Semper Fi - Oceanside, CA 6/29

[fsubone]

Let me quote something else hostrauser wrote this evening, concerning Regiment:

"This show is a delight to watch and hear. It's a sorry statment about modern DCI if this show 'isn't strong enough to contend.'"

Thoughts?

Thoughts are, it's a very good show, but DCI is a very strong competition. Only 1 corps wins, and 3 corps medal. So if there are 23 corps in World Class, and another 15-20 in Open Class, that means that you have to be better than somewhere between 35 and 40 corps to medal. That's a lot of competition. I don't think it's a sorry statement at all. Medaling and winning DCI is tough.

Phantom has a strong show this year, and yes they'll keep adding stuff to the end of the season, but how much can they possibly add and clean to stay where they are right now? SCV scored 1.35 behind them tonight with a show that is still VERY messy, and Crown and Cadets are 2-3 points ahead of them with lots of dirt as well. Phantom is extremely clean for this point. Once full panels get put in, we'll get a better read, but I think they're going to find themselves in the position of scoring higher in execution sub-captions than in content ones.

Just my opinion of course, I know it's not what the Phantom fans want to hear.

[DarkHorner]

Let me quote something else hostrauser wrote this evening, concerning Regiment:

"This show is a delight to watch and hear. It's a sorry statment about modern DCI if this show 'isn't strong enough to contend.'"

Thoughts?

I think the only complaint people are having with this show is that the drill seems to be quite easy. Of course, people complained about the drill last year as being easy, yet Regiment placed 5th (not bad for having a "middle school" drill; just quoting something I had heard one poster say). I think they are doing the right thing and not overwriting the drill to the point where it could not be cleaned. I'm also sure that the drill will increase in difficulty and change over the course of the year.

Musically, I'm not a fan of the Nessun Dorma arrangement (especially the little 16th note runs that come out of nowhere and sound out of place during what should be a big, broad ballad sound), and it honestly feels like they are just playing it to play it (I know the show is Turandot, but the transition into Nessun Dorma is really shaky from what videos I have seen). Other than that, I love the music.

My overall opinion is that the show is very entertaining, and I can't wait to see it live. It may not place 1st, but I could see it getting 3rd if BD, Crown, or Cadets happen to lose momentum over the season. Of course, I think they may experience some tough competition from SCV as their show gets clean.

Edited June 30, 2012 by DarkHorner

[DarkHorner]

Recaps up. Vanguard took Brass and Percussion along with overall Music. Phantom swept everything else except the Visual Analysis Comp sub-caption.

[just_another_fanatic]

Its been forever since scv beat phantom in both brass and percussion in one night.

[hostrauser]

After-show thoughts...

* Love, love, LOVE Impulse's version of "1712 Overture" by PDQ Bach. Fantastic. This is an open corps to see if you get the chance.

* Mandarins are kind of in Drum Corps limbo right now. They're too good for Open, but they're not big enough or talented enough to be consistently competitive in World. They were 19th last year, and 5 points out of 17th, and I think they'll back-slide this year. They seem to be getting smaller each year; might a move back to Open be in their future?

* A little disappointed in The Academy's show. It's kind-of oddball, it's very dirty, and it doesn't quite flow. We'll see what rewrites can do: an August show can be completely different from a June show. But right now I'm see a back-slide from them, too, maybe a repeat of 2008 (not breaking 80 at Semis).

* Pacific Crest was incredibly loud for only 60 brass. Great power and a lot of talent. But the show, right now, is a little simple and trite, and that's why Academy's beating them. If the staff re-writes this show and gives it more cojones, the corps is strong enough to finish in their highest placement ever... say, 15th. (PC has been amazingly consistent: 17th-19th eight of the past nine years.)

* First a clarification on my comment: "This show is a delight to watch and hear. It's a sorry statment about modern DCI if this show 'isn't strong enough to contend.'" I was not implying that I think Phantom is the best or the most difficult show out there this season. I don't think they are. But they're #### good. There seems to be a popular consensus that this show doesn't stand a chance at the Top 3 without significant rewrites. I think that's a shame. If Phantom can get this "Blue Devils clean" it should be Top 3 as is.

* Phantom has such wonderful technique and tone in their brass... but Pacific Crest out-blew them. PC didn't have a BETTER horn-line, but they had a LOUDER horn-line. Phantom has kind of a concert-style approach to musical performance this year and, while I love the quality, I would like a little more volume. Phantom's only at 7 or 8 out of 10 on the volume scale right now, and Vanguard just blew them off the field when they followed.

* Vanguard has a wonderfully fun show with (this might be an unpopular opinion) a very low ceiling. I can't put my finger on why. It just screams "5th place" to me. Musically I don't feel this show has a lot of room to grow. Visually it sure does, because it's filthy right now (especially guard). But watching this show I didn't think for a second that this is the vehicle to get them back into the Top 3 (unfortunately, because I'd love to see them back there). But ignore the placements: this will be a very popular APD and CD show by the end of the season.

Looking at the recaps, I think just about every judge got it right, both order and placement. Academy had the edge over PC in Visual GE, but PC had the edge in Music GE (agree completely). Visually, Phantom was way, way ahead of everyone else, especially in guard (agree completely). A little surprised Vanguard was as close as they were, visually. A little surprised Academy's brass topped Pacific Crest's, but it was by 0.1, and Academy definitely had the harder book, so that's fine. A little surprised Vanguard's brass topped Phantom's, because Phantom's was cleaner. But SCV's brass was good. Vanguard's percussion was no doubt the best, but I would have had Phantom at 15.4 or 15.5. Phantom's percussion is scored too low, but in the right place. That's pretty much the only gripe I have with the recap.

Edited June 30, 2012 by hostrauser

[Photographer Jim]

1341036512[/url]' post='3160569']

After-show thoughts...

* Love, love, LOVE Impulse's version of "1712 Overture" by PDQ Bach. Fantastic. This is an open corps to see if you get the chance.

* Mandarins are kind of in Drum Corps limbo right now. They're too good for Open, but they're not big enough or talented enough to be consistently competitive in World. They were 19th last year, and 5 points out of 17th, and I think they'll back-slide this year. They seem to be getting smaller each year; might a move back to Open be in their future?

* A little disappointed in The Academy's show. It's kind-of oddball, it's very dirty, and it doesn't quite flow. We'll see what rewrites can do: an August show can be completely different from a June show. But right now I'm see a back-slide from them, too, maybe a repeat of 2008 (not breaking 80 at Semis).

* Pacific Crest was incredibly loud for only 60 brass. Great power and a lot of talent. But the show, right now, is a little simple and trite, and that's why Academy's beating them. If the staff re-writes this show and gives it more cojones, the corps is strong enough to finish in their highest placement ever... say, 15th. (PC has been amazingly consistent: 17th-19th eight of the past nine years.)

* First a clarification on my comment: "This show is a delight to watch and hear. It's a sorry statment about modern DCI if this show 'isn't strong enough to contend.'" I was not implying that I think Phantom is the best or the most difficult show out there this season. I don't think they are. But they're #### good. There seems to be a popular consensus that this show doesn't stand a chance at the Top 3 without significant rewrites. I think that's a shame. If Phantom can get this "Blue Devils clean" it should be Top 3 as is.

* Phantom has such wonderful technique and tone in their brass... but Pacific Crest out-blew them. PC didn't have a BETTER horn-line, but they had a LOUDER horn-line. Phantom has kind of a concert-style approach to musical performance this year and, while I love the quality, I would like a little more volume. Phantom's only at 7 or 8 out of 10 on the volume scale right now, and Vanguard just blew them off the field when they followed.

* Vanguard has a wonderfully fun show with (this might be an unpopular opinion) a very low ceiling. I can't put my finger on why. It just screams "5th place" to me. Musically I don't feel this show has a lot of room to grow. Visually it sure does, because it's filthy right now (especially guard). But watching this show I didn't think for a second that this is the vehicle to get them back into the Top 3 (unfortunately, because I'd love to see them back there). But ignore the placements: this will be a very popular APD and CD show by the end of the season.

Looking at the recaps, I think just about every judge got it right, both order and placement. Academy had the edge over PC in Visual GE, but PC had the edge in Music GE (agree completely). Visually, Phantom was way, way ahead of everyone else, especially in guard (agree completely). A little surprised Vanguard was as close as they were, visually. A little surprised Academy's brass topped Pacific Crest's, but it was by 0.1, and Academy definitely had the harder book, so that's fine. A little surprised Vanguard's brass topped Phantom's, because Phantom's was cleaner. But SCV's brass was good. Vanguard's percussion was no doubt the best, but I would have had Phantom at 15.4 or 15.5. Phantom's percussion is scored too low, but in the right place. That's pretty much the only gripe I have with the recap.

I pretty much agree with all of this. Having not seen BD, Crown, Or Cadets live, it's very hard for me to even speculate on where PR or SCV will fit into the mix once they all meet up, or which will be ahead of the other come finals night, but I do feel there will be a great number of fans who are going to like what they see and hear from these two corps.