Popular Post iwannamarchcorps Posted June 23, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted June 23, 2013 I had to drive a few hours from the show. It's now very late but these thoughts were rambling through my head so here they are. OPEN CLASS CORPS: There are drum corps gods, and they are envious and spiteful. You may have perfectly valid reasons for missing the Open Class corps and only seeing the World Class ones (yeah, right), but the gods won't see it that way and they will spawn a loud, drunk couple right behind you who will talk and laugh loudly and incessantly through performances. You will want to slice open their abdomen and strangle them with their intestines, but you shouldn't, because that would be "frowned upon" by, who else, "society," and plus, you kind of brought this on yourself. BDB played Legend of Alcobaca! Don't be an idiot. Watch Open Class. WORLD CLASS CORPS: Mandarins: I always root for Mandarins or PC to be the next big California corps, where we on the West Coast will be talking them up, and everyone else in the East and Midwest or wherever will just ignore it, and then all of a sudden you have *3* CA corps in finals. Wouldn't that be something? Cry harder, other 49 states. Anywho, Mandarins have caught the WGI bug and have a narration-driven show about a chinese immigrant to America. When the narration began, I heard someone near me ask: "Is that George Takei?" and... well, it *does* sound kind of like George Takei. "Oh my!" The first big impact of the show finally shut up the annoying drunk couple behind me, which then made me see everything Mandarins did in a positive light. The story is very easy to follow, and while it's pretty dirty, it's also a pretty fun, comprehensible show. They are louder and larger than they typically are, I counted 62 horns I think with a few holes. Pacific Crest: PC is a step above Mandarins at this point, especially in terms of cleanliness. They also showed a lot of heart (get it? hurrr). It almost comes off as a backhanded compliment to say that they have a very "achieveable" show, but seriously, they are performing at a surprisingly high level right now, and they have a good chance at maximizing what they have by the end of the season. Blue Knights: BK are loud as the blazes, second only to Crown tonight. Their show, "No Beginning No End" utilizes a lot of circular themes. They had a short set of stairs leading to a platform with a curtain covering what was underneath the platform. Anyone who has seen a show from 2006 onward knows there are going to be people either changing underneath or behind it, right? Well this guard member went crawling under the platform, but she entered it from the front...showing her butt to the audience. She popped out smiling behind the platform. "I ain't no designer, but..." are you really supposed to go in that way? REVIEW INTERMISSION: Speaking of butts. Like I said, I had a longish drive from the show tonight. I was flipping through radio stations, and a song called "Bubble Butt" came on, TWICE. Somehow, I had never heard it before. This would normally not warrant comment, but the chorus is as follows: Bubble butt, bubble, bubble, bubble butt Bubble butt, bubble, bubble, bubble butt Bubble butt, bubble, bubble, bubble butt Turn around, stick it out, show the world you got it (This repeats several times) At this point, because you want to believe you are an educated, refined person, if your brain could make a face, it would be making that disgusted look where your mouth is open and the corners are pulled wide and your eyes are squinting. But of course we never have as much control over our minds as we think, and just because we don't think we should like something doesn't mean that our brain won't go ahead and put it on endless loop for you. Bubble butt, bubble bubble bubble butt... Carolina Crown: People have been busting walnuts about Crown, and it is 100% deserved. The show is "e = mc squared" and this has to be one of the most amazing hornlines I've ever heard. Crown is just determined to make anything and everything they do some cool, fun moment. Seriously, there is not a single moment in the show that is not designed to either be something you will like, or lead immediately to something you will like. The narration is relatively minimal and very smartly done: it gives you enough to know that this next part is a love theme, for example. Crown was surpassed by Devils tonight, and the crowd BOOED when Crown was announced second. Let me repeat that: 4 California corps at a California show, and when one of the 2 non-CA corps didn't win the CA show, the CA crowd BOOED. Dag, CA, you crazy. Santa Clara Vanguard: I'm calling SCV's show a love letter to old-school shows. It's a stupid turn of phrase to say something is a "love letter" to something else--its lazy writing, to be honest--but its all there: the broadway theme, high marktime, that prototypical mello suspension thing (give me a break, musicians, you know what I'm talking about). I do feel bad imagining the design team announcing "We're doing Le Mis!" and all the other design teams with their "advanced" "modern" show concepts looking at them like they are the weird non-cool kids in the cafeteria. What, do they think it's 1990, like, oh my god, Becky... Forget those haters SCV, your show's fine, and you have performers playing the heck out of it. And even if you didn't have that, if there's anything lurking on DCP has taught me it's that people will never, ever tire of show methods they have seen before. Blue Devils: Back in 2010 ("Through a Glass, Darkly") I ran into John Meehan at a coffee shop on tour. I told him that I really liked the show (I didn't, but only because I didn't understand it at that point yet). He looked up from his laptop, eyebrows raised. "It's not supposed to make you feel good," he said. What are you supposed to say to that? "Oh. Well, I thought it was really great" I said, dumbly, then backed out. I bring that awkward anecdote up because Rite of Spring will not make you feel "good". The music is the riot-inducing stuff of legend (with some embellishments). The visual themes are very... faithful to the source, and you will see pagan rituals, a sacrifice, and perhaps other strange stuff. The show never puts you at ease. Crown spells out e=mc2 on the field, and the audience gets a kick out of it. BD does not spell out Spring. It is at times bizarre, disturbing... and heaven help me, beautiful. The performers are enormously talented, the themes are vividly portrayed and flow without halt from one thought to another, and of course everything comes full circle at the end. If you believe the purpose of a drum corps show is to leave you feeling "good," you would not have put BD in first place tonight. If you can concede that drum corps may be an art form and art is allowed to make you feel things other than joy and satisfaction and still be a success, you might have. Only might have, because Crown is really, really good. I hope these two corps exchange wins all tour. If Cadets and/or Cavies can throw their hat in as well, that would be great, but it would be a wonderful summer even if it were just Crown and Devs dueling for the top spot. Last comment about BD that I can't let go: Dude, tuba in the front, side 1, on the ending halt: you're blowing it. On and splitting, not that hard. MY AWARDS: everyone gets an award, just because. Thank-You Award: Mandarins (for shutting up drunk couple) Please Be The Next Big Thing Award: Pacific Crest Most Circles: Blue Knights Crowd Favorite: Carolina Crown Party Like It's 1990: Santa Clara Vanguard. F-You, I Liked It Award: Blue Devils. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guizeppe Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Dude...or Miss...whatever. Can't believe I'm the first to comment. GREAT review! Spot on with just about everything I was thinking of after tonight's show here in Sacramento. Vanguard is un-1989-freaking-believable. " Cry harder, other 49 states." classic! Excellent stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tad_MMA Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 (edited) Cry harder? In at least 4 years, there were FOUR California finalists (+ Freelancers & VK). Not to mention the 22 Golds from CA (out of 44 winners). Not to mention the first DCI prelim winner (SCV); first Champion (Anaheim). Hell, they won the first 9 out of 10 championships. But I get your vibe. Edited June 24, 2013 by Tad_MMA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris ncsu Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Loved your review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShutUpAndPlayYerGuitar Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Last comment about BD that I can't let go: Dude, tuba in the front, side 1, on the ending halt: you're blowing it. On and splitting, not that hard. Getting called out by a tech: expected Getting called out from the box: undesirable Getting called out in a DCP review: see 'Synonyms' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCfan76 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Thanks! Great review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinny Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Great review, literally made me lol just what i needed this morning, also very informative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeeWee Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Can't really tell if you liked Vanguards' "retro" show or not, but as a former member from 1989, thanks. :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRUXXUS Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 This is the first time I've been back on DCP in years, and my first reply belongs to you. This cracked me up! I also totally agree with everything you said, keep it up. Hope you go to more shows so I can read more reviews! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.