fatbrassboy Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Can't wait to hear the review...I sense there is some trepidation in "DEVS Win" LOL, I am confused. Phantom just seems to me to be a bit better right now. and SCV has a great vehicle but is where they should be. Achievement...bah humbug...LOL Appears that Music Analysis and Percussion are PR's 'weak' points at the moment....if that's what the numbers truly state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_demello Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 I just got back to my hotel from video taping the Walnut show for the DCI Fan Network. Just starting to process videos. I've got a lot of coffee standing by for tonights work! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamQuavers Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 (edited) I really enjoyed the last three performances of the night. Even though Santa Clara placed third, I enjoyed their show over Phantom's and BD's, and could end up being my favorite Vanguard show in a really long time. The music was really beautiful and it was arranged in a way that really let the brass and percussion shine. I heard the synth, but it was never overpowering. Phantom wasn't quite as loud as Vanguard, but I thought they were cleaner and had a higher musical demand. I think a lot of people missed the beheading part because it was staged awkwardly (back of the field), so I hope they stage that more effectively by August. Nessun Dorma was the perfect closer and dripping with raw emotion. However, I thought the sixteenth note runs in that arrangement took away some of the beauty. The Blue Devils' show was, um, strange. Actually, I found myself liking the show because the randomness is done so well, and the Dada movement was all about defying conventional beauty and structure. The show would be a lot better, though, if they trimmed about 90% of that sampling; there's only so much of it the ear can take! My rankings: Blue Devils Phantom Regiment Santa Clara Vanguard Pacific Crest (Yes, I actually thought they were stronger than the Academy.) The Academy Mandarins Edited July 1, 2012 by TeamQuavers 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmc5682 Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Just got back from my last live show of the year. (sucks to be a west coast fan in July and August, but oh well) - my thoughts on the top 3 tonight. SCV - I am still not excited about this show for some reason. I guess I was expecting more. I thought it might grow on me as this is my second viewing this year, but I do enjoy their music. I think the guard is disappointing so far, but I know they still have a ton to add to the show. Their hornline was the least powerful of the big three. Percussion is impressive,but they are already cleaner than BD and I believe they lost percussion tonight, or it was really close. I would have to check the recap. Phantom - I love their music as it is just played so beautifully. Their guard is crisp and clean and there is something special and sensual about their all female guard. I imagine Phantom will finish this year in the top 5 and maybe higher. They were the cleanest corps visually of the night and I am sure they will make many changes/upgrades as the season progresses. Thank you Phantom for spending the money to come out west this year. It was much appreciated! BD - I love BD's show this year. I think it is so much fun. They have cleaned up a bit from what I saw in Palo Alto, but they still have a long way to go. I love the power their brass creates and I am really enjoying what they are playing this year. I was a bit suprised at their percussion score as I (not a drum expert, just played tenor (and not very well) for my high school band) heard some obvious mistakes. Their guard is great as usual, but they really need to add some more equipment work, (I do not count manipulating rings, which SCV did in the 70's, equipment work) but I am sure that will come with time. It was a great all around show and I felt the placements and spreads made sense. Time for bed! JC 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkfdPRphan Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Wow, Regiment's score is exactly the same as last night. Guess the DCP community was right...their show was so clean it peaked early. Looks like they'll be missing finals with a 75.8 in August. Really ? EVERY single person on DCP believes Phantom has Peaked and the season is over? Read much? Been around drum corps very long? Probably not. What is 'your' excuse for SCV? Peaked earlier this week? Each time the corps add something new the scores 'peak'. Don't worry, your Devils are still the 'favorites' OR will they peak next week.......? CC & C are knocking on the door of 1st place too. Crown also looked good tonight (and, yes, they weren't in your show). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayesha3 Posted July 1, 2012 Author Share Posted July 1, 2012 Alright just got home from a great night of drum corps! I got to the venue just right about when SCV and Phantom arrived. Watched the hornlines and batteries warm-up for a bit in the lot, which is always tons of fun, and then headed into the stadium. My friend and I got to take a picture with Phantom Regiment's DM Dean Patterson! Really nice guy, he remembered us from about a week ago when we made brownies for the corps when they were rehearsing near us! The Academy-I got seated kind of during the middle of their show. Good sound from the brass, definitely a step up from last year. Got some dirty feet here and there, but I'm sure that'll be fixed during the season. Percussion was meh; I think they've still got a quite a few ways to go. Those uniforms still make me drool; the corps just looks so dang sharp. A great show overall, and I'm really happy to see the corps improving so much from the past few years. Good job Academy! Pacific Crest-Wow! An extremely entertaining show from the first note to the cutoff. The corps definitely portrayed "The Spectrum" just as I thought it would. So many colors everywhere! I thought it was a great show. First chills of the evening from Coldplay's "Yellow," especially from that trumpet soloist man! He is seriously amazing. You could just see the passion in his face when he played, on the field and during the encore. I love it when soloists do that! Snareline was great. I could hear some issues in the brass, but nothing major. Spacing was a bit of an issue in more than a couple of spots, but I'm hoping they fix those soon. Overall an awesome show that demonstrates PC's effort to really rise up in the ranks. Great work Pacific Crest! Santa Clara Vanguard-Oh my. Words cannot describe this show. It's just pure Vanguard. I loved every single second of it. Chills throughout the entire show, especially "Jupiter" and "Hymn to a Blue Hour." I like these uniforms a lot better than last year's. Percussion as always was smokin' hot. I never really was a percussion person before, or at least one who payed attention to them much, but this percussion section is truly special and I found my eyes fixed on them for a good amount of time. Great things are happening with SCV. Tears actually came down at the end of this one :') This show was an absolute pleasure to watch, and I know it's going to be one of my favorites of the season. I really wish all the best in the world for this corps. AWESOME JOB VANGUARD! Phantom Regiment-Every time I see this show, I love it more and more. It's just such an entertaining show! I recently bought PR's selections from Turandot and I've been listening to them all the time. The show is so Regiment-esque in every way possible. I like how they did the things with the kites, like someone said earlier I think they actually are to signify transitions into different acts. The tuba feature, the drum break, and the part where the guard changes uniforms to truly become "Ice Princesses" are without a doubt my favorite parts. I wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season; it's about time PR medaled again :) Great job Phantom Regiment! Blue Devils-Loudest corps of the night without a doubt. The show... I'm not sure about this one. I promise to God I'm not trying to flame BD here, but I just really don't know about the show this year. One of my biggest issues was the uniform change. I think the show would be a lot better if, you know, the corps just came on the field fully dressed. The horses are kinda random, and the uniform change isn't really a "change." I thought they were gunna incorporate some visual into it to get into the jackets and shakos, but they kinda just... Go to the horses and put the jackets on. Nothing special. I'm not sure what it had to do with the rest of the show. I thought last year was a step forward towards the more fan-friendly shows, but I think this year was kind of a step back. But hey, they won tonight and they can do whatever floats their boat. It's cool with me. Good job Blue Devils! Awesome job to all of the performing corps tonight. You guys are working your butts off day and night to put out a product on the field for us in the stands to enjoy. I know the majority of us truly appreciate all of your hard work and dedication. Best of luck to all the corps, and I hope every single member has an amazing and memorable rest of the season. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hostrauser Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 So, Phantom increased its lead on Vanguard. I am starting to think that people are expecting them to do so well because they have such an accessable show. I have not gotten to see it, but I have seen Phantom. Is SCV just really dirty, or is their show just lacking the ability to catch Phantom right now? Yes. Both. Visually SCV is still quite the shambles, and their guard is leagues behind Phantom at this point in the season. Musically, Vanguard performs well... but honestly, I don't think their show programming is as good as Phantom's. All the pieces in Vanguard's show don't fit together. Now, with that staff and that performer talent, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Vanguard make a move during July. But Phantom is better in almost all aspects... right now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shostahoosier Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Really ? EVERY single person on DCP believes Phantom has Peaked and the season is over? Read much? Been around drum corps very long? Probably not. What is 'your' excuse for SCV? Peaked earlier this week? Each time the corps add something new the scores 'peak'. Don't worry, your Devils are still the 'favorites' OR will they peak next week.......? CC & C are knocking on the door of 1st place too. Crown also looked good tonight (and, yes, they weren't in your show). I wish you had read the whole thread first! Looking at my screen name you should be able to guess I'm a Regiment Honk. I was actually kidding though. I purposely posted it right after the scores to try to head off any more postings about how Regiment is clean and their show wont grow anymore. I do apologize as I could have done a better job of making it a bit more obvious. Sarcasm is pretty hard to get across on the internet. ....and yes...I've been around drum corps for a bit. Not quite a T-rex yet but definitely a dinosaur. RAWR! Now Regiment - please fix the beheading! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Newton Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Old Schooler here with a brief review of the Walnut Show (Top 3 Corps). Warning: this review will upset some folks..... For this reviewer, it was fitting in this 40th anniversary year of DCI for the top 3 corps this evening to be the perennial competitors for the top 3 spots when I started following this activity in 1978. SCV - Best show I've seen from them in over a decade. Why, you might ask? Well, let me count the ways: 1) Great show concept, using Holst's The Planets. This speaks to those of us who fondly recall the corps' 1980 show, as well as many of us who attempted these selections in High School concert band. It's a perfect old school Vanguard show, at least musically. 2) Awesome horns. Most powerful Bb horn sound I've ever heard from the corps since the poor G bugle was kicked to the curb years ago. Not only loud at the punches, but loud and balanced through sustained notes. Awesome (for Bb). 3) The Drumline. Thank God the tilted snares are gone. The line throws down some very innovative beats and isn't afraid of nailing old-school duplex rolls as opposed to the more modern triplet rolls typically associated with today's higher tempos. Very solid drumline, with clean, well-exposed features for each section of the battery. The tenor line is solid! It's also nice to see a pit that isn't over-amplified to the point of distraction. 4) The drill. Watching a corps of this caliber without the field littered with crap and wheeled contraptions is a treat. The drill pictures and sets were great and worked well with the theme of the show. 5) The uniforms. Best SCV uniform yet in the Cesario era of modern uniforms. They actually LOOKED like the Vanguard for a change. Now, about those guard unis..... Several standing O's, and a big Standing O before the final notes of the show. My favorite show of the night. Phantom Regiment - This is the show that I was really looking forward to this year. Beautiful music. What else can you say about Turandot? It's the perfect vehicle and will serve them well as the season progresses. What Phantom needs is more field exposure for their drumline. Some of their best "Marty Hurly" moments are lost as the drumline is parked behind the horn block. The horn line was the biggest disappointment for me. Way less power than the two California corps (BD and SCV). If they can up the dB level, they'll continue to grow into this show. For me, their Colorguard was the best of all. Thankfully, the Phantom Regiment has, over all these years, resisted current trends and continues with their all-female guard. It makes a huge difference and adds to their uniqueness. They work well as a unit, and thankfully aren't preening as individuals out there. Phantom will be OK. This show will continue to improve as the horns improve. Blue Devils - Where do I start? So much individual talent........ First of all, their horn sound is huge. Like, SCV, this may be one of their best post-G Bugle horn lines ever. Now onto the show concept.....ummm....whatever. Let's start with the recorded narration that runs throughout the show: It's extremely distracting and nauseating. It takes away from the music that is happening on the field. Why would you cover up all that talent on the field with some pre-recorded garbage? The last thing I want at a drum corps show, is to be lectured, in French, about some artform. If I have to have it explained to me, while its happening, then the art isn't speaking for itself. Then there are the now-standard Blue Devil contraptions that litter the field. This year, it's hobby horse uniform racks. While other corps take parts of their uniforms OFF throughout the show, the Blue Devils put their uniforms ON during the show ("oooh, see how DIFFERENT we are?")Different, but is it better? The Blue Devils' soloists are first rate, but why must they play into a mic? Seriously? a mic? They don't need it, and it just ruins their sound. Also distracting is watching the drumset player in the pit playing the ride cymbal and then hearing the sound coming out of a speaker 25 yards away. Weird, and unnecessary. If you need more ride cymbal, then put it where it belongs; on the field with a cymbal line holding for the snare drums..... and this takes me to my biggest pet peeve; Why, of all corps, do the Blue Devils continue to write drum books without the snare line playing on ride cymbals? Maybe a cymbal line would get in the way of all the individual snare posing and soloing that goes on during the show. It's too bad, because their talent level is second to none, but it doesn't always come through in this show. I'd like to see some innovation in a marching cymbal line that holds for the ocassional ride pattern for the snares, and the Blue Devils should be the ones to do it. The squatting and pivoting in the snare line is getting old. They were the first to do it...many years ago now. Courtesy standing O after the final note, mostly in appreciation of the obvious talent and hard work the kids have put in. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusayan Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Who won the captions? Horns, drums, guard, visual? Blue Devils won everything except percussion which was won by SCV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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