Lawrence Review

[Brigadier80]

It was a steamy night in Lawrence under a full moon with a couple of lightening strikes in the distance for Boston's home show and only Mass. performance. I am going to try not to re-hash (to much) what I and others have already reported. Below is my take on the show.

Jersey Surf: They have added so much and cleaned so much since Quincy in early July. Their score of 74 is already several points higher than their semi-finalist score of last night. When DCI keeps saying they encourage corps to present accessible shows this is really taking it to the max. It was great to hear them extend the 'In The Stone' inro to play it fully as the Bridgmen did. The last peice with everything in it but the kitchen sink had the crowd on their feet. Looking forward to seeing them 2 more times next week.

Cascades: Had a tough act to follow after Surf. Their score has increased almost 20 points since their first show so kudos to both the staff and the members. 'Shinto' with it's Asian theme was pretty easy to follow. Percussion was definitely a strong point. The crowd really got excited when the pit started pounding on those huge drums. Wish the guard was bigger. Enjoyable show.

Santa Clara: I was pretty stunned to experience this show live. This is such a step up from last year. 'The Planets' are beautifully woven into the design. Gorgeous brass and percussion. The crowd seemed pretty mesmerized but what they saw but really did not fully react until the finale of 'Music of the Night'. I was a bit shocked that they scored as close to Cadets as they did but they deserved it.

Cavaliers: Brass, especially in the first half had a bright slightly tinny sound when compared to SCV's lush sound. The designers have certainly maxed out what really is a poor concept and the members are performaning the hell out of it. It was great to see the guard finally approaching what we expect a Cavalier guard to be. The crowd pretty much missed the final step over. The new ending complete with sun glasses for all was fun and got a great reaction from the crowd. I still think they are being over scored.

Cadets: They have finally found a solution for their dilemma of 4.2 endless minutes of 'Carol of Belles'. The layering of many different Xmas Carols instead of repeating the 'Carols' theme over and over again worked beautifully. Still some dirt in both guard and brass execution. Guard costume change at the end was very well done and really caught the crowd by surprise. It could be a dog fight for 3rd between they, Phantom and rising SCV. Great show! They really have proven the naysayers (me included) wrong.

Boston: Pre-show and the poor timing of the announcement caught the audience by surprise. That said I was disappointed in the hometown crowds half hearted reaction to BAC. Come on people the music is not that hard to relate to! I really love this show. Brass sounded so much better than Cavies’ but inexplicably they still lost to them in brass. Guard deservedly landed in third place. They have continued to refine the shows ending. Middle voices have some crazy runs (while running like crazy) in the last 30 seconds. This show should land them in 7th by several points. They did close the gap to Cavaliers to .2 from 1.5 several nights ago so perhaps they have some momentum. This show is being underscored. Cannot wait to see them 3 more times in Indy.

[Catan]

Thanks for the review! Lawrence is a fantastic show.

[BRASSO]

Great review and I agree with your overall observations.

I really liked SCV and like you, believe it is a step up in overall accessiblity over last year.Lots of power and volume in their brass line, without overblowing. Well designed show that flows well, imo.

2102 Jersey Surf is so much fun, and provides the comedic relief thats been missing of late in DCI.

Cascades pit was a good one at their level. Liked the Asian inspired theme... but it was tough to follow Jersey Surf that the crowd really responded well to.

Cadets staging of guard in ballad might have been better positioned on the field, imo ( on far left in ballad ), but not to quibble as this was an interesting show theme that kept my attention througout... demanding drill again this year from the Cadets. Loved the show a lot better than when I heard they were selecting this theme in the off season.

Cavs show musically is actually not as bad as some have said, imo. There are some good moments musically. Drums are good too.Visually, its a different matter however. Its a confused theme, imo. The Guards tight blue pants and glitter everwhere outfits are hideous, imo. It gives off an aura of effeminate vibe right from the beginning of the show. Later however, the closer involves putting the musical instruments and flags, rifles aside to gather in the middle of the field and do a masculine like dance routine to close out the show. It doesn't work, imo. Its asking a lot for the vibe to be one of masculine toughness at the closer while the guard is dressed in such outfits and for the previous 95% of the show was engaged in guard movements that gave off the aura and vibe of femininity. It should be one or the other. As a result its 15 minutes of theme confusion, rather than 15 minutes of fame, imo. Thats how I saw it anyway. I saw Boston ahead by approx. 2 points over Cavs, and Cavs much further back from SCV and Cadets. But I left before the scores were announced and didn't hear the scores until much later.

There are lot of Crown fans at Boston area Drum Corps shows now due to the Umass Marching Band influence with Crown. I agree with you that show announcer was asleep at the switch when Boston began their pre show, and the pre show effect was lost on some at this show. That said, it was appreciated by this show goer that this Corps utilizes little to no music playing in their show except for their own brass and their own percussion. They play their way onto the field and finish up their show with the " Drums and the Bugles ". I like that. Not sure that the red carpet on the field gets the visual impact desired. Boston still has some visible dirt in their marching that could hold them back unless cleaned. But this was a solid overall show from them I thought, and the show is much better designed than the Cavs show is this year, imo. What the judges think however is above my paygrade.

Nice exhibitions by Crusaders, Sr's.. Manchester Muchachos ( although smaller this year ) and the Defenders.

Edited August 3, 2012 by BRASSO

[PeeWee]

Thank you for your review!

Yes, I have a horse in this race, and it's name is the Santa Clara Vanguard! Here's hoping they can make it up to Top 3 by Finals night!

Thanks again

[Grumpy]

It was a steamy night in Lawrence under a full moon with a couple of lightening strikes in the distance for Boston's home show and only Mass. performance. I am going to try not to re-hash (to much) what I and others have already reported. Below is my take on the show.

Jersey Surf: They have added so much and cleaned so much since Quincy in early July. Their score of 74 is already several points higher than their semi-finalist score of last night. When DCI keeps saying they encourage corps to present accessible shows this is really taking it to the max. It was great to hear them extend the 'In The Stone' inro to play it fully as the Bridgmen did. The last peice with everything in it but the kitchen sink had the crowd on their feet. Looking forward to seeing them 2 more times next week.

Cascades: Had a tough act to follow after Surf. Their score has increased almost 20 points since their first show so kudos to both the staff and the members. 'Shinto' with it's Asian theme was pretty easy to follow. Percussion was definitely a strong point. The crowd really got excited when the pit started pounding on those huge drums. Wish the guard was bigger. Enjoyable show.

Santa Clara: I was pretty stunned to experience this show live. This is such a step up from last year. 'The Planets' are beautifully woven into the design. Gorgeous brass and percussion. The crowd seemed pretty mesmerized but what they saw but really did not fully react until the finale of 'Music of the Night'. I was a bit shocked that they scored as close to Cadets as they did but they deserved it.

Cavaliers: Brass, especially in the first half had a bright slightly tinny sound when compared to SCV's lush sound. The designers have certainly maxed out what really is a poor concept and the members are performaning the hell out of it. It was great to see the guard finally approaching what we expect a Cavalier guard to be. The crowd pretty much missed the final step over. The new ending complete with sun glasses for all was fun and got a great reaction from the crowd. I still think they are being over scored.

Cadets: They have finally found a solution for their dilemma of 4.2 endless minutes of 'Carol of Belles'. The layering of many different Xmas Carols instead of repeating the 'Carols' theme over and over again worked beautifully. Still some dirt in both guard and brass execution. Guard costume change at the end was very well done and really caught the crowd by surprise. It could be a dog fight for 3rd between they, Phantom and rising SCV. Great show! They really have proven the naysayers (me included) wrong.

Boston: Pre-show and the poor timing of the announcement caught the audience by surprise. That said I was disappointed in the hometown crowds half hearted reaction to BAC. Come on people the music is not that hard to relate to! I really love this show. Brass sounded so much better than Cavies’ but inexplicably they still lost to them in brass. Guard deservedly landed in third place. They have continued to refine the shows ending. Middle voices have some crazy runs (while running like crazy) in the last 30 seconds. This show should land them in 7th by several points. They did close the gap to Cavaliers to .2 from 1.5 several nights ago so perhaps they have some momentum. This show is being underscored. Cannot wait to see them 3 more times in Indy.

Thanks for your review!

I'd like to put in my thoughts as well...my first thought about the evening was how incredibly rude people are becoming. As the Defenders began their show, there was total disregard by people either just arriving are those who dallied too long at the souvie trailers and/or the concession stands...there was a steady stream of people entering the seating area with total disrespect for both the Defenders and those of us who were attempting to watch/listen to their performance. Despite an announcement following their performance from Paul Cain (my all time favorite drum corps announcer) to show courtesy to both performers and spectators, it continued well into the Muchachos performance as well. Granted, these corps are performing in exhibition but they still deserve the same consideration as the units competing. Perhaps in the future, some volunteers can be assigned to usher duty which would solve this problem, and would also be helpful to people trying to locate their seats as this venue can be an adventure to navigate if you haven't been there before.

As for the corps, I absolutely LOVE Jersey Surf's show this year, especially being a fan of the Bridgemen since their competition days. Besides playing the Bridgemen music, it sounds as if they are playing the old Bridgemen arrangements-or updated ones that are very close to the old ones. Their brass has a nice full, melodic sound and they have made some strides since I last saw them in Quincy. They have also added some comedy as a pre show that fits right in with their image. I was seated in the second row (hey, I didn't get the tickets-my friends did and like to sit low) and had a good close up look at the performers in their pit, and these kids genuinely LOVE performing this show and you could see it in their faces.

I respectfully disagree with your take on Cascades...from where I sat, it didn't seem like the crowd was "getting" this show...and the people I was with, all of whom have drum corps experience, found the show "boring" (their words, but I felt the same way). I was kind of surprised from the size of the corps that they are competing in WC; my opinion is that smaller units like Cascades should be trying to maximize their crowd appeal (like Surf, and Teal the past few years) and this musical selection certainly didn't seem to be doing the trick. The pit performers were nowhere near as "into" this show as any of the other corps last night.

I was very pleasantly surprised by SCV. I honestly wasn't expecting much from them this year after last, and I watched one of their first shows this year on FN, but what I saw last night left little doubt that SCV should not be taken lightly this year. Maybe it's just me, but I am starting to see in the Vanguard drill what we used to see in the Cavaliers about 10-12 yrs ago...what a coincidence LOL. They marched it well last night, still some dirt but nothing that can't be cleaned in the next week. Their brass was powerful and the percussion section IMO was the best one of the night. There is going to be some major fighting going on for third place in Indy.

I am just not getting the Cavaliers program this year...the first thing I noticed was during the pre show and the voice synth, was that the amp was WAY too loud...but they didn't turn it down. The same thing happened to either the Crusaders or Cadets (honestly don't remember which) when they went on and they adjusted it almost immediately...with Cavies it was an issue througout the show. I don't think much of the guard uniforms, but their guard appeared to be the one bright spot in this show. I feel sorry for the guys on the field, they are doing the best with what they've been given but I feel that they definitely did NOT deserve either their score or their placement...I had them fourth by about 2 points.

I saw the Cadets show earlier in the summer several times on FN, and then live in Quincy. I haven't watched them since and it looks like Hop is keeping the Cadet tradition alive-this show is vastly different from the one I saw on July 6. I don't have anything against the theme of this year's show, although I am not a big fan of some the arrangements they are using (FWIW, I felt the same way about their last incarnation of West Side Story) but they performed the first 2/3 of the program pretty cleanly and with the movement and sound that we've come to expect from them. As for the last third or so, I got the distinct impression that most of this was added very recently...the drill was not as clean and just seemed kind of tentative and lacking in confidence, maybe something that they are expecting to give them a push in Allentown and something they can get clean by next week. It's got the potential, but as I said above it's going to be a battle for third in Indy. I had the spread between them and SCV a lot closer than what the judges did.

As for Crusaders, I would like to address your comment on the "timing" of the announcement...I was sitting literally directly behind Paul Cain-he made his announcement specifically at the prompting of one of the Crusader staff. If there's an issue on the corps being announced, it's on Crusaders own staff and not on Paul-he went right on cue from THEM. Again, I must disagree here with OP on their musical selection this year. I don't hate it, but I'm not crazy about it either. As far as the hometown crowd's reaction, remember that every year before this one, the "hometown crowd" will have had usually between three and five shows (sometimes more), plus spring training in relative close proximity in New Hampshire, before the East Coast Classic, to get to know the music and the show. This year, due to the corps doing move ins and starting tour on the west coast, a lot of these people were getting their first taste of the show-just like every other corps. As for myself, I've seen them on FN but there's a lot that gets missed when you're only seeing things from a hi-cam angle. They marched well, some dirt but again nothing that can't be cleaned by Indy. I had them solidly in third last night, and 7th-8th in Indy is certainly attainable.

With the exception of the crowd issue which I addressed earlier, Lawrence is probably one of the best show venues in all of New England. Unlike Lynn, the setting sun is BEHIND the stadium and is such that it doesn't present a problem for the performers or the audience; the bench seating is adequately spaced so that adults fit easily and comfortably; there are no clouds of smoke from the food concession choking out the audience in the bleachers; the souvie area is not tucked away in some far off corner of the venue and it is MUCH easier as far as access, literally within sight of the nearby interstate.

The highlight of the evening had to be the 50-50 raffle. The winner stood to take home a little over $2,000. The winning ticket was drawn and announced, for several minutes with no winner coming forward. Another ticket was subsequently drawn, with the same result. At the urging of the audience, it was decided to just donate the money to the Crusaders (show sponsors and the ones running the 50-50).

[Fran Haring]

As for Crusaders, I would like to address your comment on the "timing" of the announcement...I was sitting literally directly behind Paul Cain-he made his announcement specifically at the prompting of one of the Crusader staff. If there's an issue on the corps being announced, it's on Crusaders own staff and not on Paul-he went right on cue from THEM.

Thank you for posting that.

I'm going to defend my fellow PA announcers here... you're right, the announcer (Paul in this case, who is one of the best in the business) is responding to cues from either the DCI coordinator/timing judge or a member of the corps staff. (In many cases, it's the member of the corps staff giving the cues.)

I worked a DCI show a few years ago where there was a significant delay (at least one full second) between when I spoke into the microphone, and when the announcement was heard over the PA system.

Only one corps at that show factored the delay into their opening announcement. (Not a knock on those corps, per se.... it's not an easy thing to do.)

If the corps want to have an opening announcement timed to an exact moment (in my radio days, we called it "hitting the post")... it really is up to them to make sure it happens. And they also need to realize that in a "live show" environment, a lot of things can happen (like a PA system delay, or perhaps a slight tempo variation within the corps itself) to throw a monkey wrench into the whole thing.

[emc2]

Thank you for posting that.

I'm going to defend my fellow PA announcers here... you're right, the announcer (Paul in this case, who is one of the best in the business) is responding to cues from either the DCI coordinator/timing judge or a member of the corps staff. (In many cases, it's the member of the corps staff giving the cues.)

I worked a DCI show a few years ago where there was a significant delay (at least one full second) between when I spoke into the microphone, and when the announcement was heard over the PA system.

Only one corps at that show factored the delay into their opening announcement. (Not a knock on those corps, per se.... it's not an easy thing to do.)

If the corps want to have an opening announcement timed to an exact moment (in my radio days, we called it "hitting the post")... it really is up to them to make sure it happens. And they also need to realize that in a "live show" environment, a lot of things can happen (like a PA system delay, or perhaps a slight tempo variation within the corps itself) to throw a monkey wrench into the whole thing.

Yes Paul is a great guy. things happen. Cadets had a problem also with their sound equipment that had nothing to do with paul. Have a great day.

[BIG BARI 3]

Thanks to the poster who mentioned the crowd movement. As I was on the field with The Defenders, (Yes it was a distraction as you could not help but notice this as I was watching our major!) I could not help but wonder what if the exhibition corps had not gone on first? These people would have missed a competitive corps, and/or disrupted the performance! I did notice that even when the DCI corps were on the field there was STILL a lot of coming and going in the stands! I thought that MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE DRUM CORPS FANS KNEW ENOUGH NOT TO HAVE ANY MOVEMENT IN THE STANDS DURING A CORPS PERFORMANCE! Apparently, I was wrong!

BTW, at Mission Drums people WERE ASSIGNED at the entry points to the stands and no one was allowed to enter during a performance.

Perhaps the show organizers should follow suit.