2000Cadet Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Partially serious review now up. Where? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralTsoChicken Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Where? The review forum. Here is it is, copied and pasted. Random thoughts from a negative internet troll. The site: -Parking was easy and free -Tickets were expensive -Warmup site too close to the field. Got to hear cavaliers bassline warm up for a large part of the show. -It was HOT, but got way better as the night went on. Cascades: -I haven't seen you in a while. I love you, but want you to go back to the quirky SCVish style you had in the early 2000's. Please! -Your props are cool, but they get in the way of the staging. It is difficult to segue from behind the hash to in front of the hash, with all that stuff in your way. -Why is there a mellophone all alone, on the 50, with an 8 step interval, at your loudest impact in the show? Poor person was doomed to stick out no matter what, and they single-handedly ruined your biggest impact moment of the show. -The pandora box is an interesting concept... but the ballad doesn't work with it. She hooks herself into it... and it looks like she wants to be there. It is odd, and she's the visual center of the show for 3 minutes. -Please figure out what you are going to do in case of an injury! That was a bit of an embarrassment. -Awesome show and if this is low tier big kid drum corps, that makes me happy, because that means it is a summer of good product. Santa Clara Vanguard: -Are you ever going to fill those holes? For the Cadets and SCV, those holes take away a ton of the general effect (especially in the pod transitions throughout the show). -Some of the members who were running for so long can barely play when they get back to their spots. You can literally pick them out of the ensemble when they get back, it is a vibrato... like a winded vibrato. -The Santa Clara Vanguard Drumline is the best drumline I have ever heard. I was around for tons of Cavs, Cadets, Devs, PR drumlines for years. Nothing compares to them. Snares are the cleanest I've ever seen. -The hit in the ballad makes me want that sound from you the whole show. -The Cavaliers marching technique only works if you are a.) in step, or b.) wearing black pants. Please do one or the other. It looks like a game of paper, rock, scissors out there. -Cadets going on after SCV only served to exaggerate how bad the SCV hornline is right now. It was a tough draw. -Please clean your show, because if you do, it will be incredible. Cadets: -You are loud. -Some of your hits have individuals sticking out, badly, really badly, and no, I'm not talking about the parts where this is written into the show. -Turn down your synths, they are consistently too loud. -Jeff Sacktig deserves a hug for this drill. -The big hit in the ballad needs work. Bad. Staging doesn't help you, but the greatest moment of your show sounds like your weakest link. -Please fix the fight scene between the angel and the pink guy. It is very immature and not well done compared to the rest of the show. -Holes will kill you when you have alternating uniforms, because it looks like the design is flawed and the holes are much harder to follow. -Too much stuff going on in the pit. Too much wet, metallic sounds in basically every impact point. It is kind of disgusting, annoying, and makes it impossible to hear the harmony in the ensemble. Phantom Regiment: -You have the best "sound" in DCI right now. -Your trumpets are your weakest link. -The pacing of this show is slow going. -Your visual program looks like the classic shows of the late 80's and early 90's. That is both good and bad. -The story of Juliet is lost about 30 seconds in, and is hard to follow for most of the show, then the next thing you know she is running on the podium for the helmet trick. When your entire show is predicated on telling a story... you should probably do more than read the first page and last page to us. -The drumline isn't Paul Rennick, but it is far from a weakness. -You have white pants on and are rocking out the hard visual spots in your show... but the second the drill is easier and has less responsibilities, you are out of step. This is unacceptable when your show is only effective when clean. -The colorguard moves well. -The sabre work is lost in most spots other than the rockford file -Elsa's comes out of nowhere -March the whole closer in double time and show us some drill. The climax of your show is phrases at tempo, then a set or two at double (barely going anywhere). It feels like the show just ends. Cavaliers: -BRASSLINE thank you for finally playing out again. I have missed this Cavaliers sound. It sounds much more like 00' and less like 01'-09'. -There is a little meat to the brass book this year, as well. -The parts of your show people will remember the most are the gimmicky upside down tricks and stilts. That makes me sad with so much other greatness going on. -Don't use that synth recording stuff at the beginning and end unless you can fix your equipment to sound better. It was like a 1989 Emerson Analog Television, in a bad way. -There isn't any work by the guys on the stilts or those around them. -When you have that many contras, all with aussies pointing the other direction... why not just change the aussies for the ENTIRE corps? There is some visual mud because of this difference member to member---now that the contraline is bigger it is exaggerated more. -Why are the fattest members in the hornline making the big X poses? It is kind of laughable, and I'd hate to be those guys getting laughed at. Blue Devils: -I counted at least 14 "impact" moments where you aren't moving or are doing simple bodywork. While SCV, Cadets, and Cavaliers are killing themselves in theirs (PR even is a little more than you). -The guard is UNDERrated this year, they are very nice. -The mic'd trumpets were disgusting and covered the hornline. Plus, they sounded like they were playing on straws, they were so thin sounding. -Tons of mellos and euphs frequently stick out of the ensemble. -When you rotate the box and jazz run, numerous people are out of step. Then when they come back in, playing, it takes at least 16 counts for them to recover. -Some members use the same "spread and wail" moves in each impact... I can pick out and follow people the entire show because of these quirks and patterns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sodakphan Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The review forum. Here is it is, copied and pasted. Random thoughts from a negative internet troll. The site: -Parking was easy and free -Tickets were expensive -Warmup site too close to the field. Got to hear cavaliers bassline warm up for a large part of the show. -It was HOT, but got way better as the night went on. Cascades: -I haven't seen you in a while. I love you, but want you to go back to the quirky SCVish style you had in the early 2000's. Please! -Your props are cool, but they get in the way of the staging. It is difficult to segue from behind the hash to in front of the hash, with all that stuff in your way. -Why is there a mellophone all alone, on the 50, with an 8 step interval, at your loudest impact in the show? Poor person was doomed to stick out no matter what, and they single-handedly ruined your biggest impact moment of the show. -The pandora box is an interesting concept... but the ballad doesn't work with it. She hooks herself into it... and it looks like she wants to be there. It is odd, and she's the visual center of the show for 3 minutes. -Please figure out what you are going to do in case of an injury! That was a bit of an embarrassment. -Awesome show and if this is low tier big kid drum corps, that makes me happy, because that means it is a summer of good product. Santa Clara Vanguard: -Are you ever going to fill those holes? For the Cadets and SCV, those holes take away a ton of the general effect (especially in the pod transitions throughout the show). -Some of the members who were running for so long can barely play when they get back to their spots. You can literally pick them out of the ensemble when they get back, it is a vibrato... like a winded vibrato. -The Santa Clara Vanguard Drumline is the best drumline I have ever heard. I was around for tons of Cavs, Cadets, Devs, PR drumlines for years. Nothing compares to them. Snares are the cleanest I've ever seen. -The hit in the ballad makes me want that sound from you the whole show. -The Cavaliers marching technique only works if you are a.) in step, or b.) wearing black pants. Please do one or the other. It looks like a game of paper, rock, scissors out there. -Cadets going on after SCV only served to exaggerate how bad the SCV hornline is right now. It was a tough draw. -Please clean your show, because if you do, it will be incredible. Cadets: -You are loud. -Some of your hits have individuals sticking out, badly, really badly, and no, I'm not talking about the parts where this is written into the show. -Turn down your synths, they are consistently too loud. -Jeff Sacktig deserves a hug for this drill. -The big hit in the ballad needs work. Bad. Staging doesn't help you, but the greatest moment of your show sounds like your weakest link. -Please fix the fight scene between the angel and the pink guy. It is very immature and not well done compared to the rest of the show. -Holes will kill you when you have alternating uniforms, because it looks like the design is flawed and the holes are much harder to follow. -Too much stuff going on in the pit. Too much wet, metallic sounds in basically every impact point. It is kind of disgusting, annoying, and makes it impossible to hear the harmony in the ensemble. Phantom Regiment: -You have the best "sound" in DCI right now. -Your trumpets are your weakest link. -The pacing of this show is slow going. -Your visual program looks like the classic shows of the late 80's and early 90's. That is both good and bad. -The story of Juliet is lost about 30 seconds in, and is hard to follow for most of the show, then the next thing you know she is running on the podium for the helmet trick. When your entire show is predicated on telling a story... you should probably do more than read the first page and last page to us. -The drumline isn't Paul Rennick, but it is far from a weakness. -You have white pants on and are rocking out the hard visual spots in your show... but the second the drill is easier and has less responsibilities, you are out of step. This is unacceptable when your show is only effective when clean. -The colorguard moves well. -The sabre work is lost in most spots other than the rockford file -Elsa's comes out of nowhere -March the whole closer in double time and show us some drill. The climax of your show is phrases at tempo, then a set or two at double (barely going anywhere). It feels like the show just ends. Cavaliers: -BRASSLINE thank you for finally playing out again. I have missed this Cavaliers sound. It sounds much more like 00' and less like 01'-09'. -There is a little meat to the brass book this year, as well. -The parts of your show people will remember the most are the gimmicky upside down tricks and stilts. That makes me sad with so much other greatness going on. -Don't use that synth recording stuff at the beginning and end unless you can fix your equipment to sound better. It was like a 1989 Emerson Analog Television, in a bad way. -There isn't any work by the guys on the stilts or those around them. -When you have that many contras, all with aussies pointing the other direction... why not just change the aussies for the ENTIRE corps? There is some visual mud because of this difference member to member---now that the contraline is bigger it is exaggerated more. -Why are the fattest members in the hornline making the big X poses? It is kind of laughable, and I'd hate to be those guys getting laughed at. Blue Devils: -I counted at least 14 "impact" moments where you aren't moving or are doing simple bodywork. While SCV, Cadets, and Cavaliers are killing themselves in theirs (PR even is a little more than you). -The guard is UNDERrated this year, they are very nice. -The mic'd trumpets were disgusting and covered the hornline. Plus, they sounded like they were playing on straws, they were so thin sounding. -Tons of mellos and euphs frequently stick out of the ensemble. -When you rotate the box and jazz run, numerous people are out of step. Then when they come back in, playing, it takes at least 16 counts for them to recover. -Some members use the same "spread and wail" moves in each impact... I can pick out and follow people the entire show because of these quirks and patterns. Well, General, I was at the show last night, and I really appreciate your review. You are perceptive and fair in your evaluations of corps' strengths and weaknesses. I thought, "My goodness, he's spot on about such things as the stilts of the Cavies, etc." That's what you remember. But didn't the crowd go crazy for such things as the stilts...and especially, it seems, the wall of sound coming from PR, The Cadets, Cavies and Blue Devils?!! I do not feel the SCV percussion got enough credit from the judge! 3rd?? So sharp and clean! I certainly also do appreciate what the Blue Devils and others are doing in percussion, but they are not better than SCV, imo. My overall impression after the show: there are many superb corps and shows this year! Already VERY strong. So glad we brought a guy along who has never been to a DCI show. He was "wowed," and is making plans to get to the San Antonio show with his family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The review forum. Here is it is, copied and pasted. Random thoughts from a negative internet troll. The site: -Parking was easy and free -Tickets were expensive -Warmup site too close to the field. Got to hear cavaliers bassline warm up for a large part of the show. -It was HOT, but got way better as the night went on. Cascades: -I haven't seen you in a while. I love you, but want you to go back to the quirky SCVish style you had in the early 2000's. Please! -Your props are cool, but they get in the way of the staging. It is difficult to segue from behind the hash to in front of the hash, with all that stuff in your way. -Why is there a mellophone all alone, on the 50, with an 8 step interval, at your loudest impact in the show? Poor person was doomed to stick out no matter what, and they single-handedly ruined your biggest impact moment of the show. -The pandora box is an interesting concept... but the ballad doesn't work with it. She hooks herself into it... and it looks like she wants to be there. It is odd, and she's the visual center of the show for 3 minutes. -Please figure out what you are going to do in case of an injury! That was a bit of an embarrassment. -Awesome show and if this is low tier big kid drum corps, that makes me happy, because that means it is a summer of good product. Santa Clara Vanguard: -Are you ever going to fill those holes? For the Cadets and SCV, those holes take away a ton of the general effect (especially in the pod transitions throughout the show). -Some of the members who were running for so long can barely play when they get back to their spots. You can literally pick them out of the ensemble when they get back, it is a vibrato... like a winded vibrato. -The Santa Clara Vanguard Drumline is the best drumline I have ever heard. I was around for tons of Cavs, Cadets, Devs, PR drumlines for years. Nothing compares to them. Snares are the cleanest I've ever seen. -The hit in the ballad makes me want that sound from you the whole show. -The Cavaliers marching technique only works if you are a.) in step, or b.) wearing black pants. Please do one or the other. It looks like a game of paper, rock, scissors out there. -Cadets going on after SCV only served to exaggerate how bad the SCV hornline is right now. It was a tough draw. -Please clean your show, because if you do, it will be incredible. Cadets: -You are loud. -Some of your hits have individuals sticking out, badly, really badly, and no, I'm not talking about the parts where this is written into the show. -Turn down your synths, they are consistently too loud. -Jeff Sacktig deserves a hug for this drill. -The big hit in the ballad needs work. Bad. Staging doesn't help you, but the greatest moment of your show sounds like your weakest link. -Please fix the fight scene between the angel and the pink guy. It is very immature and not well done compared to the rest of the show. -Holes will kill you when you have alternating uniforms, because it looks like the design is flawed and the holes are much harder to follow. -Too much stuff going on in the pit. Too much wet, metallic sounds in basically every impact point. It is kind of disgusting, annoying, and makes it impossible to hear the harmony in the ensemble. Phantom Regiment: -You have the best "sound" in DCI right now. -Your trumpets are your weakest link. -The pacing of this show is slow going. -Your visual program looks like the classic shows of the late 80's and early 90's. That is both good and bad. -The story of Juliet is lost about 30 seconds in, and is hard to follow for most of the show, then the next thing you know she is running on the podium for the helmet trick. When your entire show is predicated on telling a story... you should probably do more than read the first page and last page to us. -The drumline isn't Paul Rennick, but it is far from a weakness. -You have white pants on and are rocking out the hard visual spots in your show... but the second the drill is easier and has less responsibilities, you are out of step. This is unacceptable when your show is only effective when clean. -The colorguard moves well. -The sabre work is lost in most spots other than the rockford file -Elsa's comes out of nowhere -March the whole closer in double time and show us some drill. The climax of your show is phrases at tempo, then a set or two at double (barely going anywhere). It feels like the show just ends. Cavaliers: -BRASSLINE thank you for finally playing out again. I have missed this Cavaliers sound. It sounds much more like 00' and less like 01'-09'. -There is a little meat to the brass book this year, as well. -The parts of your show people will remember the most are the gimmicky upside down tricks and stilts. That makes me sad with so much other greatness going on. -Don't use that synth recording stuff at the beginning and end unless you can fix your equipment to sound better. It was like a 1989 Emerson Analog Television, in a bad way. -There isn't any work by the guys on the stilts or those around them. -When you have that many contras, all with aussies pointing the other direction... why not just change the aussies for the ENTIRE corps? There is some visual mud because of this difference member to member---now that the contraline is bigger it is exaggerated more. -Why are the fattest members in the hornline making the big X poses? It is kind of laughable, and I'd hate to be those guys getting laughed at. Blue Devils: -I counted at least 14 "impact" moments where you aren't moving or are doing simple bodywork. While SCV, Cadets, and Cavaliers are killing themselves in theirs (PR even is a little more than you). -The guard is UNDERrated this year, they are very nice. -The mic'd trumpets were disgusting and covered the hornline. Plus, they sounded like they were playing on straws, they were so thin sounding. -Tons of mellos and euphs frequently stick out of the ensemble. -When you rotate the box and jazz run, numerous people are out of step. Then when they come back in, playing, it takes at least 16 counts for them to recover. -Some members use the same "spread and wail" moves in each impact... I can pick out and follow people the entire show because of these quirks and patterns. Ummm, thanks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralTsoChicken Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Ummm, thanks? LoL, what? I don't know who you are a fan of... but I assume it is Cadets. I genuinely hope they win, because I feel like they have the best product this year. By far. Don't get caught up in my negative trolling. They are the epitome of the type of drum corps show that I want to win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylogan Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Well, General, I was at the show last night, and I really appreciate your review. You are perceptive and fair in your evaluations of corps' strengths and weaknesses. I thought, "My goodness, he's spot on about such things as the stilts of the Cavies, etc." That's what you remember. But didn't the crowd go crazy for such things as the stilts...and especially, it seems, the wall of sound coming from PR, The Cadets, Cavies and Blue Devils?!! I do not feel the SCV percussion got enough credit from the judge! 3rd?? So sharp and clean! I certainly also do appreciate what the Blue Devils and others are doing in percussion, but they are not better than SCV, imo. My overall impression after the show: there are many superb corps and shows this year! Already VERY strong. So glad we brought a guy along who has never been to a DCI show. He was "wowed," and is making plans to get to the San Antonio show with his family. Thanks. That was a great review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralTsoChicken Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Thank you guys for the kind words. This is a great year for DCI, for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amadorj Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Great Review (one of the better I've seen). The review forum. Here is it is, copied and pasted. Random thoughts from a negative internet troll. The site: -Parking was easy and free -Tickets were expensive -Warmup site too close to the field. Got to hear cavaliers bassline warm up for a large part of the show. -It was HOT, but got way better as the night went on. Cascades: -I haven't seen you in a while. I love you, but want you to go back to the quirky SCVish style you had in the early 2000's. Please! -Your props are cool, but they get in the way of the staging. It is difficult to segue from behind the hash to in front of the hash, with all that stuff in your way. -Why is there a mellophone all alone, on the 50, with an 8 step interval, at your loudest impact in the show? Poor person was doomed to stick out no matter what, and they single-handedly ruined your biggest impact moment of the show. -The pandora box is an interesting concept... but the ballad doesn't work with it. She hooks herself into it... and it looks like she wants to be there. It is odd, and she's the visual center of the show for 3 minutes. -Please figure out what you are going to do in case of an injury! That was a bit of an embarrassment. -Awesome show and if this is low tier big kid drum corps, that makes me happy, because that means it is a summer of good product. Santa Clara Vanguard: -Are you ever going to fill those holes? For the Cadets and SCV, those holes take away a ton of the general effect (especially in the pod transitions throughout the show). -Some of the members who were running for so long can barely play when they get back to their spots. You can literally pick them out of the ensemble when they get back, it is a vibrato... like a winded vibrato. -The Santa Clara Vanguard Drumline is the best drumline I have ever heard. I was around for tons of Cavs, Cadets, Devs, PR drumlines for years. Nothing compares to them. Snares are the cleanest I've ever seen. -The hit in the ballad makes me want that sound from you the whole show. -The Cavaliers marching technique only works if you are a.) in step, or b.) wearing black pants. Please do one or the other. It looks like a game of paper, rock, scissors out there. -Cadets going on after SCV only served to exaggerate how bad the SCV hornline is right now. It was a tough draw. -Please clean your show, because if you do, it will be incredible. Cadets: -You are loud. -Some of your hits have individuals sticking out, badly, really badly, and no, I'm not talking about the parts where this is written into the show. -Turn down your synths, they are consistently too loud. -Jeff Sacktig deserves a hug for this drill. -The big hit in the ballad needs work. Bad. Staging doesn't help you, but the greatest moment of your show sounds like your weakest link. -Please fix the fight scene between the angel and the pink guy. It is very immature and not well done compared to the rest of the show. -Holes will kill you when you have alternating uniforms, because it looks like the design is flawed and the holes are much harder to follow. -Too much stuff going on in the pit. Too much wet, metallic sounds in basically every impact point. It is kind of disgusting, annoying, and makes it impossible to hear the harmony in the ensemble. Phantom Regiment: -You have the best "sound" in DCI right now. -Your trumpets are your weakest link. -The pacing of this show is slow going. -Your visual program looks like the classic shows of the late 80's and early 90's. That is both good and bad. -The story of Juliet is lost about 30 seconds in, and is hard to follow for most of the show, then the next thing you know she is running on the podium for the helmet trick. When your entire show is predicated on telling a story... you should probably do more than read the first page and last page to us. -The drumline isn't Paul Rennick, but it is far from a weakness. -You have white pants on and are rocking out the hard visual spots in your show... but the second the drill is easier and has less responsibilities, you are out of step. This is unacceptable when your show is only effective when clean. -The colorguard moves well. -The sabre work is lost in most spots other than the rockford file -Elsa's comes out of nowhere -March the whole closer in double time and show us some drill. The climax of your show is phrases at tempo, then a set or two at double (barely going anywhere). It feels like the show just ends. Cavaliers: -BRASSLINE thank you for finally playing out again. I have missed this Cavaliers sound. It sounds much more like 00' and less like 01'-09'. -There is a little meat to the brass book this year, as well. -The parts of your show people will remember the most are the gimmicky upside down tricks and stilts. That makes me sad with so much other greatness going on. -Don't use that synth recording stuff at the beginning and end unless you can fix your equipment to sound better. It was like a 1989 Emerson Analog Television, in a bad way. -There isn't any work by the guys on the stilts or those around them. -When you have that many contras, all with aussies pointing the other direction... why not just change the aussies for the ENTIRE corps? There is some visual mud because of this difference member to member---now that the contraline is bigger it is exaggerated more. -Why are the fattest members in the hornline making the big X poses? It is kind of laughable, and I'd hate to be those guys getting laughed at. Blue Devils: -I counted at least 14 "impact" moments where you aren't moving or are doing simple bodywork. While SCV, Cadets, and Cavaliers are killing themselves in theirs (PR even is a little more than you). -The guard is UNDERrated this year, they are very nice. -The mic'd trumpets were disgusting and covered the hornline. Plus, they sounded like they were playing on straws, they were so thin sounding. -Tons of mellos and euphs frequently stick out of the ensemble. -When you rotate the box and jazz run, numerous people are out of step. Then when they come back in, playing, it takes at least 16 counts for them to recover. -Some members use the same "spread and wail" moves in each impact... I can pick out and follow people the entire show because of these quirks and patterns. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corps Scores Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 not much showing up. and corpsshows -- which was fabulous at the start of the season -- has pretty much folded up their tent and left. Sorry. I just don't know how to do this whole show list thing without getting burned out fast. Spending every night waiting for scores isn't too bad, but spending the 2-3 hours before that hunting down folks tweeting at the shows burns me out fast. I just don't know what to do about it anymore. I like to help, but it's too much to do every night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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