Popular Post FTNK Posted June 21, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted June 21, 2012 The Hater's Guide to the Southwest Corps Connection Here is my review, I am not going to pull punches, I realize it's June 20th... Show notes: Please, have soft pretzels with nacho cheese. This is an important part of outdoor event cuisine in traditional American folk life and I was disappointed by its absence. Also, I paid $25 for a VIP seat, but my assigned seat was on the 25. Really? I am already paying $25 for a 4 corps show. Luckily I was able to steal a nearer to the 50. I saw Blue Knights from the side, sorry. I got lost on the way. Sounds like a pretty straightforward take on “that great audience lollipop,” The Firebird. The bright neon green guard uniforms and blue/black corps unis remind me of Capital Regiment 2004, which is not necessarily good. Phantom was up next. Heeere we go. The main event. Phantom’s formula since about 1897 has been “play loud, march easy drill,” and this show really takes it to the next level! The crowd went nuts at interlocking blocks at an 8 to 5. I don’t much care for their opener music, but that is more to do with the source material—seriously Puccini, how many repetitive pentatonic lines can you write? At one point a brass player puts his horn and helmet on the front sideline, ducks into the pit, and runs out with a gong, and hits it a few times with the whole corps surrounding him. It was weird because one small gong was barely audible even in a HS stadium, so the whole corps and audience is staring at a white guy banging a gong silently for about 5 seconds. It’s like a 1940s Bugs Bunny cartoon on mute. The guard costumes and equipment are good for evoking an Oriental aesthetic, much like the décor of a $5 Chinese buffet. I actually got some legit goosebumps when they kept teasing the “Nessun Dorma” melody, but the actual payoff was a bit weak—there was absolutely no trace of subtlety or nuance in the arrangement or performance. As far as the rest of the season goes, I think this show will duke it out in the top 4 until mid-July, when everyone else starts getting clean and the judges realize that they could march this drill at 50 with two bad knees. Cleaning-wise, I think they just need to tell 10 people to cover down and they’ll be good. SCV followed. This show is dirty, dirty dirty. The show starts with them all standing in the middle of the field, playing Jupiter. They don’t move. I am assuming there will be a preshow with actual drill? Otherwise it was rather odd waiting for them to move for 3 minutes. The show moves rather well, but all the effects they are going for seem to be thwarte by a lack of clarity at this point. I liked how they started “Mars” with drumline in the right front end zone—perhaps a nod to 1999? However, there is something about the arrangement and performance that just doesn’t quite work yet…I feel like “Mars” should be apocalyptic, but the drill etc. are very “safe.” You don’t have that sense of danger and risk. This also extended to the “instant encore”: after the pit played Radiohead, which got the attention of the younger crowd and no one else, the horns played “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” but it was extremely restrained and safe. Also, I understand that the guard uniforms have Starry Night printed on them to fit the show theme, but they look like they could pajamas from Target. Actually, I’m pretty sure you can buy pajamas with Starry Night on them…that could be a wonderful corporate tie-in for SCV and DCI. The Academy played “Left of Spring,” a take on Stravinsky. Two Stravinsky shows tonight, but I preferred BK’s approach from what I heard. I wish someone would do a very literal take on Le Sacre du Printemps, but it would have to be someone like Crown, BD or Cadets. At any rate, this was about what one would expect: snippets of musical material from The Rite of Spring put through the drum corps arranging filter, with big brass chords and virtuosic but musically nonsensical drum licks plugged in. There were a lot of physical errors/strength issues in the drill, which was fairly challenging. It wasn’t at the level of SCV for difficulty, but it wasn’t PR either; PR ’12 makes “Harmonic Journey” look like “Spin Cycle.” Academy used electronics more than other corps, and there was some pit overbalance. You could definitely hear the synth bass and chords. At some point, there is a guard girl dancing with some long black ropes in the center of the field behind the pit, which is hard to see even in this stadium. That only becomes effective when the rest of the guard picks her up and she is wrapped in the black ropes, in what I can only describe as a softcore S&M tribute to the original program of the source music (sacrifice of a maiden). At this point, the show abruptly ends, with the DM bowing and soaking in the golf claps. In their instant encore, they played their closer, which apparently isn’t on the field, but which I liked lot more than most of the show. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmo Blatch Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 You sir, are funny enjoyed the review. Honesty doesn't seem to be appreciated on here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08ThunderBass5 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Phantom’s formula since about 1897 has been “play loud, march easy drill,” :blink: Can't say that's always been true in my opinion but thank you for the review! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phan Doris Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 So you did not have a good time at the show? Such a cynical review on a first week contest was a bit disappointing to me. Perhaps someone who enjoys drum corps will also write a review of this show, so we can get another perpective of it. But thanks for your effort to do this review. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdmooring Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I like that something like this causes so much angst that the reviewer feels a need to “not… pull punches” Doesn’t make it the truth BUT it is funny and silliness breaks a little of the monotony. I also must admit that I do feel a little happier knowing something like this makes someone so open about their opinions that readers will know not to take the reviewers thoughts with anything more than a smirk and a good little chuckle. So here’s to YOU kid! "Good job!" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesleyrp Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I love Audience Lolipop... Awesome!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigadier80 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 If you are a 'hater' then why go to a show at all? The old adage of 'If you have nothing good to say then say nothing at all' definately applies to this depressingly negative review. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCfan76 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I don't find it hateful at all. A good honest review - and fun to read. It was a pleasant evening in Mesa. Great to hear brass and drums warming up as I got out of my car. I was a little disappointed to see so many unfinished shows (3 out of the 4). Come on people, it's not June 14th - its June 20th!! Or is this the way drum corps is now? Anyway... the 2012 season is off and running. Lets have some fun!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeeWee Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Thank you for reviewing the show on here. I saw the scores and my heart sank (SCV alum here). I thought they might be dirty. Looking forward to seeing Phantom and SCV on June 30th! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Thanks for the review... very funny and honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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