skywhopper Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I think I somehow agree and disagree at the same time. :( Reading what you wrote, I don't think we really disagree. Different shows are best enjoyed in different ways. There are shows that I never enjoyed on the field, but I do enjoy the multi-cam view. And while I prefer watching most show with high-cam on the DVDs, there are always close-up moments that I come to love on the multi-cam that I would never ever have seen from the stands. The great shows combine all these aspects so that you can keep uncovering new layers to appreciate every time you watch. But on the other hand, do you have to understand all the references in "American Pie" to like the song? Absolutely. The way I figure it, you'll never see every great detail in a show, no matter how many times you watch. At live shows there's so much going on, it's impossible to take it all in. And after the season, some get lost thanks to camera angles or resolution. As for American Pie... well, every song show has its detractors, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxfreq1128 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I dunno. Does the Cadets show really even have a 'story'? I guess when I think of shows with stories I think of attempts at explicit narrative, rather than, say, shows that invoke eternal, universal and easily adaptable themes, ie good versus evil, angels versus demons, darkness into light, red sox vs yankees... I think of their show this year as a show with a pretty clear and purposeful theme, but one less committed to what I think of as a story, per se. Probably because I think that stories are defined by more specific narrative maneuvering. I mean, yeah, there's some battling, etc going in this year's show, but they're really just playing out a tried-and-true theme, no? It's not particularly specific. That's kind of what makes it so exciting, to me at least. To my mind, Cadets 2005 = story, Cadets 2011 = theme. Cadets 07 and 08 without narration = neither, and that's what made those productions extremely compelling, to me, like Madison's old invocations of drum corps fans' dreams... Swagger was the unifying principle. No narrative was needed, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxfreq1128 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I marched that show and HATED it. (Gotta be honest, kinda loved that show, so I applaud you, even though you hated it ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skywhopper Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I guess when I think of shows with stories I think of attempts at explicit narrative, rather than, say, shows that invoke eternal, universal and easily adaptable themes, ie good versus evil, angels versus demons, darkness into light [... snip ...] they're really just playing out a tried-and-true theme, no? It's not particularly specific. That's kind of what makes it so exciting, to me at least. To my mind, Cadets 2005 = story, Cadets 2011 = theme. Yeah, I guess at that point it's a matter of definition. I prefer drum corps to stay out of very detailed stories and stick to broad themes or just ###### performance. I really like Cadets 2011. I really didn't like Cadets 2005 (although yes, after 06, 07, and 08 it doesn't seem as bad as it once did). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamMan Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I don't think they will. Visually, they're top notch - it's a joy to watch. Musically, not so much. (Though I must disclaim that I don't don't don't like their music choices this year, so take that with a grain of salt.) Mike Well, I don't like Crown's music, so it's really all preference. The corps that wins is the corps who has the show that really stands out from the rest, both in design and execution. Some years, you have multiple shows that do that (1999, 2000, 2007, 2010 are only some example) and you get close competition for 1st. Do The Cadets have such a show? Not sure, as I haven't seen it. Does Crown? I don't think so. There's a new ending that might spice things up, but I see a LOT of college marching band shows in the fall, and I'm just tired of shows that are half pop/rock, half symphony. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actucker Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I dunno. Does the Cadets show really even have a 'story'? I guess when I think of shows with stories I think of attempts at explicit narrative, rather than, say, shows that invoke eternal, universal and easily adaptable themes, ie good versus evil, angels versus demons, darkness into light, red sox vs yankees... I think of their show this year as a show with a pretty clear and purposeful theme, but one less committed to what I think of as a story, per se. Probably because I think that stories are defined by more specific narrative maneuvering. I mean, yeah, there's some battling, etc going in this year's show, but they're really just playing out a tried-and-true theme, no? It's not particularly specific. That's kind of what makes it so exciting, to me at least. To my mind, Cadets 2005 = story, Cadets 2011 = theme. Cadets 07 and 08 without narration = neither, and that's what made those productions extremely compelling, to me, like Madison's old invocations of drum corps fans' dreams... Swagger was the unifying principle. No narrative was needed, really. This is exactly why I might be one of the only people who don't like the Cadets' show this year. I can't tell you how many "good vs evil" "light vs dark" shows I've seen. I'm just over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Well, I don't like Crown's music, so it's really all preference. The corps that wins is the corps who has the show that really stands out from the rest, both in design and execution. Some years, you have multiple shows that do that (1999, 2000, 2007, 2010 are only some example) and you get close competition for 1st. Do The Cadets have such a show? Not sure, as I haven't seen it. Does Crown? I don't think so. There's a new ending that might spice things up, but I see a LOT of college marching band shows in the fall, and I'm just tired of shows that are half pop/rock, half symphony. Yeah, I had to add my personal preference in there - just sounds like more of the wind ensemble school of drum corps to me. But to each their own; I'm definitely not trying to dictate crowd tastes. Anyways, as for the second part, I agree - I think that championship shows (and championship contenders) do tend to stand apart from the pack in a noticeable way. Honestly, the only two that do that for me right now are Cavaliers (in a big way) and Cadets. Crown may yet throw some wrinkles into the works - there's definitely room for a well executed show to sneak in there on the strength of minor tweaks - but in general terms, it 'feels' like a two-horse race at this point. (I must say, though, that I do very much like that there's really 4 major contenders score-wise right now for the title in Cavs, Cadets, Crown and BD - it's been a long, long time since that's happened.) Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crown fan Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 you can keep uncovering new layers to appreciate every time you watch. Absolutely. The way I figure it, you'll never see every great detail in a show, no matter how many times you watch. At live shows there's so much going on, it's impossible to take it all in. And after the season, some get lost thanks to camera angles or resolution. As for American Pie... well, every song show has its detractors, right? I did enjoy watching their show,and the music is fan friendly, and I noticed I was singing the music long after the show ended. In regard to the details.... I wish during the battle between good and evil, that they would use pitch forks and harps for their props to reinforce the good v evil concept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Maybe he means Cadets big apple? hehe, could be. Those are the only two shows that I think have had apples in them, as strange as having them sounds..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoyWonder1911 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I did enjoy watching their show,and the music is fan friendly, and I noticed I was singing the music long after the show ended. In regard to the details.... I wish during the battle between good and evil, that they would use pitch forks and harps for their props to reinforce the good v evil concept. Hmm...kinda liking that harps and pitchforks thing... I would also like to see the demon guards lose the pink. The pink kinda made me think of them as goblins who may break into your refrigerator and steal your strawberry milk, rather than soul-collecting demons. How about some black and scarlet red, and outfits that look more wraith-like perhaps? Another thing about the Cadets' show is that I didn't really feel a totally epic struggle...I thought the show looked more "fun and games" than it probably should have. Maybe it could have some more drama towards the end? I'm thinking somewhere along the lines of Rocky vs. Ivan Drago rather than perhaps Inspector Gadget vs. Dr. Claw. Or maybe something as epic as Link vs. Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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