DCI Stanford Review

[ForTheCommonGood]

To start off this is my first summer with Fan Network, and it is such a convenience! It's so much easier than staring at a computer screen on DCP until someone posts scores! I had alot of fun watching this show! All the world class groups and open class groups, in my opinion were much more stellar at this point then they were last year! Now onto the review!

SCVC: I really enjoyed what I heard from this group! It was obviously a very young corps, but the show design is very well suited for a corps of this stature! The percussion was the real stand out for me...a very well played book! For an open class title contender, their battery stood out to me! As a brass player though, I probably don't know what I'm talking about on that front. The brass had some intonation issues, but did a good job especially for a June run.

BDB: These guys were on fire! I thought now that Oregon left Open Class, there really wouldn't be much for me there...but these guys (and SCVC) proved me wrong! A pretty warm sound from the brass, especially this early into the season... I had their percussion slightly under SCVC, but I really don't know what I'm talking about on that front! The show itself seemed like an open class sequel to Cabaret Voltaire...without the hula hoops and the bird cages. But very solid show from them!

BDC: It's good that BD is reaching out to younger kids to start doing Drum corps! There was some good moments in this show! The kids seemed to be having a blast! I really enjoyed the Car Wash section...the props seemed a little eh...but they work! I know alot of these kids will probably go to BDB and BDA in the future!

Mandarins: Wow! These guys came to play! I haven't seen much of these guys besides the last two years championship weeks... but they were great! Their brass had a very characteristic brass sound, they sounded great at their arrival moments. The section when they crabbed across the field in blocks was genius! The narration lost me at some moments it was a little difficult to hear on the stream, but i really enjoyed these guys!

PC: Same as Mandarins! A good follow up to last years show! Their trumpets had some great moments especially! Their battery seemed solid too! I can't remember what their concept was, but the brass had some pretty sweet licks in there!

BK: First off, I really enjoyed these guys last year...but this year isn't really cutting it for me... I enjoyed some moments but it never really caught on for me...The brass didn't really seem to have the same wow factor as PC or Mandarins but I think that might of been the stream...I enjoyed their battery book alot! But until they clean this show up, It's really not going to do much for me.

Crown: As you can probably tell by my screen name, I always love Crown! But this show is something else! Absolutely spectacular! I've gone back and watched it many times, and every time I grow towards it more! The brass absolutely had the best book of the night! And they played the loudest, most in tune and in tone! There was some timing issues in the pit, but the battery in my opinion achieved just a hair more than BD's. There pit however needs some serious work! That section after the drum break where the pit has those crazy runs...that really needs to clean up! That mello rip after the whole 123 456 78 123 section was insane! And that horn snap is like flipping a switch in volume! Overall, definetly the most polished show of the night!

SCV: I was pretty skeptical when i first saw the show anouncement, but this show is alot of fun! Loving the new uni's! The percussion was pretty stellar! Loved the drum break! And those last two minutes of music were so well done! As well as the drill, very fun to watch! A very good package from SCV!

BD: Well...where do I start? Very cool solos from the trumpets! The jazz section was very...odd...but I enjoyed it as well! I have read up on the theme and listened to the original Rite of Spring and...well, I'm not really on board with what they are doing now, I'm sure I will be in August. The one thing breaks this show for me is the poles...PLEASE remove those eye sores! The field just looks like a cluttered mess! It was so distracting! Also, their scores were pretty inflated in my opinion...I had them only .2 above Crown...or maybe less! I'm not going to form my opinion on this show until Minnesota...but its not off to the best start now!