillis35]

I was at the show tonight. Major bummer that we didn't get to see the last 3 corps, but I was happy that the fans got to see 5 shows before the weather hit.

The scores were interesting to me. I had Boston in 1st, SCV second, Blue Knights 3rd, then Crossmen and Troopers.

Boston lit the joint up!! That is one good corps and one heck of a show. Very strong visual product and the music is well done and very well played. They made huge improvements with the ending and it showed tonight.

Santa Clara is, once again, doing a very complex and difficult-to-sell show. This can be good and bad, but mostly what we are getting is the bad (IMO). The first 10 minutes of their show fly by and the crowd is just not getting it, and then the last 2 minutes were very nice. This is not classic Vanguard. Think 1974, 1978, or 1985 for that. This is ultra modern drum corps, and it takes guts and a lot of skill to pull off this type of show. They play well, drum well, but the marching is all over the place. It's too much running, too many scattered ideas and interpretive body movements stacked on top of each other in a very short period of time, so when the show ends you really are not sure what you just watched. If the show lacks one big thing, it's clarity.

The Blue Knights are outstanding!! The only part of their show that I didn't care for was the last 20 seconds of the show. They changed the ending from what I had seen on FN. Not sure it worked. But boy do they play well, drum well, their guard is wonderful (with some of the best silks), and the music is fabulous and well arranged. Marc Sylvester's drill is magnificent!!!! Logical, cohesive, flowing, entertaining, and challenging. It's all there. They really get me thinking so much of the 27th Lancers with those musical selections.

The Troopers march very well. I don't care for the show. It's mostly a dud in my opinion. Not much there until the big chord at the end, but the very ending is soft and backfield with the corps prancing along the road off the field in a manner that I am not sure fits the show, especially with the brass doing it. I wish they would bring back the grey pants. The all blue look is not cutting it. I think the talent is there and the performers did a very nice job. The brass plays with good control most of the show. But the design of this show seems to lack GE and perhaps even some of the demand and artistic elements that a show needs to move forward. Most importantly, they utilize way too many body moves, poses, and stuff like that. It clutters the show and really does nothing for the audience. Most people are just confused by all the dancing and prancing and posing and other types of body moves. It's not just Troopers, but they had way too much of this.

Crossmen performed well tonight and really have a wonderful show. I would put this in top 12 over Spirit or Glassmen. They really got the crowd going. I suspect they are a bit rough in the performance captions, but this show is a clear step forward for them. Wonderful music and drill!

All in all it was a great show (for what we got). I still see the corps over using the body gestures and posing and I see it as a complete waste unless there is some real point or emotional effect. As of now it just seems that corps are throwing anything in the show to get a point or to say "hey, we added GE." But in most cases it does nothing. Otherwise, a very good show and all the performers did a wonderful job. Indy should be fun.

Oh, I bet you there were 7,500 to 8,000 people there tonight. Place was packed.

[Tricia-A BD/BK Mom]

I was at the show tonight. Major bummer that we didn't get to see the last 3 corps, but I was happy that the fans got to see 5 shows before the weather hit.

The scores were interesting to me. I had Boston in 1st, SCV second, Blue Knights 3rd, then Crossmen and Troopers.

Boston lit the joint up!! That is one good corps and one heck of a show. Very strong visual product and the music is well done and very well played. They made huge improvements with the ending and it showed tonight.

Santa Clara is, once again, doing a very complex and difficult-to-sell show. This can be good and bad, but mostly what we are getting is the bad (IMO). The first 10 minutes of their show fly by and the crowd is just not getting it, and then the last 2 minutes were very nice. This is not classic Vanguard. Think 1974, 1978, or 1985 for that. This is ultra modern drum corps, and it takes guts and a lot of skill to pull off this type of show. They play well, drum well, but the marching is all over the place. It's too much running, too many scattered ideas and interpretive body movements stacked on top of each other in a very short period of time, so when the show ends you really are not sure what you just watched. If the show lacks one big thing, it's clarity.

The Blue Knights are outstanding!! The only part of their show that I didn't care for was the last 20 seconds of the show. They changed the ending from what I had seen on FN. Not sure it worked. But boy do they play well, drum well, their guard is wonderful (with some of the best silks), and the music is fabulous and well arranged. Marc Sylvester's drill is magnificent!!!! Logical, cohesive, flowing, entertaining, and challenging. It's all there. They really get me thinking so much of the 27th Lancers with those musical selections.

The Troopers march very well. I don't care for the show. It's mostly a dud in my opinion. Not much there until the big chord at the end, but the very ending is soft and backfield with the corps prancing along the road off the field in a manner that I am not sure fits the show, especially with the brass doing it. I wish they would bring back the grey pants. The all blue look is not cutting it. I think the talent is there and the performers did a very nice job. The brass plays with good control most of the show. But the design of this show seems to lack GE and perhaps even some of the demand and artistic elements that a show needs to move forward. Most importantly, they utilize way too many body moves, poses, and stuff like that. It clutters the show and really does nothing for the audience. Most people are just confused by all the dancing and prancing and posing and other types of body moves. It's not just Troopers, but they had way too much of this.

Crossmen performed well tonight and really have a wonderful show. I would put this in top 12 over Spirit or Glassmen. They really got the crowd going. I suspect they are a bit rough in the performance captions, but this show is a clear step forward for them. Wonderful music and drill!

All in all it was a great show (for what we got). I still see the corps over using the body gestures and posing and I see it as a complete waste unless there is some real point or emotional effect. As of now it just seems that corps are throwing anything in the show to get a point or to say "hey, we added GE." But in most cases it does nothing. Otherwise, a very good show and all the performers did a wonderful job. Indy should be fun.

Oh, I bet you there were 7,500 to 8,000 people there tonight. Place was packed.

Thank you for posting your review of all the corps. It is welcome to us that sit behind our computers and wonder what it was like to be where you were tonight. Most excellent.

[BRASSO]

The scores were interesting to me. I had Boston in 1st, SCV second, Blue Knights 3rd, then Crossmen and Troopers.

Once again... Power to the People! ( haha)

Edited August 10, 2011 by BRASSO

[Armyscout]

I call Shenanigans on this show......

[Drum Corps Nation]

Back from the show. All the corps were fantastic tonight. Great line-up. Glad I finally got to see Boston and BK live. Crossmen was a very impressive young corps. Troopers had what I thought was a #### good run tonight. Santa Clara was very powerful. Great show all around. I think the judges called it pretty well tonight, although I feel the spread between BK and Boston in the vis GE caption is a bit wide. Both were very effective. Boston and Blue Knights seemed pretty evenly matched, and it will be interesting to see how the last three days play out.

[oldbandguy]

What a GREAT show tonight! It's a real shame the last 3 corps did not get to perform. I especially feel bad for the Bluecoat members and fans. As reported, there was a packed house tonight and, obviously, most of the 'Coats fans. I heard the 'Coats were really pumped to perform...hope they carry that on to Indy.

The crowd was treated to 5 great shows tonight, but the highlight for this long time corps fan was without question the first corps...the Crossmen. WOW what a wonderful show. I've seen most of the World Class corps live this year and the Crossmen, IMHO, are a notch above Troopers, Academy, Colts, and Glassmen. I think they should be in a battle with Spirit for the 12th spot.

Obviously the judges see it differently, but this show will be among the most played on my iPod for the 2011 season. Great job Crossmen.

[N.E. Brigand]

One quick comment on Paul Brown Tiger Stadium: This is a GREAT DCI Venue. It should be considered for the top 8 (TOC) show next year. The sound is AMAZING, and the field is pristine. Just a great place (reminds me of UW Field House) for this type of activity. The place was SOLD OUT, I mean standing room only. I'd say 85% of the people stayed until they "officially" cancelled the show @ around 10:15pm. I think there are some pretty unhappy campers out there tonight, but what we did see was a very polished set of drum corps.

It wasn't sold out. I bought my ticket twenty-five minutes after the show started, and got a seat in the premium section, 28 rows up on the left 35-yard line. There were empty seats in the section to my right.

But it was pretty crowded. I couldn't leave work in Cleveland until a quarter to six, so I knew I was likely to arrive after the Crossmen started at seven. But I actually reached the stadium traffic just before step-off, only to find the back-up longer than I've ever seen it at Massillon. It was fifteen minutes before I was parked: this after the traffic-directing crew sent me (and others arriving at the same time) from the front entrance all the way to the road at the back of the stadium lot, which was full, then all the way across that road to the other side of the school property (i.e., 180 degrees from where we started), and then almost all the way up another road to the front, where I parked in a school staff lot. From there it was a good hike around the school to the stadium, where two sizeable lines were still assembled to buy tickets.

The Troopers had just finished as I got my ticket, but I made the mistake of stopping to grab some pizza (which turned out to be pretty good) at a concession stand. That line wasn't long at all, but even so, I couldn't get to the stands, as the stadium staff had closed access when Blue Knights started their preshow. Not their show, their preshow. You know, the sampled voice singing about the "bonny boy". (Nobody ever answered FaustianMachine's question: what's the title of that song and who is the recording by?) I guarantee you I could have easily reached my seat in the two minutes before the actual show begins. Oh well.

From the tunnel, BK sounded great. All I could see clearly were the pit members on the left side, who looked happy.

The announcer tried to read Santa Clara Vanguard's requested introduction with good dramatic emphasis: "Imagine you're in hell, and you ... want ... out!" But SCV wasn't prepared for her to slow down the last words like that, and played over the "out". I think audience members who didn't already know about the show were confused. And I think Vanguard was less impressive here than in Allentown. Or maybe it was because I was a bit closer to the action? Hell's would-be escapees at times seemed to be running in a rather relaxed manner, as if they didn't really hope to get out. The audience reaction was less enthusiastic than in Allentown, anyway. Two guys right in front of me delivered the "Vanguard" yell; there may have been a few others here and there in the crowd.

During intermission, the family sitting to my right reported that thunderstorms were working east, and we began to see clouds in the northwest.

Unlike SCV tonight, and Crown repeatedly, Boston Crusaders have figured out how to vamp during their introduction, listen to the announcer, and then start their show proper right after s/he finishes speaking. But their show also seemed less impressive than the performance they gave in Allentown. And both now and last weekend, I found I was seeing the members with poles holding up the sheet as much as the players we are presumably meant to be looking at.

The non-appearance of Cadets pit as BAC played suggested that a delay was in the offing, and it was announced as the Crusaders exited the field. We were instructed to go to our cars, or wait beneath the stadium (with the crowd directed by section to select the home or visitor sides -- I imagine no concessions were open under the visitor stands, though). Quite a few people in the upper rows opted to wait out the storm in their seats beneath the overhang. This was about 8:40 p.m.

It was near half an hour waiting on slowly encroaching clouds and increasingly frequent lightning before the wind picked up and the rain began. Until then I stood in the first row, then ducked under the stadium, which was very crowded. The rain was only heavy briefly, and the storms never hit the area of the stadium full force. (Back in Cleveland, there was nickel-sized hail.) The rain tapered after fifteen minutes, and by 9:35 p.m. had stopped entirely. But there was still regular lightning to the north and west. After about five minutes the rain picked up again, but I heard some lower-level event staffers talking to each other: they had been told that after this wave passed, the show was likely to resume. The crowd was thinning out some, however.

Just after 10 p.m., the rain had again slowed to a drizzle, and most of the lightning was well to the south and east. I walked out to the stands and down to the right end where I could see a trio on their phones looking at the sky. I admit I don't know what most of the corps directors look like, but one was certainly George Hopkins and I presume the others were Messrs. Glasgow and Valenzuela. Hopkins waved his arm at the clouds and I heard him indicate to his compatriots that the weather appeared to have worked its way through; he added that this would prove the coolest weather Cadets had played in all season. I saw them ask the stadium/show staff if the performances could now continue. The event director (I presume) gestured at the distant lightning and said he wasn't sending anyone onto the field while it persisted. And that was that. The judges on the track called for their fellows in the booth to come down -- with specific instructions not to forget their recorders.

I went back under the stadium to see how the crowd would be informed. It was a good ten minutes before they were told anything. During that time, I saw audience members repeatedly asking a group of event staffers huddled in a corner when some word would come, and those staffers said they didn't know themselves. (This is not the first DCI rain-out at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium where I've noticed communications problems.) Finally some other staff walked through the crowd informing people that the evening was over.

A pity. The rain stopped for good about three minutes after I heard the decision on the track. The lightning continued to recede safely into the distance, of course. The souvenir trailers were still open and selling, and I wanted to buy something from the Cadets, but they alone of all the corps on hand had a tent not a trailer -- and had packed up to keep their wares dry. As I walked school back to my car, I passed two Bluecoats members. One said to the other, "Nice! I didn't frack a single note tonight." But then he added, a bit wistfully, "I'm pretty bummed".

[Drum Corps Nation]

I was also a little annoyed with how the show operators handled the rain delay. First, when they announced the delay, they did say they would keep us updated on what was going on. This certainly never happened. When they did finally announce the show was over, it was mostly by ushers telling people to leave. And they waited until the worst of the storm was over before deciding not to continue the show. From the radar it was obvious that the rain and lightening was going to be around until about 10:30 - 11:00. I don't really know what they were waiting for when making their decision. The fact that the decision took so long made me think that they might be willing to wait it out. By the time people were leaving, the storm had passed and the corps that had waited around for no good reason could have at least done a standstill.

[jwillis35]

As long as there was lightning in the area we were not going to see a show nor a stand still. It was a shame, but mother nature can be a beast sometimes. Nothing anybody can do.