truman Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 (edited) Although I have heard about this show for many years, this was our first time attending the DCA kick off at the venerable Maxwell Field. The location of the stadium and school, with it's close proximity to the boardwalk, beach hotels, clubs and housing, provide an ideal venue for DCA. There were still signs of the damage from Sandy, but considering the entire area was underwater just months before, the clean up and recovery was amazing. This was a shot of the field during the storm. Heavy rains for the last few days gave way to a beautiful sunny day and clear cool evening, but left the field a muddy, soggy mess. The relatively small stands started filling in the middle section 90 minutes before the start of the show. My awesome wife went in early and got great seats on the left 45 while I enjoyed a couple cocktails in the warm up area. The PA system left a lot to be desired, as it was not possible to understand 85% of what Fran H was putting into the mic. Therefore I am not sure who performed the solo SSB, but he did a nice job of it. Bush lead off the evening with their show,"We Are", celebrating their 30+ years, and the 20th anniversary of their 1993 undefeated season. They use large mural props on the field, with pictures of memorable moments of the past. The 18 brass members opened with nice balance and energy. Good visual design made the most of the performers and the props. As with every corps this time of year, stamina and limited rehearsal reps lead to execution issues as the shows went on. Another common thread for the evening was guard work not done for the end of shows. This guard seemed very young, but I am pretty old! Not sure what they were going for with the guy dancing in a guard uni with an aussie and gloves at one point, while he marched sop in a jacket and leotards in another. Maybe I was missing something? I was reminded of the individual performance exposure challenges faced by smaller brass lines, and they handled it well, and have some very talented folks! Overall an enjoyable performance and much potential for this show, Thanks Bush! Next up was Fusion, with their "Till We Meet Again" show. We follow a couple from falling in love to meeting in the afterlife. Great energy and emotion from all sections from the very start, when the 33 brass turn and nail the first familiar strains of "When a Man Loves a Women". Some real screamers in the sop line! A solid job by the battery and front ensemble, coupled with a great brass performance, lead to a well deserved tie for second in the music caption. A very strong effect when the elderly couple first takes the field hand in hand and sits on the park bench in front of the horn line. It then goes a little over the top when they have to act out their passing, releasing heart balloons as they die. I believe they could reach a more powerful emotional conclusion with a little more subtlety, but that was just my first impression. Props to the snare drummer who "left it on the field", and not on his drum at the end of the show. Fusion was the surprise of the night for me, a great start to what should be a good year for them. Next up...The Champs! Edited June 17, 2013 by truman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 (edited) The Bucs took the field with their 2013 show,"Higher, Faster, Stronger". Tension builds in the opener as the 57 brass players tease us before turning with an initial impact. All phases of the corps are solid, showcasing the speed, control, and performance that is expected. They use ladders throughout the show with nice effect. The mellophone line is just sick, causing me to do a few "wows" during their performance, including a spot when they are on the ladders on the front sideling doing some "Sailors Dance". I wish they brought some of the emotion they have at the end of the show, when the horn line comes to the front sideline, to other parts of the show, but the formula they have for success can't be questioned. They will be tough to beat with this show, not really any surprise there. Cadets 2 had a tough draw coming on next. Let me begin by saying that I have seen ALOT of the DCI Cadets over the last 13+ years. I think my brain has been conditioned to a certain level of visual and musical performance excellence by anyone wearing this uniform. That is a tall order for these kids to fill, and they leave me feeling like something is wrong. Hard to explain, and I mean no disrespect to the Cadets2, just something that I had trouble getting past. I also am not sure why their age limit bothers me, but I always find myself wondering what the motive is. DCA is not part time DCI, and I think YEA could go a long way on the DCA circuit allowing all ages into the corps. All that said, I liked the Les Mis show very much. There is a lot of demand in field coverage and exposure. The 44 in the brass section were the strength of the corps tonight musically, but seemed to struggle with visual performance in some spots. Seemed like the battery spent a lot of time backfield. It will be interesting to watch this corps develop over the season. Next up...The Hosts! Edited June 17, 2013 by truman 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 good stuff and great pix! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 One of my favorite moments in all of the Drum Corps activity is when Hawthorne comes on the field. It has never failed to send chills down my spine in the 40+ years I have been seeing it. Tonight was no exception, BOTH times it happened. This years show is UnRavel. I loved the musical selections, and the design of the show. The guard was deserving of their first place finish. The drum book has some meat, and the line has the opportunity to put some pressure on the top spot this year. There is some challenge in the brass book performance because of the visual demands, and the horn line did not have the best of times on the sloppy field, with one mello wipeout that I saw. I am sure going on last did not help, but they did have the opportunity of rehearsing in the conditions that day. There seemed to be a timing issue with the solo in Time to Say Goodbye, but overall the sop line is very solid, with some nice screamer moments. Paint it Black has some real energy. I can't wait to see this show in September! The Cabs Alumni performed last. It was a cool sight to watch the horn line enter the stadium through 2 lines of cheering current members, who then watched the show from the end zone. Hearing the old school tunes was real treat for me. Music that I have listened to hundreds if not thousands of times in my life. It was a great finish to a really fun night of drum corps. We dropped a quick $60 at the souvie stands before heading out to our hotel. Thanks to all the corps for a great start to the season! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lp1955 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Great review thank you for your time and effort. Brought me to the stands with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Sun Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Thanks for the review and photo's ,sounds like a good time was had by all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Great review thank you for your time and effort. Brought me to the stands with you. Ditto on the thanks ... didn't realize is was a daytime show ... what time did it start/end? :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegalEagle50 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 All the pictures helped to make is one of the best reviews I have ever read on DCp!! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Windish Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 truman- Your effort is much appreciated! Adding the photos was a HUGE addition. As that old saying goes . . .A picture is worth a thousand words. Hope to read your thoughts from other shows. /> (don't know about others, but everything posted is showing up with a strike through) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle B Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Yes, same here Fred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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