CrunchyTenor Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Every corps has gimmicks. However, no corps has gimmicks. If one is enamored with a certain corps' show, their gimmicks are perceived as show elements that contribute to the overall total show package. If one doesn't care for a certain corps' show, their show elements that contribute to the overall total show package are perceived as gimmicks. When effective, gimmicks become show elements that contribute to the overall total show package; when not effective, show elements that contribute to the overall total show package become gimmicks. Indecision may or may not be your problem. Garry in Vegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tez Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I have zero problems with the "gimmicks" in the Cavaliers show..... actually I don't really consider them gimmicks because they fit perfectly with the show theme.... they truly are part of the "main subject" of the show. My biggest problem with the Cavaliers' show is the fact that when I watch/listen to them, I feel that around 60-70% of the show is transitional material. Especially in their second production (Footprints). They state the melody just briefly, then spend most of the time building into something else. There really are only a few periods of time in the show that can be considered main thematic areas. People have complained so much over the last 10 years about BD's choppy arranging..... to my musical ears, this show is much, much worse about that. It's not a deal breaker for me.... I still really enjoy the show. I would like to hear just a bit more musical continuity from this outstanding group of musicians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60sSOP Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 Thanks for moving this to this forum. I did not mean for this to be in the review section in the first place. The whole idea of this was not to slam any reviewer per se, but to make sure we overcome our biases and really see what is going on on the field with corps we do not necessarily back and take note just as to why they are being successful at a given time beyond the so called gimmicks. When people say it is their "Cavaliers" turn this year I just don't know what to begin to say to that. If that were true we should just forget this whole thing and find something more useful to do with our time. Although the judging isn't perfect for the most part over the season they get it it right at the end. The last half of the season should be quite entertaining because the corps are starting to come into their own now. "Back in the day" for me meaning the mid/late sixties in the Cavaliers we had the attitude if you can beat us bring it on and we sometimes lost and sometimes corps did bring it but that was the way it was. The Blue Devils have had that attitude for years, I think the Cavaliers seem to be putting on that suit right now and there are a few corps that just might do it and that is the fun of it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkfdPRphan Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I love the Cavies show as it is right now but wonder what else they are going to do to keep 'getting better'! Usually corps don't bring out the 'gimmicks' until after Atlanta's show or maybe Allentown, so other corps don't have the chance to out gimmick them. Look back at maybe the last 25 years or so of drum corps finals, the majority of winning or close to winning corps have come up with one last eye catching visual gimmick to take them over the top to the win. Does the Cavies have more to come? How about Cadets, Blue Devils or Crown? ...and Phantom is lurking........ I am all for gimmicks as long as doing them don't change the flow of the show in a bad way (having to stop to set one up or stop to recover from what ever the set up was). GO GIMMICKS!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCISuperfan Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Cavaliers have an excellent show this year. Although not my favorite of the last decade, their drill is fantastic and their brass book is a lot harder than it was last year. DCP has really never had people that enjoyed the cavaliers. It seems like most of the people on DCP either have the cavaliers as their favorite corps and are total honks, or they really just dont care for them. The latter group has more people. I really hope that they can pull a win this year. I wish that they played more, and where a little louder in certain areas, and I hope that they can include a few more bars of horns in the show before it ends, but it still is a great show. Cadets are the only one in the top 12 who are close to the same level as the cavs are visually. SCV and Crown have potential, but Crown has very very easy drill, and SCV has such ridiculously hard drill, if it gets cleaned then they can be a contestant as well. Overall though, cavaliers have an amazing show and need to be acknowledged for it. I dont understand what anyone can have against them, other than the few nitpicks I mentioned about them needing to play a bit more the brass book is great (just needs more) the visual program is amazing, the colorguard is amazing, and the percussion section is on fire... What is there not to like? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60sSOP Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 I know I've posted several things about "gimmicks" recently, particularly in my review of the Cavies performance in Rockford. Just to be clear: I very much like the Cavies show so far, I really enjoy the so-called "gimmicks" in their show--I included it as a positive element in my review, but maybe that wasn't clear--and I embrace the term "gimmick" as a value-neutral label for a certain type of design element which draws attention in an unusual way (ie, not through superior excellence in marching, playing, spinning, etc). In my lexicon, not all gimmicks work out well, and a bad gimmick hurts a show more than than a good gimmick helps. If this isn't All About MeTM, then I pre-emptively apologize for my all-consuming ego . But I do want to throw in my thoughts about "gimmicks" as part of drum corps in any case. Just this year, there are all kinds of "gimmicks" in my understanding of that word: Crown climbing all over the trusses, Cavies playing upside down, Cadets' glow stick fight, Blue Devils building a house, Phantom guard member ascending the DM podium, Blue Stars' scaffolding, Bluecoats' pit member going out to do a rifle toss, Vanguard's MM trapped in a sea of guard, Blue Knights' retro drill, Boston's see-through sheet, Madison's callback to previous shows in the opening fanfare, Glassmen's synth hits, Troopers' road and infinity chord, Spirit's lightposts and gunshot, Cascades' boxes. I love almost all of those things. If you don't want to call them gimmicks, okay, but that's what I mean when *I* say gimmick, and for the most part I love gimmicks. Bring them on! All I can say to all of this is Pandora's box was opened by letting too much band influence into what was formerly drum corps. People didn't understand what the big deal was and now we have loud bands that march better. With electronics, voices, guitars, etc. Oh Well, it will never be the same and maybe it shouldn't have but we did lose something in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skywhopper Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 All I can say to all of this is Pandora's box was opened by letting too much band influence into what was formerly drum corps. People didn't understand what the big deal was and now we have loud bands that march better. With electronics, voices, guitars, etc. Oh Well, it will never be the same and maybe it shouldn't have but we did lose something in the process. Well, I agree with you on the electronics. That is not a gimmick, it's just a bad idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 cavies are amazing this year. nobody who likes phantom 08/madison 95/crown 07, 11 should be using the words "cheesy" or "gimmicky" in a negative fashion for anything the cavies are doing this year...not if they want to be taken seriously. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hostrauser Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 What are some gimmicks over the years that have "jumped the shark" in the opinion of our readers? Big rallentandoes at the end of percussion/battery features. Enough! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobrien Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 cavies are amazing this year. nobody who likes phantom 08/madison 95/crown 07, 11 should be using the words "cheesy" or "gimmicky" in a negative fashion for anything the cavies are doing this year...not if they want to be taken seriously. For the win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.