mikespeed Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 (edited) Due to dinner plans, I was only able to catch the last 8 corps. As I am a former (high school) brass player, and I was sitting down low on the 50 where I couldn't see much drill, much of my review will be concerned with the volume and sound quality of the brass line. Also being low on the 50, much of my review will be concerned with how much the amplifiers blew me out the back of the stadium. Boston Crusaders- Good brass, NO VOICEOVERS! I loved Pines of Rome, but other than that the show left me slightly (ever so slightly) flat. They did have a kick*** move or two in the ending, though. I was more of a fan of their 2011 show, but that aside, it looks like they deserve to be ahead of the Cavaliers, and I hope they stay that way! Cavaliers- In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes. World famous. Famous. Famous. In the future… Future… Future… Yeah, not a fan of that. I'll stick to the positives: Great drumline, and an awesome breakdown at the end of the show that got the crowd pumped. Probably one of the most "different" and/or "innovative" endings we've seen in a while, and I genuinely liked it! Moreover, that famous Cavie "swag" hasn't gone away. The kids seem to be having a blast with this show! Cadets- The brass was definitely several steps up from the previous corps. I hope the soloists at the beginning don't frack for the DVD. The Jingle Bell Jam needs to be a little bit longer (I liked the early season versions better), and in its current state, there is no room for applause at the end of it, which felt very… odd. But they make up for it with a classic Cadets high speed ending! Lots of narration, but they've figured out how to make it effective. This is probably because they have a 5 year start on everybody else. Bluecoats- Outstanding brass, as always. Great blend. I love the dark, slightly ominous sound they carry with them. The narration did support the theme, and I didn't mind it personally (despite a little suppressed giggling), but my girlfriend (never marched, only been to DCI ATL last year with me) had a different opinion. She (wisely) said "You shouldn't have to have words in a show. You should be able to tell what's going on without them." Vanguard- At this point, 3 of the 4 corps we'd seen had been talking at us, and it was getting old. Then came a real breath of fresh air. Vanguard was awesome! Phenomenal drumline, and a much louder brass line and show than last year's production, "Chromatic Scales in Mezzo Forte." A week ago, I complained somewhere around here about the speed of the Music of the Night tidbit they had in the closer. It's much better now. Gave me chills. Keep the ending, spice the show up with a couple more of those neat neat visuals, clean, clean, clean, and watch the crowds go nuts from here to Indy! Great job, SCV. Blue Devils- Actually wait, I'll save these guys for last. Phantom Regiment- Now THIS what I wanted to see when I bought my ticket back in March. Not a single word spoken, and an easy-to-grasp concept performed in a sophisticated manner at window-shattering volume. Best Phantom brass since 2009! Nessun Dorma was phenomenal. I actually like the new extended iteration more than the 1991 arrangement! (I know, I know, blasphemy, burn me at the stake) The crowd was up on its feet and throwing babies well before the cutoff of the last note, as a drum corps crowd should. It seemed like there was a lot of pent-up energy in the crowd- they wanted something to cheer for, but nothing had really happened until Phantom. Carolina Crown- From my seat, these guys 5-pointed everyone else. This is why I am not a DCI judge. I've never heard a brass line play louder, or with more clarity than what I heard last night. My jaw dropped several times in that show. Now I get all the Crown hype- holy cow, they're good. That Star of Indiana-esque (everyone says that, but it's true) bit towards the end where the brass resolves into that big chord? That was the single most awesome brass moment I've ever heard. "Ever" only being since 2008, that is. Phenomenal, phenomenal, phenomenal. Definitely the most entertaining show of the night. (Did you hear that, new judging sheets? No, you didn't? You're the exact same as the old sheets? Oh.) And now... Blue Devils- I appreciate that they're doing something different. I enjoyed the show visually. No matter where you look, there's something quirky happening, and that makes it fun. Watching them perform reminds me of those old "I Spy" picture books. However, the narration really turned me off. There's absolutely no need for some French guy babbling over those great solos and those soft, smooth percussion parts. On the bright side, the amps were at a very low volume, unlike a certain green corps… This show, like most BD shows, was visually innovative, looked quite easy to "untrained" eyes like mine, and featured moments of great music interspersed with random loud noises. I'm not sure why it won. I guess the key to their high scores is their great drumline and guard. When the show was over, I wasn't exactly sure what happened, or why any of it had even happened in the first place, but I guess that's their show concept, so it works. My final impression can be summed up in one word: meh. Overall, the corps were worth the cost of the ticket, but not as fun as they were in 2008, 2010, 2011. The narration is a real turn off for me, and I find it cheesy. Despite my general negativity, I enjoyed myself, and will enjoy myself again in a couple of weeks at Quarterfinals! My Favorite Shows: 1. Regiment 2. Crown 3. SCV 4. Cadets 5. Blue Devils 6. Bluecoats 7. Cavies 8. Boston EXTENSIVE LIST OF DISCLAIMERS I'm a shameless PR honk. I'm not a Crown honk. They aren't even in my "Top 5 Favorite Corps" list. I might have a case of Acute ABBD. It only pops up every once in a while, and I thought I was rid of it for good last year. In any case, I'll have to see a doctor about it. Before you guys call me a dinosaur, I'm only 22. Epilogue: As we were leaving the stadium, my girlfriend said this: "I think I liked the shows better last year… It seemed like most of them weren't even trying to be entertaining." Ouch. Very ouch. Edited July 29, 2012 by mikespeed 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesleyrp Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Great review 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fobo1991 Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Love the review. We need more of your girlfriend's comments! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 As we were leaving the stadium, my girlfriend said this: "I think I liked the shows better last year… It seemed like most of them weren't even trying to be entertaining." If your girlfriend is the same age as you, she'd be considered a dinosaur's egg on DCP with this comment. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnmtech Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Love your GF comments! My wife was going on about Jersey Shore all night! lol Thanks for the great review! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnmtech Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Love your GF comments! My wife was going on about Jersey Shore all night! lol Thanks for the great review! Jesus Christ! Jersey SERF!! what the hell am I smoking? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 good stuff! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeeWee Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Thank you for taking the time to write a review 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDFIddle Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Except for Jersey Surf, she was right! If your girlfriend is the same age as you, she'd be considered a dinosaur's egg on DCP with this comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDFIddle Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Except for Jersey Surf, your girlfriend was right! Due to dinner plans, I was only able to catch the last 8 corps. As I am a former (high school) brass player, and I was sitting down low on the 50 where I couldn't see much drill, much of my review will be concerned with the volume and sound quality of the brass line. Also being low on the 50, much of my review will be concerned with how much the amplifiers blew me out the back of the stadium. Boston Crusaders- Good brass, NO VOICEOVERS! I loved Pines of Rome, but other than that the show left me slightly (ever so slightly) flat. They did have a kick*** move or two in the ending, though. I was more of a fan of their 2011 show, but that aside, it looks like they deserve to be ahead of the Cavaliers, and I hope they stay that way! Cavaliers- In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes. World famous. Famous. Famous. In the future… Future… Future… Yeah, not a fan of that. I'll stick to the positives: Great drumline, and an awesome breakdown at the end of the show that got the crowd pumped. Probably one of the most "different" and/or "innovative" endings we've seen in a while, and I genuinely liked it! Moreover, that famous Cavie "swag" hasn't gone away. The kids seem to be having a blast with this show! Cadets- The brass was definitely several steps up from the previous corps. I hope the soloists at the beginning don't frack for the DVD. The Jingle Bell Jam needs to be a little bit longer (I liked the early season versions better), and in its current state, there is no room for applause at the end of it, which felt very… odd. But they make up for it with a classic Cadets high speed ending! Lots of narration, but they've figured out how to make it effective. This is probably because they have a 5 year start on everybody else. Bluecoats- Outstanding brass, as always. Great blend. I love the dark, slightly ominous sound they carry with them. The narration did support the theme, and I didn't mind it personally (despite a little suppressed giggling), but my girlfriend (never marched, only been to DCI ATL last year with me) had a different opinion. She (wisely) said "You shouldn't have to have words in a show. You should be able to tell what's going on without them." Vanguard- At this point, 3 of the 4 corps we'd seen had been talking at us, and it was getting old. Then came a real breath of fresh air. Vanguard was awesome! Phenomenal drumline, and a much louder brass line and show than last year's production, "Chromatic Scales in Mezzo Forte." A week ago, I complained somewhere around here about the speed of the Music of the Night tidbit they had in the closer. It's much better now. Gave me chills. Keep the ending, spice the show up with a couple more of those neat neat visuals, clean, clean, clean, and watch the crowds go nuts from here to Indy! Great job, SCV. Blue Devils- Actually wait, I'll save these guys for last. Phantom Regiment- Now THIS what I wanted to see when I bought my ticket back in March. Not a single word spoken, and an easy-to-grasp concept performed in a sophisticated manner at window-shattering volume. Best Phantom brass since 2009! Nessun Dorma was phenomenal. I actually like the new extended iteration more than the 1991 arrangement! (I know, I know, blasphemy, burn me at the stake) The crowd was up on its feet and throwing babies well before the cutoff of the last note, as a drum corps crowd should. It seemed like there was a lot of pent-up energy in the crowd- they wanted something to cheer for, but nothing had really happened until Phantom. Carolina Crown- From my seat, these guys 5-pointed everyone else. This is why I am not a DCI judge. I've never heard a brass line play louder, or with more clarity than what I heard last night. My jaw dropped several times in that show. Now I get all the Crown hype- holy cow, they're good. That Star of Indiana-esque (everyone says that, but it's true) bit towards the end where the brass resolves into that big chord? That was the single most awesome brass moment I've ever heard. "Ever" only being since 2008, that is. Phenomenal, phenomenal, phenomenal. Definitely the most entertaining show of the night. (Did you hear that, new judging sheets? No, you didn't? You're the exact same as the old sheets? Oh.) And now... Blue Devils- I appreciate that they're doing something different. I enjoyed the show visually. No matter where you look, there's something quirky happening, and that makes it fun. Watching them perform reminds me of those old "I Spy" picture books. However, the narration really turned me off. There's absolutely no need for some French guy babbling over those great solos and those soft, smooth percussion parts. On the bright side, the amps were at a very low volume, unlike a certain green corps… This show, like most BD shows, was visually innovative, looked quite easy to "untrained" eyes like mine, and featured moments of great music interspersed with random loud noises. I'm not sure why it won. I guess the key to their high scores is their great drumline and guard. When the show was over, I wasn't exactly sure what happened, or why any of it had even happened in the first place, but I guess that's their show concept, so it works. My final impression can be summed up in one word: meh. Overall, the corps were worth the cost of the ticket, but not as fun as they were in 2008, 2010, 2011. The narration is a real turn off for me, and I find it cheesy. Despite my general negativity, I enjoyed myself, and will enjoy myself again in a couple of weeks at Quarterfinals! My Favorite Shows: 1. Regiment 2. Crown 3. SCV 4. Cadets 5. Blue Devils 6. Bluecoats 7. Cavies 8. Boston EXTENSIVE LIST OF DISCLAIMERS I'm a shameless PR honk. I'm not a Crown honk. They aren't even in my "Top 5 Favorite Corps" list. I might have a case of Acute ABBD. It only pops up every once in a while, and I thought I was rid of it for good last year. In any case, I'll have to see a doctor about it. Before you guys call me a dinosaur, I'm only 22. Epilogue: As we were leaving the stadium, my girlfriend said this: "I think I liked the shows better last year… It seemed like most of them weren't even trying to be entertaining." Ouch. Very ouch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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