kickhaltsforlife Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 (edited) I think he was attempting a joke based on the fact they're doing Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us" Right over my head. Been a long day I'm usually better at catching that stuff. haha Edited July 9, 2013 by kickhaltsforlife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 yes... as the 2005 Crossmen were repeatedly told, "GE is the key!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickhaltsforlife Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 yes... as the 2005 Crossmen were repeatedly told, "GE is the key!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Right over my head. Been a long day I'm usually better at catching that stuff. haha It's cool, I caught it. It's a great show, I do hope they can make Finals. Maybe it's time again for a tie in semis, so we get 13 corps in Finals. Get both Crossmen and Troopers into Finals this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
va9590jm Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 So this has been my concern since, I don't know... at least San Antonio (but hypothetically since November). And years and years of this activity beg the question, when have corps added "layers" of visual interest, especially after the half way point. Having said that, they are leading Blue Star in GE (visual and music) over the past couple of shows, and hanging tough in music. In general with a month or so left that's where you want to be, up in GE. At the end, most corps end up roughly competitive in performance with the other corps in their tier. (sweeping generalization disclaimer - act like I know what I'm talking about for the sake of argument). The corps with the more compelling shows end up beating the corps that have had a slight edge all year due to better performance preparation. That's my gatorade bottle half full outlook and I'm sticking to it. But I am not optimistic unless I see the likes of Gerry Cordino (Cadets' self-proclaimed "Effects Queen") pull into a rehearsal and start waving a visual wand. BTW, he, and some others, can actually do that kind of thing, but they are few and far between (folks with that talent). We'll see in Denton in a week and a half. Can't wait. Sometimes when making changes and adding another "layer" of visual interest, there are changes being made that help lead to better performance, either through staging, different positioning and poses, etc. in the other performance captions, while still maintaining or improving GE. Think about the changes that the Crossmen made to their closer at this point in the season last year. They shortened the closer some, took out some of the less interesting parts with little effect, and in by doing so, created a more effective closer, while also making it easier for the corps to perform. While, yes, not all changes and additional "layers" of visual interest are good, some are. I guess we might just have to wait and see what happens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Crossmen themselves did some late season drill changes that added nuance to the 92 Earth show - the transition to the huge Question Mark on the field with the globe being balanced at the bottom... Not saying it can't happen... and don't shoot me, but I didn't see a lot in the drill that came out of San Antonio to make me super optimistic that those types of adjustments would be made. But... it can happen. And as you say, we'll see soon enough. My fingers are "crossed" (see what I did there? Not bad for 61, huh?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrangerx Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Crossmen themselves did some late season drill changes that added nuance to the 92 Earth show - the transition to the huge Question Mark on the field with the globe being balanced at the bottom... Not saying it can't happen... and don't shoot me, but I didn't see a lot in the drill that came out of San Antonio to make me super optimistic that those types of adjustments would be made. But... it can happen. And as you say, we'll see soon enough. My fingers are "crossed" (see what I did there? Not bad for 61, huh?) Good morning, All! Indeed, the Crossmen are on day 3 of mid-season changes. What will you see and hear? I won't give away anything specific, other than that every note and step of the closing 2 1/2 minutes is different, and many more things to come over the next 2 weeks in many other parts of the show. Having been through the wars a few times myself, I will not predict where this will all end up in Indy, but I will say that, just like last year, there is an opportunity to add, refine and get better every day of the season due to the nature of the theme and the demands placed on the performers. Just like last year, there is no worry about "peaking early". It's a marathon, not a sprint. Last year (2012) was a "buzz" year because the Crossmen got SO MUCH BETTER in one leap. They were the proverbial "Cinderella" corps. You get to enjoy that spotlight once on your way up. The Crossmen were a surprise to some, and capped it off by edging into finals. They were a finalist for 11 1/2 minutes last year. This year, the pressure of having a target on your back the whole year, and being taken seriously all season long with the expectations of the audience members and judges, is something real. I've done this before -- a prime example was the 1993 - 1994 Colts. For those wanting the history lesson, the 1993 Colts jumped into Finals for the first time (12th) on the heels of a 20th place season in 1992. Tears in the parking lot, screams from the audience, excitement, and rose-colored glasses looking back at it all. 1994? More auditionees than ever before, full corps out of the gate, harder music, drill, percussion, guard. Expectations high! They finished 12th again... with lots of tough lessons learned along the way that set the table for greater success shortly after that. But what rose-colored glasses do is this: They tend to mask memories of all the hard work that went into it for the vets, and it tends to make the new members think they are joining something that will just click because they saw the group so good the year before. It takes 1/2 a season to realize that "OH YEAH! This IS a lot of work!!" For the staff, the challenge is to remember that the show takes time, and that we didn't magically populate the corps with all 21 year olds. It's a process... The cool part? The members of the Crossmen are now starting to get that confidence born of experience. The staff and writers are being very honest and objective about what's working and what's not. The rose-colored glasses are off... and the boxing gloves are back on. What you saw the first part of the season was like trying on a new suit... not quite right... little tight here... little loose there... and this last week has been about taking it to the tailor and the cleaners. 4 1/2 weeks left, and nothing but positive momentum... a good place to be. Much to do, and all worth it! Ducking back into my arranging hole... Chuck Naffier PS: Ray Fallon -- I had the chance to work with the pit for a few hours on Monday -- and told way too many stories to your daughter and her friends in the back line. :) If you come out to San Antonio rehearsals next Friday, please stop by and say hello -- I'll be the one in the most hideous Hawaiian shirt telling the hornline "LOUDER THAN THE SHIRT!" 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowtown Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Similarly – it seems harder to stay in finals than to make finals for a corps…meaning the following year, you have to be much better to maintain that 12th place spot And I swear I saw Crossmen jackets last week in Chicago while taking a cab to a meeting I’d like to see a crack down in this show – a real cops vs hippie moment and maybe some giant puppet heads that many Euros seem so fond of in their protests Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barigirl78 Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 I want thank Chuck for his informative and insightful message. I think it was very easy for us as fans and supporters of the corps to overhype the corps' prospects this year based on the euphoria in Indianapolis at the end of last season. Every year takes a lot of work and the other corps are working just as hard. I'm looking forward to seeing the changes to the show. There's still a lot of season left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Similarly – it seems harder to stay in finals than to make finals for a corps…meaning the following year, you have to be much better to maintain that 12th place spot And I swear I saw Crossmen jackets last week in Chicago while taking a cab to a meeting I’d like to see a crack down in this show – a real cops vs hippie moment and maybe some giant puppet heads that many Euros seem so fond of in their protests I think you did. I believe they had a free day there last week after the Illinois shows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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