Ontario California Show!

[archbananas]

The show took place at Colony HS in Ontario, California and for people who aren't familiar with Colony..... The school is located NEXT to a Cow farm. So the smell isn't exactly "pleasant" but you get used to it!

Wasn't too hot! But the wind was killer, I knew it would be a problem for the guard.... Dx

So the first corps was....

Socal Dream:

A very small corps that packs a punch when needed! Strongest 14 person hornline I have ever heard! The impact points were so powerful, especially considering the numbers! Each member looked like they were having a blast performing their show! The energy was great, but I just wish there were more performers. This show with more performers? Wow. Great show! Did the best they could considering the size. Man, the power of that last chord. Sounded as loud as a group 3 times their size at the end!

San Francisco Renegades:

My Dad and I were walking around and we hear a group play Ave Maria. It sounded so beautiful and we wondering who in the world that was! We walk around and we run into the Renegade hornline! WOW! What a lushious brassline sound!

After hearing them in the lot, we were very excited to watch their show and they did not disappoint! Their show was I think "7th sense"? What a performance! The performers were confident and performed their show well! There were tons of grooves that left me head-boppin' a little xD I feel bad because I don't remember the music much, BUT! I do know the music was executed well! The brass stood out to me as the strongest section followed by the drumline! Oh yeah. Is this the year of LOUD? First, socal dream was loud.... then the renegades were even louder! Man. I was already having a great time and only two corps performed!

Velvet Knights:

Man. The improvements this corps has made since the beginning of the season when I first saw them at the Sneak Preview show for Pacific Crest and Rowland HS are just insane! It was a completely different show! I was VERY ENTERTAINED! I really liked the baseball uniforms too! This corps seemed very young (and not because I watched two all age corps before them) and it was noticeable through some moments of the show. However, they made up for it with the volume and the tone quality at the level! What a surprise! A completely different corps from when I first saw them. Oh yeah. WOW. Guard like... Caught EVERYTHING. Even in the crazy wind. GJ GUARD! Great show VK! You guys should do a basketball show next year :D

Vanguard Cadets:

Wow! I have never watched SCVC before and was I in for a surprise! The uniforms make them look tall! The performers carried this confidence that all the corps before them just did not seem to have. The colorguard was also very big! As big as the hornline from what I can recall. So the show is called "Balance" and they totally show balance by having both guard and horn members balance on boards carried by other corps memebers throughout the show! I loved the control the hornline had! Had a very concert-like sound on the field, but were able to bring the volume when needed! I wish they would have pushed the volumes because the corps sounds like they have capability to do it, but I totally respect the decision to keep it at a safe and controlled level. The guard was very good. And I'm not a guard person. They caught all their tosses and their choreo while balancing on the boards carried by corps members? Executed wonderfully! A really really top caliber open class show and I am not suprised they lost to BDB by only 0.15. Going to be a battle for first that will be exciting to see! Great job SCVC!

Blue Devils B:

First off. GO OTTO, PEACHES, AND CHRISTIAN! So cool to have friends actually marching in a very prestigious corps like the defending champions of Open Class! I really like the uniforms, but I prefer the white plumes over the black but that's just me (: So the show begins with them marching into a rectangle set, it felt very old school to me. Then the show starts and it feels like you're immediately thrown into a rock concert. The brass is very balls-to-the-wall and that sound fit VERY WELL to the overrall show. Drumline opens the show with a drumbreak and WOW. What a battery! I believe they sound cleaner than some open class lines! The book sounds very demanding too! The guard was excellent too! Practically all tosses seemed to be caught! Well okay! The show.... it's so catchy! I guess the whole Blue Devils organization decided to have catchy music this year ey? XD there was a slight tear in the beginning, but it was resolved fairly quickly! The hornline seemed much smaller than years past. The volume has definitely increased though! Wow! They sound GREAT on all dynamic levels and this is definitely a show I will need to get a recording of! :D This is definitely a champion type show and I hope they continue to build on this show and make it more amazing than it already is! Great job BDB!

Gold:

I thought they should of put Blue Devils B last or something because that is a TOUGH show to follow up! Gold did a great job though! The crowd didn't respond well because it wasn't exactly at the level of BDB (which isn't fair because BDB is like a low world class corps basically), but man.... what a great show Gold has! I did not catch the title of the show, but the theme was kinda obvious. The whole corps is on the same level talent wise, which definitely helped with music and visual intonation as an ensemble. Brass has a warm and wonderful sound that I can listen to for days! Battery was great, some dirt here and there, but overrall a fantastic job! Great show and I wish Gold was going to finals. Would definitely turn a few heads :D

Int:

Freelancers alumni corps. Breaking up is hard to do sounded GREAT! (sorry thought it was another song :3 thank you for the correction!)

Blue Devils C:

AWWW THE LITTLE KIDDIES. There was a small kid... Seemed like 6 years old or something! Wow. When I was that small, I would always run into the screen door! But this one was marching a show! Great job! The show was of course cute and the crowd loved it! The drum major was a wonderful baritone sound! So cute!

City Sound + Spokane Thunder

Sorry! I was getting my Dad's jacket out of the car because it was getting cold so I missed this corps Dx so sorry!

Impulse:

Where'd this impulse come from? What a great show! Cleaned up a ton since I last saw it! Brass has definitely stepped up and can pack a punch! Wow! :D The home corps definitely received love from the audience! I don't remember too much about this show, but I know for sure it is a big step-up from last year, GREAT JOB IMPULSE!

Pacific Crest:

WOW. WOW. WOW. Favorite performance of the night. MAN CAN THIS HORNLINE PLAY! The volume and tone was on a whole other level compared to the other corps! Outstanding hornline. Colorguard and percussion are both on the same level and are great! But the hornline is definitely the highlight of this corps and they are not afraid to let loose. The show has cleaned up tons visually and musically. I am going to get the audio for this show because that brassline is taking no prisoners this year! I couldn't help but laugh at how awesome they are. AMAZING JOB PC!

What a great show! Hopefully my review is fine! Thanks for reading.

Edited July 17, 2011 by chris banas

[Thom]

Thanks for the kind words about Dream!

Oh, and Freelancers didn't play When a Man Loves a Woman, that was Breaking Up is Hard To Do.

[Florida Sun]

Great review ,sounds like all corps really put out for this show ,sorry to ask but what where the scores ? found all but So.Cal.Dream and the Renagades scores on the DCI web pages .Where the two all age corps not completing ?

[VKSEC]

THANK YOU FROM VK FOR A GREAT REVIEW........and I'm glad you enjoyed it, yes somewhat of a young group, BUT a solid group of kids.