IllianaLancerContra Posted June 21, 2012 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. I like $5 Chinese Buffets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scerpella Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 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? Seriously, talk about a poor value for the cost of the ticket. June 20th is awfully late for not having the whole show done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 good stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
md60 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 A four corps show should not be allowed in the activity. 47 minutes for 25 dollars. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pistolpete Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 "...the DM bowing and soaking in golf claps." Sarcastic much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicfan779 Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Seriously, talk about a poor value for the cost of the ticket. June 20th is awfully late for not having the whole show done. Things to consider: Not all corps operate on the same schedule. From audition day 1, most established corps can focus solely on their competitive show. Less established corps (like The Academy) must spend time fundraising/promoting themselves and dci. Maybe 1 out of 100 people in the state of Arizona even know what drum corps is and hopefully the groundwork laid now will grow drum corps fans in the future. Academy activities (April – June) include: · Music Under the Stars – an evening of music partnering with the city of Tempe, local high school band programs, and the Arizona Wind Symphony. Additional music separate from the show is learned for this event. · Memorial Day Community Picnic –another fundraising event that features show music and a medley of armed forces songs honoring the veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. · Centerstage – Three stage shows partnering with the Boston Brass featuring each section of the corps along with guard and whole-group segments. A week of rehearsals precedes the Friday and Saturday shows. New music and drill is learned specifically for this show, again separate from show music and drill. We all want complete shows on the field when the season begins but for some there is other work to do as well. Phantom est. 1956, BK est. 1958, SCV est. 1967, Academy est. 2001… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTNK Posted June 23, 2012 Author Share Posted June 23, 2012 Things to consider: Not all corps operate on the same schedule. From audition day 1, most established corps can focus solely on their competitive show. Less established corps (like The Academy) must spend time fundraising/promoting themselves and dci. Maybe 1 out of 100 people in the state of Arizona even know what drum corps is and hopefully the groundwork laid now will grow drum corps fans in the future. Academy activities (April – June) include: · Music Under the Stars – an evening of music partnering with the city of Tempe, local high school band programs, and the Arizona Wind Symphony. Additional music separate from the show is learned for this event. · Memorial Day Community Picnic –another fundraising event that features show music and a medley of armed forces songs honoring the veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. · Centerstage – Three stage shows partnering with the Boston Brass featuring each section of the corps along with guard and whole-group segments. A week of rehearsals precedes the Friday and Saturday shows. New music and drill is learned specifically for this show, again separate from show music and drill. We all want complete shows on the field when the season begins but for some there is other work to do as well. Phantom est. 1956, BK est. 1958, SCV est. 1967, Academy est. 2001… Chill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rd Glasgow BB Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Nice fishing trip, caught a few whoppers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c.l. Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 I thought it was hilarious! It wasn't outright mean either, but more tongue in cheek. Sometimes it just makes for good reading material instead of some bland observations that are labeled 'reviews' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdMedina Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 I thought it was hilarious! It wasn't outright mean either, but more tongue in cheek. Sometimes it just makes for good reading material instead of some bland observations that are labeled 'reviews' Agreed. I for one would love to read a review that didn't start out a little something like this: "A great night for drum corps..." Every night is a great night for drum corps!! Crankiness off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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